10 Backpacking Tips and Tricks (possibly learned from experience)

There are a lot of lessons you learn while out hiking and backpacking. For someone new to this here are 10 things that I came up with, most from experience, which can help you on your backpacking journey. These are not ranked by importance.

10. Bringing too much or too little food

Last summer I started a thru hike that would be about 100 miles in 7 days. On our first day I ate everything I had allotted for the day and then some. That was my first summer trip and I realized that I eat significantly more during the summer. A few months later, in November, I was planning on a 60-mile hike over 6 days, and I packed more food than I normally do since I was so hungry on that summer trip. My friends kept telling me to leave some of my food behind and I refused. What I took away from the experiences is that I need more food during the summer and less during the winter.

9. Bring comfort items even if you want to lower your pack weight

When I was preparing for a hike in November, I wanted my pack to be as light as possible, so I left some comfort items at home. I didn’t bring my hot chocolate and powdered milk, those would have been amazing when it was in the 30’s I didn’t bring my headphones and I missed listening to music. What I’m getting at is those items weigh so little that it wouldn’t have made much difference. Take your comfort items, don’t be disappointed once on the trail.

8. Test out your gear before the trip.

You definitely want to know how to work your gear and learning on the trail isn’t the ideal place. Learning how to use a filtration device and stove are important to learn beforehand. If you know you might have knee pain, watch videos about KT tape before your trip, you won’t always have internet connection. Learn the best way to put items in your pack.

7. Practice with your full pack weight

I bought a new pack and adjusting the suspension was time consuming. It was easier to practice at home where I could watch videos, walk a few miles, adjust the tension and go home. The specific pack I practiced with would not have worked well on my winter hike, I had too much weight for it to be practical. Practice with the full weight so that you can make sure it’s doable.

6. Take care of your feet, if you feel a hot spot, stop and fix it

If there’s only one piece of advice that you take away from my list, taking care of your feet is the most important. Once you get a blister, your feet will be miserable. Try your shoes out multiple times before your trip. But more importantly, know the terrain that you will be hiking and find that terrain to practice on. A few years ago I bought a nice, expensive pair of boots, they fit like a glove and on flat terrain they were perfect. Then I hiked in the mountains with lots of rocks. The shoes ended up rubbing my heels and causing blisters. We stopped every few miles so that I could put on a band aide, then mole skin, then KT tape. We kept fixing the hot spot so that I could keep going. On my last trip one of my friends did not stop to take care of the hot spots and she had many blisters. Take care of your feet.

5. Give your friends/family your itinerary and leave one in your car, but out of sight

It is important for your friends and family to know where you’re going, when you’re expected to get to your destination, check in with them if you can, etc. It’s also important to leave your plan in your car, out of sight. If you are gone longer than you expect, it’s better for others to know where you should be rather than them guessing. I use a tracking device that allows me to send preset messages. I have three preset messages, 1. Leaving camp, 2. Arrived at camp, 3. Delayed. I can send other messages as needed but these are the main ones I send.

4. Check the weather the day of your trip

Being mindful of the weather can help you prepare for the cold, rain or heat. I have cancelled trips, the day I was to leave, due to the weather. If it’s going to be in the 30’s and you only have a 40-degree bag, you’ll want to either buy a new sleeping bag, get a bag liner, bring a blanket, etc. If it’s going to be hot and humid, you might want to be prepared for mosquitos, I wasn’t prepared for mosquitos and that made my trip miserable. Bug nets are the real deal! Click here to get your own at amazon.

3. Split equipment to lower the pack weight

Split up your equipment. If you are sharing a tent with a friend, have one person carry the tent, the other person carry the poles and stakes. If there are four of you, only bring two stoves and two water filtration devices. However, everyone should bring their own fuel to stay on the safe side. If 2 of 4 people are bringing filtration devices, practice with them before your trip. On my last trip one of the filtration devices was clogged and filtering took longer than expected. You can split up anything that there will be multiples of.

2. Bring extra socks

Bring extra socks. When I backpack, I typically bring three pairs of socks and if I have a stash spot, I will put three new pairs in there. I have two pairs dedicated to hiking and one pair dedicated to sleeping. I have two for hiking in case one pair gets wet, I have a dry pair. Why is this important? Hiking in wet socks is not fun and can lead to blisters. It’s also important to have an extra pair because there’s the possibility that you could accidentally melt your socks by leaving them next to the fire. I know this from experience. On a specific trip one pair of socks melted when I was drying them by the fire and another pair were wet due to rain. This is not an area I skimp on.

1. Leave No Trace

And lastly, Leave No Trace (LNT). This is what keeps our trails and campsites beautiful. Whatever you bring in, pack it out. If you eat a banana or an orange, pack the peels out even though they are natural. If you make soup, drink all of the liquid. If you’re a smoker, take your cigarette butts with you. The only thing you should leave on the trail is your footprints.