THE BIG COMPROMISE.
I have spent years reading lists of suggested kit and equipment to carry on the camping. I have sat around the table/camp fire/ garage floor comparing gear with friends and fellow campers studying what others bring along.
And to what end? you ask, well none of us wants to carry an ounce more then we need to on a "hiking" trip but some of us are willing to carry the strangest stuff on a camping trip.
Let me state right now and without hesitation, I don't car camp!
I don't partake of camp grounds, I will not PAY for the privilege of laying on the ground. I consider camping near a road (paved or not) to be RVing not camping.
If you are one who partakes of the joys of "motor camping" this site is not for you. The site is called Common Outdoor Skills, changing a flat tire not being on the list.
My camp spots are wild, remote and far from the sanctuary of the car. Therefore I need to carry everything I need with me into the bush.
On occasions as a younger man (a much younger man) I was something of a minimalist. I tried to get along with the absolute thinnest list of kit I could stuff into my pockets. I could move along faster and had fewer back pains but I also didn't rest well and was frequently hungry. I didn't care for that much. Oh I was well versed in the primitive skills necessary to collect-catch and gather sustenance but lets face it, that's a hell of allot of work and is tough on the environment not to mention the manicure.
My pack and its fillings are better appointed these days. No less thought out and a bit heftier but suited to my age, speed, proposed plans and my over sized bulk and last but not least unexpected emergency.
We learn best by trying our gear and how we pack and carry it and modifying our results until a "compromise" is reached.
So if gear is a matter of consideration, test and compromise then lets look at how we justify some items while turning our backs on some others.
