Walking a trail with your friends, hiking for 10-12 even 15 miles through the day is the stamina that a trekker carries. But when the picturesque beauty of the landscape, the soothing and calming sounds of nature seep in, then you often get the rush to go hiking another 10 miles. But without proper planning, a weekend hike can be hard to pull off. Carrying a backpack along the way is hard but backpacking opens up more avenue and lets you discover the unexplored. Its pretty great but

Pick the Right Gear

Picking the right gear for backpacking is the first important step in your preparation.

  1. Choose the Backpack

Aim for a light backpack with an internal frame and strenuous straps. This will help evenly distributing the weight of the baggage.

  1. Don’t Compromise on Comfort

Getting a good sleep after a day-long hike is all you need to enjoy the new day ahead. If you are tired, you won’t be able to carry your backpack any further.

  1. Get the Tent that Serves Your Purpose

Look for a lightweight tent because it is you who is going to be carrying it all through the trail. These tents are available for one-person to up to four-person capacity, so carry accordingly.

 

Dress Appropriately

The way you dress for the hike plays a pivotal role in your adventure.

  1. Lay a Cotton Base

Make sure the base layer, t-shirt or shirt you wear is cotton, that absorbs your sweat easily without making you feel stuffy.

  1. Shorts or Pants?

It is totally up to the whether you wear shorts or pants but make sure they are meant for walking and are made of sturdy, non-synthetic fabric.

  1. Keep the Head Covered

If it is sunny, then carry a wide rimmed hat or a cap at least, you can also tie a bandana around the forehead to avoid sweat dripping all over you face. However, if it is chilly, then carry a beanie or a knitted cap. And a pair of gloves never goes waste!

  1. Be Rain-Ready

Carry a waterproof jacket or raincoat in case it rains.

  1. Be winter-ready

In case you are backpacking in the winter season, or fall even, be ready with an insulated jacket to keep you warm and carry appropriate base layers to keep your body warm.

  1. Get the Right Boots

Your hiking boots will do just fine but since this is a backpacking trip, you may want a little upgrade to cover the trail with ease and comfort.

 

Pre-Plan your Meals

Planning your source of hydration and your meals is essential when you are away of home. Especially trekking requires constant energy in the body, plus you shed off some calories so no harm in eating canned food or junk.

  1. Carry Enough water

Exhaustion requires constant hydration. So, make sure you carry ample water. Also, you would need some for cooking as well. Carry around a minimum 4 litres of water.

  1. Get a Backpacking Stove

A backpacking stove is very useful and a one-time investment. It has a great temperature control and also comes with a cook pot, making it easier to heat up pre-cooked frozen food.

  1. What Food to Bring Along?

Dried snacks, like chips, etc. is cool only for the first few hours but when you get tired, the body needs its nutrition. So, along with dry snacks, keep granola bars, dry fruits, nuts, etc. at hand to keep snacking on the way. You can also get instant oatmeal or noodles.

Other essential necessities that you can carry along include insect repellent creams or a roll-on, deodorant to keep the sweat under control, a travel size tissue pack and a plastic trowel to bury the compost, if you know what I mean.