Hi /out/. I humbly seek feedback on new gear acquisition. It has been many years since ive done anything outdoors related. I got stuck in my city after covid and never made a real attempt to change that until now. I have done one overnight backpacking trip years ago along with previous camping. I want to get back into backpacking, camping and thru hiking. My short term goal is to do various day trips and get comfortable with overnight stuff. My ultimate goal is to survive in the wild for up to two weeks. I live in the southwest. Im willing to spend more upfront for gear that will last a long time in nearly every weather condition.Shelter:Tent>Durston X Mid 2Sleeping bag>Nemo forteSleeping pad>nemo tensor extremeFood:>Pathfinder M40 cook set>alcohol stove>canister stove>homemade MREs and camping mealsWater:>sawyer squeeze>sawyer one gallon gravity bag>canteens>camelbackFire:>cheap ferro rod>lighter>cotton balls with vaselineAside from this I plan on getting sunjack solar panels and power banks with their light stick. I need to get other various things like clothing, a backpack, knives, first aid kit, multitool, navigation etc. I also want to learn skills like fishing, hunting and trapping for small game. Specifically rabbits and quail.
Sounds like you're more prepared than most people who come here. Good work mate go get it done.
>>2732214I can only think of a few bits that you might want.>sponge. for condensation/desert water collection>tin pot. for charcloth making/storage>salt. for electrolytes >wire, line/hooks and paracord. hunting, fishing respectively>duct tape. for repairs
I'm in a similar boat, gone on plenty of day trips but now planning more overnights. You learn a lot from experience, you will make mistakes no matter how much you plan so it's important to just get out. Couple of things I learned:>don't bring overly dry food or food that can go stale (like bread), this will make you more thirsty>bring some fresh fruit, you'd be surprised how amazing it is to have an apple or orange on a long day>bring extra water for your first few trips, it will be heavier but you will quickly learn how much water you need>don't underestimate how cold or sunny it can get, i'd recommend bringing less total clothes but more that you can mix/layer together to avoid freezing your ass like i did a couple of times, or getting sun burn because you didn't bring a hat/long sleevesI just ordered the x-mid as well. One problem I had with my previous pole tent was sliding around so much because of plastic pads on plastic floors on plastic footprints etc. Would recommend either bringing a very thin layer of eva foam to put under your sleeping pad to stop it sliding around or what I did was apply stripes of seam sealer to the underside of my sleeping pad.
>>2732223>>2732227>>2732232Thanks anons, much appreciated
>>2732214sunscreen
REI has a big sale so I was able to get some of these on a discount
>>2732214Pretty solid kit, I would just say be open to a hot tent too. My first set was a regular tent but I had experience with hot tents in the Marines. Pretty quick I changed over to a titanium wood stove and hot tent. Gave me extra control over the internal temperature and the option to cook inside (fantastic when you are in a fly-riddled area). It's also nice using the wood stove + folding saw for infinite fuel.
>>2732214My best suggestion is to resist the urge to overpack. I carry one stove, two lighters, one high-walled frying pan & one long spoon. One sawyer squeeze and a separate gallon reservoir. One good knife, no multitool, few bits of duct tape & cord for fixes. After a trip, inventory what you didn't use and leave it behind the next time. Exceptions are emergency items: warm clothes, compass, mirror, trauma kit.I lost my knife mid-trip once & made it the last few days using granite flakes to clean fish. You find ways to make do.
