Italy Camping And Hiking Equipment

Good camping equipment is both sturdy and light. North American suppliers tend to offer the most competitive prices.

Sleeping Bags: Most sleeping bags are rated by season; “summer” means 30-40°F (around 0°C) at night; “4-season” or “winter” often means below 0°F (-17°C). Bags are made of down (warm and light, but expensive, and miserable when wet) or of synthetic material (heavy, durable, and warm when wet). Prices range US$50-250 for a summer synthetic to US$200-300 for a good down winter bag. Sleeping bag pads include foam pads (US$10-30), air mattresses (US$15-50), and self-inflating mats (US$30-120). Bring a stuff sack to store your bag and keep it dry.
Tents: The best tents are freestanding (with their own frames and suspension systems), set up quickly, and only require staking in high winds. Low-profile dome tents are the best all around. Worthy 2-person tents start at US$100, 4-person tents at US$160. Make sure your tent has a rain fly. Other useful accessories include a battery-operated lantern, a plastic ground cloth, and a nylon tarp.
Backpacks: Internal-frame packs mold well to your back, keep a lower center of gravity, and flex adequately to allow you to hike difficult trails, while external-frame packs are more comfortable for long hikes over even terrain, as they carry weight higher and distribute it more evenly. Make sure your pack has a strong, padded hip belt to transfer weight to your legs. There are models designed specifically for women. Any serious backpacking requires a pack of at least 4000 cu. in. (16,000cc), plus 500 cu. in. for sleeping bags in internal-frame packs. Sturdy backpacks cost anywhere from US$125 to US$420—your pack is an area where it doesn’t pay to economize. On your hunt for the perfect pack, fill up prospective models with something heavy, strap it on correctly, and walk around the store to get a sense of how the model distributes weight. Either buy a rain cover (US$10-20) or store all of your belongings in plastic bags inside your pack.
Boots: Be sure to wear hiking boots with good ankle support. They should fit snugly and comfortably over 1-2 pairs of wool socks and a pair of thin liner socks. Break in boots over several weeks before you go in order to spare yourself blisters.
Other Necessities: Synthetic layers, like those made of polypropylene or polyester, and a pile jacket will keep you warm even when wet. A space blanket (US$5-15) will help you to retain body heat and doubles as a ground cloth. Plastic water bottles are vital; look for shatter- and leak-resistant models. Carry water-purification tablets for when you can’t boil water. Although most campgrounds provide campfire sites, you may want to bring a small metal grate or grill. For those places (including virtually every organized campground in Europe) that forbid fires or the gathering of firewood, you’ll need a camp stove (starts at US$50) and a propane-filled fuel bottle to operate it. Also bring a first-aid kit, pocketknife, insect repellent, and waterproof matches or a lighter.

Where To Buy It

The online and mail-order companies listed below offer lower prices than many retail stores. A visit to a local camping or outdoors store will give you a good sense of the look and weight of certain items before you buy.

Campmor, 400 Corporate Dr., P.O. Box 680, Mahwah, NJ 07430, USA (☎+1-800-525-4784; www.campmor.com).
Cotswold Outdoor, Unit 11 Kemble Business Park, Crudwell, Malmesbury Wiltshire SN16 9SH, UK (☎+44 8704 427 755; www.cotswoldoutdoor.com).
Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS), 1 Vose Farm Rd., Peterborough, NH 03458, USA (☎+1-888-463-6367; www.ems.com).
L.L.Bean, Freeport, ME 04033, USA (US and Canada ☎+800-441-5713, UK 0800 8912 97; www.llbean.com).
Mountain Designs, 443a Nudgee Rd., Hendra, Queensland 4011, Australia (☎+61 7 3114 4300; www.mountaindesigns.com).
Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), Sumner, WA 98352, USA (US and Canada ☎+800-426-4840, elsewhere +1-253-891-2500; www.rei.com).

The following retail stores offer camping and outdoor supplies in Italy.

Campo Base, V. Bartolo da Sassoferrato 11/11a, 00165 Rome (☎06 66 20 966).
Climb, V. Maragliano 149-151, Florence (☎05 53 24 50 74; www.climbfirenze.com).
Fini Sport, V. Indipendenza 52, 40100 Bologna (☎051 24 63 17; www.finisport.it).
La Montagna Sport, V. Mauro Macchi 13, 20100 Milan (☎02 29 53 20 27; www.lamontagnasport.it).
TuttoSport Montagna, V. G.B. Morgagni 24-26-28, Rome (☎06 44 25 46 17; www.tuttosport.it).