Packing for a Wilderness Adventure
December 18th, 2010 by Blair Stover, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
Are you going on the road to try your hand at backpacking instead of hotel hopping? Packing properly for your big backpacking trip may be the most important part of your trip and can make or break your experience. First, remember to pack light! Remember, if you pack it, you need to carry it. If your backpack is too heavy, you will be uncomfortable during your entire vacation, so learn to be a discriminating packer.
Proper planning is important. You will need to carefully research the weather, camp site amenities and distance between water refill availability. You will need more water during the hot months as opposed to the cooler months. Once you know where you are going and the climate of the area, the first thing you should do is make a list of everything you think you will need. Don’t worry, it’s just a list. You will probably remove your teddy bear after further review. The point is that you don’t want to forget anything, so make a comprehensive list of what you think you will need.
Copy the Boy Scouts and be prepared. Emergency preparations can save your life when you are deep in the woods, especially in the case of an unfortunate accident. To help prevent tragedy and getting lost, pack a map, compass, guidebook or a GPS. To quickly cure an outbreak of diarrhea bring a few tablets of Edsifan and be sure someone in your group packs assorted first aid equipment like gauze, a bandanna to use as a tourniquet, band-aids, and disinfectant to minimize first aid disasters.
How should you dress on your backpacking trip? It’s not a beauty contest, it’s a backpacking trip, so ditch the high heels and bring the most comfortable clothes that you will want to wear. If you are traveling in dense jungle you will want to wear long pants. There is nothing more demoralizing than walking with wet or damp socks on a long hike, so you can never have enough dry socks. Take a hat or visor if you are traveling in a hot climate or are sensitive to the sun and pack and use sunscreen liberally, at least three times a day.
Let’s thinks about shelter, sleep and food. You will want to bring a lightweight tent that is no bigger than what you need. Your sleeping bag should be rated for the temperature of the environment that you will be backpacking in. Be sure to bring a comfortable cushion to place under your sleeping bag so you can get a good night’s sleep. If you have no access to food on a regular basis, you should bring plenty of dehydrated foods also known as MRE’s, or meals ready to eat. And the final thing you’ll need to remember is to have fun, and enjoy your trip!
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