Originally Posted by
staehpj1
I am not a hammock fan, but dangerous!!! Never heard that one before.
My preference runs to smallish tents and a decent sleeping pad. There are decent tents for under $100. The Eureka Spitfire solo model comes to mind (or if you prefer more space the Spitfire 2). The solo one can be found for about $85 (Amazon and with free shipping, for one).
Closed cell pads can be like $10-15 and are way better than leaves. There are self inflating pads that are much more comfortable yet and more expensive. Then there is the NeoAir. It packs small, is light, and is supremely comfortable. It is also expensive.
True. My 2-person REI Dome2 tent was $99 and it exceeded my expectations so far. Very easy to set up, good ventilation, quality zippers, resistant to wind and completely leakproof. It weights 5lbs. You should expect to spend several hundred dollars to equip yourself. I've done it over several months, starting in Winter, in preparation for my first tour.
First, it was easier on the wallet to buy stuff little by little, second I had the time to find sales.