Backpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking (also
tramping or
trekking or
bushwalking in some countries) combines
hiking and
camping in a single trip. A backpacker hikes into the backcountry to spend one or more nights there, and carries supplies and equipment to satisfy sleeping and eating needs.
A backpacker packs all of his or her gear into a
backpack. This gear must include
food,
water, and
shelter, or the means to obtain them, but very little else, and often in a more compact and simpler form than one would use for stationary camping. A backpacking trip must include at least one overnight stay in the wilderness (otherwise it is a
day hike). Many backpacking trips last just a
weekend (one or two nights), but long-distance expeditions may last
weeks or
months, sometimes aided by planned food and supply drops.
Backpacking camps are more spartan than ordinary camps. In areas that experience a regular traffic of backpackers, a hike-in camp might have a
fire ring and a small wooden bulletin board with a
map and some warning or information signs. Many hike-in camps are no more than level patches of ground without
scrub or
underbrush. In very remote areas, established camps do not exist at all, and travelers pitch their tents wherever they please.
In some places, backpackers have access to lodging that are more substantial than a tent. In the more remote parts of
Great Britain,
bothies exist to provide simple (free) accommodation for backpackers. Another example is the High Sierra Camps in
Yosemite National Park.
Mountain huts provide similar accommodation in other countries, so being a member of a mountain hut organization is advantageous (perhaps required) to make use of their facilities.
Most backpackers purposely try to avoid impacting on the land through which they travel. This includes following established
trails as much as possible, not removing anything, and not leaving trash in the backcountry. The
Leave No Trace movement offers a set of guidelines for low-impact backpacking ("Leave nothing but footprints. Take nothing but photos.").
People are drawn to backpacking primarily for
recreation, to explore places that they consider beautiful and fascinating, many of which cannot be accessed in any other way. A backpacker can travel deeper into remote areas, away from people and their effects, than a day-hiker. However, backpacking presents more advantages besides distance of travel. Many weekend trips cover routes that could be hiked in a single day, but people choose to backpack them anyway, for the experience of staying overnight.
These possibilities come with disadvantages. The weight of a pack, laden with supplies and gear, forces backpackers to travel more slowly than day-hikers would, and it can become a nuisance and a distraction from enjoying the scenery. In addition, camp chores (such as pitching camp, breaking camp, and cooking) can easily consume several hours every day.
Backpackers face many risks, including adverse
weather, difficult terrain, treacherous
river crossings, and hungry or unpredictable animals. They are subject to illnesses, which run the gamut from simple
dehydration to
heat exhaustion,
hypothermia,
altitude sickness, and physical
injury. The remoteness of backpacking locations exacerbates any mishap. However, these hazards do not deter backpackers. Some simply accept danger as a risk that they must endure if they want to backpack; for others, the potential dangers actually enhance the allure of the wilderness.
|
A small backpacking tent, for two people ("two-man") |
Almost all backpackers seek to minimize the weight and bulk of gear carried. A lighter pack causes less
fatigue, injury and soreness, and allows the backpacker to travel longer distances. Every piece of equipment is evaluated for a balance of utility versus weight. Significant reductions in weight can usually be achieved with little sacrifice in equipment utility, though very lightweight equipment is often more costly.
A large industry has developed to provide lightweight gear and food for backpackers. The gear includes the backpacks themselves, as well as ordinary camping equipment modified to reduce the weight, by either reducing the size, reducing the durability, or using lighter materials such as special
plastics,
alloys of
aluminium, and
titanium, or making them consumable such as sleeping bags made of processed paper which can be burned. Designers of
portable stoves and
tents have been particularly ingenious. Homemade gear is common too, such as the
beverage-can stove.
Some backpackers use lighter and more compact gear than do others. The most radical measures taken in this regard are sometimes called
ultralight backpacking.
Due to the emphasis on weight reduction, a practical joke common in some circles is to secretly pack a small but relatively heavy luxury item, such as a
soft drink, into another backpacker's pack. Then, once the group stops for a rest, the perpetrator retrieves the item, thanks the bearer for carrying it, and consumes it.
Water
Backpackers always carry some
water from the trailhead, to drink while walking. For short trips, they may carry enough to last the whole trip, but for long trips this is not practical. Since a hiker needs three or four
litres every day – and much more under especially hot or dry conditions – a water supply for more than a few days is prohibitively heavy to carry. However, with regular resupplies of water, a backpacker need not carry more than a
litre or so. Although some backpacking camps in heavily-used areas provide potable water, it must usually be obtained from
lakes and
streams.
Drinking and cooking water may need treatment with a filter or purifier to protect against
bacteria and
protozoa (see
Potability of backcountry water). If water is unavailable, or if the only water available is irreparably filthy, backpackers may need to carry large amounts of water for long distances.
Water may be stored in bottles or in soft, collapsible
hydration packs (bladders). Some backpackers store water in ordinary plastic beverage bottles, while others use special
Lexan bottles or metal
canteens. For accessibility they may be carried by a shoulder strap or attached to the outside of a pack. Bladders are typically made of plastic, rubber, and/or fabric. They are light, easily stored and collapsible. They may be equipped with drinking hoses for easy access while hiking. In spite of this convenience, bladders are more prone to leaking than bottles, particularly at the hose connections. Hoses also allow the hiker to lose track of the water supply in the bladder and to deplete it prematurely.
Food
Some backpackers enjoy cooking elaborate meals with fresh ingredients, particularly on short trips, and others carry the gear and take the time to
catch fish or
hunt small game for food. However, especially for long expeditions, most backpackers' food criteria are roughly the same: high
energy content (particularly
protein), with long
shelf life and low
mass and
volume.
Ordinary household foods used on backpacking trips include
cheese,
bread,
sausage,
fruit,
peanut butter, and
pasta. Popular snack foods include
trail mix, easily prepared at home; convenient and nutritious
energy bars; and
chocolate and other forms of
candy, which provide quick energy and flavor. Traditional outdoor food includes dried foodstuffs such as
jerky or
pemmican, and also products like
oatmeal (which can also be consumed raw in emergency situations).
Canned food is rarely used, except for meats or small delicacies. Metal cans and their contents are usually heavy, and, like all trash, the empties must be carried back out.
For
dinners, many hikers use specially manufactured, pre-cooked food that can be eaten hot. It is often sold in large, stiff bags that double as eating vessels. One common variety of special backpacking food is
freeze-dried food, which can be quickly reconstituted by adding hot water. Another kind of special backpacking food is
UHT-packaged without dehydration, and can be reheated with a special, water-activated . This technology originated with the U.S. military's
Meal Ready-to-Eat ("MRE"), but is now produced also for the commercial market. The small chemical heater obviates the need for a
portable stove and fuel, but the meals and packaging weigh so much that, for more than a few meals, there is no weight advantage.
Winter backpacking
Although backpacking in the winter is rewarding, it can be dangerous and generally requires more gear. Backpackers may need
snowshoes to traverse deep snow, or
crampons to cross ice.
Cotton clothing, which absorbs moisture and chills the body, is particularly dangerous in cold weather, so backpackers stick to synthetic materials or materials that won't hold moisture. Special low-temperature sleeping bags and tents can be expensive, but will be more comfortable than many layers of warm clothing.
*
Survival skills are handy for peace of mind: In case the weather, terrain or environment is more challenging than prepared for, or for dealing with shortcomings in
*
Navigation and
orienteering are useful to find the
trailhead, then find and follow a route to a desired sequence of destinations, and then an exit. In case of disorientation, orienteering skills are important to determine where you are and formulate a route to somewhere more desirable. At their most basic, navigation skills allow you to choose the correct sequence of trails to follow.
*
First Aid: effectively dealing with minor injuries (
splinters, punctures, sprains) is considered by many a fundamental backcountry skill. More subtle, but maybe even more important, is recognizing and promptly treating
hypothermia,
heat stroke,
dehydration and
hypoxia, as these are rarely encountered in daily life.
*
Leave No Trace is the backpacker's version of the
golden rule: To have beautiful and pristine places to enjoy, help make them. At a minimum, don't make them worse.
*
Distress signaling is a skill of last resort.
*
List of long-distance trails*
Scouting*
Ten essentials: minimum gear to carry in case an emergency develops.
*
Hazards of outdoor activitiesRelated activities
*
Hiking may or may not use backpacks.
*
Canoe camping is similar to backpacking, but uses
canoes or other
boats for transportation.
*
Ski touring and
snowshoeing are alternative forms of
hiking (overnight or otherwise) that can be engaged in when the ground is buried deeply in
snow.
* In
animal packing ("horse packing", "mule packing", etc.), the hikers use
pack animals (usually
horses,
mules or
llamas) to carry their equipment, and sometimes they will even ride the animals.
Porters are sometimes hired for the same purpose.
*
Backpacking (travel) focuses on cultural attractions, rather than natural ones, though it may also include wilderness side trips.
*
Adventure tourism is travel in a region or environment that is, for one reason or another, highly unpredictable or hazardous.
*
Thru-hiking is traversing a
long-distance trail in a single, continuous journey by starting at one end of the trail with a backpack and hiking essentially unaided to the other end.
*
American Hiking Society Preserves and protects hiking trails and the hiking experience
*
BackpackGearTest.org Backpackers evaluate new gear in the field and report their findings
*
Backpacking Forums Useful information for backpackers.
*
Backpacking Podcast Podcast about backpacking and gear.
