Wild Bound

At some point in your life, you will probably have to admit that you don’t really know anything.This is me, standing up and admitting, I don’t really know anything about backpacking.

For years I have loved the thought of backpacking.  I have dreamed of doing the Appalachian trail as a thru-hike.  I have talked about how much I love hiking, but I have never been on a backpacking trip.

I always thought that a backpacking trip had to be at least a week long.  I tried to plan such a trip but always ended up overwhelmed by the thought.  I didn’t have the “right gear.”  I wanted to buy one more thing to lighten my pack.  Heck, until last November, I didn’t even have a pack!

Last winter we bought backpacks thinking we would be able to do winter camping.  More honesty in the post–that was a dumb idea.  Mercifully, everytime we planned that first camping trip, something else came up to keep us at home.  With a little more experience I think that newbies on a budget should not try winter camping for a while.  In our defense, we were planning on doing it as car camping so if things got too rough we could ditch.

This summer we had great plans to do some weekenders on the Idaho Centennial trail.  B and I dream of hiking that one in sections while we are living in North Idaho.

This spring, April 3 to be exact, we discovered that there was a huge bend in the road ahead of us and all our plans changed.  The baby is due November 26.  We still had high hopes of spending time kayaking and backpacking, and I had no idea that morning sickness would last all the way until week 24.  Our few summer outings (on days I felt good) always resulted in 2 days of nausea and sleeping just to recover.  Our plans continued to change.

This past week, B and I talked and decided that we couldn’t really consider ourselves backpackers until we had at least done an overnight trip.  We also decided that we didn’t have to plan a big expedition trip to really be backpacking.  Just going and doing is enough.  That was Wednesday.

Friday I bought a few extras while I was out grocery shopping.  I hoped that Saturday would take us to the trail for our first backpacking trip.  I had to wait until Sunday, but I was not disappointed.

At 6 months pregnant and probably in the worst shape of my life, I can honestly say that I have done an overnight backpacking trip.  One trip taught us a lot of stuff.  I wrote most of it down in the field so I could remember and blog about it.  The hike was 2.5 miles one way, and I almost didn’t make it back to the trail head.  Anyone who has ever been pregnant will understand when I say that I never knew my calf muscles could cramp that way before.

Today I am tired and sore but satisfied beyond measure.  I will probably require a week to recover from the trip, but we did it!  What’s more, I would do it again–even at 6 months pregnant.

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It might be a bit early, but February seems like a great time to start spring training for the backpacking season.

The snow is still on the ground, and cabin fever is in full swing. I have started wearing my backpack around the house–all day. The days are getting longer, and my husband and I like to head out for an evening hike (5 miles around town).

I’ve read that 1 pound on the feet is like 6 pounds on the back. If that’s the case, my snow boots (about 3lbs for the pair) are giving me a good workout.

Right now, I’m just carrying an empty pack. I have back problems left over from carrying too many books through middle school, high school, and college. I am starting small. My plan right now is to carry empty for about a week.

When I start adding weight, I think I have finally found a good use for all those heavy engineering textbooks that my husband doesn’t use and won’t let me get rid of. They will make great training weights.

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

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When you head out on the hiking trail for an afternoon or all day hike, you will need to pack some essential gear. The gear that you choose to carry will change depending on the climate, season, and location of your hike.

In the 1930’s, The Mountaineers, a hiking club based out of Seattle, created a gear list that is still referred to as the Ten Essentials. Here is their list:

1. Topographic Map
2. Compass
3. Flashlight
4. Extra food
5. Extra clothes
6. Sunglasses
7. First Aid Kit
8. Knife (multi-tool)
9. Waterproof matches
10. Fire starter material

There are a few extra things that I would add to The Mountaineers list like water and a way to purify it, sunscreen, rain gear, and a space blanket.

The basic idea of carrying this much stuff on a day hike is to be prepared to stay out all night in the worst weather the season can throw at you and survive it.

In the winter, you should carry gear to survive a night of snow and freezing temperatures. The temperature lows vary from location to location, and when you pack for a mountain hike, don’t forget to take altitude into consideration.

Summertime, your greatest threat is likely a cold thunderstorm. Actually, the chance of hypothermia is probably worse in the summer than in the winter because the average summer hiker is not prepared for it.

I’ve said it before, the most important thing to carry with you is knowledge, common sense, your brain. Unless you know how to read a map and use a compass, just carrying the items in your pack won’t do you any good.

I’m as bad as anyone–worse even–for wanting to just put on my shoes and head out to the trail, but a little pre-planning could save your life.

Next time, I’ll write about putting together a Bug-Out-Bag (BOB) with essential gear so that going on a day hike will involve putting on your boots and grabbing your BOB.

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The recent disappearance of hiker, Meredith Emerson on Blood Mountain in Georgia has gotten me thinking about personal safety on the trail.

There are so many risks when heading out to hike, and you need to take some measures to protect yourself.

Some possibilities that you should consider when you go hiking:

• unexpected weather changes
• injury
• being lost
• dangerous animals
• dangerous people

I certainly don’t recommend avoiding the great outdoors because of the risks involved. Even the most experience hiker needs to prepare for the dangers that surround you on the hiking trail.

The most important thing you can take with you on a hike is knowledge. Having a first aid kit isn’t enough if you don’t know how to use it.

Over the next few posts, I am going to explore some of the basics of personal protection for the outdoor adventurer.

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