Planning A Backpacking Trip

Before I say anything else, let me say this about planning a backpacking trip:

Be sure you have a lot of enthusiasm for this task.

If you're tempted to cut corners, leave the planning to someone else.

Or maybe you should just stay at home.

I am so serious about this!

Why?

Because your life may literally depend upon the strength of your plan.

I'm not talking about a quick overnight trip to a heavily populated camping spot on an easy trail, where there's a large margin for error AND nearby people to bail you out if things go wrong.

Although I can make an argument that I might be talking about this very scenario! Things can go wrong under Mother Nature's immense roof regardless of where you find yourself.

It's one thing to spend a cold, wet night in misery and be able to hike back to the car in the morning. Makes a great story over a cup of coffee a few weeks later, right?

But it's quite another thing to watch a friend slip into hypothermia because you didn't plan ahead with adequate shelter or calories for unexpectedly wet or cold weather.

So I counsel you to take your responsibilities for planning a backpacking trip seriously.

And to make your task easier, especially if this is your first time, consider these tips on planning a safe, enjoyable backpacking trip.

First, read through my best hiking tips.

Next, make detailed notes about the gear you have and the gear you'll need.

Consider your menus.

Will you be working hard in cool weather? For instance, a fall trip with a lot of elevation gain requires lots of calories, spaced out over the length of each day's trail time.

You will also have to take in enough calories at dinner to maintain your core body temperature through a long cold night.

Contrast this with relatively flat travel in the summer time. You don't need to pack as much food, but you do need to pay careful attention to your water supply.

What about shelter?

Do you intend to go fast and light? Then your shelter will need to be minimalist.

If you can share the weight of a shelter with another hiker or two, you can have the luxury of a floor, walls, ceiling, and a little leg room! Ah, the wonders of a backpacking tent!

And then there's a hammock!

Planning a backpacking trip includes knowing how to stay safe. Have you considered how to do that in all kinds of trail conditions?

How's your first aid comfort level? Spend some time getting trained, or at least reading about how to meet medical challenges.

These ideas are just to get you started thinking about the essential features of planning a backpacking trip.

If you need specific advice, please contact me and I'll share the resources I've gathered.

And a word to the wise: start a spread sheet with all of the gear you HAVE -versus- NEED -vs- WANT, and update it when you get back home.

Ditto for the menus that WORKED -vs- DEFINITELY NOT AGAIN.

It's the fastest way to shorten up the learning curve out on the trail.

If the responsibility of planning a backpacking trip falls to you, look here for more ideas.