The last thing you need while in the back country is failure of an electrical component that you installed. With that in mind, here's what I recommend when you are installing crimp connectors on wire.

Always use stranded wire, not solid wire. Stranded flexes better, and is more reliable in an installation subject to vibration.

Use the proper-sized connector for the job. Crimp connectors are commonly available in three sizes (red, blue, and yellow); the wire should fit snugly in the connector. If the connector is too big for the wire, the wire will fall out after the connector has been crimped.

Always use rosin-core solder, not acid-core solder. Acid-core eats electronics.

Use a soldering iron, not a soldering gun. Soldering guns are for plumbers, and an iron is more controllable for fine work. A 30-watt iron works well for connectors; I use a variable-output butane iron on the trail, which allows me to crank up the heat if there is a wind blowing (which will cool the connector too much to properly solder it at lower temperatures).

Remove the red, blue, or yellow plastic insulation from the connector, and throw it out. Even better, buy the connectors that don't have the insulation on them to begin with; they are cheaper than the insulated connectors.

Slip a 1" length of heat-shrink tubing over the wire, and slide it down far enough so that it won't shrink when the wire heats up as you are soldering. Like the connectors, the heat-shrink tubing should be the proper size for the wire and connector.

Strip enough insulation from the wire so that that about 1mm of wire extends past the crimp-section of the connector.

Insert the wire into the connector, and crimp the connector to the wire with a proper crimping tool.

Clean your soldering iron on a damp sponge.

Apply a small amount of solder to the tip of the soldering iron for heat-transfer purposes.

Solder the connector to the wire: First apply the soldering iron to the junction of the wire and the connector; once it has heated up, apply just enough solder to completely cover the wire and the connector where the wire contacts it. It should flow smoothly and evenly. Do not use excessive solder; more is not better in this case. Do not blow on the solder joint to cool it; this causes the joint to cool too rapidly and can cause hairline cracks in the solder or a "cold" solder joint (recognised by having a dull finish instead of a bright, shiny finish, and is an unreliable electrical connection).

Slide the heat-shrink tubing up over the soldered area, and shrink it with a lighter or a match, moving the heat source around so the tubing does not burn. The tubing will be HOT for several seconds, so don't touch it (hey, I know and you know, but you'd be surprised at how many do not...).

This applies to ring connectors and male spade connectors. For female spade connectors, I usually cover the entire connector with heat-shrink tubing, to help prevent accidental shorting.

This creates a strong, reliable, weather-resistant connection, and it looks good too.

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