North Face External Frame Review

That first trip to the outfitter's leaves you in awe, and a little frightened at the upcoming trek. After all, what is all this stuff for? Do I really need to have a all of these things to have an enjoyable hike? Do I need a second mortgage to go hike around in the woods? The answer is no, you just have to have realistic expectations of your upcoming trip.

To enjoy your trip, realize what your experience level is, and don't push to far into something you don't understand. Start with day hikes, learning how to walk with a small pack. Then, take an overnight trip, if you get into trouble you can always walk back out quickly. When prepared, you can make those multi-day treks, and this guide will help you decide on a few pieces of gear that really help make those multi-day trips more fun. Make your first multi-day trek somewhere you know relatively well, and make it during the spring or fall season where the weather is warm, this will alleviate the need to buy high-cost synthetic fabrics. Be sure to go with other hikers, never backpack alone! This is an important safety consideration, once on the trail the only knowledge and help available is that your collective crew has brought with them. Read many guides such as this one to get a good idea on the gear and strategies you will need to utilize while backpacking, and if possible, find someone who has some backpacking experience to go with you, or at the very least get them to answer any questions you might have about local trail concerns.

Tents, sleeping bags, and a sleeping pad will make your nights restful and enjoyable, allowing you to regain energy for the next day of hiking. There is no real need to purchase unique ultra light backpacking gear for this, most camping tents will work for short trips, and as long as the sleeping bag is fairly lightweight and the weather decently warm, you can skip the multi-hundred dollar compression bags. Pick up a cheap, roll up mat at your local Wal-Mart to keep your bag off the tent's floor, this is an item that will add considerable warmth to your sleeping experience.

Water purification will be necessary on a trip of this length, and here you have a choice, tablets or a pump. A pump will tend to give better tasting water, and it will produce water that is immediately drinkable. Pumps also require more maintenance and cost more than other methods. Tablets will make the water drinkable, but many leave an after-taste and they do not filter out large impurities like a pump would. For a budget first trip, Iodine tablets are the cheapest option for water purification. If you can't deal with impurities floating around in your water bottles, pre-filter the water with a piece of cheesecloth so you don't end up drinking little sticks and leaves.

Footwear and the backpack are two areas I advise you not try and buy cheaply, these two items will contribute the most to your comfort and therefore your enjoyment of your trek. To save a little money, go to your local sporting store, try out the items, pick your favorite, and then order it online. Make sure to break in the boots before your trek, either wear them as your normal sneakers for a week or two, or dampen the inside of the boots, take a day hike around town, and walk until they dry out. This will tend to mold the boots to your feet, making them extremely comfortable. Be careful of blisters if you decide to use this method. Backpacks can be external or internal frame, but make sure you buy a frame backpack, you will need the support to carry the weight. North Face, Gregory, Kelty and Mountain Smith all make good quality backpacks at a relatively low cost for first time backpackers.

The final big item that is different from normal camping is carrying a stove for hot, delicious backcountry meals. If you decide to purchase a stove, I recommend a white gas stove, made by a company such as MSR or Primus. These stoves run on a liquid fuel, won't freeze on later treks you make, and if you happen to run out of gas other hikers on the trail tend to be more willing to lend you a little gas. The pressurized fuel stoves tend to have problems in the cold, and no one will lend you a disposable fuel canister, as a single canister is a large percentage of how much fuel they will be carrying. To do this cheaply, simply eat cold foods on the first couple of treks. Or, if you can find them cheaply, military surplus Meals-Ready-to-Eat have warmer packs that will work well.

Items such as a small flashlight, knife, first aid kit, and water bottles can all be directly transferred from car-camping (if you can see the car, this is what you are doing) to backpacking. While your backpacking gear set may be heavier then the top-of-the-line gear, your gear will still allow you to make low mileage, multi-day treks and give you a chance to decide whether or not you enjoy the sport of backpacking.