I am planning a long camping trip. Chances are I will be hiking and biking around and taking cover at night in the woods. I need to know what to bring in terms of clothing, food and anything else. Also tips on staying safe, I'll be living homeless for a while (probably a month or more) so any other tips and whatever else you think would be greatly appriciated. Annnd any recommendations on a good type of sleeping bag that'll keep me warm in the coming fall nights would be super. I will probably be on bike pulling a bike trailer behind me. Here's my list so far, which is no where near complete but I am trying to go light. - Backpack - Tent - Sleeping bag - Tarp - Pot - Water container - Toilet paper - Flashlight - Mini first aid - Pocket knife - Lighter and matches - Insect repellent - Hat - Rope I am going to have a dog with me too but I don't think that'll really require anything extra other than having to find more food.
You should probably bring 2 outfits for cold weather (pants, sweatshirt) and 2 outfits for warmer weather (t-shirt, shorts) just incase. About 5 pairs of socks are good, they deffinatley come in handy! And a pair of boots for the vigorous hiking as well as athletic shoes for the biking. Sunglasses and sunblock comes in handy, too. A compass and acouple of maps are helpful to finding your way, if necessary. As far as saftey goes, i do belive that Canada is in bear country, so never ever put your food in your tent when you are sleeping. You will need to put your food in a tarp or something and tie it up with a rope and hang in a tree. That way the bears wont get it. You will probably need to research the types of bears in your area to be knowledgable about how to act when you encounter one. Because the different species of bears are VERY different when it comes to this. For example, one might attack if you just stand there but leave you alone if you play dead, where as another will try to attack you if you are playing dead and run away if you just stand there. Also research what plants you can eat in your area, for example dandelions. Oh, and maybe a parka for when it rains. Try to stick away from cotton clothing, because it takes long to dry and when it gets wet, it will weigh you down. Thats all that i can think of for now....I hope you and your dog have lots of fun!! When are you going to embark on your journey?
What is the general terrain and climate of the area you plan to be in? Or do you not know and need to plan for anything?
Very helpful, thank you emsterino. Um.. [size=-1]North America, ie [/size]British Columbia, Canada. I may leave the island (Vancouver Island) but I am not sure. The island is a temperate rain forest though, I think! from what I've been told anyway.
Since you're not backpacking, I'd go for a synthetic-fill sleeping bag. Down bags are a little lighter and warmer, but when they get wet they're just a bag of wet feathers - not warm, and hard to get dried out. I've camped alone and a couple of times had some spooky looking characters check out my camp. To deal with it I set up a normal-looking camp, then after dark I got my sleeping bag or blanket and moved away from the camp to sleep. If they had come back to do mischief, they'd probably think I'd left hiking and wouldn't bother to look for me. Just like dealing with the bears, use your head to avoid trouble - knowledge and awareness are the keys. I'd also suggest you make a "shake-out" trip of at least a couple of days before you head out, to test your gear and see if you missed anything (or, more likely, packed a lot of things you won't really need). Good luck, and have fun!
With your dog going along I would recommend getting him/her saddle bags so the dog can pack it's own food and water. I spent a lot of time hiking with my dog and quickly found that having to carry food and water for him taxed my load. It took a bit of getting used to for my dog, but in the end it worked great.
Use your imagination to segment the wish list into subsets like: Kitchen kit: knife fork spoon, 2 metal plates, metal cup, saw, grill, big knife. candle. matches, light. soap, brillow pad. Sleeping system: tent bag, pad, tarp. groundcloth, clothsline, duffel bag. Bike system: air pump, spare inner tube, first aid kit,
