Backpacking Checklist (page 5)
• Something to carry water in: You never know how long it will be until you come across your next water source, so you will always be carrying some water with you. Plastic water bottles are bulky and break easily on the rugged trail, but they will work if that is all you have. The thicker plastic bottles (such as those made by Nalgene) are much more durable and come in various sizes. We always bring at least a couple of these along, but we never go without our water bladders. These are flexible plastic bags with a hose and mouthpiece attached; the most popular ones are those made by Platypus. We put them directly in our pack--in fact, many packs have a pouch inside just for this purpose—and attach the hose to the shoulder strap. With the amount of water you need to consume on the trail, the accessibility of these is ideal. They are lightweight and not very expensive, so I highly recommend getting at least one.
Backpacking Clothes
• Clothing: What you will be wearing during your trip is an important thing to consider. Don’t bother bringing anything stylish; it will get destroyed, and after a day or so of hiking, you are going to look like hell no matter what you do. So pack for practicality. Clothes for backpacking should be lightweight, sturdy, and dry quickly. Cotton is not recommended: do you have any idea how long it takes wet jeans to dry while you are wearing them? Opt for polyester, nylon, fleece or spandex instead. There is quite a bit of “backpacking” clothing out there. Much of it contains a “wicking” material which pulls moisture (such as sweat) away from the skin. Due to its price, you will probably not go out and buy an entire outfit of this material. However, a few pairs of thin wicking socks are wonderful to wear under your thicker socks. A lot of exercise clothing also wicks moisture, and may be a cheaper alternative. When packing, go with as little clothing as you can get away with. Everything except socks and underwear can be worn more than once, you are going to stink anyway; this is not a clean venture. One pair each of pants and shorts can last you a few days. If you can find them, the convertible pants that zip off into shorts are awesome: I wore mine through my whole trip the last excursion I went on. Bring both short sleeve and long sleeve tops, and at least one warm jacket. (Fleece jackets are warm, lightweight, and don’t take much space.) Plan on dressing in layers. And don’t forget something to sleep in!
• Boots: I included these separately from clothing, because these are the most important things you will be wearing. If you don’t want to spend your money on expensive backpacking clothes, that’s fine, but please invest in some good hiking boots! Your feet will be carrying a lot of weight over an extended period, and trust me, they will be thanking you if you are wearing good boots. And will be complaining very loudly through your entire trip if you do not. Trust me, I learned this one the hard way, and I have found I am a much more pleasant and less grouchy traveling companion without pinched toes. Make sure they are durable and give ample ankle support: lightweight hiking boots won’t do here, opt for the midweight or extended backpacking types. Some include a waterproof liner (such as Gore-Tex), which make the boot less breathable, but keep your feet nice and dry even if you trudge through a stream. Shop around, try them on, walk around in them, and make sure they are comfortable. Buy them at least a few weeks before their first trip, so you will have time to break them in.
• Medical kit: Cuts, scratches, blisters, bruises and the like are common on the trail—don’t be surprised if you are pretty beat up by the end of the trip. You will need medical supplies to handle these small injuries as well as major ones. Information on what should be included in your medical kit can be found on the Backpacking Safety page.
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