How to pack for a multi-day hiking/camping trip - Part 1: Sleeping

A few years ago, I decided that for my birthday I would like to do a hike-in camping trip with some of my friends. While I had done a few trips like this with friends before, this one was set to be a little bit bigger and more ambitious, and would require a little bit more planning on my part about what I was going to take. My friends and I made a packing list based on what we thought we needed, and then set out to acquire anything we were missing. Since that time I have done a number of similar trips with friends, my most recent one being in Waterton National Park. The stuff that I carry has evolved a bit over time as I bought better items, and found out through a bit of trial and error what worked and what didn't. Even though I've packed basically the same kinds of things for most of my trips, there is still a bit of thought that goes into the packing process before we venture out on a new trail. Today I thought I would share this thought process, and maybe help you in your own preparations, or even encourage you to try this type of camping yourself if you haven't yet.

Rainy Ride

I tossed my leg over the teal green gas tank, pulled in the clutch lever, and pushed the little black starter button with my right thumb. The machine sprang to life with a muffled thump from its exhaust pipes, and sat there idling, awaiting the command to move. As I clunked it into gear and revved the engine to pull away, my mind started to wander to the weekend that had passed, and the emotions that it produced. The note of the engine changed from a rhythmic thumping to a packed growl as wound through the suburban streets and made my way onto the highway, and Bob Seger's "Turn The Page" crept into my mind, providing a musical backdrop for the prairie that lay ahead.

"On a long and lonesome highway,
East of Omaha
You can listen to the engine moaning
Out its one note song.
You can think about the Woman
Or the girl you knew the night before..."