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by joelmutate

Best Outdoor Adventure Hints: Getting the Most Out Of Your Hiking and Camping Gear

Enjoying quality time with nature is a priceless gift for the outdoor enthusiast. One way to make sure you enjoy a memorable outdoor vacation is to get the best possible value from the hiking and camping gear you acquire and use. Here are some ways to get the most out of your hiking and camping gear – and your outdoor wilderness experience.

- Purchase the best survival and adventure gear you can possibly afford. If you are willing to spend months carefully planning your next vacation adventure, spending hours getting into great hiking shape, take three weeks off from work for you camping experience, purchase an airline ticket, and so forth – then why are you using the least expensive backpack and hiking boots you can find? A good pair of hiking boots and socks will make all the difference in the world. This applies to all of your camping gear. Whether it’s your GPS unit, rafting gear, sleeping bag, rain gear or dual-fuel portable stove, set your budget to carry the best outdoor equipment you can afford – in order to get the most value for your money.

- Get comfortable using all of your safety and survival equipment and practice using it the correct way. It is not the time to start learning how to navigate with a compass and map after you are already lost. It’s not the time to learn how to start a fire with a 6 year old flare you’ve been carrying forever in your pack. It’s not time to learn about safe rafting and best survival practices after you’re in danger. Put aside some time to learn about all the features of your camping gear before you head out to your favorite campground. You might be surprised to learn how incredible your GPS really is, once you understand how to use the backtrack feature. You will also be mighty thankful when you learn the proper weight distribution for your backpack. Take time to learn about your camping gear – practice around your home before you venture into the great outdoors.

- Your camping gear isn’t just for outdoor adventure – keep your gear with you and use it as much as possible. It has unlimited uses in your daily life. Never go on a road trip without your outdoor pack. In all likelihood, you’ll find an opportunity to use your camping – hiking – survival equipment close to home. It never fails – if you don’t have your camping gear with you, you will need it.

- Take pride and take care of your outdoor gear. Hopefully you’ve learned this from your parents and not necessarily from experience. Take good care of your camping gear, and the camping gear will take good care of you! If you’re careless with your gear, it will let you down when you need it the most. That’s one adventure you can do without. Carefully inspect each piece of your outdoor equipment – hiking, rafting, camping, safety and survival gear before you embark on your wilderness adventure. Upon your return, clean and properly store all of your camping gear. Make a habit of periodically checking your gear’s safety straps, fuel, waterproofing, batteries and overall condition. Taking good care of your outdoor equipment is an important part of enjoying your hiking, rafting and/or camping trip.

- When you’re done with your camping gear, donate it – and some of your time – to a local scout troop. Your local youth scouting groups are always on the lookout for a helping hand from outdoor enthusiasts. You will feel great satisfaction knowing that your trusty old gear will help benefit others!

Optimize your time in the back country wilderness. The easiest way to ensure maximum outdoor enjoyment is to get the best possible value from your gear. Let these hints guide you in getting the most out of your outdoor recreational equipment – and your outdoor wilderness experience.

In conclusion, selecting an online recreational equipment store can be fun, but it’s important to do your research prior to selecting where you will ultimately make your purchase.

In this episode of Camping Gear TV, Josh and special guest Tony Heck review Tony’s mainstay tent, a Eureka 4 Season Tent. This tent is designed to withstand the elements, provide comfort, and last a long time. Check it out! And be sure to watch more of our camping gear reviews at www.CampingGearTV.com.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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by badbadivy

Camping Gear – Choosing the Right Camping Gear

Choosing camping gear is not about buying the latest, most popular or even the most expensive equipment. Camping equipment should be affordable and suitable for your needs.

The key to choosing the right gear is to know what you will encounter on your camping trip. How long you will be camping also influences what camping gear you would need.

Consider which gear is essential based on the terrain and weather conditions. You can still have many choices of gear which are still practical and functional even if you are on a tight budget.

It’s easy to get distracted by all the gear you see in camping stores but you need to focus on the camping gear that you will definitely need and would later prove useful to your needs.

You also wouldn’t want to carry too much gear and equipment if you can. The rule of thumb is to carry not more than a third of your body weight.

The strongest camping and hiking gear may be too heavy or lack the features you need so evaluate the conditions of the terrain and decide if you really need gear that may be overkill. Contact the local tourist office to find out about weather conditions and terrain before you start buying new equipment or before you pack what you have already.

Sometimes you will go through a variety of conditions and terrain in the same camping trip so make sure you take this into account when choosing camping gear. For example if you go on a mountain hike, the conditions and terrain would be different at the top of the climb than at the beginning.

If the weather is unpredictable bring rain gear and pack your gear in a waterproof enclosure so that it remains dry.

Making Your Own Camping Checklist

A camping checklist is something that evolves as you gain more experience camping. It not only makes sure that you carry everything that you might need but it also can be used to make sure that you don’t carry too much camping equipment.

To make a dynamic camping checklist that you be useful for different occasions make a note of which camping gear you did or did not use and alter you list accordingly.

The camping list may change from each camping trip as you encounter different conditions. This is the trial and error method for choosing the right camping equipment for you.

As you take notes on which equipment works best for different situations and which gear you wish you had or how much of the camping supplies you had used up in your camping trip your list will become better, more useful and more customized to your individual needs.

Making your backpack lighter

While the camping gear checklist can possibly make your backpack lighter by reducing the number of camping, it may take a few camping trips to get it right.

With new technology camping equipment are increasingly lighter and smaller with new designs and materials. Choosing a lighter alternative to the same piece of gear can significantly reduce your overall load. It is not necessary to sacrifice certain essentials just to make your backpack lighter.

A lighter backpack will help you travel more quickly and cover more distances in a day and put less stress on your knees, shoulders, neck and back.

These 5 tips will help you reduce the weight of your backpack.

• Get rid excess – Don’t bring extra changes of clothing more than one. Don’t bring more than one cooking pot.

• If you are hiking in a group or someone else try to share some of the camping gear that can be conveniently shared like camping tent, camping stove, insect repellent etc.

• Replace camping equipments with lighter versions of it. Lightweight components and simple designs can almost maximize function while minimizing weight.

• Use camping gear that can perform different functions.

• Use travel size versions for consumables like soap and toothpaste and try to reduce packaging.

Traveling with a big load on your back is not fun and most times unnecessary. If that’s what you’ve been doing you’ll appreciate how easy it is to travel with a lighter load. Keeping your body in shape can help you carry your load better still.

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