This year I鈥檓 planning听29听guided backpacking trips. They are scheduled through October, run three to seven days, and are scattered throughout North America in the high desert, eastern woodlands, Mountain West, and Alaska. I will also ready my company鈥檚 more than 240听clients, who are of mixed ages, genders, fitness levels, and experience.
To pull this off efficiently and minimize mistakes, over the years I鈥檝e developed a planning process听that works听for any trip and can be used by any backpacker.
1. Define Your Trip鈥檚 Parameters
General questions are听a good starting point for trip planning. You听don鈥檛 need definitive answers to every question right away, but you鈥檒l want to begin听narrowing your options.
Start by听asking where you want to go,听when, and what听kind of trip it will be. rather than car camping?
Then听add more specifics. What length of time will you be traveling? What specific trails, routes, landmarks, or campsites do you want to visit? How many miles or how much vertical distance do you intend听to cover? Who else do you want to join you, if anyone?
Finally, consider the logistics. Do you听need permits? If so, how, when, and where will you get them? How will you听get to the trailhead听and back? Are there unique or notable land-use regulations or requirements you need to be aware of?
I suggest听taking all these details and dropping them into a听document that听can be shared with emergency contacts before you听leave.
2. Research Conditions
Once you have a reasonably defined trip plan, research听the conditions you听will likely encounter, so that you can prepare properly, mitigate risks, and rule out baseless what-if听scenarios.
I鈥檓 only interested in or听demand particular skills. I recommend looking into听climate, sun exposure and hours of daylight, footing (the most common types of walking surfaces), vegetation, wildlife and insects,听navigational aids (signage, blazes, cairns, and posts), water availability, remoteness, and potential natural hazards听like avalanches and lingering snowfields, river fords, possible flash floods or tides, or lightning.
Compile the findings of your research in a separate document, and cite your sources, so you听can easily compare any contradictory information you later find elsewhere.
3. Select Gear
For a beginner backpacker, the task of gear selection is usually the most time-consuming, certainly the most expensive, and unfortunately also the most frustrating鈥攊t鈥檚 very easy to go down the rabbit hole here. A good and run-down of gear is a great place to start.
To make this process easier for my clients, I give them a听time-tested听听that I designed, along with examples of听听for trips similar to the one they鈥檙e going to take听and a听copy of听. These resources should help cut through the noise.
Clients also have email access to their guides and their group, so that they can get trip-specific advice. If you don鈥檛 have an immediate contact who really knows their stuff, I suggest a community forum like Reddit鈥檚听. Make sure to tailor your gear to your itinerary and expected conditions.
4. Plan Your Food
We鈥檙e vulnerable to packing our fears.听If we fear听being cold at night, we bring a sleeping bag that鈥檚 excessively warm. If we fear bears, we sleep in a full-sided tent (which won鈥檛 help but may make us feel better). And if we fear being hungry, we pack too much food.
I鈥檝e given in-depth meal-planning recommendations before, so here I鈥檒l just go over some basic pointers. First, plan to consume听2,250 to 2,750 calories per day. (I generally assume听an average caloric density听of 125 calories per ounce, which means about 18 to 22 ounces daily.)听If you鈥檙e older, female, petite, or on a low-intensity trip, go with the low end of this range. If any of the opposites are听true, go with the high end. Variety is the spice of life, so pack foods with varying tastes (spicy, sweet, salty, sour) and textures (chewy, crunchy). Early in a trip, treat yourself with real food, like a ham sandwich, an avocado, or an apple. This听will also delay听the onset of culinary boredom.
For breakfasts and dinners, try these听field-tested options听instead of spending your hard-earned cash on exorbitantly priced freeze-dried meals or punishing yourself with thru-hiker fare like ramen noodles or Lipton Sides.
5. Create or Collect Navigational Resources
For my first hikes, I utilized whichever resources were conveniently available and seemed sufficient. Before thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2002, for example, I purchased the 听and downloaded听the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association鈥檚听. To explore Colorado鈥檚 Front Range the following summer, I bought a few National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps that covered the area.
But when I started adventuring off the beaten path, I had to create some or all of these materials from scratch. Through this process, I developed what I believe to be an听optimal system of maps and resources听that includes large- and small-scale听paper topographic maps, digital maps downloaded to a GPS app, route descriptions and tips, and a听data sheet (a list of key landmarks and distances along a trail or route).
6. Gain Fitness and Skills
There鈥檚 no better way to improve your hiking fitness than by hiking, and there鈥檚 no better way to develop backpacking skills than by backpacking.
But who has the time and ability to do that? Not me, and likely听not you.
The next-best option is to work out more intensely听to maximize the potential of the time you do have available. Personally, I听do this by running听60 to 70 miles per week. Ultralight backpacking pro Alan Dixon has a听听that鈥檚 more hiking oriented (and听more realistic). You can also read and watch skill tutorials, such as my series on听navigation,听,听,听, and听.
A test hike听is also very valuable. This systems check听is meant to be done in a relatively low-risk听environment, and the goal is to get you better prepared for your actual trip. It can be done locally, like in a nearby park or even your backyard,听and听will give you an opportunity to use your gear, practice some skills, and identify room for improvement before you undertake a more committed听itinerary. Focus on听replicating听the elements of a real trip: hike with a loaded pack, refill your water bottles, change layers, set up your shelter, cook a meal, etc.
7. Conduct a Final Check
In the days before your trip, complete any remaining housekeeping. Using your checklist, pack up all your gear, including your maps, resources, and permits. Buy any necessary perishable foods, like cheese, butter, and tortillas. (This听听has more details.) Look at a five-day weather forecast, and adjust your gear accordingly. Finally, proofread听your trip-planner document, and leave it with your emergency contacts.