Backpacking is a great way to spend time in the outdoors and really immerse yourself the natural world. You connect with nature, relieve stress, exercise your body, and clear your mind. However, it’s important to plan ahead in order to have the best experience possible.
Choose a Hiking Partner
This step isn’t necessary, but you may want to think about bringing someone who has previous backpacking experience if you’re a novice backpacker. Not only is it advantageous to have a second person help you navigate while you’re out on the trail, but they can also help you prepare for a backpacking trip by sharing expertise they’ve gained from experience.
Plan Your Route
Perhaps one of the most important steps to prepare for a backpacking trip is selecting a route. The route you choose depends on a number of factors, including the length of your trip, your level of fitness, time of year and the expected weather. Once you know the route you’ll be taking and how long you expect to be hiking, you can better plan which gear will be necessary.
Choose and Pack Your Gear
After planning your trip, it’s important to carefully choose the gear you will need. With the route, time of year, and duration of your trip in mind, you will need to choose the appropriate equipment. Regardless of these factors, your main gear will be comprised of a backpack, footwear, food, water treatment, tent, cooking supplies, sleeping bag, layering clothes, and hygiene products. It will also be important to thoroughly research the products before purchasing to be sure they will be adequate for your trip.
Train for the Trip
If you don’t have much experience backpacking, you should know that it can be brutal on your body. In order to physically prepare for a backpacking trip, take a short hike with all of your gear. You’ll want to do this at least once a week, gradually extending the length of your hike each time. This helps you become accustomed to the weight of all your gear and increase your endurance. If you have new shoes to break in, these preparation hikes will be instrumental in breaking them in before you head out on the long trail.
Featured Image from Presley Roozenburg/Unsplash
