I’ll be taking my first extended backpacking trip this July in Olympic National Forest (WA). It’ll be on established trails, but other than that there will be no amenities or facilities available for 5-7 days.
I’m squared away for a tent, a mat, a sleeping bag, a pack (Gregory Lassen 79-liter), and basic clothing, but I’m still trying to get my head around what to take and what to leave behind.
So…if you’ve done this before, I’m interested in knowing a few things:
I’m 6’3’’ with a fast metabolism, and I eat a lot. I’d rather not drop any pounds on the trip if I can help it. What are some high-calorie, low-fuss foods you would recommend from experience? Good taste is a plus, but I’m not picky. I’ll need to go 5 days without resupply and fit everything into a bear canister, so nothing can be too bulky or large.
In your experience, what one item can I not afford to do without? (we already have pots, a stove, a water filter, drinking bottles, multi-tools, lightweight flashlights, lexan spoons, and a GPS.)
Conversely, what if anything should I absolutely not take with me?
Is there a brand/model of hiking boot you would recommend?
The best boot is the one that fits you. Most folks prefer a fairly beefy boot for a week-long backpacking trip. Personally, I’m not a fan of Gore-Tex boots. I find them to be hotter than non-GT boots and in very wet or muddy conditions they don’t really work any better than treated leather boots. Go to a place that has many boots in stock, try them on and spend an hour or so walking in them before deciding.
The biggest problem in packing for a trip like this is bringing too much. The more you backpack, the less you bring.
One multi-tool for the group is enough. You are unlikely to need one for repairs, and if you do, one is enough. On marked trails a GPS is not needed. Not that it isn’t fun to have, but a map and compass is more than enough when staying on trail. You’ll need a compass as backup anyways.
Use a headlamp instead of a traditional flashlight. The new LED ones are tiny, effective, and last forever. I always carry two light sources, the other is a tiny pocket light.
Earplugs. If you’re sharing a tent, these are a must.
I generally carry one set of clothes to change into at the end of the day. Pack these in a ziploc and keep them dry and as clean as possible. You’ll need far fewer clothes than you think, I usually have a single set of hiking clothes and a single set of nighttime clothes. Plus a few pairs of hiking socks.
A deck of cards goes a long way at night, maybe even a travel cribbage board.
Going as light as possible is crucial! After my very first backpacking trip, I found that I didn’t need at least half the stuff I brought. Going as light as possible adds immensely to your enjoyment of the trip.
For food, again, light is best. Bring as much dried stuff as possible.
Instant oatmeal is great. It’s very light, easy to make, and tasty. Also good energy food.
Pasta and rice is great for dinner. For example, Barilla dried tortelloni (like this http://i4.peapod.com/c/3S/3SQMC.jpg ) is wonderful. It’s lightweight, delicious, and easy. For sauce, get one of those pasta sauce packets and just throw in the pot with a little water. So delicious! Any other type of rice/pasta is great (such as Lipton Rice & Sauce or Lipton Noodles & Sauce), just remember to take it out of the package and put into a ziploc bac to save space. Also dried mashed potatoes.
Tuna fish, not in cans but in those light plastic vacuum sealed packets. Put it on pita bread or mix in with rice.
Granola bars.
Pita bread and bagels (breads that won’t crush or smoosh).
Peanut butter (get the kind in the squeeze tube!)
Instant hot cocoa is very welcomed in the morning or before bed.
Trail mix - make your own. Peanuts, rasins and other dried fruit, M&Ms, etc…
Blister Blockers or something like them. Put them on before you even start hiking and your feet will thank you.
I hope you like the rain. And there’s gonna be skeeters. You should spray your tent and clothes with some type of repellent.
mr.stretch likes his Zamberlans–they are similar to these. They broke in fast; he’s had them 6 years and still loves them. Plus, you can get them rebuilt. However, as **Telemark ** says, the best boots are ones that fit you.
Bear Creek soup was a hit my last trip to the BWCA. It’s pretty thick, and only requires boiling water. Lots of selection, and we broke it out into meals for 4 sized baggies.
Jerky.
Tuna, or a rod and reel
Convertable pants, ya know, the kind that zip off into shorts. 2 pairs of those and your’re set. (one to wear while the other is drying). Parachute cord type rope, several feet. You’ll never know when you’ll need it. Of course, heavier rope to hang your food in bear country.
A couple wax firestarters. It’s tough to start a fire if it’s rained recently, unless you are going strictly gas.
I find the 24volt solar powered titanium spork to be indespensible, especially at night.
Summer sausage and some energy/protein bars are good. They have lots of calories for the hiking. Avoid bringing too much clothes. I generally go with just my rain gear and an extra pair of zip pants or boxers and an extra pair of socks. Bring an old fashion compass. GPS is nice, but sometimes they can’t get a signal. You can boil water if you want to save weight and dump the water filter. Rolling boil for at least 1 minute. I usually boil water at the end of the night on the campfire, fill up the canteen/nalgenes, and let them cool overnight for the next day. I bring army iodine tablets for backup.
If you are carrying heavy, pick a boot with good support. That will generally mean a heavier boot. Go with the ultralights if you are carrying less (say less than 20 lbs.) Vibram soles seem to weather the damage pretty well.
The best advice to travel as light as possible. For a 5 day hiking, going in weight I’m somewhere around 35 pounds, that’s with water. Instead of a sleeping mat, I use the portable stadium chairs (http://www.crazycreek.com/) which doubles as a chair.
Saving weight is common sense type stuff. Travel size toothpaste, cut off half the handle to your toothbrush, etc… Use things that have a double use. The cup I use is bigger than a normal cup so I can use it as a bowl as well. Bring 2 mosquito head nets.
When you reach your campsite at the end of the day, **immediately ** pitch your tent and stow your gear, no exceptions. Resting or playing can wait until you have shelter for the night. Pitching a tent in the dark/rain sucks big time.
First, I will second a number of things that have been mentioned:
Boots. The ones that fit are the best ones. Get them now, and start to break them in. For a 5-7 night hike, I would definitely go for heavier duty (not day-hiking boots) for the ankle support.
convertible pants. Particularly nylon. They may not seem warm, but they will do fine in wind. And most importantly they dry quickly. And the biggest mistake of my early backpacking was taking too much clothes. You really can get by on very little (especially layering for warmth).
water filter vs. boiling: after years of boiling I love my water filter and live by it. Depending on the size of your group, you might consider a backup (pumping can take some time depending on how many bottles you need to fill). You might trade fuel weight for the weight of the filter, but the convenience factor and more importantly how much water you’re carrying at any given time are huge.
if you’re on marked trails, I’d ditch the GPS. Yeah, it would be cool. But after the first day, the novelty will have worn off. It may not be much, but it is weight.
The only items that I didn’t see are:
bug juice. They make combo sunscreen/bugjuice and that works well on hikes. Need to be aware of the sweat factor that will wash it off, though.
trekking poles. While recovering from a broken ankle, I met a guy on a trail, and he swore by them - especially after an injury. I have been using them when I hike - especially on backpacks - and I really like them.
Be sure to seamseal your tent. Don’t assume it has been seamsealed. Could ruin the trip, if it isn’t.
After you break in the boots, start training for the hike. Load up the pack gradually, and start taking it on hikes with you. This will help callous your hips, and more importantly get you used to hiking with that kind of weight.
don’t forget your camera. Here is where those small, lightweight digital jobs come in handy.
I have yet to have a bad experience with Vasque boots.
In case you’re looking for something to put on your feet for deep creek crossings and/or to lounge around basecamp, I can’t sing the praises of Chaco sport sandals loud enough.
My favorite meat to take is hard salami, the kind with the white outer wrapper. Also some dry shrink-wrapped smoked salmon is good. I also like to take a tin or two of smoked mussles or something of that nature, packed in oil. I also burn some weight on cheese.
Dehydrated potato-based soups taste really good on the trail, as do most of those creamy/buttery pasta sides that come with the flavor powders included. If they call for milk instead of water, take a 1/2 cup or so of powdered milk.
I un-package and re-pack the pasta/soup into small ziplock bags to conserve space, usually including the section of the original packaging that have the instructions.
Food recomendations: I dry my own jerky, fruit, beans, and veggies. Veggies and beans get mixed into a dehydrated soup mix, add powdered boulion and hot water and its soup. The jerky and the fruit get eaten as-is. Potato flakes+stovetop+hot water=Thanksgiving in a Bowl…one of the bestest backcountry meals ever (!!!11one!). Definitely take cheese and cured meat product and tuna in the foil pouch and flour tortillas…these are lunch. I usually pack each meal in a seperate Ziplock bag and contain all breakfasts in one bag, dinners in another, lunch stuff in a third. Always carry a backup stove, but you don’t need one for everybody. JetBoils are nice, if your shopping around. I am a big fan of not cooking on the trail. Everything I take can be rendered edible by pouring hot water over it. Oatmeal, quick-cook grits make good breakfasts.
If you are going to be near water sources, take a few (2-3) nalgene bottles per person and a water filter. Boiling water takes lots of fuel if it is cold. Get water bottle holsters for your pack belt so you can drink whenever you want without taking off your pack.
Learn how to pack your pack and adjust your pack…it should have some with instructions. A 40# pack that is riding poorly is worse than a 55# pack that is wearing well.
Wear gaiters to keep your boots and pantlegs cleaner and dryer. I wear Asolos that they don’t make anymore. Vasques are also good boots.
Pack almost everything is ziploc bags, with extra ziploc bags. And put your sleeping bag in a garbage bag. If you fall into a river with your pack on, you’ll want the stuff in it to be dry. And while your falling into rivers, you should have a quick plan for getting some warm beverage into you if you get wet and cold.
Ditch the GPS and cary a map and compass. I was hiking on a well-marked trail last spring when the trail became covered in snow and the blazes were not to be found. We used our compasses and our topo map and dead reckoning to find out way back to the trailhead.
compass. I’d highly recommend the watch, compass, altimeter combo.
you might need rain gear since it is Washington.
I did extended treks on multiple times in Tibet with hi-tec (sp?) boots. I think the cordura are better than gore-tex boots. Problem with gortex is they don’t work well once they get dirty - hard to avoid when hiking. YMMV but i would highly recommend against the big old honking leather boots. come on man, get in this century. Dave Whittiker did Everest a second time with his lightweight boots versus the old leather clunkers, and just raved about the difference. Think about it, the heavier the boot is like wearing ankle weights. Regardless of the shoewear, get 'em now and start wearing them.
I do a lot of hiking and the one thing I recomend to people is not to go too crazy buying a lot of gear until you know if this is something you’ll want to do often and what kind of gear you would like.
For hiking on a well-established trail, you might consider hiking shoes instead of boots, Salomon makes some nice hiking shoes at reasonable prices.
Instead of moleskin or any other kind of blister treatment, I like using duct tape. It has a thousand uses and it works great on blisters. You don’t need a whole roll, just a few feet.
I doubt you would need a GPS for a trail hike, you should bring a compass and maps, but most importantly you should be sure you know how to use them.
Always let people know specifically where you are going and when you will be back so someone will be looking for you.
Have fun.
Plastic bags - Useful for all sorts of thing from keeping your camera dry if you’re walking in the rain, to collecting foraged foods. Sandwich-sized Ziplocs are probably most versatile, but you could just take half a dozen of those really ultra-lightweight sandwich bags - if you take them straight off the roll, they will fold down to nothing at all.
