{"id":6009,"date":"2021-06-22T11:18:29","date_gmt":"2021-06-22T15:18:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/?p=6009"},"modified":"2021-12-31T14:21:11","modified_gmt":"2021-12-31T19:21:11","slug":"how-to-pack-for-backpacking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/how-to-pack-for-backpacking\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Pack for Backpacking: Best Tips for First-Time Backpackers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Shalee\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\tHow to Pack For a Backpacking Trip: Best Tips for First-Time Backpackers \n\t<\/h1>\n\t

June 22, 2021\u00a0<\/p>\n\t\n

My mom was a 5th-grade teacher and at the end of every school year, she’d bring her students on a weekend-long backpacking trip along the shores of Lake Michigan. Every year I begged to join and when I was 8, I finally convinced my parents I was ready to tag along.<\/p>\n

They pulled out their vintage metal-framed backpacks and gave me a small backpack to carry on my own. It was the size of a simple daypack, but I felt strong and excited for the trail. It’s humorous to relive the moment it all turned – the campsite was a mile down the beach, but the humid May weather made me sweat so much I thought I would never make it. I swore my backpack somehow filled with rocks and I regretted sneaking in extra fruit roll-ups for camp snacks. I think I promised myself twice on that trip that I would never backpack again.<\/p>\n

Yet, every year I went. And we went on many other camping trips as I got older. However, by the time I was grown I was still completely unaware of what backpacking truly entailed. Hiking a mile down trails and beaches in Michigan was one thing, heading out into the backcountry was another.<\/p>\n\n

Flash forward to age 23 when I truly learned what ‘backpacking’ meant by diving headfirst into a backpacking trip to Europe. And this wasn’t your typical hop from one hostel to another ‘backpacking’ trip. This was a ‘we camped 50 nights in a random assortment of places over the course of 90 days in 25 countries’<\/em> type of backpacking.<\/p>\n

We bought $40 backpacks on eBay. We had no lightweight or practical backpacking gear. I went three months sleeping without a pillow. At the time it was a grand adventure, today I’m not sure I would survive.<\/p>\n

Nowadays backpacking is somewhat of a necessity. We reside in Wyoming where, unlike other Rocky Mountains states such as Colorado, getting into some of the biggest mountains requires 20-50 miles hikes. I like to say if you don’t own a backpack in Wyoming, you’re missing half the state.<\/p>\n

Basically, what all of this wraps up to say is: My pain will be your gain. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in the world of backpacking so hopefully, you don’t have to.<\/p>\n

When it comes to packing for your first backpacking trip, here’s everything you need to know:<\/p>\n

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1. Leave most of the clothing behind<\/h3>\n

I’m here to tell you that no matter how many pairs of pants and shirts you pack, you will emerge from the backcountry smelly & gross. There’s no cute way to say that. So when you’re deciding what weight is worth adding to your bag, clothing is not it. I typically wear a pair of lightweight breathable hiking pants and a tank top. Besides that, all I pack in my backpack is<\/p>\n