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Backpacking for beginners

Backpacking can be very intimidating for beginners because it represents a big jump from just day-hiking to actually carrying your home on your back.

However, it is SO WORTH IT.

Backpacking signifies a beautiful walk-about experience and opportunity for growth!

Despite a lot of nuances to backpacking, I simplified it as much as possible to some helpful pointers to prepare for your adventure.

Below you will find 8 easy backpacking tips to follow on your next trip!

Free-Standing Tent

If you want an easy set-up for making camp, search for and buy a free-standing tent. The last thing I want to do when backpacking is set up camp in the evening especially if I’m just hungry. Worse case scenario–it’s also raining!

A free-standing tent can easily pop open making it easy to quickly throw my gear inside if bad weather persist or if I’m in a rush to eat. Free-standing tents won’t need to be secured in any way to remain standing. This does not mean you shouldn’t secure your guy lines if it’s windy, rainy, or when it is bedtime, but if the weather is good, I will just weigh my tent down with my pack while I get dinner ready.

In contrast, a semi-free standing tent may only stand upright with the support of poles, or secured to stakes, rocks, etc. These tents usually weigh less, and pack down smaller. However, make sure and do some research as some semi-free standing tents may only need one wall secured with a stake.

Repackage Meals

This may be an obvious tip for seasoned backpackers, but I truly believe that it’s underrated. I have seen many newbies take their food in their original packaging and it takes up way too much space. 

Think, meal prep. Separate each day’s worth of food into separate baggies, and then within each day repackage each meal to condense space.

Personally, candy go in one baggie. Nuts and dried fruit also go in one baggie ( or I even mix the two). If I use oatmeal, I prep it beforehand in separate baggies. Any powdered items (milk, protein, amino acids, etc) all go in individual snack baggies for easy storage. Even my dehydrated meals will be taken out of their original packaging and placed in a freezer ziplock bag. 

I emphasize freezer bags because they withstand boiling water, especially for rehydrating meals. In addition, to help cook my food, I keep one original package of my dehydrated meals to use as a cozy to help speed up the time it takes to hydrate my food. But that’s it. The rest gets repackaged into smaller baggies, or thrown away.

One further tip for packing food: I do not pack liquids outside of water. One liter of water equals 2.2lbs of weight. So, removing fluid from your food becomes a good strategy for managing pack weight.

Bathroom Tips

Sometime backpacking will require you to use the bathroom in the wild. I remember the first time I had to dig a cat hole (just a hole where you poop), I had so much bathroom anxiety that I become constipated. 

So I recommend, to help, prep your toiletries. Pretty much a smaller toiletry bag that has all your necessities for easy access. You pack the the toilet paper, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, shovel, bidet, or whatever you need, and it all remains in the same package. 

I also recommend digging your cat hole almost as soon as you arrive so that gets taken care of. The worst is having to go in the dark and you have to dig a 6 inch hole in the dark with no visibility. I like to be able to go, and quickly return. And God forbid you really have to go, well, you already prepared your cathode. 

Trekking Poles

I wouldn’t stress about the kind of trekking poles so much—I bought new from Big 5 and they lasted me for years!

However, also learn how to use your trekking poles appropriately so you can maximize their use. 

I see so many people working harder with their poles, or not using them beneficially at all, instead of using them as a tool to relieve knee pain, or help with inclines and declines. 

Always slip the your hands through the loops as well and rest your wrist on it. This way you’re not stringing too much by grabbing the pole, and redirect some of that tension to your wrist. You can push OFF your pole this way instead of using energy to grip it, push it down, and propelling yourself forward. 

Bottle Holders/Straps

Game changer. 

Find a way to use the straps of your backpack to carry your water bottles. It frees up space within your backpack,  and you don’t need to stop to take a water break.

Smart Water Bottles

In addition, I would recommend moving away from Nalgene bottles and bladders that go within your backpack. Thesea re bulky and with the bladders, specifiaclly, you can’t tell when you’re running out of water. It’s hard to determine your water capacity. Plus they can burst with the added weight inside, and they take up space. 

I switched these out for Smart Water bottles. They are light and they are slimmer than most of your water bottles but still able to carry about 1L of water. These are also compatible with water filters like Sawyer, and can have an adaptor added to have a hose and mouth piece added to it. 

Cut Down on Your Clothes – Embrace the Stench

My packing rule-of-thumb: pack just one outfit to hike in, and one outfit to sleep in. In addition, I include a puffy jacket—like the ones from this collection of mine–a beanie, a hat, a rain jacket or poncho, a lightweight pant option (in case there’s too much sun expodure), sun gloves, camp shoes, and maybe an extra pair or undies and socks. 

From there, I’ll pack according to the place I’m backpacking. In the Eastern Sierra, I plan for all weather. So I make sure that I have a rain cover of some sort to go over my puffy and it makes for an excellent insulation system. Clothes can be a very heavy part of your gear, so be mindful of what material you are wearing. Merino Wool is my most recommended as it is very versatile and lightweight. I hand knit and sell merino wool beanies that are perfect for backcountry adventure!

How to Pack and Adjust Your Pack

This may sound very basic advice but sometimes that’s just what a beginner backpacker needs. Packing your bag and adjusting it can make or break your hike. 

You want most of your weight to sit on your hips if you’re using a pack that comes with waist strap. I place something soft on the spot that digs into my lower back, like clothes or my sleeping bag. And I also throw my bear can with most of my food there. 

Aside from water, food tends to be the heaviest items, and so

The lightest items and the most frequently used items should be towards the top. For example, I like having my tent easily accessible so it’s easy to pull out and set up once we make camp. I also like having my toiletry pack, snacks, and my kitchen set up close to the top. This makes for quick and easy breaks while hiking, without having to unpack your entire bag.

Additionally, I strap my camp shoes on the exterior of my pack, so they too are easily accessible on arrival to camp or to cross streams/bodies of water.

Likewise, having your stove close-by facilitates getting your food hydrated while you set up camp. If you want some more information on my backpacking kitchen gear, read more here

Finally, I also have my rain jacket and puffy at the top of my pack for the same reason as my bathroom and kitchen set ups. If the weather changes, to either rain or cold, I have my gear ready without digging for it. 

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And as always, your presence here is so appreciated!❤️