BASIC EQUIPMENT

BACKPACK AND BAGS

Choosing a backpack is a personal choice. Basically your pack is your home away from home. Knowing that it contains everything you need for the climb, you need a sturdy pack that fits comfortably on you. Walking eight hour a day with a pack is no joke so you better be careful in considering comfort based on the design of the pack. Having a good pack that is made of durable materials that can resist majority of abrasions experienced along the trail can contribute to the life span of your pack.

Before buying a pack work out how large it needs to be; where you aim to put everything you need for the trip. Different packs work for different people. Having the pack custom made is better simply because you will have a better fit and a unique design. In backpacking, a well-designed backpack is centered on its functionality and not because it is the latest in fashion/styling.

TYPES OF PACKS ACCORDING TO USE

• Daypack

  A daypack should be able to carry your needs for just a day's hike that should be able to contain just enough supply of food, water and some extra clothing. Buy a strong model equipped with frame and a padded back. Be careful to distinguish between a mountaineering daypack from an ordinary commercial daypack intended for urban use.

  
  
• Internal frame backpack

  It is the most preferable and widely used backpack in the Philippines. Its design allows you to move freely along thick vegetation without any hindrance of the branches getting entangled in your pack due to the thick vegetation that is usually encountered along tropical rainforest trails. Another advantage of an internal frame backpack is that the weight of the backpack is closer to your body’s center of gravity. The only disadvantage is you tend to perspire a lot at the back.

  
  
• External frame backpack

  This type of pack is not usually used in the country. Although the external frame holds the weight away from your body that allows the air to circulate and carry away some of the sweat from your back, it can cause some problems while moving on trail. The frame being exposed gets caught in the branches of trees more often than not, affecting your pacing.

  
  
• Belt bags

  This type of bag is designed for easy access of things like the trail food, emergency kits, camera and coin purse while on trail.