Sometimes I take for granted the fact that I grew up in Boy Scouts. Once this hunting thing took over my life in my late twenties, one thing I didn’t have to spend a bunch of time and energy learning is the camping/backpacking/woodsman-ship side of things. There’s already so much about being an “adult-onset-hunter” that is completely overwhelming, I can only imagine how much more difficult it would be if figuring out how to survive in the wild was also on the To-Do list.
I was just reminded of this a couple days ago when I sold an old backpack on Offer-Up. This young lady showed up to pick it up, and she told me that she and several friends were intrigued by the idea of backpacking so they were all buying used packs and gear to take a trip later this year. I asked a couple questions about where they were going, what kind of gear they were searching for - just trying to be friendly and helpful - and it became pretty clear that these ladies had A LOT to figure out still. Now, I wish them nothing but the best, and in the age of Google I’m sure they’ll figure out the basics. My biggest hope is that they don’t become overwhelmed by what they don’t know, and decide to cancel the trip. I’ve seen plenty of guys take this route, and it always breaks my heart.
There is nothing quite like strapping everything you need to survive on your back and heading into the wilderness.
Now, whether you’re a hunter or not, there are massive benefits to backpacking. You get to head into wilderness and roadless areas that often you can only get to on foot or horseback. The beauty and solitude that can be found back there, and the general sense of accomplishment of pushing yourself to get back where not just anyone can get to is incredible! If you’re a hunter, you get to find less pressured animals and face less competition when you get way back into the wilderness. So, if you’ve ever considered backpacking but feel too overwhelmed to give it a shot, let’s break down the basics…
Gear
Okay, this is usually the first place everyone looks, and one of the first reasons someone might give up on the idea altogether. Yes, some basic gear will be necessary to survive a multi-day excursion into the backcountry, but it doesn’t have to cost a fortune and you don’t need to start with the very top of the line in everything. For backpacking, you basically need what any mammal needs: food, water, and shelter (and obviously, a way to carry all of that). Grab yourself a used pack with some sort of frame and hip belt to adequately hold the weight, and then you just have to fill it with these supplies.
For shelter, you’ll probably feel safer your first time in a tent (though you could make-do with a tarp or even just sleeping under the stars if weather permits). You’ll also need a sleeping bag and some sort of pad. If you run out and buy the lightest/warmest/best in all of these, it will easily cost you $1,000. So, grab a small tent, some sort of lightweight mummy bag (if you pack an old school flannel sleeping bag, the size and weight will quickly mess up your whole setup), and a simple foam pad will be more than adequate to start with. These three things packed on your back will make up a huge part of your success in the field…if you can stay warm and sleep fairly well, you’ll feel so much better, be able to hike farther, stay out there longer, etc.
I’ve slowly upgraded my gear one piece at a time. As you can see, I was still using a cheap foam pad as recently as this past fall…simple can still work!
With shelter dialed in, you just need food and water. In terms of backpacking gear, it’s hard to go wrong with dehydrated meals…you’ll just need a way to boil water. I have loved my Jetboil stove, and would recommend it to anyone! But, the cost of a stove is certainly not necessary to get started. You can bring a lightweight metal cup and boil water over your open fire if needed. I also tend to reserve the time/effort/cost of a dehydrated meal for dinner (few things feel better at the end of a long day of hiking/hunting than a hot meal). For virtually everything else, I go stoveless (except for coffee, of course…I’m not an animal). Meal bars, tuna packets, jerky, pre-made PB&J…you can easily fill a gallon ziplock bag with 3,000+ calories to fuel your body through the day.
As for water, this will depend largely on where you are camping. If you are backpacking into the Colorado wilderness, you’re going to find water everywhere…you just have to make sure you have a way to filter/sterilize it. I’m a big fan of the Sawyer Squeeze Filter, but I’ve also used simple iodine tablets on tons of trips and have never found myself sick from water. If you’re out here in the AZ desert like myself, you may have to consider packing in every drop you drink. That gets heavy real fast, but I have definitely had to cut trips short before because I burned through too much water and had no way of replenishing my supply out in the field. If you’re packing water, how much should you bring? I’ve heard so many different rules-of-thumb from so many different people, but have simply dialed-in what works for me over the years. I’m a bigger guy and I really have to keep an eye on my hydration, so between drinking and cooking water, I plan on 3-4 liters per day. That will sound high to some of you, but every time I’ve tried to head out and live on less than that, I pay the price.
Believe me, I know it sucks to pack pounds and pounds of water…but it sucks more to cut your trip short ‘cause you’re out of it!
Safety
You can get your gear all dialed in, but if you’re preparing for your first ever trip into the backcountry, safety will be one of your big concerns (if it’s not yours, it will definitely be one of our spouse’s big concerns). I’ve talked to guys who had all sorts of gear and ambitions to take a trip like this, but fear is what ultimately kept them from taking that step (pun intended) into the world of backpacking. (For more on how to overcome fear in the backcountry, check this out!) But, with a little pre-planning and a few supplies, you can handle almost any situation that may arise and get back to the trailhead safely.
For simple issues, some basic first aid supplies and know-how are absolutely necessary. You can buy yourself a basic first aid kit that’s light and will cover most common ailments, or you can put one together yourself. Either way, have some ways to clean an injury, a couple different options to stop bleeding, and I always carry an ace bandage. If you’re hunting, you’ll be dealing with weapons and crazy-sharp knives, so I also recommend adding a tourniquet to your kit. These basics can get you patched up and back in the game (or back to civilization) in most situations.
In the rocky AZ terrain, it doesn’t take much to jack up your ankle. Better be armed with a way to get back on your feet and get back to the truck!
Aside from the right gear to handle injuries, you need some way to communicate and/or be found if something truly life-threatening happens (127 Hours, anyone?). As fast as cell companies are racing to expand their network coverage, I’m finding fewer and fewer places where I can’t at least get some sort of signal. But, you certainly can’t count on that. I’ve also invested in a Garmin InReach, which is essentially a satellite communicator that pairs with your phone and allows you to send text messages no matter how far off-the-grid you are. It also has an SOS feature that will immediately put you in touch with Search and Rescue if someone needs to come to you because there’s no way you can get out of there.
Before all that technology came around, people used to just let someone know where they were going and what the plan was. Even with my InReach in hand, I still give my wife and father-in-law the details of my plan. I print a map with all my waypoints on it, I tell them to expect to hear from me by whatever time/day, and I even write down the numbers to the nearest Forest Service outpost where I’ll be. Also, if you can manage it, find a buddy to go with. Yes, I do a lot of solo hunting (which I deeply love and don’t plan to quit anytime soon), but I worked up to that over the years. If this is your first excursion into the wilderness, take someone with you!
Location
The last thing the new backpacker needs to consider is where in the world to go. Obviously, I can’t tell you where each and every reader should venture, but there are a couple things to consider. For your first trip, I’d plan a conservative adventure. If you’re really going to get into this, you have time to work up to the 100 mile week-long trek. To start with, I’d plan one overnight, and I wouldn’t recommend more than five miles away from the trailhead. No matter how much you prepare physically, there is just something different about packing all that gear over multiple miles that reveals issues you never could have predicted. Your boots could be causing you problems, your pack-weight could be unevenly distributed…there’s just stuff that happens when backpacking that doesn’t reveal itself until mile-three of a journey.
Don’t try to tackle an off-trail slope like this your first time out!
I’d also recommend picking a reliable trail. There are countless websites and forums for backpacking and trail-hiking, so you can head in with a pretty good idea of what to expect just by reading up on what other hikers have reported about the trail. Trust me, I love getting off-trail and away from the crowds as much as possible, but for your first trip I think it’s a good idea to pretty much live on the trail. Again, you have plenty of time to build up your confidence and abilities and get more adventurous…this is just your first trip to prove to yourself you can do it and see if you even like it. Hunters, my advice is still the same. I know that getting way off-trail and away from all people is typically your best bet for finding that big buck, but I would still say pace yourself when you’re getting into backpacking for the first time. I’d recommend taking a few simple trips sticking to trails during the off-season, then you can be more experienced and have your gear dialed in a bit better by the time you want to take some more adventurous trips during hunting season.
Just Do It
At the end of the day, you just have to make a decision and commit to it. You can read and research night after night, but at some point you just have to go give it a try. You won’t have all the best gear, you’ll certainly get out there and realize you forgot something important (and that you brought a bunch of stuff you didn’t actually need), but experience is still the best teacher when it comes to backpacking. So, pick up some basics, choose a trail, and go have an adventure!