The days are getting longer, daffodils and tulips are starting to bloom, and more birds are chirping outside my window. Spring is coming and I couldn’t be happier about it. For me, spring means that backpacking season is getting closer. As much as I enjoy day hiking, backpacking is my favorite outdoor activity by far. I love being able to go longer distances and really get into the backcountry. There is something so simple about living out of your backpack for a night or two (or more!) and disconnecting from the rest of the world.
Even though I’ve been day hiking for a couple years, I didn’t start backpacking until last summer. As with any activity, there was a bit of a learning curve. I learned a lot of great things and am using these lessons to make some changes to my gear and overall backpacking approach this year.
What I Learned:
1) Be Prepared for Wildlife Encounters
If you spend any amount of time hiking or backpacking, you are most likely going to see some wildlife, whether a tiny forest mouse, a deer, or maybe even a bear. While you should always respect any wildlife you come across, it’s especially important to know how to react if you encounter more dangerous animals such as bears or cougars.
Even though literally every Washington backpacking or hiking book I’ve read says that cougar encounters are rare and you should actually count yourself lucky if you see one, I am still terrified of them. So, I made sure I knew how to respond if I did see one.
Grey jays may be one of your most common wildlife encounters
Well, it paid off. In September, my boyfriend and I were starting a backpacking trip. We’d gotten stuck in traffic trying to leave the city, so we were starting to hike at dusk (which is when most cougars are just waking up). My boyfriend was about 15 feet ahead of me on trail, and all of a sudden he came around the corner and a massive cougar was standing in the middle of the trail. Apparently my boyfriend and the cougar stared at each other for a few seconds and then the cougar ran up the hill into the trees.
Because I wasn’t right behind my boyfriend and the cougar ran away so quickly, I didn’t actually get to see it. But, after the initial “oh shit” moment when my boyfriend exclaimed that there was a cougar, I immediately lifted my trekking poles into the air and raised my voice to make myself seem more intimidating. Of course, the cougar was long gone by that point, but I’m glad to know that I reacted the right way.
2) Be Flexible
I am a planner. Once I make a plan, I like to stick to it. This works well in some areas of my life, but not in others. It is a double edged sword when it comes to backpacking. On one hand, it’s always important to be prepared and ready for what you are about to do. But, the outdoors is incredibly unpredictable. You could have plans to hike a certain trail, but a week before, a wildfire starts and that area is closed to hikers. You could leave on a week-long trip, but on the second day, you might get hurt and have to turn around early.
One of the hardest things for me last season was when the backpacking trips I planned didn’t work out the way I’d hoped. After my boyfriend and I encountered the cougar, we decided to return to a nearby car campground to spend the night because we were both freaked out.
Lake at car campground we stayed at after the cougar encounter
The next day we had planned to continue our hike, but it rained all night and wasn’t showing any signs of stopping anytime soon. We didn’t want to be wet and miserable all day, so we actually ended up leaving and not finishing our trip. Obviously, I had hoped our trip would end differently, but it’s okay. It was an important lesson that there is so much out of our control in the outdoors and it’s best to remain flexible instead of being tied to a rigid plan. For me, this is easier said than done.
3) Buy Your Pack Last
Last May, I bought my backpacking pack and sleeping bag during REI’s spring sale. I did a little bit of research about pack size and decided to buy a 45L (liter) pack. Supposedly, this would be a good size for 1 to 3 night trips, which at the time, was all I planned on doing.
I slowly bought the rest of my gear over the summer in preparation for my first trip in August. When I went to pack for the trip, I discovered my bag was too small. The only way I could bring everything I needed was by putting my sleeping bag in a dry bag and strapping it to the back of my pack. This worked, but it was really bulky and pulled my center of gravity back. It also meant that I couldn’t really use the mesh pocket of the back of the pack, which is unfortunate since I love using this pocket for rain gear or other items I may need to access quickly.
My sleeping bag is in the red dry bag on the back of my pack
Had I bought all my gear first, I would have realized that I needed a bigger pack. In order to properly determine what capacity pack you need, I recommend putting all your gear into a cardboard box. Then, calculate the volume of the box and look for a pack with that capacity. You could also take some of your gear to the store with you while shopping for packs to see how it all fits in various packs.
Keep in mind that different manufacturers measure pack capacity differently. Some include the volume of the external pockets in the volume measurement and some do not. Even though I have a 45L pack, the main body is definitely not 45L. Unless I can take full advantage of the external pockets, I do not actually have 45L to use.
4) My Inflatable Sleeping Pad Did NOT Have A Leak
When I get to camp, the first thing I do is set up my tent, inflate my sleeping pad, and lay out my sleeping bag. Then I explore, make dinner, and hang out before returning to my tent to go to bed. Every night I noticed that my sleeping bad had deflated a little bit. This was frustrating because I couldn’t believe it had gotten a leak even though it was pretty much brand new. I usually just opened the valve to re-inflate it before going to bed. In the morning, I noticed that it had not deflated again, so I assumed it was fine.
Backpacking on the beach
This cycle repeated several times before I finally figured it out. I inflated my sleeping pad while it was warm and it was usually significantly cooler when I went to bed. As air cools, it contracts, causing my pad to deflate a little every night. This also explains why I didn’t see the same problem in the morning. The temperature hadn’t changed as much over night as it had the evening before, so any additional contracting wasn’t noticeable.
This seems like such a simple thing, but it would have saved me from worrying about my gear so much if I had realized it sooner!
What I'm Changing:
1) Being More Conscious About Pack Weight
I am going to try to cut weight from my backpacking set up where I can. Carrying less weight will allow me to travel faster and farther and will protect my joints in the long term. I want to bring everything I need, but nothing I don’t.
I made a spreadsheet with all my gear listed out and then weighed each item with a kitchen scale. This has been really eye-opening and has allowed me to see what items I can remove or replace with lighter items. For example, after weighing all my gear, I discovered the tent I was using was 5 lbs. That is pretty heavy for a backpacking tent, so I replaced it with a tent that is just under 2 lbs. This will have a significant impact on my overall pack weight and my comfort while hiking.
Backpacking in the Goat Rocks Wilderness
Weighing every piece of gear may seem a little obsessive to some, but it really helped me understand where to focus my attention. It has also stopped me from bringing things I don’t really need. I brought a book on my first few trips, but then I weighed it and it came out to over 10 oz! It may not seem like a lot, but as the saying goes “ounces make pounds and pounds make pain.” By downloading books onto my phone instead, I was about to reduce my pack weight by over half a pound! Now, when I want to add something to my pack, I weigh it and ask myself if it’s worth the additional weight.
2) Making My Own Meals
I love warm meals while backpacking. While there are plenty of food options that don’t require cooking, I just find warm food more satisfying at the end of a long day. Last summer, I mostly ate dehydrated meals from Mountain House or Backpacker Pantry since I just had to boil water, put it in the bag, and let it sit for a few minutes. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of variety in these meals and they are pretty expensive.
Sunset in Olympic National Park
This year, I am going to experiment with dehydrating my own meals. It sounds a little intimidating, but it will allow me to eat what I want and will be more cost effective in the long run. I am also going to focus on making sure I have enough calories per day for the kind of hiking I want to do. If I give my body what it needs, it will take me where I want to go.
For me, backpacking is an extremely rewarding hobby and I can’t wait for the season to start. I am excited to implement some new changes in my gear and food that will (hopefully) serve me well as my goals grow and evolve. I learned so much my first season and hope to learn even more this year!
A Note on Affordable Gear
It’s no secret that backpacking gear can be expensive. But, there are many ways to get affordable gear that is still good quality. While looking for clothing, check out your local thrift store. You can certainly find used athletic clothes and may even find a name brand item among the racks. If you’re local to Seattle, you could also check out Wonderland Gear Exchange. I got some of my base layers and my running shoes there! They also sell gently used gear like tents, sleeping bags, and packs. Definitely one of my favorite stores!
There are also places to specifically buy second hand outdoor gear online. I check online communities such as the Backpacking Flea Market Facebook group or the r/ULgeartrade or r/GearTrade forums on Reddit to see if anyone is selling something I want. I actually got my new pack on Facebook marketplace from a woman who hadn’t even taken it out of her house! Isella Outdoor is another online platform that allows people to buy and sell used outdoor gear.
Don’t feel like you need the newest or most expensive gear!
Sunset at Ancient Lakes
