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Backpacking - Like Hiking, but Carrying Your Stuff With You!

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Don't Bring Too Much Stuff! You Don't Need to Bring Your House and All That's In It.

Sometimes you go hiking, but sometimes you want to bring some more stuff to make the hike go longer or more enjoyable. You can't bring a suitcase (have you ever tried to carry a suitcase up a hill?). So, if you have a backpack, it leaves both of your hands free to grab onto things to help you climb a hill or to give you better balance.

What size backpack? Well, it depends on how long your hike will be, where you are hiking, and what you plan on doing while or after your hike. Although experienced mountain climbers and those who spend days in the bush carry large backpacks full of all sorts of survival gear, food, cooking gear, sleeping bag, first-aid kit, maps or GPS unit, flashlight, and camping gear such as a tent and ground cloth--to name only a few of the possibilities, if you are going only on a "day-trip", you don't need a huge backpack. Maybe a small, one-compartment short-pack in which you can put a sweater, maybe a hat, a map, and some snacks and a bottle of water.

This Squidoo lens will discuss some of these things--and will provide suggestions and links to other resources to help your backpacking hikes be the best!

Contents at a Glance

Tropical Backpacking, Near Gun Beach, We...
Backpacking as Decor! Wear It! Display I...
When Starting WIth Backpacking, Start Sl...
Backpacking by the Bay.... eBay, That...
When backpacking, try not to overdo it....
There's Backpacking on Trails, and Then...

Tropical Backpacking, Near Gun Beach, West-Side, Guam

Backpacking as Decor! Wear It! Display It!

When Starting WIth Backpacking, Start Slow and Light!

Tropical Backpacking in the High Mountains of Southern Guam

I guess our public schools (and maybe the private ones as well) haven't figured this out. I frequently see little tikes hiking to and from school with huge backpacks --presumably loaded with books and homework and other school supplies. However, this may not be the right way to get kids enthusiastic about backpacking.

I started with backpacking when I was a kid growing up in New Mexico. As an elementary school student, I was a Cub Scout--and we'd occasionally go on day hikes and weekend campouts. This is when I learned to start light and small with a backpack. What did we take? We took perhaps a canteen of water, a light jacket, maybe a foil-wrapped piece of seasoned meat and potatoes (which we'd cook over an open campfire). When I got a bit older, I became a member of the Boy Scouts--and with this group, we did more serious hiking and camping. Here, we learned to pack heavier packs--this time not only with some pre-prepared food and a jacket, but also with extra clothes, a small campstove, campgear (hatchet of campknife), a sleeping bag, and maybe a small tent and groundcloth. In New Mexico, we had to deal with the quick variations in climate--in the desert, from over 100 degrees during the day to near freezing after sunset until morning. And even in the mountains of southern New Mexico, we had to contend with strange weather--such as snow storms in July. So, as the Boy Scout motto said, we had to "Be Prepared."

My folks then moved us to the Western Pacific island of Guam--and my views on hiking, backpacking, and camping changed considerably. I still hiked, backpacked, and camped... but it was all tropical. So a backpack full of a parka, heavy sleeping bag, and similar gear was sort of a moot point. Still, we had to carry other gear--a machete to cut through heavy underbrush, mosquito repellant, more water, food tins or packages that were insect-proof, a mosquito net (if we planned on spending a night in the boonies).

Backpacking by the Bay.... eBay, That Is!

When backpacking, try not to overdo it. There are some loads that are a tad too much!

There's Backpacking on Trails, and Then There's Backpacking Where There Aren't Any!

Sometimes You Must Make Your Own Trail!

Sometimes in backpacking you have to get off the trail and traverse water (Bubulao River, Southern Guam)

One thing we learned about basic backpacking as Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts is that you should always bring a map. And, you should learn how to read one. Map reading is a handy skill to have and it can help you when you get in a fix -- whether you are in a wildnerness or in a big city. If you are backpacking in a national park, you can usually get a decent trail map at the park visitors' center. You can also get maps from the US Geological Survey and from most state visitor centers. Specialty stores such as REI or Bass Pro also have maps made specifically for hikers, campers, hunters, fishermen, and backpackers. These maps are topographic or are drawn to show the physical features of the land in which you are backpacking.

Now, if you don't know how to read maps, you may be okay with a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit, but without the ability to read maps, much of the information provided by one of these systems may not be helpful for guiding you. It's at least helpful to know where East, West, North, and South are in relationship to each other... and at least know that the sun rises in the East and sets in the West.... and if you are facing North, the sun will rise on your Right and set on your Left... and South is at your backside.

Backpacking - Like Hiking, but Carrying Your Stuff With You!

Don't Bring Too Much Stuff! You Don't Need to Bring Your House and All That's In It.

Contents at a Glance

Contents at a Glance

Backpacking as Decor! Wear It! Display It!

When Starting WIth Backpacking, Start Slow and Light!

Backpacking by the Bay.... eBay, That Is!

There's Backpacking on Trails, and Then There's Backpacking Where There Aren't Any!

Sometimes You Must Make Your Own Trail!

Read Up On Backpacking!

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If You Want to Backpack, Sometimes It's Good to Travel Where You Can!

You can book your trip, your hotels, and other goodies here!

If You Are Going to Backpack, You Need to Have a Backpack!

Ya think?

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Drop Your Backpack Long Enough to Drop a Note!

by EditorDave

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