Sending Junior to summer camp? Assembling a full set of camping gear for them can be a big challenge, both in selecting the right equipment and financially. That’s the problem Richard H. White II identified, and which he founded HMW Outdoors to address. This contains everything your kid needs to go to camping this summer. At just $400, it’s less than half the price that buying equivalent quality gear would cost you separately.
White is a Scoutmaster, and drew on his experience preparing kids for scout camp to assemble the Youth ϳԹ Kit. Everything in it is a quality item that will return years of faithful service, all while packing relatively small and light. It’s also designed to scale with kids as they grow both physically and into new and more diverse outdoor activities.
The 70-liter backpack, for instance, is large enough to support a long backpacking adventure, like those Scouts go on at Philmont Scout Ranch. It’s adjustable from 14 to 21 inches in height, so will fit anyone from about 10 years old on up to adults. Even big ones, as its waist belt adjusts all the way up to 40 inches. Handling one, it feels of equivalent quality to something from Osprey. It even comes with a hydration bladder.
Also in the kit, you’ll find a 25-degree sleeping bag, sleeping pad, pillow, poncho, mess kit, compass, headlamp, first aid kit, and there’s even basic toiletries and sunscreen, just to save you the effort of assembling those. All in, a loaded YAK pack weighs 13.8 pounds—impressively light for such an affordable collection of quality backpacking gear.
The YAK does not include a tent or other shelter; those are typically provided by camps. Otherwise, it’s absolutely everything a kid needs for camping, aside from their clothing. And it's all neatly organized, and thoughtfully chosen. Hell, I'm 35 and I still sometimes go backpacking with worse stuff than you'll find here.
“We knew there had to be a better way for youth to get quality outdoor gear without paying exorbitant prices,” White tells us. We think he’s found it.