Older sleeping bags were little more than a cotton and wool blanket folded over and fitted with a zipper. Modern sleeping bags have benefited from a dozen advances in materials science and ergonomic design, not to mention thousands of (night) hours of field testing.

Almost all have a nylon shell, but that doesn’t mean they’re all the same, even in that respect. Nylon can be thick or thin, sturdy or fragile, heat conductive or not. It can also be truly waterproof or merely offer a momentary delay in getting soaked. Look for strong, tight seams and composites that truly do the job.

The interior of sleeping bags has changed over the years, with more and more offering superior insulating materials. Some weigh as little as an ounce per square yard. Primaloft, Dupont Thermolite and other synthetics has made it possible to produce a lightweight bag that really keeps the cold out, while still allowing the interior to breathe.

Clever design has been added to ingenious materials in many models. Those that offer layered synthetic insulation with natural (or even synthetic) down provide excellent temperature control and great comfort. Fill is measured by a number, with 750 now the bottom for a good bag, 900 is better. The number represents the volume occupied by a single cubic ounce of material. Use it to compare bags.

Materials aren’t the only thing that’s important. Geometry has really been improved in contemporary designs. A full length zipper is important on those nights when it’s warm and you want to let a little air in. But having a well shaped mummy hood and draft collar are big advantages on those nights when you don’t.

The mummy hood helps keep your arm warm if you’re the type to put it under or above your head. It’s also designed to allow you stuff clothes and towels beneath a liner to make a pillow. At the other end, space has been expanded in some models to allow those who sleep on their backs to keep their toes pointing up in a comfortable position.

A bag should keep the cold ground out of the bag while allowing you to move freely. Those characteristics are hard to obtain together, but modern designers have accomplished just that.

At the same time, you want that bottom layer to provide sufficient padding when you don’t have an air mattress or cot. Some models accomplish that with a slide-in rollable pad, others have the padding built in. Look for ones that provide adequate comfort without adding excessive weight and bulk.

Your sleeping bag is the most important piece of large equipment you’ll take on a camping trip, unless you sleep in an RV or motel. There are those that would argue that isn’t really camping. A tent is important, but there are trips where you don’t want or need one. Your bag is your last line of defense, and your first line of comfort, for a great night’s sleep in the outdoors.

Get a great night’s sleep and you’ll be well-refreshed to tackle that hike the next day.

The military has a term for moving personal equipment from place to place that backpackers have adopted - humping your gear. It’s apt. There’s something about the phrase that suggests effort, and that is certainly true. Hauling personal gear for camping and hiking can be one of the less thrilling parts of the experience.

In order to minimize the downside, give some thought to what you truly need for where you’re going. A little research into the specific campsites you pick for your trip will reveal a lot of back saving information.

You’ll find out whether the campsite has running water (some do, many do not), and whether there are showers (rare, but less so as time passes). Try to get a person, either via phone or email, and ask specifically about quality. Some water suitable for bathing or cleaning dishes isn’t something you’d want to drink.

Always bring a few gallons of drinking water, just in case. But keep in mind that a gallon of water (about 4 liters) weighs about 8 lbs (3.6 kg). You don’t want to have to haul much of that on your back.

Think about the climate. Sleeping bags have gotten much lighter in recent years, but they still weigh about 4 lbs (1.8 kg) at best. Also, though they roll up to a nice tight size these days, they are still one of the bulkier items you will carry. Don’t pack a winter sleeping bag if you’re going summer camping and vice-versa.

Tents today are much lighter than their heavy canvas grandfathers. Today’s tents are made from lightweight, tough nylon. Heavy steel poles are a thing of the past. With internal frames, using aluminum or fiberglass, it’s possible to get a strong tent in a low mass package. But here again they weigh at least nearly 4 lbs and the more pole support the heavier they are.

To lighten your load select a tent that is no larger than what you actually need. If the weather is expected to be fine, trade space for weight. Gear can be left outside and in some places you can dress outside and still have plenty of privacy.

It’s essential that you pack a first aid kit, but the truly needed items can be carried in a small, lightweight package. Wrap around bandages, anti-bacterial cream (less bulk than spray), scissor/tweezer combos and a few other things can weigh under 2 lbs easily. Remember, every pound you carry in, you have to carry out. At least, in the case of first aid gear, you certainly hope so.

A backpack will add another 3 lbs (1.4 kg) and some of the gear like parachute cord (for tying up food bags and other uses), dental floss (useful for a dozen things besides dental hygiene), tooth paste, mirror (for emergency signaling) and a few other essentials will add a few more.

Twenty pounds is about the minimum, and it can reach 40 lbs before you know. It doesn’t sound like much, until you start lugging it over a trail to get to your campsite, then lugging it back to the car, moving to the next campsite. If you add a long hike, that weight becomes a significant percentage of your total body weight to haul around.

Take only the essentials and your trip will be that much more pleasant. Give careful thought to your list. You’ll be surprised how much you can do without away from home. Then when you get back, you may actually be motivated finally to clean out the garage.

One of the prime attractions of camping is the opportunity to enjoy peace and quiet. Living in the big city is exciting and there is a never ending parade of things to do and see. But sometimes, it’s great to get away from all the noise, the bustling and the crowds. At least, most people who go camping think so.

Unfortunately, there’s a small minority that want to bring the city with them into the wilderness. Motorcycles, loud radios and just general rowdiness can sometimes spoil a peaceful campsite. For those who might be willing to listen, it’s desirable to point out that the first rule of camping is: don’t disturb your neighbor.

The reason that’s the first rule is because of the basic purpose of camping listed above: to get away from the noise and enjoy the quiet. For those who disagree or (more often) don’t care, there are campsite officers. Anarchy has faded from campsites. If there are others who refuse to exhibit basic courtesy, you can call on a ranger (in a State or National Park) or a guard (in commercial campsites) to ask the spoilers to be quiet or leave.

But that needn’t be your first move. A polite request to respect the rights of other campers is the first step. And, it’s helpful to be willing to tolerate a certain amount of undesirable behavior for a short time. There’s no need to inflame an unpleasant situation by being intolerant of minor disturbances. Sometimes sound carries better in campsites than you might expect.

Motorcycles, ATVs (All-Terrain Vehicle) and other fun but noisemaking vehicles should be ridden only in designated areas. People who enjoy them can flock together. They expect noise. People who want to hear only the chirping birds are entitled to equal enjoyment.

But there’s no good reason to tolerate prolonged noise or threatening behavior. That’s what the officers are there for, among other things.

The second rule of etiquette in camping is to leave little trace. The next person to come along will appreciate you putting out your fire completely. You should dump all trash in a receptacle or bring along plastic bags to take it with you to dump in the nearest one along the road. Leave no bottles, cans, food wrappers or other trash.

Take a wider view of what is trash and what isn’t than you might in the city. Cigarette butts do not decay in the earth anywhere near as rapidly as you might think. Even small pieces of wood can take years to decay. If you have to eliminate in the woods, bury it under a pile of earth, especially if you’ve used toilet paper. That goes for any dog waste from pets you bring along, too.

Campsites are much more heavily populated today than they ever have been. If everyone pitches in and follows some simple, common sense rules of etiquette, they can be enjoyed by all for a long time to come.

Common sense is anyone’s best guide for the first step in how to dress for camping. But there are some specifics that will help inform you how to exercise that common sense.

First, consider the season and climate for your site. It’s obvious to say that if you want to camp in New Hampshire in the winter, you’ll choose one type of wardrobe. If your plans call for hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Tennessee in the summer, that calls for a different sort.

But the basic principles remains the same in either case: you want good protection and proper thermal control.

To satisfy the first principle, select sturdy clothing. It may look cool in a TV commercial to dress in an Hawaiian shirt and thin cotton shorts out in the woods. But that’s the quickest way to suffer scrapes and cuts, not to mention exposure to toxic plants. In that environment, those can quickly turn septic and campsites are often far away from professional medical facilities.

Pick a shirt that is comfortable, but made of durable material. Synthetic blends of cotton, wool and modern materials satisfy both criteria.

For colder climates, choose thicker clothing, but it should be wickable and breathable. ‘Wickable’ means that it transports sweat from your skin to the outer layer of the garment. Breathable is similar in that it moves air in and out. Good shirts will do that, while maintaining good insulation.

For truly cold weather camping you will want to underlay that with some thermal underwear. Today those are made from blends of polypropylene, Capilene, cotton and other materials.

Wool provides good insulation, but it is mildly uncomfortable directly against the skin and worse if it gets wet. It becomes heavy and stays wet for a long time. Pure cotton is very comfortable, but it provides only moderate insulation and doesn’t wick well. Go for modern blends.

For warmer climates, maintaining dry skin is still important. Dressing looser helps that, but you still need durable material to protect against tree branches, bushes and minor rock scrapes.

The same considerations apply to thermal underwear for the lower half of the body and to pants, during winter camping. Wickable, breathable, good insulation, sturdy and lightweight are important factors - and achievable in the same garment thanks to modern materials. Shorts, for warm climate camping, should only be worn in areas where you have lots of open space.

For outer layers in cold weather you want a jacket or coat that keeps off rain and snow and insulates well. But it should also be lightweight and not bulky. You need to be able to move freely. Fortunately, those can be had together thanks to advances in material in the last 20 years.

Synthetic down, Primaloft, Thinsulate and other materials - combined with more contemporary geometry used to arrange them - provide wicking, warmth and insulation in a comfortable, lightweight garment.

For warmer climates, but ones subject to rain, Gore-Tex is a great material - waterproof, but breathable. Garments made with it are sometimes more expensive, but well worth the extra cost. The best hiking boots, for example, all use Gore-Tex.

Remember, the common sense guidelines still apply. Dress in layers to allow you to adjust for the conditions, but keep it lightweight so you don’t have to carry around heavy items that make camping a burden. Protect yourself from the elements and you’ll enjoy your trip that much more.