I’m new to backpacking, did my first trip this year with a hammock and had a great time.
Trying to get my wife into it with me. We’re planning on going to Iceland in September, no trees. Plus she sleeps cold so she’ll probably be more comfortable if we’re in the same tent.
I’m looking to spend as little as possible, we’re really not sure this will be our thing going forward, it might just be something I do solo. And we already have a big six person tent for glamping with a big air mattress.
I’m hoping for under $200, less if possible.
But I also don’t wanna buy garbage, or carry something excessively heavy.
Suggestions?
Edit: this seems popular and well liked? https://www.rei.com/product/185632/rei-co-op-half-dome-sl-2-tent-with-footprint
To answer your question directly, I have an MSR HUBBA HUBBA 2 and would recommend it as a great piece of kit for the money, if perhaps slightly over your ideal budget.
However, as both a keen camper and having been to Iceland myself, I’m not sure what you propose sounds like a good idea to me. Iceland is a pretty sparse place once you get beyond the ‘Golden Circle’, and in September average temperatures are between 5°C and 10°C (about 41°- 50° Fahrenheit). Backpacking with a tent is going to be very cold and you’re likely going to miss out on seeing a lot of the island.
In my experience there are two good approaches to exploring Iceland. Firstly you can base yourself in Reykjavik and focus on exploring the ‘Golden Circle’. This is easily achievable by coach day trip(s) from Reykjavik. Secondly, you can hire a car from the airport and do a lap of Route 1. This way you’ll break free from the most well trodden tourist sites and see a broader array of landscapes and places of interest.
The joy of camping is a great thing to want to share with your wife, but a sparse, cold island formed primarily out of volcanic rock isn’t the right starting point; if getting into backpacking is an important goal for your September break I suggest you consider mainland Europe instead.
Thanks for the feedback!
My plan was to do some local (Michigan USA) hiking trips to get a feel for backpacking with my wife, with the ultimate goal of Iceland. So I wanted to buy gear based on that extreme.
However, Iceland in September was only recently presented to me as an idea by a friend of a friend. He assured me that the weather would be more like 50 to 60f, and we’d end up at a waterfall. It seems he was mistaken, or misguided, and I should do some appropriate research.
I’m going to take your suggestions under advisement! What would you suggest in Europe?
My wife likes camping in general, but has reservations about some of the more rustic aspects of backpacking. The thing that caught her attention was the ability to go and see things that aren’t easily done or perhaps impossible to do without backpacking. Sights that can only be seen after a couple days of hiking. Do you have any suggestions for something like that?
I’m definitely a noob here, and while I loved my first trip out, and would likely enjoy almost anything, I find i don’t have enough information to plan a trip for my wife.
Hiking in the Dolomites maybe? Heard very good things about hiking there and september seems like the perfect time / weather. I have never hiked myself and i’m not sure about hiking towards a destination, i cycle tour and for me it’s really always about the path, not the destination. The dolomites are very spectacular and of course you get to hike to places where you don’t get to drive a car or whatever. I took note of the new “rifugio passo santner” and “bivouac fanton”, for when i am in the area, i think they look fantastic, but no tent needed for those.
There are a LOT of waterfalls in Iceland, that much is true, there just wasn’t any point on that trip where I had the slightest inclination to go camping - a lot of it is very exposed with very little in the way of natural shelter or facilities. Our typical day when we went was four or more hours of driving with maybe two or three amazing points of interest en route. The vast open space in between was stunning in it’s own way too, but there’s a lot of it.
There may well be some part of Iceland that’s ideal for backpacking, the West Fjords maybe now I think about it, but then you’d be missing out on what the rest of that incredible place has to offer if you hop in a car.
Most of my camping experience is in the UK. If you’re lucky with the weather, wild camping in the west of Scotland is extraordinary. After a two day drive and a ferry crossing we once had the most magical night camping at a white sand beach on Vatersay in the Outer Hebrides on what was supposed to be the first night of an epic bikepacking adventure… The next day the rain was so bad we aborted the trip. Back on the mainland the NC500 is legendary.
Alternatively, we had a great backpacking trip once interailing around Europe. No camping, just cheap accommodation in towns/cities en route. If you’re young an interail ticket is quite economical. We did Paris, Zurich, Milan, Nice/Monaco, Barcelona and Toulouse among other smaller towns on a 10 day trip.
On my bucket list is to bikepack mainland Europe. There are some quite famous routes and the vycle paths in countries like Netherlands and Germany are very good quality.
Boat hopping and wild camping around the Croatian islands is another one a friend of mine has done and enjoyed.
So many options, not enough time - even for us based closer!
Marmot Tungsten is on sale and is generally well regarded.
The half dome is great too.
The Alps Zephyr is criminally underrated in my opinion, and it’s normal price is very low.
Thanks for the tips! I think I’m gonna go with the zephyr!
I can’t vouch for that one specifically, but I have the REI quarter dome t3 and it’s served me well for a decade, and I was looking at getting the 3 person of the one you linked just because mine is showing its age at the taped seams. I don’t think you’d be disappointed with it based on your criteria.
Thanks! Is 5lbs too heavy? Some people complain about the weight, but anything lighter they start calling ultralight and I’m just not sure it’s worth the trade-offs and extra cost
You will ideally be splitting the weight between the two of you, but most of the weight will be in the tent body so you will probably have 3lbs of tent and your partner will have the rest. 3lbs for a shelter is pretty good.
Backpacking weight is a big deal because it is far more miserable to hike 5 miles a day for 5 days with 40lbs than that same distance with 20lbs. If you are only going a mile or two a day for two days, then weight can be higher, but you will pay for it if you aren’t conditioned for it. Now add the consideration that your lady will be introduced to backpacking with whatever gear she has to carry. If she has a miserable time because of the weight and distance, she will be less likely to want to go again.
Going lighter is always better, except for your wallet. First time backpacking I had close to 35lbs of gear dry and spent like $200 on everything, miserable. The second time I had $400 worth of gear at 25lbs dry, wasn’t that bad. By the 3rd time I had about $800 worth of gear with a 20lbs dry weight and had a great time. Now my pack is about 15lbs dry with the luxury of a camp chair and wish I could use my $1,000 worth of gear more than maybe once year lol.
The month leading up to the trip the two of you should take a few progressively longer hikes on a nice flat trail with your full pack including water and simulated food weight. You will learn what you need to adjust on your packs, condition your bodies some, and learn what gear you need to change for lighter/better stuff.
I didn’t think about splitting the weight, that’s a good point.
Yeah during my short hike I could tell when I was loaded with water or when I was empty haha.
I appreciate the write up! I definitely plan on doing a super short hike which will basically just be a test of the gear, get her a feel for it. Then I have a short hike in mind after that, about an 8 hour drive to get to, not bad.
