Backpacks

If you buy a backpack with a 6,000-cubic-inch capacity, you probably will fill it. However, I hiked the Appalachian Trail with a backpack of less than 4,000 cubic inches, resupplying once a week. So if you stick to 3,000 to 4,000 cubic inches for the adults’ backpacks, you should be able to keep the total loaded pack weight around 50 pounds, which is infinitely more comfortable than, say, 60 or 70  pounds.

For a weekend trip, the adults should carry the heavier, group-use items, such as the cooking stove, food and tent. To tote that weight comfortably, the adults will need backpacks designed for hiking, with padded shoulder straps and waist belts.

How much weight can the kids carry? According to several studies regarding kids and school backpacks, they should carry no more than 15 percent of their body weight. Within that guideline, they should be able to carry their clothes, sleeping bags and pads, snacks, water bottles and toiletry items.  

As for the decision between buying them new packs or using their school backpacks, this one’s your call. There are many variables: the age and size of the kids, the capacity of the backpacks they already have and their level of fitness. And remember, even if they insist that they regularly tote a heavier backpack during the school day, that’s just for brief sessions. On a hiking trip, they’ll be wearing their backpacks all day.

Also keep in mind, when wearing a properly loaded backpack you should be able to stand on one leg and touch your toes. Attempting this with an improperly loaded pack can be a crowd favorite around the campsite.

Tent

For campground camping, there’s no need to pay attention to the weight of your tent. Most family-sized tents tip the scales anywhere from 30 to 50 pounds.

When I backpack alone, I carry a two-person backpacking tent that weighs about 5 pounds. My advice would be a goal of 5 pounds of tent for every person in the party. For example, with a family of two adults and two kids, that’s 20 pounds. Tents of this size include the 18-pound Trekker Classic six-person dome tent ($120) or the 12-pound Eureka Tetragon four-person tent ($160). For spaciousness, without sacrificing weight, the 18-pound Eureka Tetragon eight-person tent ($240) gets my vote – and there will be plenty of room to bring all your gear inside.

Strive to keep the adult packs at around 50 pounds. If one adult is carrying the tent, the other adult should carry the cooking stove, stove fuel, food and other heavy items. 

Food

Freeze-dried specialty backpacking foods are a treat. They’re easy to prepare and provide great taste and variety. In the backcountry, to keep things simple, you are basically limited to foods you can prepare with boiling water.

You can scrimp here, or mix it up. For example, start with an easy breakfast such as oatmeal. For lunch, go with peanut butter and jelly (buy the squeezable tubes) on bagels (which don’t get smashed as badly as bread). During the day, offer plenty of snacks, such as trail mix and granola bars. In the evening, go big with freeze-dried selections such as Mountain House beef stroganoff or Coleman’s cilantro lime rice, followed by Coleman’s dirt and worms dessert.

Cook Stove

No way around this one. You’re going to need a portable, lightweight stove and fuel bottle. 

Sleeping Bag

The potential problem with sleeping bags you already own is their sheer bulk. They may not be excessively heavy, but may take up too much room in your pack. You have several options: Buy backpack model lightweight bags; unzip an existing square bag and use it as a cover over two adults or two children; or, if you’re camping during the heat of summer, use inexpensive fleece sleeping bags. 

Water/Water Bottles/Water Bag

One quart of water weighs 2 pounds. That means you probably won’t be able to carry all the water you’ll need, and you’ll need to purchase a water purification system. That’s a no-scrimp item. Drinking untreated water can cause various illnesses.

I’ve found a water bag to be indispensable. At a campsite, the water source usually isn’t handy. The bags hold five gallons, which will save you many trips.