One Night Wilderness: Portland. Douglas Lorain
to enjoy.
Before joining the club of lucky souls out there sleeping under the stars, however, it is important that you go in with both eyes open (while you hike, that is, not while you sleep). Many people who regularly take dayhikes assume that backpacking is just dayhiking plus spending the night. Wrong! The two activities have some very important differences. For example, people often blithely assume that since they regularly go on dayhikes of 10 miles or more, they can cover the same distance when carrying overnight gear. This is a fundamental error because backpacking is an activity in which gravity displays its most sinister qualities. Believe me, your hips, shoulders, feet, knees, and probably a few body parts you had not even thought about in years will feel every extra ounce. And at least in comparison to dayhiking, backpacking requires carrying quite a few extra ounces.
Perhaps more importantly, backpacking calls for a different mental attitude. It is usually unwise, for example, to travel alone, at least on your first few trips. This advice applies even to people who regularly take solo dayhikes. Most people assume that this recommendation is for safety reasons, but while there is some safety in numbers, the main reason not to go backpacking alone is mental. Human beings are social animals. Most people enjoy backpacking (or any activity) much more if they have along at least one compatible companion with whom they can share the day’s events and experiences. And having a hiking partner will make your journey more comfortable, because you can lighten your load by sharing the weight of community items such as a tent, a cook stove, and a water filter. If you haven’t got the sales skills to talk reluctant friends or skeptical family members into coming along, consider joining a hiking club, where you will find plenty of people with similar outdoor interests. (See Appendix C, for the names and addresses of some local organizations.)
Another thing that distinguishes backpacking from dayhiking is that backpackers need a different set of skills. They need to know how to hang their food to keep out bears and other critters. They need to know how to select an appropriate campsite—where breezes will keep the bugs away, where there aren’t dangerous or unstable snags overhead, where the runoff from overnight rains won’t create a lake beneath their tent, and a host of other variables. They need to know the optimal way to put things into their packs (where heavy items belong versus lighter ones) to carry a heavier load in the most comfortable way possible. Although the list of skills is long, they are all interesting, relatively easy to learn, and well worth the time and effort to acquire. (Turn to the recommended reading section in Appendix B, for a list of books that will help.)
Flowers near Goat Lake, Goat Rocks Wilderness (Trip 11)
Probably the most obvious difference between dayhiking and backpacking is the different equipment involved. Like dayhikers, all backpackers should carry the “10 Essentials” listed in the last section. But when you are spending the night, there are numerous other items you will need in order to remain safe and reasonably comfortable. A partial list of important items that every backpacker should carry but that dayhikers rarely need includes:
A sleeping bag (preferably filled with synthetic material, since down doesn’t work as well in our wet climate).
A tent (with a rain fly, mosquito netting, and a waterproof bottom). Oh, and don’t forget to run a test by putting the thing up in the backyard first, so you aren’t trying to puzzle out how it works as a rainstorm starts in the backcountry and you discover you are three stakes short of accomplishing the task. (Don’t ask me how I know this—just take my word for it.)
A water filter or other water purification system.
A lightweight sleeping pad for comfort and insulation against the cold ground.
50 feet of nylon cord to hang your food away from critters at night.
Personal hygiene items.
Insect repellent (especially in July and early August in the mountains).
A lightweight backpacker’s stove with fuel, cooking pots, and utensils if you want hot meals.
One final, important difference between dayhiking and backpacking, often overlooked, is that backpackers need to be much more careful to minimize their impact on the land. All hikers should do things like picking up litter, avoiding fragile vegetation, never cutting switchbacks, and leaving wildlife alone. For backpackers, however, there are some additional considerations. These are the some of the most important ones:
Since you’ll probably be doing a lot of wandering around near camp, it is crucially important that you put your tent in a place that is either compacted from years of previous use or can easily take the impact without being damaged. A campsite on sand, rocks, or in a densely wooded area is best. Never camp on fragile meadow vegetation or immediately beside a lake or stream. If you see a campsite “growing” in an inappropriate location, be proactive: place a few limbs or rocks over the area to discourage further use, scatter “horse apples,” and remove any fire-scarred rocks.
In a designated wilderness area, regulations generally require that you camp at least 100 feet from water. In places with long-established camps that are already heavily impacted, however, land managers usually prefer that you use the established site, even if it is technically too close to water, rather than trampling a new area.
Do not build campfires. Although fires were once a staple of camping and backpacking, today few areas can sustain the negative impact of fires. In many wilderness areas and national parks, fires are now officially prohibited, especially at higher elevations. For cooking, use a lightweight stove (they are more reliable, easier to use, and cleaner than fires). For warmth, try wearing a sweater or going for an evening stroll.
Finally, to have as little impact as possible, just throw water over yourself to remove the daily dirt and use biodegradable soap to clean your dishes well away from water sources. Backpackers should also leave at home any outdated attitudes about going out to “conquer” the wilderness.
Reintroducing Yourself to Backpacking
For many of you, it has probably been several years since you went on an overnight hike, so before hitting the trails, take the time for a quick refresher course. You may be surprised to discover how many things have changed. For example, although hiking still remains wonderfully free of restrictions, the wilderness is now increasingly regulated. Places that you previously visited on the spur of the moment may now require permits—to park at the trailhead, to spend the night, or even to hike the trail at all. On the positive side, equipment has changed radically in the last couple of decades, becoming much lighter and more efficient.
Step one for anyone contemplating a backpacking trip is to get into some kind of reasonable shape. Blisters while you hike and painfully sore muscles when you return are not badges of honor, they just hurt. Therefore, some simple, regular conditioning to get into reasonable aerobic shape, and strengthening key muscle groups (such as the calves, thighs, and shoulders) are crucial to having a good time.
Step two is to gather together all the gear you’ll need. You remember, it’s that pile of musty stuff in the basement that you haven’t looked at in years, but which you haven’t had the heart to give away since you always told yourself you’d be using it again. Pull it all out, clean things up, and check for and repair any damage, such as seams that have torn out, places where mice have chewed through the shoulder straps, and instances where the tent seams are no longer waterproof. Make sure things still fit properly (no offense, but that hip belt might need to be let out some). Finally, decide if you have everything you need and if what you have might be significantly improved. I am not suggesting that you spend a fortune on new gear. It is not necessary and, especially for the first few trips (until you decide you want to do this regularly), it is probably unwise. However, for a few items, especially the bulkiest and heaviest ones, you might consider upgrading.
With the extra load, backpacking usually requires better foot stability than dayhiking, so good boots are your first priority. For most trips, all you need are a sturdy pair of those new lightweight but still waterproof ones that are made partly of fabric and partly of leather. For