If you've never backpacked, starting out can seem like a daunting task. There are lots of traps that you can fall into when it comes to deciding what to buy. This week we're going to share some of experiences and hopefully help you from doing the same. One of my favorite backpacking books and movies is A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson. There's a scene near the beginning where he goes into a local outfitter's shop and he literally buys everything. This is such a great scene because it epitomizes the trap that everyone has fallen into at least once. The sales clerk is all too happy to tout the merits of every product in the store and the novice has no idea that they don't really need that bear bell or stainless steel trowel. The truth is, if you are just getting started, you should start with a day hike and not spend a dime. It's highly likely that you already have a decent pair of walking shoes and that's all you need to get out on the trail. Find a local trail, lace up those shoes and do it!

 

Gotta Have It

Whether it's a day hike or a multi-day hike, the top three things you need to look at when you are starting out are:

Footwear

First-Aid Kit

Hydration

Footwear

Your feet are your conveyance, they take the full brunt of the terrain and bear all the weight of your body and gear. Treat them right. Personally, I like low top trail running shoes. I like them because they are very lightweight, have good tread, breath well and dry quickly if they get wet. Some people like hiking boots. There's nothing wrong with this. Get what you feel will suit you best but make sure you try them out long before you tackle any major trails. I highly recommend doing some low impact hiking when you get new footwear before you tackle any major trails. You need to make sure to break the shoes in and have total confidence in their fit and performance. Socks are another big consideration when picking your footwear. I like to wear two pairs of socks regardless of the time of year. I like a very thin lightweight ankle high sock close to my skin to help wick away moisture combined with a slightly taller merino wool sock over that. This provides me with insulation and a little extra cushion. Merino wool socks breathe well and they maintain their insulating properties even when they are wet. The last thing to keep in mind when you are selecting your footwear is that your feet will typically swell when you're hiking. That combined with the thickness of your socks means you might want to go a half size bigger than you typically wear. That's another area that a good outfitter can help with.

First-Aid Kit

The one thing that you absolutely need to have with you is a good first-aid kit. Never leave home without it! However, don't go buy one of the pre-made kits that have hundreds of items and are packaged in some bulky plastic box. Those are great for your home or car but on the trail, you just need the basics. A simple kit with just your essentials will cover anything you're likely to encounter. We have developed a checklist that includes what we carry in our first-aid kit. It's a free download. I highly encourage you to check that out and use it as a starting place to create your own kit.

Hydration

Hydration is something that should never be taken for granted. Depending on conditions, an average adult needs 4-5 liters of fresh water per day. In extreme conditions, you can sweat out over 1 liter per hour. We never hit the trail with less than a liter each for a day hike. For multi-day hikes, we carry two-liter bottles each and plan our trip so that we can filter water as we go. For multi-day hikes, I like to pack an old water bladder and combine it with a Sawyer Mini Squeeze to make a gravity filter. This is very lightweight and simple to do. An advantage to the gravity filter is that you can set it up and leave it to filter while you do other things around camp.

 

 

 The Big Three

If you are planning a multi-day trip you need to give a good amount of thought to:

Backpack

Shelter

Sleep system

Backpacks

Backpacks come in many shapes and sizes but they can be broken down into three basic categories; frameless, internal frame and external frame. Frameless packs are great for day hikes but they aren't going to cut it when you start loading them down for a multi-day trip. I like an internal frame pack with not many bells or whistles. My current pack is an Osprey Volt 60. It has a single main compartment, a couple belt pockets, an external mesh pocket and a brain pouch. Very simple but very functional. Just like footwear, this is something you want to buy in person. You need to make sure it fits and feels good when loaded with some real weight. Make sure to check out the return policy for your backpack. You'll want to give it a more real-world test drive after you buy it to be absolutely sure that this is the pack for you. You're going to have this on your back A LOT! I recommend loading your pack with everything you plan to take on your big trip and do a day hike or maybe an overnight trip at a state park so that you can experience what it's like to have everything on your back. Take this time to get used to how to adjust your straps and how to balance the load inside your pack. You'll be glad you did. Ten miles into a trip is not the place to learn these skills.

Shelter

You need to spend a little time deciding what your home away from home looks like. Some trails have shelters along them but they're not something you can count on. Where you are going to sleep is not something you want to gamble on. So that leaves you with either a tent, hammock or some type of tarp shelter. If you have never set up a tarp shelter, I'd advise against that until you are a little more seasoned.

Tents

Tents are a tried and true shelter. They come in many shapes and sizes. The things I would look closest at is weight and simplicity of setup. You don't want to have a bunch of poles and pieces to deal with and you don't want to pack any more weight than you have to. I like a three-season tent with a mostly mesh dome and a rainfly that comes completely to the ground.

 

 

 

Hammocks

 

Hammocks have taken the world by storm over the last few years. They are my personal favorite. They are lightweight, it doesn't matter if the ground is level or dry and you've always got a comfortable, dry seat in camp. All that being said, there are a few things that you need to consider before you commit to a hammock. It isn't fully enclosed. For some people that feels weird. You do sacrifice a certain amount of privacy. You have to be comfortable using a tarp over your hammock and, while not overly complicated, it does require a little skill. The same goes for hanging the hammock. It's not hard but it does require some skill.

 

 

Take a few minutes to consider these essential items and you'll be sure to have a lot more fun on the trail.

 

 

 

 

"I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." - John Muir