You’ve day hiked most, if not all the trails near your home and spots within a weekend car camp’s radius. You want to go further and explore places for longer periods of time, detached from technology and our modern world. Backpacking is an amazing way to unplug and immerse yourself into the wilderness. When day hiking is not cutting it anymore, check out these helpful tips on how to break into backpacking.

Research and invest in your backpack

When you feel ready to make the jump from day hiking to backpacking, you will need to get a pack to carry your overnight gear into the backcountry. This is an area you absolutely do not want to skimp on. Plan to drop some money on a good pack that fits your needs. Make sure to try on various backpacks at a local outfitter--REI is great as they have weighted items you can stuff in the pack and trained professionals to answer gear questions. Spend a while at the store, experimenting with all the straps on the backpack, giving it time to settle in on your hips with the weight inside, to truly assess how comfortable it is to your body type.

Start slow and scale

Backpacking is very different than day hiking; start with a low mileage trip and give yourself enough time to set up camp, cook a meal, and relax at your intended spot. It will be surprising how much longer everything takes when you are brand new to the activity. Even a hike you can do fast day hiking will be surprising with a full backpack on. Packing your pack for the trailhead, hiking in, pitching your tent, all these things will take longer than expected when doing it for the first few times as a novice backpacker. Use it as an excuse to practice Leave No Trace ethics and “plan ahead and prepare”.

Decide on a route and pick a hike

We live in an age of information. There is so much information to be had on all sorts of backpacking trips. Sites like The Outbound Collective, All Trails, and backpacker blogs are great places to search for a trail that inspires and calls to you. Keep it simple for your first trip--aim for low mileage, routes with known and reliable water sources, and well marked trails/campsites. Consider inviting a friend along too so your first trip isn’t a solo epic. If you need us to plan the trip for you, our adventure consultants are ready!

Rent all other gear

Backpacking can cost thousands of dollars to truly invest in a backcountry setup you love and are comfortable with. It will last you years if you treat the gear right. However, for someone who wants to break into the backcountry and see if it is for them, we recommend renting everything besides your backpack. In most major cities or outdoor gateway towns, there are universities with outdoor programs who will rent backpacking gear out for college student prices. We have a robust gear rental service as well, check it out here.

Know that you will not be an expert right away

Any new skill takes time. The learning curve for backpacking is extremely steep--usually in one overnight trip expect to feel fairly proficient at things like tent pitching and backpack packing. With that said, keep perspective, and remember that backpacking is all about systems and proper planning. Hold space for yourself to mess up, experiment with the way you pack your bag, and which simple meals you can cook outside.

Develop your layering system

As a backpacker, you will need to carry all of your items on your back. It is essential to pair down your clothing, so you are not hauling around a walk in closet into the wilderness. Go through your items at home and aim to find base layers, hiking layers, insulating layers and outerwear/rain gear. Moisture wicking clothing is important to invest in to keep you cool and dry. Our guides like to have one set of sleeping clothing and “sacred socks” set aside for bedtime. Never forget a warm beanie as nighttime temperatures drop lower than you expect at elevation.

Learn the basics of navigation

Real talk: it is critical to have a base understanding of how to navigate in the wilderness before setting out on your first backpacking trip. This idea can range from understanding how to read the trail signs to your mountain campsite or following rock cairns in the slickrock deserts of our southwestern states. Take the time and teach yourself how to read a topographic map and how to shoot a bearing on a compass. Set a goal to learn this skill out of the gate and you will excel tremendously in the wilderness. This will also help to boost your backpacking self-confidence.

Moving into backpacking is a rewarding change from day hiking. You will learn new avenues to push yourself, how to embrace minimalism, and venture further into the wilderness for extended periods of time.

Not ready to go off on your own yet? Join us on our custom 4 day Boulder Mail Trail Backpacking trip this April!

Backpacking Tips for Beginners