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Camping & Hiking Gear

There is a lot of gear you can get your hands on for your camping venture. From the bare necessities to real luxuries. Much will depend on your mode of transport and how much you can take with you. There is a significant difference in what you can take along when going camping with your ‘big van’, or when going on foot through the mountains.

Absolute Necessities

Obviously you want to be as comfortable as possible and need to be sheltered from the elements at night.
You do need a Tent, Sleeping Bag and Mattress
To start off, you have to decide on the temperature rating you need for your tent and sleeping bag. Generally, these items are rated as 2 or 3-Season, referring to the annual seasons they are recommended for, where winter is the coldest and rated as 4 (for extreme cold conditions = 4+ ). That doesn’t mean you can’t go camping in winter, but you should take these factors into consideration before buying your tent or sleeping bag. It does make sense to choose a bag that is rated a little bit lower than you will need. A lower rated sleeping bag will keep you warm if the temperature really drops down on a cold night. You can always unzip the bag if you need to cool off.
Everything comes in many shapes, sizes and colors, how do you choose the right gear? ... yes the choices for your camping gear can sometimes be overwhelming ...

Tents are also categorized by their capacity, like two-person tent, three-person tent, etc. Buy a tent that is a little larger than you think you might need. A two-person tent will fit a maximum of two people and not much else. If you get a three-person or four-person tent you will have room for some of your other gear as well. Now you might say why don’t I get a six-person tent and have plenty of room? The only problem here is the extra weight that comes with a larger tent… perhaps you have to pack up and carry your tent a long distance? So choose wisely, according to where you going to use this tent and how it is going to get it there.
Once you have determined your tent needs for ‘season-rating and size', do take a good look at the groundsheet (or base) of the tent you intend to buy. This should be made of quite strong pvc-matt and must be water-resistant. Alternatively or additionally you can make use of a ‘footprint’. This is a matt, or sheet, which will be placed directly under your tent and it will help protect the base of your tent from unnecessary wear and tear, as well as keep you more insulated. However, make sure it is not sticking out on the sides of the tent, where it can collect water. Such an additional groundsheet is easier and less expensive to replace than a broken groundsheet of your tent.

Sleeping bags are not so much rated for two-person, three-person …:)  However, there are some other choices you have to make. For example the filling inside the bag can be from down or synthetic-materials.
A down sleeping bag is typically very lightweight and goose down is an excellent insulator. If it gets wet it will take very long to dry out and might loose some of its insulation capability in the process.
A synthetic sleeping bag can be heavier than down, but is generally less expensive.

Next, a sleeping bag is categorized according to its shape. Here you have many choices too, but select one that is most appropriate to where you want to use it. With the following illustrations we hope to help you to get an overview about this

Mattress  To be comfortable at night in your tent, you do need a mattress. You may opt for the simple and well-known foamy camping-mat, or an inflatable mattress. Both have their pros and cons. The main feature of the inflatable mattress is the extreme comfort and the small sized package when deflated, but unless you have really strong lungs, you do need an additional pump to inflate it. Of course the guys with the 'big van' can do this with an electric pump. Fortunately there are now self-inflating mats available, and other ones, which have a build-in pump.
Any type of mattress will keep you insulated from floor, which is most important.

For the best selection and brand names for tents, sleeping bags and all other camping gear,
click here to visit Altrec Outdoors. It's a feast for the eyes of any Camping enthusiast!
Also check our Gear & Accessories Section for regular specials and coupon codes.