One important thing that I think this article overlooked is hydration. As an avid hiker/backpacker, I can’t stress enough what a difference it makes if you’re well hydrated before (and, of course, during) your trip. I’d recommend drinking a supplement (nuun, Camelbak Elixir, etc.) infused bottle of water the day before and the day of your trip. Additionally, be sure to pack a water filter/purifier and/or plenty of iodine/purification tablets. You DO NOT want to get caught in the wilderness without a steady supply of clean water, so this is the one area where I would definitely recommend overpacking, just to be on the safe side. Tablets are small and practically weightless, so I repeat, BRING EXTRA.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy trip on their next adventure!

1.Try to make reservations, or at least know where some potential lodgings might be. Nothing can ruin a city faster than wasting a day wandering around with a pack on your back (My first impressions of Florence were forever tainted).

2.Never think you’ll be able to sleep sitting up on an overnight train. After a night spent pushing a drunk dude’s head repeatedly off my shoulder, I would’ve gladly paid extra for a sleeping car.

Our first hike, and my first personal big hike, was 11 miles. My immediate mistake was wearing steel toe boots. It’s equivalent to wearing a parka and snow pants to the beach. The packs we had to bring in with tools, gear, and tents weighed in the neighborhood of roughly a human being. So about 100+ pounds. After 11 hours hiking just over 10 miles we neared our junction. Every muscle in my body was screaming. One leg just went dead, so I dragged the puppy. World record of swears for a 10 person group was achieved. My personal count at hour ten was at least 2,000 F words. What was incredible, however, was the immediate sense of peace and accomplishment from hiking. At just under 7,000 ft, it was by far the most memorable view of my life. A beautiful, quiet, and untouched landscape can have a mysterious and powerful effect on the soul.

Here was my conclusion.
1. Dear God, I think I’m seriously gonna die. (around mile eleven)
2. Mmmm, I wish I had toilet paper and non-iodine water.
3. Man-O-Man I can’t wait until my next hike.

Water treatment is always good to bring too, just in case…a first-aid kit is a must for packing too.

One thing that I swear by now is hiking poles. When you’re carrying a dozen kilos or so, it really helps to distribute the weight into your arms/upper body with poles. You’ll balance better and walking up and down hill is much easier. They also help immensely if you’re hiking over big rocks and other uneven terrain.

And no underwear!? No thanks…I’d rather carry the extra few hundred grams!

I was at summer camp in rural Quebec, summer after 6th grade I think. (I went to an all-vegetarian, all-holistic, sugar-free summer camp, though that doesn’t really bear on the story all that much.) I signed up for a multi-day hiking/camping trip with 10 other girls between the ages of 8 and 12, plus two 16 year old trippers. We hiked in the first couple hours with our packs, and then one tripper took all our gear in a canoe and the rest of us headed down the trail, intending to go around the lake and meet her at the site. Unfortunately, we took a wrong turn – I guess we didn’t realize it for awhile, because by the time we knew we were off course we’d been walking into woods for maybe an hour.

At any rate, we broke every rule. Instead of staying put, we kept walking. Not long after we realized we were lost, it started thundering and pouring rain. I still feel for the tripper who had to handle 10 screaming, crying pre-teen girls lost in the woods. We never made it to camp. Fast forward several hours, and by this time police with sniffer dogs were combing the woods for us. A helicopter was on its way from the nearest search and rescue station. We were walking in circles just trying to stay warm – none of us had a thing with us besides shorts and t-shirts. In the end, it was another camp counselor who found us – I can still remember when we spotted him ahead of us and all broke down bawling and running to jump on him. Back at camp, the homeopathic nurse gave us all brandy and rescue remedy.

I’m over it now, but would it shock you to know I didn’t go camping again for several years?