How to Bushwhack

Have you ever felt the longing to wander off well-known footpaths into rough country, following the lure of mystery and risk, hoping to encounter greater adventure? If so, you are not alone. Numerous hikers and backpackers have looked longingly from groomed trails, wondering what it takes to know how to bushwhack, hoping to discover a far valley or appealing summit. With knowledge and skill, you can leave your comfort zone and move past familiar trail boundaries. There you will find the thrills and heady explorations that come with knowing how to bushwhack.

Knowing how to bushwhack starts by accepting this fact: once you leave recognized trails, you enter a special world with entirely different rules of engagement. Your actions and thoughts must adjust to these rules, and you must develop and use new competencies and accept greater risk. Adapting to what bushwhacking requires ensures you will be less likely to become a backwoods casualty or a candidate for a search and rescue team. You'll venture into the wild with assurance instead of apprehension.

First, disregard over reliance on technology. While a GPS unit is an ingenious and fun item (I use one for geocaching), it is never a substitute for map and compass skills. You can hike well-marked trails without a map or compass and do fine, but once you move off the trail into difficult terrain they become indispensable.

Carry an up-to-date topographic map of the region you'll be bushwhacking, a reliable compass, and hone your skills using both before your bushwhack. A GPS might give you a bearing, but it is the map which will tell whether you're headed toward a cliff, dangerous ravine, or other unforgiving terrain. Remember, GPS units are prone to battery failure or other mishap, usually just when you trust them most.

Using your map, review the direction you will be traveling before you leave the blazed trail. Ensure you are oriented properly with the lay of the land. Study the inclines, all natural features, altitudes, and relevant data on the map until you form a mental picture of the landscape you will be traversing. Do this before moving overland. Bushwhacking is an exciting enterprise, but it has unique perils. Failure to read a map correctly has led to unpleasant destinations for those who have merely stuffed the map in their pack without taking time to learn to read it well.

Second to having a map and compass and knowing their proper use is having appropriate footwear. Mountaineering boots are essential. Leave the Teva sandals and athletic shoes at home. A sprained ankle or broken leg while bushwhacking in the backcountry is something you want to avoid. Good outfitters can suggest boots suitable for off-trail travel.

Walking in dense brush means you will have to deal with becoming snagged on limbs and briars. Handle this by making your profile thinner. Carry a narrower pack, take less gear, and cinch compression straps tight until things are as compact as you can make them. Then, limbs, blown down timber, and other barriers, will less hinder your movements. It is best to use an internal frame pack when bushwhacking.

Bring a pair of safety glasses or sunglasses. These will protect your eyes from branches while you are paying attention negotiating the bush.

It is likely you may lose your balance as you maneuver over logs, rocks, or ledges. Stay upright by using trekking poles. They will also assist you when you're poking and prodding doubtful areas (is that a rattlesnake under that ledge?), and help you move low scrub aside without having to use your hands and arms.

When bushwhacking, take your time and move unhurriedly. Excitement or panic should never dictate your decisions or cause you to alter your course suddenly. The penalty for rash choices might be becoming lost or seriously injured. Attentiveness to your environment should be priority at all times. If you become unsure of your position stop and check your map for landmarks so you stay oriented. It's sensible to take bearings frequently to track your exact place on the map, and in case you find you have to retrace your route or choose a different objective.

Leave your itinerary with someone who knows where you'll be bushwhacking. It is foolhardy to set off without anyone knowing where you are or when you plan to return. Don't go bushwhacking without leaving this information behind. Even better, take along a hiking partner to increase your margin of safety. It just makes good sense when you are in the backcountry.

Your final preparations should include a thorough review of your backwoods skills. Brush up on your first-aid. Evaluate your level of confidence. Are you ready to move into unknown territory? Will you be able to tackle the unique physical and mental challenges that come with off-trail hiking? If you are not one hundred percent sure of putting yourself in this new situation, it may make better sense to stick with blazed trails.

Bushwhacking offers immense satisfaction and new challenges. You discover your limitations and the joy of roaming away from mapped trails and into deeper and wilder country. But never answer the siren call to bushwhack without first being certain you are mentally and physically prepared to meet the demands that come with the new territory.