Backpacking Overnighter

One of the easiest, and sometimes most rewarding trips you can go on is just an overnighter where you backpack 2-5 miles into the mountains to spend the night.  You don't need food to last a week like you would need for a week-long trip, and sometimes you can get away with less equipment as well.  One stove will get you through, or even better, use a small campfire to cook your food.  Use tents, or try doing a little minimalist camping and just use a tarp and sleeping bag.

Imagine your scouts carrying everything they needed for the night in a backpack and hiking 5 miles up a trail.  You'll find that some things they might think are important in the "city" aren't as important in the mountains.
Also, don't think you need to get the most expensive, fancy backpacks there are out there.  The bigger they are, the more weight you'll end up carrying.  The more comfortable they are, the more weight you'll carry.  Your goal should be to carry less weight.

Just a simple, square tent seems to work best for us.  We like the 3-4 man tents (and we usually put 3 in it, 4 is too tight), and aluminum poles are nice because they are more lightweight, and seem to hold up better to wind and abuse.

Click on a link below for more information on each:

Tents
Stoves
Backpacks
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Pads
Backpacking Foods
Shoes

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