The first thing to o when planning an overnight backpacking trip is to pick a trail. A. L . According to The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Backpacking and Hiking you can start online, seek out National Parks and Forests, read books, or ask people around you. A. 2. Once you picked your location you need to determine how difficult the terrain is to traverse. B. After deciding on your trail, it is time to plan a route. 8. 1 . Planning your route involves knowing how long the trail is in distance between stops or campsites. B. 2. Regardless of the amount of planning, one needs to understand that there can be unexpected obstacles hat can still occur. Ex) inclement weather. C. When ready tackle the challenge of backpacking, one must think, what should I pack? Keeping weight to a minimum is key to enjoying the hiking aspect without feeling exhausted and tired at the end of the day. C. I . Choosing a backpack that is comfortable will help carry necessities to enjoy backpacking. C 2. Clothing can vary depending on the time of year or season. You should dress accordingly. C. 3. Shelter can be anything from a tent to just a plain tarp depending on what you want to stay under. CA. Food is what keeps you going on the trails and remotes fun on the trip. II.
After doing all the prep work and planning, picking the right gear is important to enjoy the trip. A. The first type of gear that will be covered is the backpack. This is an important critical piece that helps you carry all the necessities without breaking your back. According to Backpackers start-up: A beginners Guide to Hiking & Backpacking there are 3 types of backpacks. A. 1. Internal frame packs have the frame on the inside of the backpack to allow the backpack to sit closer to the body and moves with the body to help navigate difficult terrain. This type also mitigates the chance Of becoming off balance. A. 2.
External frame packs support the weight away from the body, which helps in the ease of loading gear and allows sweat to evaporate from your body. This type can increase the chance of becoming off balance due to the weight not being close to the body. A. 3. Daypacks are smaller and good for short distances and light loads due to not much support other than the shoulder straps. B. The second type of gear is clothing. You should dress accordingly to the season and weather you will be backpacking in. 8. 1 . Buck Tilting, author of Hiking & Backpacking states that proper footwear is the foundation of clothing on the trail.
This may sound like common sense, but shoes With good support and fit are key to a good experience. B. 2. The phrase to “dress like an onion” is very beneficial when backpacking because it is important to stay comfortable. If you get too hot, you can take off some layers of clothing and vise versa. Also, always bring a raincoat or poncho for “just in case” rainy days. C. A third type of gear is a tent, which is an important piece of gear to bring on an overnight backpack rip because this is where you will sleep and live for the mean time.
Although not a requirement, a tent makes sleeping outdoors more enjoyable. There are choices. C. 1. A tarp is the least expensive choice of shelter and helps keep you somewhat covered but not so good for breezy days or cold nights. All that is required to use a tarp is rope. Pretty simple. C. 2. A dome tent is the most popular and common style of shelter to use. This type of tent provides adequate protection from the elements and usually requires only tent poles to stay upright. Ill. Now that we have done some planning and selected some gear, we need to discuss food and water.
This is the topic that most people think about when they finally get to the campsite after along day of hiking. A. You’re probably wondering about how to stay hydrated and cook food with water. Good thing for water purification pumps and chemical disinfection. A. L . Water purification pumps are used to pump and clean water from a natural source but still may need a chemical disinfection treatment after. A. 2. Chemical disinfection sounds scary but is just like tap water we drink every ay from a sink or water fountain. All this consists of is either low doses of iodine or chlorine to kill germs and bacteria.
B. There are different options of food and things to consider when getting ready to pack for a backpack trip. According to ERE. Com, there are factors to consider when preparing meals on a backpacking trip. B. 1 . Nutrition and calorie intake is an important part of backpacking because it helps your body stay energize, nourished and focused for the rigors of the hike. 8. 2. Choosing dehydrated food is a good choice because a lot of dehydrated foods come packaged, have a good mount of calories and only require hot water to cook.
This is a good choice to minimize weight, clean up, and the amount of extra supplies needed to cook. B. 3. Fresh food is good for short trips but does not last very long. It can also take up extra space and add weight. Conclusion Backpacking is a lot of fun when you take the time to plan a trip to an area that you are interested in, take gear that you find important for your personal comfort in the wilderness, and take food that can be made at the end of an exciting hike to reward yourself.
