Hi. Right recently I have got into car camping with 2 friends and I was wondering what kind and size of backpack I should get for car camping ??. As using a holiday bag is no good while carrying tent and seat. O don't forget the whisky. Lol. Cheers for any replies to this as don't want to buy a 60 litre 1 if far too big for car camping and my gear obviously. .
Only you know how much kit you need!! You might wear the same clothes all week & eat takeaways with the whisky (which supermarkets and distilleries will sell you, so no backpack is needed). You don’t want one bag for everything anyway: small bags fit together better & you don’t put your back out. Waterproof is a good idea though.
If your tent is going to be within spitting distance of the car you don't need a hike camping rucksack, any big holdall with shoulder straps and handles will do.
Pack cooking gear in plastic storage boxes.
Tent and everything else comes packed in it's own bags.
Even if you are camping alone divide your kit into personal kit and group kit. Personal kit is clothes, first aid kit, torch, water bottle and eating irons. Group kit is tent, tables, chairs, stove, pans, lighting.
Snacks and packed lunches are personal kit while main cooked meals are group kit. By thinking in these terms you'll know what should go into your big bag.
When hike or cycle camping you'll carry your own personal kit plus a share of the group kit.
A comfortable day hiking pack is ideal for long walks and trips to the beach, should you go shopping it will carry a couple of days rations. You can even wear your pack on a bike and carry a fair amount of shopping, ideal if you need to send a child to the bakers for your breakfast.
For day hiking my rucsack is 28L I think. For lunch, maps, waterproofs, emergency items, extra fleece etc.
When car camping I stuff all my clothes, bedding, towels etc in a blue Ikea bag, which is easy to carry and squashes to fit round other stuff in the car.
Thanks for all your input on this matter for me. But I need one to obviously carry all my gear and plus I am not leaning to 1 side with big holiday bag!. As I have a twisted spine so I thought get 1 and be easier for me to carry with less pain I'm hoping. Also have sciatica all down my right leg constantly so anything to help me get there easier was my choice.
Since you don't appear to be going by car or bike you need a hike camping rucksack.
I was trained that for Scout hike camping the max you should carry is 30lbs, but soldiers in the Falklands war were carrying 100lbs excluding weapons.
You have to work out what you need and what you are capable of carrying. If you are walking any distance and have back issues you will need hiking poles, you'll end up breaking sticks off trees without them, one for each hand.
You'll now need to drop down to a 2 man hike tent, those intended for mountains are better and lighter, if you think you can fit yourself and your kit in a one man tent then go for it. I've spent 2 weeks in France using a Vango Soul 200, it's tough when you wake up in the morning and it's raining.
If you want to cook you'll be using hike camping stoves and non stick mess tins, I use Campingaz Twister Stoves with CV300 cartridges when hiking.
Cut back on clothes where you can, wear shorts and buy tee shirts en route.
You'll need a proper hike camping pack Berghaus and Vango are good, look for something with a hood top rather than a zip, you'll pay extra for mountaineering packs but you get quality. Before buying the pack put together all your kit for the camp and decide whether you need a 65 or a 100L pack.
Modern packs have side pockets where you can stow that bottle of whiskey, probably better to get hip flask bottles as you go along that carrying a big heavy bottle from the start.
Rucksacks.......make sure they are fitted properly, ideally with an adjustable back length if you are not sure of the length of your back?
A good and well fitting hip belt and load lifters on the shoulder straps, then worry about pockets and pouches and stuff...............
I forgot to mention, if you are walking any distance with a heavy pack get some hiking poles. They take some of the weight of your knees and feet and allow you to take momentary rests standing up.
Agree totally (as someone with a ski-knee & stressed lower back ligaments). And 2 poles, not one. Make sure you adjust them to the correct length. They pretty much half what’s going through your knees, and you can steady yourself on uneven ground to avoid a sideways lurch which will hurt your back.
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Topic: Backpacks
via mobile 06/9/2022 at 8:50pm
