Last summer, we essentially had two different sets of equipment: one for hiking and one for biking. The main difference for between hiking and biking is how the weight is being carried. On a bike, your gear sits above the rear tire, whereas when you’re hiking everything you need has to be carried on your back. This means that keeping things as light as possible is quite important for hiking. And, the more efficient you are with your gear, the more money you can save!
At 60-70 L, our backpacks are a medium size that can fit what you need and also walk 20 km without breaking your back. Our tent is a three person tent, which was necessary to have enough space to fit our backpacks inside. Typically we would each carry either a foam bedroll or a thin air mattress, but this summer we decided to forgo that luxury to lighten our bags and give ourselves a bit more space. A nice thick layer of grass or moss makes a bed just as comfortable. For $25 from Canadian Tire, our sleeping bags got us through camping in the French Alps in January and are great for a summer in Nova Scotia.
Marika has all the hiking gear she needs – just have to wade through the waist-deep ferns!
For cooking equipment, we carried a metal teapot we bought second hand for just under $1, and a pot with a lid that doubled as a frying pan which was donated to us by Liverpool Adventure Outfitters. Clothes, food, and cooking gear all went inside of our backpacks inside dry bags, which were also provided by Liverpool Adventure Outfitters. Dry bags are a wonderful thing, and really the only way to keep all your things totally dry when you get caught in a rainstorm. A huge thank you to this awesome local company for helping us get the right gear for our adventure!
Glenn Parlee, owner of Liverpool Adventure Outfitters, with Tucker and Marika.
Finally, the most important piece of equipment of all, a comfortable pair of hiking boots. When laid out as in the picture below, it’s clear that you don’t need a lot of equipment to enjoy the outdoors on foot!
