Picking out equipment for a short, dry run type trip

What's the range of temps likely to be. A cheap quilt in July might be all that's needed. My wife and I use a lightweight blanket. Do you really need something below a 40 degree rating in July? Don't count on bugs being gracious, be prepared. The sleeping pad is key, unless, like my wife, she is basically narcoleptic and thinks granite is comfortable. I've liked some of the Packit Gourmet meals, Mountain House has some fairly edible entrees. If you can sneak in one real meal that's one pot it might be a hit. I make Idahoan potatoes and add corn, packaged chicken or smoked salmon, Bacon bits, peas etc. Tasty, filling and a little better than most freeze dried. It's also quick. Peanut butter and hazelnut spread, or whatever you like, on tortillas is a good lunch. Cheese sticks are good for their weight, too. 3 miles isn't a long hike , especially in a non-mountainous area, splurge a little and your wife will thank you. For many years, I've used LUCI lights for our tent, they're solar powered and will even charge a phone with the newer models. Might be worth looking into. I've hiked at night with them. They're not a floodlight, but they work. I've always found MSR fuel canisters to be reliable, but in summer, most will be just fine, even the coleman cheapies in wallie world. You don't need to worry about winter mixes.

Not knowing your budget, I'll attempt to help.

LUCI lites are the real deal. Never had the ones that will recharge other gear, but the plain ones are great.

A good pad will do wonders for any sleeping experience. Splurge.

If your budget allows, think about a down quilt instead of a sleeping bag. They allow for more freedom from that confined feeling. UGQ or Enlightened Equipment offer several choices.

Take a treat for everyone. Many parents use M&Ms for the kids, or their favorite snack. A good dark chocolate for your spouse, or her preference.Hand it over when you have some quiet time together.

Meals can be commercial freeze dried. I like most everything, but Mt House Biscuits and gravy is a decent b-fast. So does oatmeal and dried fruit. Chili Mac, Beef stroganoff, or Chicken and dumplings are my favorite dinners. Lunches can be pb&J, or pulled pork from meat shredz. Simple crackers and cheese works also. Baby Bells work well in warm weather.

downriver 's suggestion to rent, if possible, is a very good one.

My wife and I camped in the Porkies in July a few years ago. The mosquitoes were fierce. Be prepared.

Agree with others that pad is where you want to splurge. For maximum comfort, I like Big Agnes and Nemo. Get a 25" wide pad. which greatly increases comfort for a small weight penalty.

If you decide to purchase, I would definitely go with a quilt. Hammock Gear and Jacks R Better have some economical options. For summer camping in the upper midwest, a 40 degree quilt (or bag) should work. I would recommend a 60" wide quilt.

As others have said, brand of fuel canister shouldn't matter much.

That is a pretty minimalist stove, especially if cooking for 5. I think it would be worth adding a stove, either another BRS 3000 (since they are quite inexpensive), or something more robust and reliable, such as an MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe, Soto Windmaster, etc.

My favorite backpacking food brands are Stowaway Gourmet, Packit Gourmet, Pinnacle Foods, and Mary Jane's Farm. These meals are quite expensive, but worth it, in my opinion. Stowaway Gourmet is definitely my favorite overall brand.

I'm also a fan of Luci Lights. For a headlamp, I light the Nitecore NU25, though there are lots of great headlamps out there. Another great light is the Rovyvon Aurora A5. Tiny, bright, rechargeable, and can clip to a ballcap to function light a headlamp.

I have backpacked Pictured Rocks. It is a beautiful location for an introductory trip. If you don't mind me asking, what backcountry campsite do you have reservations for?

While the views from the trails looking out over the lake are great, they are not the same as the views from a boat looking inland toward the cliffs. Don't know if a boat tour from Munising is in your plans. If not, I would highly recommend it.

It sounds like you are driving. If you are going up the central or eastern part of the lower peninsula, you will be passing within 25 miles of my house. I have a wide variety of backpacking gear and, if you want, you can borrow what you need for your wife. (But I don't have a 25" wide sleeping pad; just 20" pads). PM me if you're interested.

Adding to what others have already said:

Be prepared for the stable flies. They have a bad bite and are particularly fond of legs and ankles. Insect repellent doesn't keep them away. Whether they will be a bother depends on the weather. I always take long pants, thick socks, and a long sleeve shirt just in case.

I haven't stayed at all the backcountry campsites, but I believe all of them have privies. But bring your own toilet paper. The campsites I have stayed at do not have picnic tables -- just logs to sit on. If you want more lounging around comfort, you may want to consider taking a hammock or chair. (I don't have a lightweight backpacking chair either).

My first bit of advice would be make sure you wife isn't cold overnight particularly her feet. A rectangular bag may not do that. Quilt or bag with a good foot box.

Next I would considering having a car camping or maybe even hotel plan if the weather is going to be horrible. It might be the wisest choice if you are trying to convince her camping is fun.

Talk to her before you go about going to the bathroom (unless she already knows the deal). Listen if she has any concerns and explain how it will work on this trip. If she has to go to the latrine during the night go with her unless she insists otherwise.

Lots of snacks and no cook food besides the cook ones. Easier for everyone. She can also help feed the kids which is likely part of her home routine. I'm guessing you'll be doing the cooking.

The campsites I have stayed at had bear lockers. But they are communal. If another camper does not close the door properly, food is not protected. That happened to me once and a rodent got in and feasted on my GORP. Fortunately, it left my other food alone.

And I was wrong about all the backcountry campsites having privies. Several do not. See the Pictured Rocks Backcountry Planner.

Hi everyone, first off, wow! Thank you for all the responses, a lot of really good stuff in there, things I never even thought about. A lot of it that was mentioned was things I had thought about, but you didn't know that and they are all really solid pieces of advice.

I'll go through the responses as they came in, I'll try to keep it all in one post. If someone responded more than once, I'll probably respond to their suggestions all at once also.

I just wanted to thank you all again for the responses, I was hopeful for maybe a couple insights, but I am truly overwhelmed. And if there's something that's been left unsaid, feel free to keep them coming!

Bluefish - the expected temperature range for when I plan on being there is highs in the low to mid 70's, lows overnight down to the low 50s. Should be good sleeping temps, weather permitting.

I've seen mentions here and there as I've been digging into this about people using a quilt, but for some reason I naturally filtered that information out, I have absolutely no idea why. I guess the notion of camping to me has always simply been all about "a backpack, a tent, and a sleeping bag" just overwhelmed my thought process. But I am thoroughly intrigued with the idea, and I'm hoping to get a few more details on the application and process of using one. My first question is, what do you use as a barrier between the sleeper and the pad? If I was to make a switch myself, I'm picturing myself as I sleep, I'm not a big pajama guy, I would probably be in boxers laying on top of a very plastic feeling air mattress. Would it be best with a mattress/pad made out of a different material? Should one also pack along a sheet or some other kind of covering if their pad is of similar material? Do you simply tuck part of the quilt underneath? I'm probably overthinking the logistics here, but that's what's going through my mind. I really like the idea of a quilt, just trying to figure out all the ins and outs.

Your food choices sound really good and really interesting, and probably something I would try eventually. But for this trip, I'm trying to keep it as simple and foolproof as possible for myself and my wife. I could see a packaged meal of some sort, but for the kids your idea of the various spreads on a tortilla sounds like a really good idea. They like that already, so that's kind of a no-brainer.

I'm in the process of narrowing down my lighting options, I appreciate your suggestions, and will definitely look at those also.

As I read all the replies, I saw many responses about different brands of fuel, and how they're pretty much all the same. My confusion was actually not about the brands, but about the ingredients. I've seen mentions of pressurized canister versus liquid. Some of the options include propane, butane, isobutane, or blends of a variety of those. Was wondering if either or any are clear cut favorites, or whether they're all pretty much the same and will do the job, so it's a personal preference kind of thing. The liquids that I saw mentioned included, kerosene, unleaded petrol, alcohol...... I didn't give them much thought.

The possibility of having some bad weather has occurred to me, I'll respond to that a little further down when it gets brought up in more detail.

Downriver - I have mulled over in my mind possibly renting, but the biggest expense I was looking at was a really good pad, and if it turns out there is no further interest from my wife, I would probably adopt it to replace the one I have. The actual sleeping bag or quilt I would probably go with would be much less of an expense, and it might be pretty much the same price as renting, so at least at the moment I'm not looking at that as an option. But it is a great suggestion.

Zeke - I'm presently looking into various lights, and the LUCI are very much in the mix. I'm totally on board with the good pad, I know when I added one to my sleeping ensemble it made a world of difference. Back in my 20s the ground wasn't a problem. Not so much anymore. I already mentioned my interest in a quilt, I did have some questions about the application that I posted above. The idea of a treat for all is a great idea, I will for sure try to work that in.

Swiftdream - if you could expand a little bit on what you mean about not being able to use a windscreen on the type of stove I've got, I'd like to hear it. I was thinking at the very least I could bring along some aluminum foil that I could manipulate into a screen of some sort if the winds were really whipping on any of the days that we're there.

Trinity - Yes, the mosquitoes and black flies or stable flies or whatever they are are very much on my mind. Certain times of the year are more vulnerable to them, including the time I'm planning. I've heard that if there's a decent wind coming off the lake that usually keeps them at bay, hoping for the best. Having everybody wear long sleeved, long pants and thick socks was part of the plan, or at least have them available if need be. The weather being in the low 70s makes dressing like that not too uncomfortable.

Yeah, a really good pad is definitely on my list. As I mentioned before, I'll be looking for something at least 25 inches wide, and once again, any insight on how to rig the sleeping arrangement using a quilt would be appreciated. I went into details with my questions above.

As far as the stove goes, yes, it is very small and lightweight, truth be told I really expect only myself and my wife to possibly give it any use, I think the kids will opt for different meal options that they have a preference for which does not include heating. And I appreciate the suggestions on different brands of food to look into, looking over my options. And I see another vote for the LUCI lights!

Rebeccad - great suggestion about looking into the women's forum, something I definitely didn't even think about.

As far as the trash issue goes, for some reason I was picturing a central bag to hold and deposit all the smaller trash of bags into. I'm having a hard time picturing a bunch of little bags from individual meals, being loosely placed in one part of a backpack or something? Maybe I am misunderstanding something.

At the campsite I am at it does have two outhouses in place, from what I can tell the best options along the whole trail. The instructions say to bring your own TP, but at least we don't have to worry about disposing of it.

I'm not picturing us needing large quantities of hot water, but on the chance we do, I guess we'll just have to temporarily eat in shifts, which you also alluded to with "boiling twice."

Daveg - I don't mind you asking at all, I've got campsite five at the Chapel Beach location. Chapel Rock really made an impression on us during the cruise, and we are really looking forward to seeing it up close. The whole Chapel Loop trail looks wonderful, hope to explore as much of it as we can.

Great suggestion on the cruise, I recommend it also. The wife and I actually took that three or four years ago, we took the sunset cruise and it was gorgeous.

Yes, we are driving. I have vacationed off and on my entire life at Houghton Lake, (I grew up in Toledo) and have gone just about every year for the past 10 years, and will be doing that this year again. We love getting out of the heat down here during the worst of it. It sounds like you might be in that general area, where are you located? I appreciate the offer of loaning me some gear, at the moment I don't think I need to take advantage of it, but very gracious of you and thank you again.

ErnieW - as you and others have mentioned, the weather of course is a wildcard and could totally change plans. The plan I presently have is if bad weather seems pretty inevitable, we're just gonna forgo the trip this year. Our follow on was visiting my wife's family in the Windsor Ontario area, so we would simply head straight there from our vacation spot in Middle Michigan. I already have a reservation for the night before our hike at a motel in Munising, I guess it's possible we could still head up and check out a few sites, Tahquamenom Falls, Whitefish Point, etc. But if the weather is bad enough to cancel the camping trip, I might want to forgo those options as well.

The kids are 15, 13 and 11, two boys and a girl, the girl being the youngest.

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions, certainly has given me new options to consider, and those look to only enhance the experience!

A quilt, heh, never thought of that.....

Your health is your wealth

Bruce