Packing is one of the most important part in preparing for a camping trip because you would not like to leave what you need and weigh up you pack with unnecessary gear.

This would largely depend on the trip itself whether special gear is needed. Experience will make packing a little bit easier the next time.

Each camping trip will bring insights to whether your hiking gear were sufficient or whether you need something more. In the end it’ll be easier to pack to the bare minimum and go ultralight hiking.

If you want to keep your gear dry, one of the best ways is to use three plastics inside your backpack. You can also use 3 large stuff sacks. The bottom bag should be for hiking clothes, fuel, camp stove and other heavy gear or stuff that don’t get used very often. The plastic bag in the middle should be for food and the one on top for electronics like your phone, GPS and PDAs.

On more than one occasion, I had made the mistake of keeping my wallet in my pocket. It took the whole day to dry the money and receipts. Exterior pockets are great for organizing your gear.

Use ziploc bags to further organize your gear. You can further segregate your food from your soap, utensitls, cellphone, and more with this useful plastic bag. A must-have if you want to ensure that your gear stays dry.

Don’t forget the first aid kit. You never know what might happen in the outdoors. A mess kit, bugspray, waterproof matches and whistle are important items to have. If you need to quick access to a particular item then keep them in the outer side pockets. You must know where you put important items and try not change where you put them. Losing things is not fun especially when it happens on a camping trip.

It is very important that you have enough food and snacks. Your body will need more food on a hiking trip than normal because you will burn a ton of calories. You can calculate how much food you need but the best way to estimate your food requirements is by trial and error and to be safe carry more food than you think you might need. The same goes for water. Carrying too much water won’t hurt as much as not having any. Don’t forget to bring some kind of water treatment system like a water filter or iodine tablets so that you can refill when the opportunity arises.

A trail mix is one of the best things you can have on a hiking trip. You get a lot of energy from the natural fat in nuts and the dried fruits provide good fiber and nutrition. Energy bars and gels can also give you a boost. Avoid chocolate when it’s hot unless you take the necessary precautions to prevent it from making a mess as it is melted by the heat.

Canned food should be avoided because they’re heavy and the waste is not easily disposed. You need to carry your rubbish until you can dispose of it properly.

Dehydrated foods are great for backpacking because they’re very light yet very nutritious and they taste wonderful. It’s a good idea to pack a camp stove. If you want to use less fuel but won’t sacrifice on performance then use a liquid fuel camping stove. They still work great in sub-zero temperatures unlike propane stoves that can freeze at a certain temperature and cause problems with ignition.

Try to avoid cotton clothing because cotton absorbs your sweat and wet clothes can make you cold real fast. Synthetic or nylon fiber or wool clothing including socks, underwear,shirt and fleeces are quick drying.

A checklist will reduce the chances of you missing out on anything. Think about everything that you might need on a hiking trip. Then you decide which ones get to be inside you pack.

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