Brought to you by our sponsors
In our backpacking clinics we teach women the basics skills to plan and execute their own backcountry adventures. Since many women that attend our clinics have little to no backpacking experience, we understand it can be difficult to have all necessary equipment. Thanks to our sponsors women are able to borrow top-quality backpacking and camping gear to use over the weekend. Check out the list below to learn more about our gear list!
Backpack
A comfortable backpack goes a long way when carrying a big load into the backcountry. When picking a pack it’s important to makes sure the torso and waist fit your body. If possible, we recommend going in person to try on packs.
We also recommend packs with lots of pockets and straps for storage. At our backpacking clinics we use The North Face Women’s Terra 55L Backpack. One of our favorite things about this pack is the full J zipper that allows easy access to anything in the pack. It also has plenty of storage options for water, trekking poles and tent!
Tent
A tent ends up being a very sentimental piece of gear. It’s your home away from home. Most tents are either 3-season tents or 4-season tents. We recommend starting off with a 3-season tent, unless you are doing some snow camping.
It’s also important to make sure your tent can be waterproof, whether it be an attachable rainfly or something else. At our clinics we use The North Face Tuolumne 2 Tent. We love that the rain cover is attached to the tent. We had a clinic during a rainstorm and the whole group stayed completely dry!
Sleeping Bag
When thinking about a sleeping bag it’s important to consider what temperatures you are going to be camping in. Sleeping bags come within a specific temperature range, so be sure to choose the one best for your trip!
At our clinics we stay warm thanks to the Therm-a-Rest Quester 20F/-6C Sleeping Bag. We love this sleeping bag because of its quick drying abilities- nothing’s worse than a wet sleeping bag! Also, we are big fans of the SynergyLink Connectors that prevent from sliding off the sleeping pad in the middle of the night.
Sleeping Pad
Did you know sleeping pads play an important role in keeping us warm at night? Pads insulates our bodies and protect us from the cold ground. The r-value of a sleeping pad tells you how effective it is at keeping us warm.
During our clinics we use the Therm-a-Rest Women’s ProLite Sleeping Pad. It is a 3-season sleeping pad with an r-rating of 3.o. We love that it’s lightweight, compact and keeps us toasty through the night.
Backpacking pillow
Just because we are sleeping outside, doesn’t mean we can’t be comfortable. There are a lot of different strategies for making a pillow in the backcountry, but we believe a good, small pillow makes all the difference.
Some backpacking pillows are inflatable and are filled with foam. At our clinics we use the Therm-a-Rest Air Head Pillow, which is inflatable with a cushy foam layer. It’s a great, small pillow that brings a lot of comfort!
Backcountry stove
It’s very important to have a reliable camp stove. Wet conditions or high winds, at the end of a long day you don’t want anything coming between you and a warm meal.
The MSR WindBurner Personal Stove is our absolute favorite. It is the ideal stove when it comes to performance and dependability. We love how everything packs perfectly inside the stove cup!
Water filter
Staying hydrated on the trail is vital. When sweating and pushing it, it’s important to replenish electrolytes with lots of fluids. There are a lot of different ways to purify water, our favorite technique is a pump water filter.
We use the MSR HyperFlow Microfilter during our clinics. It packs a lot of strength in a small pump. We love how fast and convenient it is, especially when used with the Quick Connection bottle adaptor!
Trekking Poles
Trekking poles are very helpful while backpacking. They assist in balancing a heavy pack and provide support on challenging sections of trail.
At our clinics we use the Cascade Mountain Tech Carbon Fiber Quick Lock Trekking Poles. These poles are lightweight, sturdy and have super comfy handles.
