Camping and Photo Gear Recommendations

We have accumulated quite a bit of camping gear over the years. I'd like to share a few recommendations about what has worked well and what hasn't helped as much, and throw in some photo gear tips and strategies as well. The categories are indexed to my camping list page.

Clothing

Space is of the essence, not only for backpacking but also for "truck-camping". I find I can cut the amount of clothing I bring approximately in half by making realistic choices and knowing the weather patterns. For instance, even though I have a large, heavy waterproof/breathable jacket (made by Helly Hansen, which I usually wear skiing or walking in the rain), it stays home when I go on photo treks, especially in Colorado in the fall. It's not that it *cannot* rain or snow (hmm, it just *did* in 2004), but that it's fairly unlikely at that time of year. I instead bring my Golite ultra-light (2.8 oz / 80 grams) windproof, water-resistant wind shirt/anorak that stows into its own pocket. I use that same jacket when I hike mountains and encounter gusts on the summit. If I could change one thing about it, it would be the anorak style -- taking it off over the head is annoying. A zipper would be easier, but would present gaps for wind or rain to enter. Pick your battles.
To really save space on a trip where I'll be alone, I'll bring just one pair of convertible pants (zip off the bottom of the legs to convert to shorts). Excess pairs of pants crowd out other, more important, items such as gloves, hats and socks. I'll also cut down on the number of shirts I bring. Because I'll mostly be driving, rather than hiking, and never will be far from the vehicle in case of a rare downpour, I'll cut in half the number of shirts I bring, and forego the usual polypro shirts in favor of traditional cotton T-shirts. They're the most comfortable and avoid the "polypro aroma" many people notice when they wear polypro items.
Unless you plan to do some serious hiking on your trip, don't bother bringing your heavy hiking boots. Low hikers typically do just fine. If you like the security of the ankle-support afforded by your hiking boots, then skip the low hikers.
I like highway driving with sunglasses, but if I'm in a prime photo area, I can't afford to have my view colored or dimmed by sunglasses.
If you'll be camping in your vehicle at night and don't have an outboard propane heater with a thermostat, you will probably appreciate a cap on your head.
Fleece jackets with zippers are a must. I have not found, however, that they need to be expensive or bought at a high-end climbing shop to be right for my needs on photo treks. I have a pair of heavy fleece jackets I bought on sale for $25 each, which work fully as well as the ones for which we've paid three times that price. I bring one of these on all treks when I'll camp in the mountains. Balled up and tied with its own sleeves, it doubles as an extra pillow that can be donned if the temperature plummets.

Sleeping

As with clothing, saving space with sleeping bags is critical. The traditional stuff-sacks for sleeping bags simply don't get the bag small enough to be practical. I recommend you invest in a long-lasting, tough compression bag, for instance from Granite Gear. They make bombproof compression bags of all sorts. One of my favorites is the perfectly sized Tubular Rock Solid in extra large. These compress around the diameter of the bag as well as offer some longitudinal compression (though if the longitudinal straps were two, rather than one, and went the full circumference of the bag, the bag wouldn't curl up). Nonetheless, the extra-large is 2100 cu in (about 34.4 liters), and provides an ideal volume for compressing a couple pillows and the sleeping bag liner. Another easily holds five days' clothes.
If you'll sleep in a tent instead of your vehicle, don't skimp on a ground pad. We just upgraded ours to the Cascade Designs Camp Rest, from the Thermarests we've had for years. We made this choice based largely on thickness and coverage; the Thermarests, fairly thin, short and better for backpacking, tend to be a bit too thin. The Camp Rest is nearly two inches thick and provides head-to-toe length. Note that bringing any such pad is entirely impractical in a vehicle that doesn't afford a fairly flat surface on which to sleep. They do, however, really help to smooth out the ridges in a corrugated plastic truck bed-liner.
Unless you truly need the insulation, I recommend you avoid down sleeping bags. Though down bags provide perhaps the ultimate in comfort, packability and insulation, they have several drawbacks, including high cost and a complete loss of their insulative properties when wet. As plastics technology has advanced, synthetic-fill sleeping bags have become remarkably better.
An inexpensive sleeping bag insert, such as the fleece ones we bought at a Coleman outlet store for under $20 each, appreciably extend a sleeping bag's low end for warmth and afford flexibility in terms of adjusting your insulation. As I noted in my Fall camping page, using an insert keeps all of you properly warm, yet gives you the ability to incrementally decrease your insulation so you don't overheat. We tried some very thin nylon inserts once, and promptly threw them out after experiencing true inconvenience in use, due to their tight fit; they also self-destructed in the washing machine. Get pile fleece; be happy.
I can't get to sleep very well without a pillow. I bring one or two from home and stuff them into the compression bag along with the fleece insert and the pile jacket. One on the head is wonderful insulation in cold temperatures.

Car / Packing

See my truck page for a technical listing of truck components. The rest of the items below are strategies for living out of your vehicle.
Bungee cords. Gotta love 'em. The only thing I'll mention here is that I've recently invested in a web-like bungee contraption for my truck bed, and it did a great job holding in all my stuff in the truck bed while i drove over some fairly rough terrain that 6sent unsecured things inside the cab flying around. I can also recommend adjustable bungees...no more choosing short ones or long ones and trying to figure out what to do with the excess or being frustrated that there's not enough slack.
If you enjoy music on the road, be prepared to not hear any radio when you're on some distant back-roads. I recently installed an in-dash MP3 player that allows me to play songs which I burned to a CD with the computer; this nets around 120 high-quality songs per disc, giving me approximately 11 hours of playing time. This replaces my prior outboard MP3 player I used to plug this into my truck's stereo. I am good to go on just one or two discs: it's quite a space-savings over bringing a small army of CDs. I suggest you bring headphones so that the rest of the countryside doesn't hear your music at night. Over-the-ear headphones also keep your ears warm while you're waiting to get tired but the sun has long since set.
Coolers are coolers, right? Well, many of you may already know what we do: there are portable coolers that also are refrigerators and food heaters. We have one that keeps its contents at 40 degrees cooler than the outside air, or will alternately heat the contents, based on the polarity of the plug. Though this innovation renders it useless for containing ice, the cooler has saved dozens of rolls of film from becoming too hot in Utah in late summer in a closed car. A number of companies make these. Check them out if you're tired of ice.
Make the absolute best use of space in your vehicle if you want or need to keep everything inside. Surprisingly ample stow compartments or cracks between seats and body provide useful, if not essential, volume to stash emergency and other less-used equipment. Though this certainly isn't pretty, I removed the backrest from the jumpseat in my extended-cab pickup and now can strap blankets into the void it left; since no one ever sits back there, the space could be better-utilized.
Consider keeping a fire extinguisher with you on trips to the back-country. I know it's _just_one_more_thing_ to stuff in the vehicle, but if you have the room, it's a good thing to bring along. I had a friend whose car spontaneously caught fire under the hood. He simply had to watch it burn, from a distance. In October, 2004, I put out an under-the-hood fire in a stranger's vehicle parked at a local tire store; I used 6 ounces of -- what else? -- hot coffee, of course! to put it out when the fire extinguisher turned out to have run flat. Never underestimate the power of java. You may have room to install a bracket for your fire extinguisher such that it occupies space not normally used yet doesn't block your vision.
In keeping with the fire extinguisher idea, since you'll be in the middle of nowhere, often out of cell phone range, it's prudent to keep gear sufficient to replace or repair a tire. Though tire technology is ever bettering, not much will stop a very sharp rock from biting back, especially on a sidewall.
I use the term "extra fluids pack" to describe a soft-sided bag I keep in the truck bed, which contains a gas can, windshield fluid, antifreeze, brake fluid, oil and some rags. It's not as complete as it could be, but it has gotten me out of a couple binds.

Kitchen / Mess

New materials and designs of kitchen and mess items for camping significantly aid the outdoor enthusiast. A tough, see-through Lexan one-cup measuring cup has quickly become essential for my measuring needs, except down to very small amounts, which usually can be guessed at to everyone's satisfaction. Get one of these in most any kitchen aisle; you'll keep and enjoy yours longer if you get one with raised letters on two sides (handy for lefties or righties), so that when the paint wears off (and it will), you still can read the amounts. REI offers Lexan utensils, which are satisfyingly durable, tough and don't scratch nonstick pans when used with reasonable care.
Since water boils well below 212°F at 11,000 feet, if you add all the water the bag of dehydrated food calls for, I've found it turns to soup and doesn't all absorb as designed. This happened frequently enough to me that I've begun reducing the water by about 15-20%. For instance, recipes calling for two cups get about 1-2/3 cups. It's significantly easier to add some water if your pasta got too goey, than dealing with really wet slop.
Biodegradable soap is wonderful. I prefer Sierra Dawn's Campsuds. It is mildly scented, cleans anything washable, even in cold or salt water, and, as I noted in my Fall camping page, works quite well on hard (gas-permeable) contact lenses. I have used it daily since 2003 this purpose, with no ill effects. As with any mild soap or contact cleaner, thoroughly rinse and you're fine. This means you have one fewer item in your dopp kit. If anyone is curious, it takes me well over a month of daily contact cleaning to exhaust a 1mL container of Campsuds.
Bring nonstick cookware or forever suffer the daily consequences of cleanup. I am particularly satisfied with simply putting boiling water into either a bowl with cereal, or directly into the bag of dehydrated or freeze-dried food. I am all about simple cleanup, and this means the pot stays clean (it had only boiling water in it), and I can then stow the trash until I'm in town again.
Invest in a large metal "blue speckleware" cup with a handle. It's great for cereal, soup, sharing portions, and just about anything else wet that you want to enjoy. I can recommend *against* buying the matching bowls, however, due to their very small round footprint and the crazy instability that brings. One dinner lost to the ground (or your pants or your shoe or the seat of the vehicle) should be enough to convince anyone to rely on a large, flat-bottom mug. The one I use can hold 16 fluid ounces, more than enough for a meal. Whenever possible, I eat out of dehydrated foods' prep bag.
I would be remiss if I didn't put in a second plug for the world's simplest stove. The $20 Century Trail Scout propane stove is a gem. After over two years of use, it continues to please, has never caused a flare-up, gasoline spill, burned fingers or any of the myriad other issues always threatening with liquid-fuel stoves. While not as compact or versatile as the MSR Whisperlite I owned for a few years, nor as fit for very-high elevation cooking, the LP gas unit excels for my kind of camping because it's so blasted simple to use. Instead of what I consider tedious priming and careful grooming of the fuel line with a liquid-fuel stove, I simply light a match and turn open the valve. Done. Century also makes a couple of step-up models from this; one requires no match, and the other keeps a constant pressure. I'm not sure who really would get more use out of these other units, but if you do, feel free to let me know why.

Camera Stuff

Without hesitation, I recommend Lowepro packs for their quality, durability, features and innovations. I have also described how I moved to a simpler approach for truck-camping and short hikes, for which I employed a compact soft-sided book bag I found at Old Navy, of all places. For 35mm purposes, I know it's the right bag for this purpose. It has pockets galore, holds all of my main 35mm lenses and one 35mm camera body, including a fairly substantial 80-200 f/2.8 I picked up in 2002 from KEH. I can also confirm that it can contain one very large, medium-format camera (my Mamiya RZ67) and two lenses, but not much else, and it's a cramped existence at that. For a full medium-format setup, the larger Lowepro is the right choice.
I've enjoyed my Bogen/Manfrotto tripod, though the 3265 ball head I used for a while sagged under heavier loads. I initially worked around that problem by building an angle bracket to relieve the torsion that a heavy lens exerts on a ball head when it's turned parallel to the ground to rotate the camera from landscape to portrait orientation. I have since moved to Acratech's far superior Ultimate Ball Head, which combines sleek, lightweight design with rock-solid lockdown and reliable performance. I highly recommend it, though encourage prospective buyers to seriously consider whether you want the right-handed or left-handed model; this determines which hand you use, for locking the mechanism. Analyze how you adjust your ballhead today, and order accordingly. If you are very used to supporting the lens with your left hand and tightening the adjuster knob with your right, do NOT get the right-hand unit. Wait the extra couple of days for the special order and get the left-hand unit.
Devise a system for storing exposed and unexposed film, and stick with it. If you have one big pocket in your bag for each, that's great. If you keep your 35mm film cannisters right-side up for unexposed and upside-down for exposed, that's great too. Now that I'm strictly medium-format, with its differently sized 120 rolls, I've again improvised to create a light-tight and reasonably splash-proof storage can by lining a small coffee can with felt. It certainly isn't too pretty, but it does the trick. Regardless of the system you choose or create, don't just stash film somewhere else (like another bag entirely) where you'll never think of it.
I have not yet found a superior system for storing filters (then again, one doesn't need many). I can recommend, however, some storage systems to avoid. Do not invest in a wide and flat filter bag that cannot easily attach either to your tripod or the bag (though attaching it to the tripod is not necessarily the best idea anyway, due to wind). Filter bags that don't have a permanent home tend to be left on the most convenient surface, which may be the back bumper of your vehicle (don't ask). My current container is an embarrassingly cheap $5 CD case with soft plastic sleeves. This unit holds flat resin filters quite well, but is abysmal for screw-in filters. What's good about this case is that it fits in the oversize pockets of my pants, where a larger flat sleeve would not. As with anorak versus zip-down jackets, you choose your battles.

Outings

Always carry an emergency (survival) kit. You can buy some pre-made, but collecting the pieces-parts for one yourself often is a valuable learning experience. In my Camping List I split out some of the items I normally consider to be in an emergency kit, such as a space blanket, small sewing kit, duct tape and kitchen matches, but nonetheless these are critical. A big thanks to Mike Spinak, who wrote a useful article on creating a survival kit. I recommend one at least reivew this article.

Around Camp

Most items in this section are self-explanatory. One can make a great clothesline out of heavy nylon string, a couple of spring clips (like for a dog leash, but ABS) and a 35mm film cannister. Thread a loop of the string through a pair of holes punched or drilled through the sides of the cannister, and affix one of the clips to the loop. This dangles outside the cannister as standard operating mode. Firmly and permanently tie one end of the long piece of string (6 feet for starters) to the loop, inside the cannister. Thread a short length of string through a hole in the lid of the cannister. To the string on the inside of the lid tie a grommet, nut, washer or any small flat object with a hole in it, to secure the string and keep it from pulling through the hole in the lid. Tie the other clip to the string on the outside of the cannister. This system allows you to stuff the string into the cannister to keep it from tangling, yet you can quickly deploy it to hang a dew-covered tent, wet clothes or a wet sleeping bag to dry. The spring-loaded clip either can directly attach to something, or more frequently, to the string itself when the string is looped around a tree, post or similar solid object. You may find that investing in slimmer, stronger but more expensive string may be necessary if you want more than a few feet to coil inside the closed film cannister.

Hygiene

As with the "Around Camp" category, most items in Hygiene need little explanation, but I do have a couple points I feel are worth communicating. I have found that a set of small plastic containers, for instance sufficient to hold a couple CCs, are excellent for bringing medications, vitamins and seasonings. Though I didn't list it on my gear list, a small "unbreakable" black comb is invaluable for removing stray cactus spines and burrs. If you do any travelling in the desert Southwest, bring one.

I just read an article providing test results showing that giardia and other bugs easily can be transmitted to your gut even if you purify your water and completely cook meat. How? By improper personal hygiene, in particular after using the outhouse. Do yourself (and everyone in your party for whom you prepare food) a giant favor by thoroughly washing and disinfecting your hands before preparing food and eating. For this purpose, I both wash with soap, then use an alcohol-based disinfectant gel.