Backpacking Basics: A Guide to Wilderness Fun

The ability to get away from the crowd, see things very few others will ever see, and being at one with nature are all good reasons why backpacking is so alluring. National parks attract millions of visitors every year, yet those visitors hardly ever go more than fifty yards from their cars (if they get out of them at all). Backpacking gives you the ability to venture further and longer.

You will need to get a backpack to carry all of your gear. Buying a pack off the rack at a discount store is not a good idea if you plan on doing even moderate backpacking. The quality and fit will not be sufficient.

Go to a professional outfitters for the best selection and most knowledgeable staff. To select a backpack that is right for you, you need to know what kind of hiking you plan on doing. Discuss this with the salesperson to narrow down your choices. After selecting the right pack for you take the time to get it fitted properly.

Now that you have your backpack you need to do some planning. There are lots of things to consider before your first backpacking excursion. Asking yourself, and honestly answering, the following questions will give you a good start.

- Where do you plan on going?

- How long will you be gone?

- What is the weather forecast?

- Will anything be available at your destination?

- What type of clothing will you need?

- What other equipment will be necessary?

- How much and what kind of food will you eat?

- How much does it all weigh?

As you will be carrying most of what you need on your back you will want to buy the highest quality and lightest items you can. Keep it light. When you first start out, and your excitement is high, you may not think your backpack seems all that heavy but after a mile or two an overloaded pack becomes torture.

This does not necessarily mean you will have to spend a lot of money on food and gear. Removing all non-essential packaging from dry, grocery store bought food will reduce a lot of weight. There are even backpackers who trim the plastic handles of their toothbrushes to economize on weight.

Be careful when paring down the weight of your backpack. There is many-a-tale of hapless backpackers who left gear behind to save weight, only to learn (while in the wilderness) how essential that gear really was.

If you are new, see if you can find a backpacking partner with more skill to give you advice or even go with the first few times. Subscribe to hiking and backpacking publications to keep up with the newest products, advances and discoveries. These are helpful for novices and pros alike.

Backpacking sometimes seems like a lot of work, but if you take it one step at a time (literally and figuratively), you may discover it is one of the most rewarding activities you can participate in.