Tips for going camping with an expert?

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peachy

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In a few weeks, I am going camping with my boyfriend who has been camping for years. He also goes hiking, hikes to his campsite (which is really in the middle of the woods), sets up camp, and enjoys himself. He has a lot of gear and said he will bring me a sleeping bag and a tent (that fits both of us), but that I would need to take car of a backpack and some hiking boots.

I purchased both recently, and am getting pretty excited. However, I am not sure what else I should bring.... food? Specific clothes? If we go soon, and it is New England spring weather, should I bring shorts or pants for camping? Should I only bring my new hiking boots? What do you wear to bed? I also plan on bringing a water bottle, but I don't know what else I should do.
 
Wish my GF wore only her boots camping...LOL

Ask your man what gear he wants you to carry, or what you'll need that he doesn't have. I would take pants. They do make the hiking pants that you can zip the legs off to make them shorts if it gets hot.

You may want to start wearing your boots for some short walks now. Then they'll be broken in when you start hiking. You may want to pack some sandals too... we usually change out of our boots when we cross creeks and such. Or if your boots do get wet you'll have another option. (I don't mean flipflops or something cheesy... more like Tevas or something similar.)
 
Well since you just bought the boots I`d wear them around now so you break them in. Wear them to the store or if you can work. If you slip on a brand new pair of boots and hit the trail you`ll end up with blisters and it`ll ruin your time.

I`m also get the convertible pants, now that you have boots and pack I`m sure you`ll be doing more hiking so it`ll be worth getting the convertible pants- pants that have zippers around the knee area to make them into shorts if you get too hot. Or just unzip them 1/4 of the way for ventilation. They make a big difference and you`ll have to carry less since you now have both pants and shorts.

To go along with the boots I would get a light to mid weight hiking sock. I`m sure you`re sayin but I have tons of socks but I`m pretty sure they are all cotton. When your feet sweat or if your feet get wet the cotton absorbs the moisture keeping your feet wet thus increasing your odds of blisters. If you get a hiking sock such as a merino wool or smartwool sock the sock actually wicks the moisture away from your feet keeping them dry and warmer. No need to go crazy here, just a basic light to mid weight camping sock.

Anything comfortable sleeping in, it`ll still be chilly at night up in NE for the next few weeks so a pair of sweat pants and a sweat shirt should suffice. Ask your BF what degree sleeping bag it is and how good the loft is. Base your clothes around that. Bring a knit cap or some other warm hat to sleep in, 80% of your body heat escapes from your head.

Do you have a flashlight? If not I`d recommend getting a headlamp, they`re fairly inexpensive. I got my girlfriend a head lamp (either a princeton tec or a black diamond I forget which) and she laughed at me and at the light at first. But on the trip she loved it because she could cook and walk around keeping her hands free, instead of having to put the light down or hold it under her arm etc. You can find decent ones for about $20 again, its def worth the investment.

You have a great resource at your dispodal, use it well him lol. Dont worry about what he thinks no question is a dumb question. He may prefer you to ask him over looking on the internet because he is familar with the way he does things, theres more than one way to skin a cat, why not skin it like your BF to keep things easy. Who knows maybe he has a light for you or gear you can use.
 
since your boyfriend is an expert, he probably has all the equipment you could possibly think of, so concentrate on your clothing.

you definitely want to dress in layers, the good thing about camping in the middle of nowhere is that you can stay warm without worrying about how ridiculous you look. personally i wouldn't be warm enough in shorts ... for a spring weekend, i'd bring a pair of thick pants, some jogging pants, a couple of tshirts and long-sleeved shirts, a thick fleece sweater and a windbreaker. in the spring it still gets quite cold at night so be sure to bring a hat and gloves, a warm coat, and some longjohns. as long as you have a decent sleeping bag, it's actually warmer to sleep with less clothing on since your body heat warms the trapped air.

most importantly, make sure you break in your hiking boots before you go on your trip! there is nothing worse than the agony of hiking with blisters. because hiking boots are a lot stiffer than running shoes, it takes some time to work them in, so wear them as much as you can before you go. also try out carrying your backpack with some weight in it to get used to how it feels.

p.s. ALWAYS bring extra socks!
 
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