After stepping away from my blog for a year and a half, I’m back and excited to start writing again. I’ve missed it, but I needed time and space to think about changing directions. I’m still maintaining my monthly commitment to hike at least one trail I’ve never hiked before, and I’m proud to share that my current streak stands at 64 consecutive months. It’s an accomplishment that humbles me as much as it inspires me to keep this tradition going for as long as it continues to feel more like a passion than an obligation. I thoroughly loved documenting every new hike throughout the first few years of this journey. When I think about the support and empowerment I’ve received from loved ones and strangers who’ve read about my experiences, I feel deeply grateful. There’s so much power in community, and I feel constantly blessed by the time and attention others have invested in my journey.
With that in mind, I’ve decided to shift my focus away from writing about my isolated experiences when hiking a new trail for the first time. I’m sure I’ll still do some of that, but I feel like these snapshots have become part of a much larger picture. I spent a lot of time thinking about this while I took a break from writing. When I started this adventure, I’d barely hiked at all and just wanted to see a little more of the wild world around me. Now, I’ve completed about a dozen multi-day backpacking trips (including my first one alone) and regularly lead guided group hikes on a volunteer basis. I’ve learned so much along the way, and it’s time for me to start sharing that knowledge more categorically. Encouraging others to explore new trails will always be my primary goal for this blog, but I think my experience (or the lack of it, in many cases) has put me in a position to help other hikers enjoy their time on trails safely and responsibly.
The jump from day hiking to backpacking can be a daunting hurdle for any first-timer. When I wanted to take this leap, I summoned my friend, Megan, who shared my backpacking inexperience and blind ambition. We were a perfect storm. I learned more from my first backpacking trip than I have from the combined experience of every backpacking trip since then. That’s a testament to the mistakes we made, despite completing our intended journey and having a surprisingly good time while doing it. Making mistakes on your first backpacking trip is inevitable. Keep an open mind, and remember that comfort and preparedness can be as variable as the environment you’re hiking through. However, I faced the repercussions of many avoidable mishaps on my first backpacking trip, and hindsight has beckoned me to share the following advice with new backpackers.
Having the Right Gear Matters
First and foremost, having the right gear doesn’t necessarily mean owning the right gear. The cost of buying backpacking gear accumulates quickly and mercilessly, and choosing gear that’s appropriate for your environment and personal preferences can feel really overwhelming. As a beginner, you may be tempted to make it work with the day-hiking or camping gear you already have, like Megan and I did. While there’s plenty of gear that will work for either purpose, you’ll feel a lot more comfortable (physically and otherwise) when carrying items from the following categories that are specifically designed for overnight treks: backpack, tent, and sleeping combo (bag and pad).
When considering backpacking essentials (REI has a great packing list), that trio might contribute more to your experience than the rest of your gear combined. Feel free to argue with me about that in the comments though. As fate would have it, those are also among the most expensive items a backpacker can buy. Before committing to expensive new gear, explore alternative options, like borrowing from a friend or buying used gear. Many outdoor retailers offer rental equipment, and keep in mind that your preferences may change as you gain more experience. Choosing your backpacking gear can feel like dating, in a lot of ways. You may find your perfect match on your first outing, but it’s usually smarter to cycle through some options before committing.
How You Pack Your Gear Matters
I have never felt as physically sore as I did after my first backpacking trip, and my non-hiking exercise of choice is boxing. In pursuit of the strength and stamina required to make long days and tough miles on my beloved trails enjoyable, I happily endure endless hours of throwing punches and flinging ponytail sweat across the room. I love the intensity of boxing, and the physical and mental strength I’ve gained from it. I could write an entire post about the impact that boxing has had on my hiking journey and general wellness. However, my very poorly packed backpack absolutely wrecked my strong and capable body on my first backpacking trip.
Don’t wait until the night before your trip to develop a packing strategy or make sure your pack fits your body comfortably when loaded up. If you have the opportunity to do a short day hike on a local trail (or even a walk through your neighborhood) with a loaded pack in advance of your backpacking trip, do it. People may look at you like you’re nuts, but the real ones will know what you’re doing and respect you for it. There are many online resources on properly distributing the weight in your pack when backpacking. I can’t offer any groundbreaking tips on this, just a strong recommendation to do some research and testing before you hit the trail.
Be Conservative about Your Comfort with Distance and Difficulty
Before my first multi-day hike, I had plenty of experience covering double-digit mileage over steep and strenuous terrain, but hiking with the weight and bulk of an overnight pack changes everything. When planning my first backpacking trip, I picked a remote and challenging 16-mile route that would have been difficult to enjoyably complete as a day hike. At the time, I thought stretching this hike into a 2-day adventure was a brilliant move. I was so excited about the possibilities that the world of backpacking offered, knowing that the finite number of hours in a single day had placed prohibitive bookends around all the hikes I’d ever done. In hindsight, my appetite for mileage overshadowed my capacity for reason.
As a new backpacker, it’s easy to fall into this trap and commit to that trail that’s been on your bucket list for a while but doesn’t seem appealing as a day hike. I learned the hard way that your first backpacking trip doesn’t have to be an ambitious quest to cover as many miles as possible. In fact, I recommend taking the maximum mileage and elevation gain you’re comfortable hiking in a day and cutting those numbers in half to create a reasonable daily range to aim for when planning your first multi-day trip. Additionally, if there’s a trail you’ve already hiked in a single day that has backcountry campsites along the way, consider splitting the distance over two days. You’ll feel more confident on a familiar trail, which can make a big difference when facing the many other unknowns of beginner backpacking.
Talk to a Credible Source about Your Plans Before You Go
There’s no source more credible than a Park Ranger, period. Sure, talk to someone you know who’s hiked the same trail with a similar itinerary. Read reviews on blogs (like mine, wink wink) and apps like AllTrails. However, individual feedback, whether it’s from someone you know or a stranger on the internet, is inherently subjective. The heroes who manage our public lands accumulate collective backcountry information that’s current, reliable, and objective. They’d rather offer guidance in advance of your trip than receive an emergency call because you made an avoidable mistake. Trust me, I speak from experience.
When you call, start the conversation by providing specific information about your itinerary and primary concerns. For example, “Hi, this is (name), and I have permits/plans to hike (trail name) over (number of days) and camp at (site/sites, listed consecutively). I’m hiking in on (date) and hiking out on (date). Based on the information you have, are there any abnormal trail conditions I should be aware of?” Abnormal trail conditions could include (but are not limited to): partial closures or noteworthy trail obstructions, wildlife activity warnings, flooding, etc. You may also want to ask about conditions that could vary seasonally, like water availability or fire bans.
You Probably Need More Water Than You Think
You’ll almost certainly use water for at least one purpose that isn’t personal hydration, on your first backpacking trip and all the ones after that. Cooking hot food, extinguishing a campfire, rinsing minor wounds or blisters, and countless other common backpacking activities require water that you don’t want to subtract from your precious drinking supply. Natural water availability along the trail should absolutely influence how much water you carry, whether you’re hiking for a few hours or a few days. There’s no magic formula for how much water you should carry based on your hiking itinerary because every environment is unique and variable. On your first backpacking trip, I highly recommend choosing a trail with camping areas close to water. Let me say it louder for the people in the back. As a beginner backpacker, minimize the risk of underestimating how much water you’ll need by hiking a trail that has access to a reliable water source.
You Probably Need Less Food Than You Think
Surprisingly enough, I’ve overpacked food on every backpacking trip except my first one. Finding the right balance can be tricky, and when in doubt, bring that extra snack. However, keep in mind that the weight of food adds up quickly, and starving to death because you didn’t pack a vending machine should be pretty low on your list of concerns about your first backpacking trip. You’ll need hearty snacks and meals to fuel your journey, but don’t expect your stomach to instantly double its capacity for food as soon as you leave the trailhead parking lot.
You’ll likely only be on the trail for a night or two as a first-timer, and you can minimize your pack’s weight by carrying foods with a high calorie per ounce ratio. As a general rule, I try to maintain a minimum average of 100 calories per ounce when packing food for an overnight trip. For longer trips, I may aim for a higher calorie per ounce average. The number of calories you’ll need depends on your size and the intensity of your hiking itinerary. Planning your trail meals and snacks in advance can help you put some tangible parameters around how much food you’ll realistically need. It’s important to pack a variety of foods that you actually enjoy as well. Give yourself the triumphant bliss of satisfying a craving for your favorite snack after a long day on the trail.
Hiking’s Only Part of the Work
When Megan and I hiked into our campsite with two or three hours of daylight remaining on the first day of our first backpacking trip, we thought we were destined for a leisurely evening of Ramen noodles and beef jerky beside an effortless campfire. Fast forward to us vigorously gathering firewood by the light of our headlamps as we shivered in the freshly fallen darkness, ravenous for the dinner that was supposed to be in our bellies already. Needless to say, we vastly underestimated the amount of time and energy it can take to do the many backpacking things that aren’t hiking.
We’ll talk more in the next section about the fine and tedious art of building a fire in the backcountry, but this was just one task that took much longer than we’d expected. When you’re working with new (or new to you) backpacking gear, like a tent or cooking tools, you probably won’t have the same level of dexterity as the social media influencer or outdoor retail employee who inspired your gear choices. As a newbie, you’ll have a learning curve that experienced backpackers may unintentionally overlook when recommending gear and practices that have become familiar to them over time. I’m not trying to discredit reliable sources of knowledge. Just don’t hold anyone else accountable for interpreting your experience and backpacking environment. Budget for extra time when you think about how long it’ll take to erect your tent, gather firewood, retrieve and boil water for cooking, securely store your smellable items, etc. This logic also applies to repacking the next morning.
Most importantly, practice with your gear in a low-risk environment (like your house) before you have to use it in a high-risk environment (like nature). Assemble and dissemble your tent in your living room. Unroll your new sleeping bag to practice rolling it tight enough to fit back into its little sack. Test your cooking setup and its connection to the fuel canister you’ll be using on the trail. Megan and I were forced to precariously balance our cooking pot over the campfire to boil water, because I brought a fuel canister that wasn’t compatible with our portable stove. We successfully boiled water eventually, but we struggled to keep the pot still over an open flame, which prolonged the process. Little oversights like that, which are common when you’re new to backpacking, can add some unexpected time and effort to your trip.
Fire Is a Gift, Not a Given
While brush and small sticks provide necessary tinder and kindling when starting a fire, you’ll need to add larger pieces of wood to your fire to keep it going. If you’re backpacking in my neck of the woods (eastern Tennessee) or another area that receives frequent rain, finding dry firewood in the backcountry is usually challenging if at all possible. In accordance with Leave No Trace Principles, only gather down wood for your fire. Never cut from a living or standing tree. The complication there is that the wood that’s appropriate to burn dries slowly after rain, especially in humid environments. In drier environments, like deserts or areas at high elevations, fire bans are common because the lack of rain increases the risk of wildfires.
Wherever you’re backpacking, research local fire management policies before you go, and always practice Smokey Bear’s tips for backcountry fire safety. Areas that allow campfires likely receive enough precipitation to place some significant limitations on the availability of dry wood. Due to wet conditions, I’ve been unable to start a fire on about half of my backpacking trips on this side of the country, and out west, I’ve usually been unable to start a fire due to local restrictions. If circumstances allow you to have a campfire on your first backpacking trip, count your blessings and enjoy the experience responsibly. However, avoid putting yourself in a situation where you’re dependent on fire for warmth or food and water preparation, just in case it doesn’t work out.
Prepare for Extreme Variations in Temperature
With a respectful acknowledgment that we can’t control the weather, let’s talk about warming and cooling tactics that we can control. Mostly, they’re physical and currently occupy space in your closet. When preparing for a backpacking trip, adopt a layering strategy with the clothes you pack. This ensures flexibility when hiking through an unpredictable and highly variable climate. In almost every environment, temperatures drop at night and rise with the sun. In environments without the insulation of buildings, electricity, and population density, these variations are usually more extreme. That sounds obvious, right? Before my first backpacking trip, I wasn’t quite prepared for the wide range of temperatures. I thoroughly learned that the forecast in the nearest town isn’t a reliable indicator of the weather conditions you’ll encounter in the backcountry.
Also, consider that movement elevates body temperature and rest has the opposite effect. When backpacking, we’re usually active while the sun is up and stationary at night when temperatures typically bottom out. Other environmental factors, like altitude and precipitation, contribute to your body’s ability to adapt to its surrounding conditions. Weather patterns at higher altitudes tend to be more volatile, so plan accordingly. Regardless of the forecast, always include rain protection for yourself and your backpack when preparing for an overnight trek.
Give Yourself Grace
Finally and perhaps most importantly, understand that there’s a frustratingly beautiful learning curve with backpacking. It’s just not supposed to be easy. You will make mistakes and feel discomfort on your first backpacking trip and most of the ones after that. You’ll also experience a sense of blissful self-reliance unlike anything else. There’s something so invigorating and humbling about venturing into the wilderness, with nothing but survival essentials on your back. You will feel vulnerable and capable at the same time, and it’s important to embrace the challenges and accept the risks, controllable and uncontrollable. Prepare as much as you can in advance, practice safe and responsible behaviors while on the trail, and don’t feel discouraged when something inevitably doesn’t play out how you thought it would. Adapt and keep going.
For anyone reading this who has additional backpacking advice or words of encouragement for newbies, please share your insight in the comments. As always, thanks for reading, and happy trails!
