Backpacking For Beginners: How To Get Started

Before you tackle camping gear or hiking boots, it’s essential to plan your first backpacking trip! Your preferred camping style, camping locations, and recreational hobbies will help determine what kind of gear is best for you.

Firstly, what do you want to achieve with your trip? Do you want to take a quick hike, then rest and relax? Are you keen to hike to a river and go kayaking or canoeing? Or are you interested in finding a remote spot in the woods and setting up camp overnight?

Each situation calls for a completely different set of equipment. Deciding what kinds of backpacking trips you’d like to have, early on, can mean the difference between an exciting, fulfilling trip and a disastrous excursion.

The type of backpacking will also help you figure out what kinds of skills you may need to master before setting out.

Though you might not be ready to book a campsite just yet, that doesn’t mean you can’t get a leg-up on the weather. Make a list of your top ten preferred campsites. Use a reputable weather site, like the NOAA website, to research common weather conditions in those sites.

You can find out how likely rain, snow, and everything in-between is, no matter which month of the year it is. With this useful info, you can match your clothing, shoes, and gear to the expected weather conditions.

As always, it’s best to be prepared, so it’s a good idea to always keep rain gear, a first-aid kit, and other emergency items handy.

One of the greatest challenges of backpacking for beginners is getting into better physical shape. However, proper aerobic health and strong shoulders, legs, and back are essential to comfortable and rewarding backpacking adventures.

However, here are a few tips and tricks that can help you tone-up and prepare for any trail.

Keep up with the training exercises. It’s easy to give up on getting fit after the first few days or so. It’s likely that your body may be sore and tired. But don’t give up! With consistent training exercises, you can master any trail.

Make a practice trip. Before setting out on your first real trip, it might be wise to choose a similar location and run a mock-trip. Bring your gear, come prepared, and test out the trail. You may just come away with a piece of useful knowledge — like remembering to bring mosquito repellent!

Figure out your current fitness level. You can choose to seek professional guidance from a physician, nurse, or nutritionist to determine your fitness level. If you live a sedentary lifestyle, you will need more time and exercise to become fitter, healthier, and a more capable backpacker.

Focus on the lungs and legs. When you’re performing your exercises, be sure to improve lung strength via aerobic exercises, and leg strength with leg-training exercises. Your body will thank you when you’re out in the woods.

Now you’ve got a rough idea of where you’d like to go, for how long you’d like to be there, what the weather might be like, and what you need to do to physically prepare for the trip. The next step is obtaining the right gear for the job.

When choosing a backpack, you want to make sure you end up with something that is comfortable, large enough to fit your gear, and affordable. You may be tempted to get a super-lightweight backpack, but you may want to wait.

Ultra-lightweight backpacks tend to have less strap and back cushioning. When you’re just starting out on the trails, you definitely want to trade comfort for weight. However, this doesn’t mean that you should overload yourself with gear.

Bringing the essentials is crucial. If you don’t know what the essentials are, you could end up lugging around a lot more than you need!

When you’re backpacking, it’s best to keep things as simple and light as possible. So, instead of packing a heavy two-person tent, you may want to consider getting a backpacking hammock with a bug tent and rain fly. These ingenious shelters allow you to rest above-ground while escaping the elements and pesky insects.

With a sturdy suspension system, you can hang securely from nearly any tree. And with the addition of a quality underquilt to block wind and conserve heat (and a cozy top quilt to snuggle up with), you may just find that your hammock tent is too comfortable.
However, you can also choose the more traditional route of a sleeping bag. In fair weather, a sleeping bag and a sleeping pad can be the best option. You’ll end up with an unforgettable show of stars — as long as you’re beneath trees of heavy clouds, of course!

And for those who prefer the comfort, space, and enclosed feeling of a tent, there are plenty of single-person tents for every terrain type.

Wearing the right clothing is one of the essential aspects of a successful backpacking trip. There’s a lot more to consider than just socks, pants, a shirt. You’ll want to be familiar with all of the following.

When choosing socks, you want to choose a pair that are absorbent, thick-yet-breathable, and equipped with reinforced heels and toes. Wool-spandex blends are popular and effective options.

If you are traveling to high altitudes, you should consider a pair of compression hiking socks. These will help prevent blood clotting and may reduce symptoms of elevation sickness.

The general rule to choose a hat you’re comfortable wearing. But your favorite baseball hat might not do the trick while backpacking. A hat made of breathable material, and with a wide brim, is preferable for most climates. This is especially true of hotter, sunnier campsites.

However, campers traveling in the cold will naturally want to choose a thicker hat that protects the ears as well as the scalp. There are thousands of options — your personal preferences, campsite plans, and budget will help to guide you in the right direction.

Soggy socks and soaking shoes aren’t a joke when you’re on the trail. They can seriously break you. That’s why it’s important to have a lightweight, effective set of gaiters with you. If you’re going anywhere where there’s streams, rivers, lakes, or swamps, you’ll be glad you brought your gaiters.

The best backpacking gaiters are lightweight, easy to use, rugged, and secure. There are several models that strap directly onto your footwear and fold away for convenient storage.

Umbrellas might be a lovely way to stay dry in the city, but in the woods, they can become a nuisance in no time. Lightweight rain jackets and rain ponchos are definitely some of the best options for backpackers.

Many are so breathable that they can be worn in regular weather without too much discomfort. Be sure to look for one that is water repellent, not just resistant. A hood, securable wrists and neck straps, and pockets are additional features to watch out for.

The right backpacking shoe varies from person to person, nearly as much as a fingerprint. However, there are a few consistent features to look for. High-quality hiking or backpacking shoes should have plenty of grip and traction. Without friction, your shoes may slip across rocks or fallen tree limbs.

Your shoes should also be comfortable and lightweight. You’re going to be carrying yourself and all of your gear across unpaved pathways. You need to lighten the load whenever possible. It’s important to remember that every hiking boot or shoe requires a few weeks to a couple of months to properly break-in.

During this time, your feet will likely swell. While out on the trail, your feet naturally swell due to gravity, pressure, and exertion. A wide shoe, or a half-size up in your shoe size, may be a worthwhile option to prevent discomfort, pain, and blistering.

Every camper needs a solid set of cooking supplies. Collapsible metal dishware, like bowls and silverware, is a great option. Hard plastic food containers, water bottles, and mugs are easy to wash and are lightweight. Mess kits are convenient since they require minimal storage and feature everything you need to prepare meals while on the go.

All-natural soaps, like castile soap, stow away in a cinch and provide an astounding amount of power per drop. No matter what cooking supplies you choose, be sure that they’re sturdy, lightweight, and easy to clean!

Camping stoves come in a few shapes and many sizes, but a great backpacking stove will always be lightweight, simple, and (typically) collapsible. A single-flame butane heater or something similar is all it takes to boil water, heat-up food, and make a decent meal.

You may also want to include the following items in your backpack:

Of course, your destination, your hike, and your skill levels will help determine what items you absolutely need to bring with you. However, backpacking checklist may help.

One of the worst sensations in the world is being caught out in the wilderness without food or fresh water. But with proper food and drink planning, you can avoid this awful scenario.

Prepackaged foods might not be the healthiest, but a plastic-wrapped brick of ramen lasts a lot longer than a fresh head of lettuce. That’s why it’s smart to load-up on prepackaged foods and snacks. Resealable plastic bags can help keep foods fresh while minimizing scavenger-luring smells.

You can choose to invest in some quality dehydrated fruits and vegetables for your trip if you’d like to keep things healthy.

You could also get an at-home dehydrator and make your own trail snacks and meals! Whatever you decide to do in terms of food, do not bring items that need to be frozen or refrigerated.

Canned goods are also a no-go. While they might be tasty and satisfying, canned meals are weighty and bulky thanks to their water content. It’s better to just keep them at home.

Since you’re not lugging around extra water weight with canned foods, you’ll have plenty of room for fresh water. Or, at least, just enough room. Under-the-clothes water packs can help with thirst during the hike, and packaged water is great for cooking and campsite cleaning.

The average person needs at least one liter of water every two hours. Of course, this figure fluctuated depending on the person’s age, average water intake, fitness level, and campsite selection. Shadier, cooler campsites can result in lower water consumption, while hotter sites can increase it.

Still, taking breaks to stay hydrated is vital. Heatstroke can strike very quickly and can become debilitating and life-threatening just as fast. If you’re unable to carry enough clean water with you for the journey, be sure to bring water treatment tablets, a heat source, optionally water enhancers and a sturdy metal pan for boiling water.

Always be sure to include how much water your meals might consume when figuring out how much water you’ll need for your trip. Otherwise, you may end up hauling a bucket of river water half a mile to camp nearly dusk. That’s never fun or safe.