Introduction to Backpacking
The following is some information from the beginner's backpack meeting held prior to the trip to the
Elk River in May 2001. Beginner's hiking with Club Tread generally only need to ensure they have the
basics in terms of boots and clothing, rain gear, a sleeping bag and pad and a backpack. Most other gear can be shared with more experienced members on the trip. I backpacking with the club for
over to 2 years before I had bought all the equipment necessary to be totally self sufficient.
The basics you will need will be a good pair of boots. Make sure they fit
well and are well broken in. I'd recommend leather boots for backpacking.
Waterproof them well before each trip.
Other essentials are good clothing. Don't use cotton (once it gets wet it
sucks the heat out of you and it won't dry easily in the backcountry
either). The preferred clothing is synthetic (polypro), with wool a good
second choice. Silk is wonderful but not durable and also very expensive.
Personally I follow the example of an oncologist in our hiking club, although
she never preaches this whenever she is on a hike she always wears long slacks
and a long sleeve shirt.
Rain gear is essential. Gortex is a virtual necessity as far as a jacket
goes. Here you'll get what you pay for. A lower cost jacket will start to
wear after a few seasons and will not shed water as well as a more
expensive one. I usually go for the low to mid range ones but find they
don't keep my as dry after a few seasons. Pit zips are very nice to have
in a jacket.
Rain pants are nice, they don't have to be gortex but should have zippers
so you can vent them.
A good rain and sun hat is also a requirement. It should have a brim wide enough to
shield your face and the back of your neck from the sun.
For sleeping, a thermarest is the defacto standard as far as a sleeping
pad, other options are ridge rests (almost as good as thermarests but not
as comfortable) and high density blue foam (cheaper than thermarests but
not as good an insulation). For more information see our article on
sleeping pads.
As far as a sleeping bag goes, this depends on whether you are a cold
sleeper, if so you'll need a warmer bag. Assuming you will be doing trips
to the mountains you can encounter freezing nights almost any time of the
year. I'd recommend at least a -7C bag and if you are a cold sleeper then
a warmer bag. I prefer synthetic to down (much cheaper although not as
durable). I'd definitely suggest a mummy style bag, it will keep you far
warmer than a rectangular one.
A good fitting pack is one of the keys to enjoying backpacking. A poor fitting
or poorly adjusted one is second only to a poor pair of boots in turning an otherwise
enjoyable trip into a tiresome trudge.
There are two styles of packs available, internal and external frames. The majority of
backpackers in the club use internal frame packs. While they cannot carry as much weight
as an external frame pack they are much easier to find in the stores and are easier to store in vehicles.
A pack should be fit to you by the store you buy or rent it from. It should be fit when
there is sufficient weight in to simulate the load you expect to carry. If you are buying
a pack have the store adjust the internal stays to the contour of your back.
The size of pack to buy depends on how many nights you anticipate being on the trail. The longer
you plan to be out the larger a pack you will need. You don't need a pack twice the size to stay out
twice as long, a few extra liters will allow you to carry enough for a few days. The only extra items
you will need on a longer trip are food and extra fuel.
Packing Your Pack
I like to put my sleeping bag at the bottom of my pack, it forms a good base for other
equipment and also is something I won't need until I get into camp. Other than that the only two
rules I follow in packing are:
- Keep any gear I may require before camp in an accessible location. This includes first aid
gear, lunch rain gear, toilet paper, trowel and water.
- Try to keep heavy gear (eg: the stove) near the centre of gravity, close to the back of the pack.
- Pack clothing and sleeping bag with a view to keeping them dry. Pack cothing in largge zip lock
bags.
Water Bottles and Purification
I recommend always carrying at least 2 water bottles. I have seen at least 3 incidents where water
bottles have broken on the trail, yes, even the nalgene ones. As far as purification goes read our
article on water in the backcountry.
That's a short start on the basic personal gear, look for more info on the
website in a few weeks.