How to Pack Your Pack Like a Pro
You’ve decided to take the leap and do a backpacking trip this season, now what?
Maybe you’re preparing for your first time romping around in the backcountry, or perhaps you’re a seasoned pro. Wherever the trail is taking you this season, we’ve compiled tried-and-true tricks that will help you prepare for your best backpacking adventure yet.
Seasoned backpackers know that it’s all about the art of micro-adjusting your setup. To balance long-standing practices inspired by your mentors and great trekkers before you, while maintaining flexibility and open-mindedness to welcome in newer (oftentimes lighter) or more efficient gear to enhance your backpacking experience. It’s an ever-evolving process, and even the most experienced trekkers find themselves fine-tuning their setup each season to keep their kit relevant, in step with Leave No Trace principles, and anchored in safety out in the wilderness.
Every year, we receive many questions from our backpacking trip participants about what gear they’ll need, and one of our favorite parts of working in health and wellness as it intersects with recreating responsibly outdoors is making sure folks are prepared and feel secure as they step into the backcountry with us. Whether that’s on an established annual favorite like our Summer Solstice Backpack, or creating a custom backpacking retreat, we’re here to help you plan for an unforgettable trip!
We touched in with our diverse and seasoned community of professional guides, Yosemite locals, and outdoor-loving staff members with a few of your frequently asked questions for some great tips, tricks, and recommendations for how to backpack like a pro this season!
Important Note: what we’ve offered below is by no means an exhaustive list on what to bring on a backpacking adventure. Your specific setup will vary greatly depending on what kind of backpacking trip you’re doing, the terrain, and the time of year/season. If you are signing up for a backpacking adventure with us, we have specific gear lists we send all registered participants, along with 1:1 support during pre-trip preparation.
The pre-work preparation of a backpacking trip is the most crucial stage: understanding the terrain, the weather expectations, what to do in case of an emergency, mapping your route...these are all pieces of the process that are important along with having the right gear.
What are your top tips you’d tell someone who is preparing for an upcoming backpacking trip?
“Get excited! Get ready! Get out there!”
“Bring a couple extra empty Ziplock bags for trash storage (especially for used baby wipes)!”
“If planning a 7-10 mile/day trip, do some training. Start walking everywhere, park in the furthest spot do your errands by foot, and get your feet and legs used to moving for long periods of time.”
“Go as light as possible…it really makes a difference!”
“If you have access to a dehydrator, make use of it to prepare culinary excellence for your trip. You can cook an entire meal (for example, this red lentil dal), then dehydrate it, place in a ziplock back, and rehydrate once you arrive at your backcountry camp. This is so easy, cheap, and much healthier than pre-packaged dehydrated meals which often have preservatives, and don't always taste so great. You can also plan meals with plenty of veggies...just buy a bag of organic frozen broccoli, then place the entire contents into the dehydrator. This works for many frozen vegetables and once at camp, you can simply add them to the dish you are cooking with a bit of extra water. Who says backpacking food has to be boring and color-less?!”
“Test your pack (with weight akin to what you’ll be carrying) and footwear BEFORE you go! I can’t tell you how many times people have told me their trip was overshadowed by an ill-fitting pack or shoes that gave them blisters. Test out these crucial pieces of equipment and invest in the right fit for your body. REI has sandbags you can weight a pack and walk around the store before you purchase, they also have professionals to help you fit it to your body and identify any hot spots. Do it now and thank me later!”
“Stop for snack, water, and rest breaks often, and before you hit a major wall out on the trail—don’t try to suffer through! Things can go pear-shaped way faster than you think if you try to push through hunger, thirst, or fatigue. Everything is amplified out in the elements carrying everything on your back (especially at altitude). Take care of yourself and tune into your needs!”
What are your must-haves for your backpacking kit?
“Headlamp, water, water sanitation tool, reflective blanket, first aid kit (check expiration dates and stickiness of bandaids!), extra underwear, baby wipes, toothbrush + travel sized toothpaste.”
“A soft and light piece of cloth that can function as a scarf, mosquito shield, towel, sarong etc. Choosing one that you really like the feel of is essential. Opting for colors that match your backcountry wardrobe, OR something bright and fun for the grey days. For folks with a lot of Vata, it is especially important to cover the throat, ears, and sometimes the nose and mouth when exploring exposed, windy, higher altitude locations.”
“A sun hoody and sun protection, sun hat, bandanas, strong sun screen (especially this time of year in Sierra!), polarized & UV rated sun glasses.”
“A SPOT device, moleskin to cushion against blisters, a filtered water bottle that I can dunk in a stream for water on-the-go, a mixture of dried goods snacks (like nuts, dried mango, etc) and freshies (like olives, cheese, an avocado, etc). It gets really old eating dried snacks every day on multi-day trips, so find some fresh options that won’t go foul in your bear can. Worth a little extra weight in my opinion!”
“A bandana, bug head net & bug shirt/sun shirt (long sleeved and collared), hat, sunglasses, athletic tape for blisters, clean socks, sandals, good whiskey, & miso soup!”
Is there any piece of gear that people *think* they need, but ultimately ends up being dead weight?
“A press or machine to make coffee with! Just bring instant coffee!”
“A backpacking ‘pillow’—unless this is your must-have comfort item, you can use an ultralight stuff sack with your clothes in it for a pillow.”
“Too many clothes! One set with layers is all you need. It’s time to get down in the dirt!”
“You don’t need make-up or anything extra out there! My go-to toiletries are: baby wipes for face and body cleaning, face moisturizer with SPF, sunscreen, bug spray, chapstick with SPF, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss…and that’s it!”
“Cumbersome toiletries! You don’t need full-size tubes of toothpaste or sunscreen. And, unless you really plan to use it, a book is something people think they’ll use but sometimes don’t on shorter trips!”
And last but not least, what’s one thing you bring on your backpacking adventures that you can’t live without?
“My water filter. Giardia is scary!”
“CROCS! They make the best camp shoes. Upon arrival you remove your heavy hiking boots and slip into an ultra comfy, featherweight pair of crocs. They weigh almost nothing, can be worn with socks on, and add to your hopefully goofy camping wardrobe.”
“If it is a big mosquito year (like this one is shaping up to be), a mosquito head net and long sleeves/pants to keep bugs off!”
“Baby wipes! Absolutely essential.”
“One or both hiking poles (save your knees!)!”
“A lightweight larger mosquito net in addition to your head net that you can drape between a couple of trees to make a safe haven to sit under, prep meals, eat, and hang out without having to be in your tent (no food in or near the tent!!). If it’s buggy, this will be a total life and sanity saver!”
“Hydration multiplier packs and/or CLIF shot bloks. These are GOLD if you’re backpacking in peak summer conditions to keep your electrolyte levels up as you sweat.”
“Yes it’s a little extra weight, but I bring my ultralight inflatable sleeping pad that I sleep on along with one of the cheap foam accordion ones for extra padding. I have a fussy back and hips and it makes a huge difference for sleeping. The foam pad can be strapped to the outside of your pack and used to sit on during snack breaks, or when making food at camp. I tried this on my last backpack and it has quickly become a must for my multi-day trips!”
As always, the Balanced Rock team is here to help you prepare for your next great outdoor adventure in Yosemite! Contact our team to ask questions as you prepare for an upcoming trip with us.