I have found in my backpacking trips in my home country that the key to a successful backpacking trip is good planning. With this in mind, I am going to use this post to share a few thoughts about what kind of gear I am planning on taking, and what requirements that gear needs to meet.
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| Backpacking in Scotland. Source: Flickr |
First of all: The weather
The weather of the UK is notoriously rainy. So my first thought is to take gear that is waterproof. This includes taking a waterproof hat, a raincoat and most importantly a waterproof tent, because that is going to my accommodation for the whole trip, I would prefer to stay dry.
I currently own a Ledge Tarantula waterproof tent. It is a great 3-season tent, with two doors, two vestibules, plenty of space. I don't intend to buy another tent for the trip, the Ledge Tarantula have worked for me perfectly so far. I am going in the summer, I am not going to encounter any snow, so I am not going to need a four season tent. I am going to apply a seam sealer to the tent before I leave, and I am going to apply a waterproofing spray as well. This is all just to be on the safe side, and not have any problems with a leaking tent when I am on the road in another country.
Although if I buy a two-handed rod for salmon fishing, I might have to invest in a bigger tent that is long enough for me to put in the long rod. If that happens, I am going to choose one of these backpacking tents.
The backpack
When it comes to the perfect backpack, I am looking for a combination of the following things. I want it to be big, waterproof, I want it to have an inner frame, and I want it to have pads all over the back and hip belt of the backpack.
I don't think I have to explain why I want it to be big. More space, more stuff to put in it, easy game.
Obviously I want it to be waterproof, just like I want my tent to be waterproof. I don't want to have all my gear soaking wet by the time I finish a long day's hike.
An inner frame is a most, because it adds a lot to your comfort levels. If you take out a few things of the backpack, it won't loose its shape this way. The frame will also help you to maintain a healthy posture - straight back - while carrying the heavy backpack around.
The pads on the back and the hip is an absolute must, and I am not going to take a backpack that doesn't have these qualities. Backpacks without pads can just kill your back and hip. You will get all kinds of pains because the heavy backpack will put too much pressure on your hip and back.
I personally like backpacks that have an external pocket where I can put a bottle of drink.
And obviously I will need a lot of space in my backpack to put my fishing gear in it. All the reels, flies, hooks will need space to put them into. I am going to put my rods on the side of the backpack.
There is a good article that explains all of these qualities, you can read it here.
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| Wouldn't you want to backpack here? I sure would! Source: FlickrThe boot |
Boots
As far as boots go, I have only a few guidelines. I need it to be as light as possible. I want it to be comfortable, and I want it to be waterproof. As you you have probably guessed, I want all of my gear to be waterproof. Light weight is a must, you have no idea how exhausted your legs can get if you carry a heavy hiking boot for an entire day. I don't have to explain why I want the boots to be comfortable I guess. Comfortable boots mean happy feet. Happy feet mean a happy backpacker.
Conclusion
All in all, I have to make a bit more planning before going on my backpacking trip. I need to decide exactly what type of clothes I am going to take, how much food I am going to take, and exactly what kind of foods I am going to take. I have written a post about what the best backpacking foods are. I think those are going to be the foods that I am going to eat during the day on the road, but I am going to visit a few pubs for lunch.
