Base WeightCamp gear weighed before you buy

Camping and hiking

How to choose

The decisions that actually change what you end up with.

1 guides

Orange dome tent in the foreground at sunrise, caravans and a shirtless man silhouetted by the sea — A tent pitched among caravans on a coastal site, where sun and wind both arrive early.Photo: Sipher · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Open source page

A dome tent glowing from an inside light on a dark hillside, town lights spread out below

How to choose

Tent, sleeping bag and pack: what to buy in which order

Buy the sleep system first, the shelter second and the pack last. The order decides whether a $750 kit costs $7.50 a night or $25.00.

Updated 11/3/2026 · 9 min

Photo: nikhil more · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons