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Rimolt
10-12-2016, 06:05
I'm going hiking for the first time. I still need a tent, a mattress and a backpack. Nothing really comes to mind... I'd prefer something cheap, but also reliable.
Any advice?
I was thinking the standard route.

moldy
10-12-2016, 07:00
How much each of these items weigh is something that matters. I would get a tent that is big enough to sit in, no tubes. If you purchase your backpack at real outfitter store, you can try on several brands and have it adjusted to fit you properly. One thing you should have mentioned is the type of hiking you were planning to do. If this is weekend trip or a long distance hike that will take months the equipment you invest in might be different.

egilbe
10-12-2016, 07:09
You can have cheap, lightweight or durable. Pick any two. Most people who have experience at spending money on backpacking gear have all started with cheap and slowly migrated to lightweight, so it is no longer cheap. Its become very expensive. My advice to you is to start out with expensive and lightweight. If you find that backpacking is not for you, quality gear resells very well. Cheap goes in the trash bin.

figure $1000 for tent, sleep system and pack. Most everything else you can go cheap.

of course, there are exceptions and you will get conflicting advice from other hikers whose hiking style may differ from yours when you finaaly decide what kind of hiker you want to be.

Tipi Walter
10-12-2016, 07:39
Phew. This whole website is full of nothing BUT stuff about tents, pads and packs.

Moosling
10-12-2016, 07:55
I'm going hiking for the first time.




Give us some more information like the other guys said, do you know if this will be something you will ever do again? Were you just invited by your GF/BF for a weekend trip? There are tons of options out there. What is your budget? Basically you can get a decent tent that won't leak for not a ton of money, Like Alps Mountaineering but its going to be very heavy, 3.5-5LBs which might not be a ton of weight to you but down the road you may think otherwise but I've used an alps tent on multiple trips no problem. Narrow your search by searching for "Budget gear" or beginners gear in the search column there are lots and lots of gear threads.

Hikingjim
10-12-2016, 09:04
what's your budget, when are you going, where, and are you hiking solo?
I am also from Canada so I can give you some insight into cdn options as well, since some US purchases tend to be horribly expensive with shipping and the poor exchange.

Leish
10-12-2016, 09:15
What's your budget anyways?

Whatever you get, make sure to keep it light. You don't want to lug something heavy around, trust me on this. Practice packing all the things you've got, if you can't do that, return them to the seller and get a replacement. What kind of a backpack you need depends on what you pack. I wouldn't advise getting something large just because all your things will fit in there. Actually, the less the better, only it still has to have enough room for all the things you want to take with you. As for the mattress... Anything portable should do in theory but in practice that might not be so. There's at least three types of a mattress for camping (http://bestmattress4you.com/what-is-the-best-camping-mattress/), and only air mattresses are suitable for hiking. Futons may be very unwieldy and the less said about foldables the better. Those are for RV-campers.
You could also try and make a mattress yourself (http://www.foambymail.com/SS/super-soft-foam.html). That might be the best route (pun not intended).

Now tents... That literally depends on too many factors, including weather forecast.

swisscross
10-12-2016, 09:58
First trip...borrow or buy used. What if you hate it?

Venchka
10-12-2016, 11:28
First trip...borrow or buy used. What if you hate it?

Renting is also viable. Garage sales and consignment shops. Craig's list.
Go cheap early. If/when you know what you want and need you can spend real money.
Wayne


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

BuckeyeHiker
10-12-2016, 13:10
Also check with local outfitter if you have one. My local place rents gear and sells that gear for reduced price as they replace it. They also have annual gear swap. I bought my pack and bag for $50 total I think through the gear swap. The pack was still selling new for $180. Only thing I have ever found wrong with it is one missing buckle that I dont even use.

Engine
10-12-2016, 15:19
For your first trip I would buy used or otherwise inexpensive gear. While I'm betting you enjoy the experience, not everyone does and it would be a shame to end up stuck with a lot of expensive stuff.

Turk6177
10-12-2016, 15:59
These guys supposedly rent and ship gear. http://www.lowergear.com/rentbackpack.php?gclid=COmPkt6G1s8CFc9gfgodHjoAkg

Hikingjim
10-12-2016, 16:14
MEC toronto rentals:
HIKING AND CAMPING GEAR




Daily rate
Weekly rate


Backpack
$10
$50


Tent (3-season)
$20
$100


Tent (4-season)
$25
$125


Sleeping bag (3-season)
$15
$75


Sleeping bag (4-season)
$15
$75


Sleeping pad (self-inflating)
$5
$25



If you don't buy everything, they have some decent stuff to try a trip for a few days.
If they have a volt or spark tent, they are ok for 1 or two person trips

Hosh
10-12-2016, 16:18
Phew. This whole website is full of nothing BUT stuff about tents, pads and packs.

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRCXf2hkf_64uWbx_uZUB1vbZwkhmPof K4qG_KMrfOkk0INVeRYaDDamRI