Beginner Backpacking 1

Backpacking can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing or what to bring with you (and nobody wants that).

And because you’re carrying everything with you as you go, being prepared and packing light are key to staying comfortable and safe out in the middle of nowhere.

So… You want to be ready for anything but you don’t want to be that soccer mom who ALWAYS has everything in her purse.

It’s a tricky science to master which is why I created this list of beginner backpacking tips I wish I knew before wandering into the mountains for the first time.

These would have saved me a TON of hassle, pain, heartache, and embarrassment too!

So, let’s get started.

Pitch your tent at home. This is one of my favorite backpacking tips that often gets overlooked.

Setting up camp after a long hike is not the time to realize you don’t know how to pitch your tent. Practice pitching your tent at home and make sure you know how to set it up by yourself.

Double check that all the pieces are there and you know exactly what to do without having to read the instructions. It may sound silly but it’s important to make sure you have everything and know what to do.

The last thing you want to do is struggle with frustration and exhaustion on the trail. So, make sure you can set up your tent quickly on your own and that it feels like second nature.

Practice packing and unpacking your pack.

Pack as light as possible. Backpacking is different than hiking because you have to carry your pack and all your gear with you. Obviously you want to pack as light as possible. This is why high-quality, lightweight backpacking gear become a requirement for long trips.

However, there are some things you absolutely should not leave at home – you may have heard of them before, but just in case you haven’t, they’re known as the 10 hiking essentials.

No list of backpacking tips would be complete without mentioning them. 

Packing these hiking essentials could be the difference between a fun and adventurous 6-day backpacking trip and a painful, uncomfortable, and possibly dangerous backpacking trip.

You won’t need every single item recommended on the list. Each essential item is approached as a system and your preferred system depends on the length of your trip, the weight of your pack, the weather, and where you’re going.

Plan simple meals. Before you start planning your first backpacking trip, it is tempting to think about all the delicious and intricate meals you’re going to enjoy on the trail. However, the more complex your meals, the more cookware you’ll have to carry with you.

This is definitely one of the backpacking tips I wish I knew before my first trip. I had it in my mind it would be like car camping, but I was so wrong. Carrying heavy cooking tools was a silly (and heavy) mistake.

Have you ever carried a cast iron skillet for 10 km? Probably not. Those suckers are heavy. So is most of your standard cookware. So, packing light and simple meals will help you pack light.

Choose an easy destination. A backpacking destination close to home is a good place to start for beginner backpackers.

Additionally, if you’ve never been backpacking before, choose a high traffic trail that will take 1 to 3 days to complete. The last thing you want to do is overexert yourself. Or worse – get hurt or lost.

Hiking along a well-known trail means other hikers will be around so you can ask them for help if you need it. High traffic trails also tend to be well marked so you minimize your risk of getting lost.

Tell someone where you’re going. Let someone (preferably a human, i.e. your mom, a friend, a coworker, etc.) know where you’re going and when you’ll be back. In the off chance something happens, you get lost, stranded, or hurt – that person will know when and where to send help.

Backpacking can be dangerous so it’s important to be prepared for anything. This is one of the most important backpacking tips in this list. Because well… you know about Murphy’s Law, right?

Research up-to-date weather. Once you know where you’re going, you need to look up the weather for that area. Knowing how the weather’s going to behave while you’re there makes a big difference in being comfortable… or not.

If there’s a chance it’s going to rain, you’ll need rain gear (we’ll talk more about gear in a second). If it’s going to get cold at night, you may need a warmer sleeping bag.

This may seem like common sense but it’s one of the easiest backpacking tips to forget – it can easily get buried in all the excitement of planning your first (or next) backpacking trip.

Learn basic first aid and survival skills. You never know what situations you may run into during your first backpacking trip. Being prepared is easily the number one tip for every beginner backpacker.

You can find a first aid training class through the Red Cross, here. They also offer highly interactive online first aid classes that you can take at your own pace.

TravelFit Beginner Backpacking Tips

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