Backpacking Tips I

You walk, to your destination, or till you are tired. You look for a place to set up your overnight home. You get water. You cook dinner. You retreat into the tent for the relaxing sleep of the physical active.

But to get to that point requires some effort. For starters you need to get into shape, or else the hauling of a heavy load up a steep trail can border on misery.

Its hard to go backpacking without some essential gear. What is most important is keeping your sleeping bag dry - beneath a tarp or within a tent. There is no comfort on earth that compares to lying in a warm dry sleeping bag on a frigid or stormy night.

I have tried both internal frame packs and external frame packs, and prefer a simple external, like the Kelty Tioga. What I like about the external packs is that your load is held very high, allowing you to walk upright. Since you are top heavy with an external frame pack, take along some trekking poles for stability. I can tell you that I have been saved countless times from slips or falls by trekking poles. They also give you some upper body exercise, in helping to pull the weight of your pack uphill, with your arms.

A stove is optional - plenty of backpackers get by on just carrying dry food, like nuts and dried fruits. I prefer the comfort of a warm meal, and a cup of hot chocolate on cold mornings. A couple of pounds are added from the stove and the fuel, but to me it is worth it.

Analyze everything you plan on bringing. Make sure it is essential. A mistake beginners often make is bringing too much along. Even after backpacking many years I find it necessary to evaluate my load ocassionally, or I may fall into the sloppy habit of carrying unnecessary weight.

Plan your meals. Since food is one of the heaviest items you have in your pack, it is important to have enough but not take too much. I personally plan on rice as a stable with dried soups as a flavoring, along with oatmeal and hot chocolate and of course plenty of chocolate bars. Both rice and oatmeal are very light On long trips I like to have a bag of mixed nuts and dried fruits to get energy while on the trail without having to unpack my stove and cook.

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