As with anything one does for the first time, the learning curve was steep as a beginner backpacker!

Even though I had been looking forward to this trip since March, I really didn’t do much planning in the seven months until it came to fruition. I looked into packing lists, keeping my bag weight down, basics on food. I even read enough comments about the trailhead to know catalytic converters have been stolen in the area, and I had a plan in case that happened.

However, I did not figure out some of the more important details…

Here are some of the greatest lessons I learned as a beginner backpacker.

Watch your bag weight!

A loaded pack shouldn’t weigh more than 20% of your body weight. (For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, your bag should be 30 pounds or less.) If you can keep it lighter, do it!

This is especially key for those of us with bad knees. I’m already on the overweight end of the spectrum, and my bag was right at the limit for my body weight. That said, my creaky knees were grumpy…

Don’t cut back on essentials like food, water, and warm clothing to an extent that your safety is compromised. But do take it into account regarding sleeping bag and tent weight, as well as your extras.

This is the face I wore after a steep incline and a whole lot of huffing and puffing!

Elevation matters

I vaguely looked at the elevation changes in my Hiking Project app and on All Trails, but I didn’t pay attention to how steep the hills were or the exact changes. “Looks doable,” I thought, and that was all.

You can follow the graphs in those apps and websites to not only note the elevation change, but also the grade of the incline or decline. It wasn’t so much the distance that wore me out as much as the elevation changes!

Trekking poles DO make a difference

Being a beginner backpacker, I had never used them and wasn’t sure how helpful they would be. They seemed like a tool that would just make my arms sore rather than helping my legs. But the gal at REI recommended them for this park, so I bought a pair.

And they saved my butt!!

With the steep hills and wet leaves, the poles gave me a way to test the solidity of where I wanted to step. Similarly, they gave me reassurance if I should slip that I had support to keep me in place. Last but not least, they gave me a way to help pull myself up steps… Especially handy given my bad knees and the heavy bag that I mentioned…

Backpacking selfie! This was my setup, bag, trekking poles, and all.

MREs aren’t necessarily lighter

I thought I’d save weight by not bringing a camp stove, so I had mostly MREs (specifically OMEALS). I thought as I ate them, I’d lose weight in my pack. Plus, as a beginner backpacker, I figured the self-heating pack would make things logistically easier. But the heating unit absorbs water, so it doesn’t actually save weight or lose weight once it’s used. This was a huge bummer because I was really looking forward to losing a good 5 pounds in my bag as I used my food…

Plus, they come with a spork, salt and pepper, and a napkin, so that’s extra space, too. The packaging depicts that, but I hadn’t realized it till I was already in the field.

Not all sleeping bags are created equal

My sleeping bag is rated down to 40 degrees for women. But some sleeping bags are rated with the temperature at which you’re comfortable, while others are rated with the bare minimum temperature for which you can use it.

Mine was not warm enough. And I sleep cold. So even though the temperatures stayed above 40 degrees at night, I was still bundled up and cold most the night. This affected my sleep, which then put a damper on my mood the next morning.

So next time I should probably plan on using a sleeping bag rated for 20 degrees colder than I’ll experience while camping. Yes, it’s more bulk and likely more weight, but it’s also comfort and safety.

There’s no point carrying a bunch of extra clothes

Yes, I stunk. I was sweaty from all the hiking, and somehow my sweat smelled like my MREs. (Yummy.)

But I wasn’t with anyone, so I was the only one to have to deal with it. Plus, my bag was heavy enough with what I had. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t skimp on clothes! I actually didn’t wear two pairs of leggings I took because I liked the longer length of the ones I had on. (Fortunately, the other two were thin and light.) And I didn’t wear my fleece, though I used it as a makeshift pillow.

So please please please don’t risk your health and safety with clothes to make your bag lighter! But don’t feel like you need a new outfit each day, either. I did have a new pair of socks for each day, though. My first backpacking trip was only a couple days, and my feet were doing most of the work, so I opted for clean socks each day.

Give consideration to what you’ll do once the sun goes down

My plan had simply been to read or journal at night. I had a small camp chair and a headlamp, and I figured this would be sufficient.

Problem was, I was cold once the sun went down. I had a thin sleeping bag liner I could sit in, but it was disappointingly less effective than I had hoped.

So instead, I wanted to sit in my tent where my heat could stay in one place. But I couldn’t have my camp chair inside, and I wasn’t as comfortable sitting on my sleeping pad for a couple hours like I thought I would be… Not to mention that, even with the chilly temps, bugs were still trying to get into my tent, drawn by the light of my headlamp.

I had also neglected to look into the rules about campfires at this park. There was something I had seen about starting fires that gave me the impression we couldn’t have one, but then I saw fire pits at the campsites. Another group camping there informed me that fires could be started, but you couldn’t cut down a tree for your fire. They graciously gave me a fire starter and lighter for my next night at camp.

Next trip I know to put a little more consideration and planning into whether I can have a fire, what evening entertainment I want, and how the bug situation will be with my choice of lighting.

Fixing dinner and taking a load off in my camp chair on my second night camping.

Don’t forget to enjoy where you are

If you take nothing else away from this article, remember this one!

You came to the trails to escape the daily grind for a while and be in nature, right? Don’t lose sight of that purpose.

There were a few times my feet were aching, my knees were grumpy, and I was starting to wonder if I should have done something different for my beginner backpacker trip. Ya know, like, train for it. But that negativity and doubt would begin to overshadow how amazing it was that I was even out backpacking! In those moments I had to remind myself how far I’d already come, reassure myself that I was stronger than I gave myself credit for, and enjoy my surroundings.

Bathe in the beauty of the forest. Smell the air, the autumn leaves, the flowers. Listen to the bird calls. Look around and appreciate your surroundings. That’s why you came!

Have you gone backpacking yet? What else would you add to the list?

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