• Stretching
• Boot Preparation
• First Aid
• Mileage and Speed

Pain is the nemesis of all backpackers. It can ruin a trip or turn first-timers off to the joy of the activity. Be prepared, knowledgeable, sensitive, and sure of your own needs and limits before going out. Don’t forget to breathe, savor and have fun.

STRETCHING – Avoiding Backpacking Pain

Stretching: I have always been one to stretch and prepare myself for a workout, but in my early days of backpacking I disregarded the importance of stretching and headed out for long days with a heavy pack, only to realize my mistake at the end of the journey. Now, despite the time and the effort, I carve out a little time at the beginning and end of my day for a stretching routine.

I usually start from the bottom up, and spend about 15 minutes in the morning and the evening. Starting with the feet, sit on the ground with your shoes off and stretch the bottom of your feet by pulling the balls of your feet and your toes toward you. This stretches all the tendons on the bottom of your feet, helping to avoid small tears that result in extreme pain. With your legs stretched out in front of you, reach toward your toes until you feel a tug on your hamstrings. Hold this position for at least 10-20 seconds. Still on the ground, lie on a sleeping pad and pull your legs up and over your head, (your knees should be resting by your ears, so that you are in a ball).

To stretch your back, hold this position for 10-20 seconds, and then roll over on to your stomach. Push up with your arms, arching your back, while keeping your legs on the ground. Hold this position for another 10-20 seconds to stretch your lower back. After completing the stretches on the ground, stand up to stretch your calves. If you are near a tree or rock, lean against it with both arms. Stretch one leg back and press that heel into the ground to stretch your calf and Achilles tendon. I usually hold this stretch, on each leg, for at least 30 seconds.

While doing long uphill stretches, the calves usually get hammered more than any other part of your body. For the quads, reach back grab your foot, and pull it up toward your butt. Hold this for about 20 seconds.

Last, I usually spend a couple minutes rolling my neck and shoulders, and when in need, I throw down a couple Advil.

Some people have different stretching routines for morning and evening, but I usually do the same thing twice a day. I recommend trying out different stretches and going with what feels best for you. My last piece of advice in the stretching category, is to take a leisurely stroll around your campsite at the end of the day, (without a pack of course), and work out the kinks. Walking without your pack will feel like heaven!

BOOT PREPARATION – Avoiding Backpacking Pain

Boot Preparation: I can’t stress the importance of this category more. Taking care of your boots is invaluable on any extended trip.

First, do not go backpacking in cheap, cloth boots, (much less, anything that resembles a tennis shoe). You will be sorry if you don’t invest the money in a good pair of hiking boots. Some brands I recommend: Merrell, Vasque, Technica, Asolo and Raichle, to name a few.

The catch is, when you buy a high quality leather boot, you will be in more pain than you can imagine if you don’t spend the time breaking them in before you hit the trail.

I was on a trip in the Canyonlands with several people who had brand new boots right out of the box. In a matter of days, they all had blisters that were bad enough to delay our trip. I was so glad I was wearing boots that were long broken in.

As soon as you purchase your boots, wear them. Wear them around the house, to work, on walks, on day hikes and shopping. Wear them wherever you can. The boot needs time to crease in the appropriate places, as well as time to form to your foot. This breaking in process also give you a chance to see if you found the right size and fit and a chance to try out a variety of sock options.

You will be glad, while breaking them in, that you can take them off after a couple of hours, instead of having to hike all day.

The other important step to remember, before you hit the trail, is to waterproof the leather. Most places that sell boots will offer you a waterproofing option when you purchase your boots. There are many different waterproofing products that work, but make sure you get the right one for your boot. With many products, like Nikwax, you have to get the product for your boot material combination – usually either smooth leather, fabric and leather, or nubuck and suede. The directions are pretty straightforward, just make sure you apply several coats of the waterproofing product, letting them dry in between coats. If your boots have been used and you want to apply or reapply a waterproof coat to them, make sure you clean them first with a wet cloth, and then condition them with a leather conditioner. Good boots can be your best friend or your worst enemy, so choose wisely and love them like you love your feet.

First Aid – Avoiding Backpacking Pain

First Aid: Don’t leave home without some knowledge of wilderness first aid techniques and a first aid kit.

As soon as you are in a remote location, (at least an hour from professional medical care), you need to be prepared to handle any injury or physical discomfort on your own. I am not going to go in to all the first aid details that one should know before a trip but I will highlight some basics.

First, be prepared to prevent all foreseeable accidents or injuries, (i.e.. Proper nutrition, clothing, equipment, etc.) and for whatever you can’t prevent, have the necessary items on hand to deal with the situation. I highly recommend investing in a “pre-made” medical kit, something made by a wilderness medical expert, like Atwater Carey, MSR or Outdoor Research. After making this purchase, you can add to or subtract from your kit as needed.

I actually have two kits: One for short hikes, with Band Aids, Advil, sunscreen, moleskin, etc., and one for extended trips to help deal with a more serious medical emergency. I am all for saving weight on a trip, but a medical kit is something I don’t take lightly.

You can never plan enough for the unknown.

I also recommend purchasing and bringing a basic first aid book, (bigger medical kits often come with these), in case there is a situation you are unfamiliar with. Have some basic knowledge around lightning, flash floods, snow conditions, hypothermia, dehydration and navigation. The best advice, regarding first aid is BE PREPARED!

Mileage and Speed – Avoiding Backpacking Pain

Mileage and Speed: The best way to avoid backpacking pain is to pace yourself.

My hardest day on the trail is always the second. I find on my first day out that I am excited, motivated, inspired, and feeling good. My pack is the heaviest it will be and my body is the softest. Despite all this, I practically run the first ten miles, (hah, not really), but it sure feels like it the next day! I know for sure, though, that I go way too far and way too fast that first day.

The next day I usually wake up and want to go home. I have learned time and again that I have to pace, pace, pace.

So, I recommend deciding on your total mileage before you even leave for your trip, and then, instead of dividing your mileage by your number of days, I would plan for fewer miles the first couple of days, and then increase your mileage during the middle of your trip. More importantly, day to day, than mileage is speed.

It is so important to remember that faster is not better.

There are two reasons for this: First, if you are backpacking for aesthetic reasons, the views, the solitude, and the company, going too fast detracts from the enjoyable aspects of backpacking. I like to take lots of breaks to look around, listen to the silence and talk with my companion. I also like to go slow enough that I am not too breathless to have a conversation while I am hiking.

Second, speed is going to vary from one individual to the next, based on fitness level, size, and preference. Encourage your packing partner or group to be sensitive to everyone’s individual needs. Remember that if you can’t seem to catch your breath, you are going too fast. When you can’t catch your breath, your muscles aren’t getting enough oxygen and you will feel fatigue and soreness much sooner.

Try and compromise with your partner or group if your pace and speed needs are different, so that backpacking is enjoyable and doesn’t end in misery and frustration.

Related posts:

1. Snowshoeing: How Far? How Fast?

On extended trips it is very difficult to feel like you are maintaining a balanced and healthy diet, due to the limited time fruits and vegetables stay fresh, as well as the weight that these food sources add to an already heavy pack. The most important advice we want to share with our women readers has to do with dieting. We believe that it is most important to lead a balanced life. Most importantly, don’t try to start or maintain a diet while venturing in the backcountry.

It is extremely important to maintain an appropriate calorie intake while exerting a lot of energy – not only while hiking, skiing, etc., but also staying warm, and functioning away from the comforts we are accustomed to every day. It is extremely important that you are getting a lot of complex carbohydrates while doing a high level of activity. These complex carbs, found in gorp, granola, etc. should replace sugar snacks that will shoot your insulin high and then leave you lagging in a matter of hours. In addition to this nutrition necessity, we recommend bringing protein, found in tuna, beans, peanut butter, cheese and meat snack sticks.

If you have enough room in your pack, it is sometimes nice, on an extended trip to bring a little fresh food for the beginning of the trip – maybe a green pepper, an onion and a carrot. This adds a bit of weight, but is a treat after your first couple long days. Finally, carbohydrates like rice, pasta and crackers should be included as daily meal necessities.

When these foods, day after day, start to leave your taste buds wanting, check your pack for that one sweet snack reward that you brought for that very deserving moment!

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1. Hygiene and Femininity in the Backcountry
2. Women and Their Backpacks
3. Backcountry Gear Checklist

#1. When preparing your “wardrobe” for your trip, save weight!! You are going to end up dirty, stinky and ragged no matter what you do. Don’t bother bringing a fresh outfit for each day. I bring one daytime outfit and one evening outfit no matter how long I’m planning on being gone. I bring an extra t-shirt, so I have something dry to put on the following day, and I trade off wearing these two t-shirts. Depending on the type of climate I’m backpacking in, I might bring an extra pair of shorts, in case my one pair gets wet. Although this topic deserves an article of its own, bring clothes that are designed for backpacking. Avoid cotton and canvas, and try sticking to nylon, Polypropilene, and Capilene. These fabrics are lightweight and quick to dry. Cotton t-shirts, socks, underwear, etc. don’t wick as well, and take longer to dry. Although I pack light, I rarely skimp on socks or underwear. I will bring enough that I can change every day or every other day, again depending on the environment I’m traveling in. I found out the hard way that backpacking in wet, dirty, or stiff socks gives you blisters. All said and done, your clothes should take up less room in your pack than anything else.

#2. Packing your toiletries should take very little time or energy. I highly recommend that you leave all your makeup at home, and that you avoid wearing any before you head out on the trail. Besides the obvious reason of not wanting to sweat and smear mascara all over your face, you should realize the benefits of saving weight and time. I also recommend avoiding antiperspirant/deodorant. This might be a harder one to give up, but trust me when I say you will be much less annoyed by your own aroma than the collected clumps of old deodorant clinging to your pits. My friends and I have a backcountry hygiene, self-cleaning theory. Basically, the belief is that avoiding all the man-made products that change your appearance or natural odor allows the body to purify itself and do its job the natural way. I have found that taking extra products on the trail is more of an inconvenience than a luxury. If you find yourself wanting a moisturizer or lotion for your face or hands, I usually use sunscreen, morning and night. Finally, another topic worthy of its own article, is that of biodegradable soap. Do not bring a traditional soap that can effect or harm the environment. Use a biodegradable soap for all of your washing needs. I recommend Dr. Bronner’s or Camp Suds. My toiletries kit usually consists of a toothbrush, small tube of toothpaste, contact stuff, (unfortunately), biodegradable soap, and a small, quick drying camp towel. I replace a brush with a rubber band and a baseball cap. That’s it, that’s all and that’s the way you save time, energy, and weight! Now, the hygiene question on everyone’s lips: “How do I deal with my personal waste?” The simple answer to a difficult question is, “pack it out.” The finer details can be broken into three categories.

a. Peeing – Squatting in the woods is an art to master! I have perfected squatting and peeing with a fully loaded pack. This has saved me time and afforded me a certain kind of convenience that is only mastered with practice. The number one rule with peeing is stay away from water! You should find a spot at least 200 feet from running or standing water. I like to recommend the drip-dry method, mostly for the sake of the environment. The drip-dry method saves a lot of paper waste as well as time and energy. If you are on an extended trip and choose to drip dry, but have hygiene concerns, I highly recommend bringing sanitary wipes and cleaning yourself whenever you put on fresh underwear. Be conscious of packing these wipes out with you in a zip-locking bag.

b. Pooping – Although constipation is a common backpacking problem, you may have to poop while you are on the trail. When preparing to poop, find a spot at least 200 feet from water. With a small shovel, dig a hole 6 inches deep. Squat, poop and wipe. There are differing opinions on wiping. Some people insist on wiping with anything that is already there in the environment, for instance leaves, bark or dirt. You can run into some problems if you follow this advice, but it is an option. The other obvious choice is toilet paper. Again, there are two camps on toilet paper waste. In areas with rich soil, it is sometimes acceptable to bury a moderate amount of toilet paper in your six-inch hole. I recommend packing all toilet paper out with you. This way you are sure that you are doing the most low impact practice, regardless of your location or situation. If you are in a fragile, desert ecosystem, it is an acceptable practice to smear your poop on a rock instead of burying it in a hole. In this environment you should definitely pack out your paper. After pooping in a hole, cover the hole, making it look as much like you found it as possible.

c. Menstruating – Do not leave used feminine hygiene products in the backcountry. Even when buried, they are often dug up by wild animals, and are bad for the environment. Pack out all waste in double, zip-locked bags. Animals are very attracted to the scent and will be drawn to your pack or tent if they smell menstrual blood, hence the importance of double bagging. Another option that I haven’t had the opportunity to try, is a menstrual cap. A product called “The Keeper” allows you to leave all hygiene products at home. This being the most environmentally sound option, I recommend researching it before you head out on a trip. Keep sanitary wipes handy, and clean your hands thoroughly.

Taking care of yourself while on the trail may seem intimidating at first, but with knowledge and practice is refreshingly easy. You may be blessed with a sense of freedom rarely felt at home. Most importantly, be environmentally conscious in all of your decisions.

Brought to you by www.AlpineWoman.com

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1. Backcountry Gear Checklist
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If you want to go on your own, start with one of the easy routes in your area. Altitude, dry air and the unaccustomed weight of your feet can affect you. Until you have some mileage under your snowshoes, be conservative in estimating your energy and limitations. However, if you are an experienced summer hiker, you will probably know the impact of variations in terrain, weather and other factors. For instance, you already know that you cannot make the same time or keep the same pace in the mountains as you do in town. Four miles an hour is considered a good, solid walking pace on dry pavement. Two miles an hour on a trail up to a 1,000 foot elevation gain is a respectable hiking pace. Leadville, Colorado based snowshoe racer Tom Sobal believes that a fit snowshoer who is used to his or her equipment will go 25 percent slower than on bare ground “under the best conditions,” which is to say snow that is hard packed and fast. Add the element of soft snow, which is kind to your joints but cuts your speed, and your pace will be slower. In addition, breaking trail is slower and requires for more energy that snowshoeing on a packed route.

The upshot to all these variables is: Don’t be disappointed if you are only hiking 1.5 to 2 miles an hour on snowshoes and, more important, plan your itinerary accordingly. Unless you are a runner, a 6 or 7 mile tour could easily take the better part of a day.

When you are ready for your first snowshoe outing, plan to go with at least one other person or in a group. Remember that a group’s pace is only as fast as its slowest member. Underestimating your snowshoeing pace is wiser that overestimating it until you’ve been out a few times and know how accurate your estimates are.

Snowshoeing is an individual yet a very sociable activity, not just for companionship, but also for safety. Again, a guided hike is not a bad idea for your snowshoeing inaugural, especially if you are going alone. Later, as you become more experienced, be sure to tell someone reliable of your plans if you do hike alone, and check in with him or her upon your safe return.

Brought to you by www.eSnowshoes.com

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1. Snowshoeing Technique Basics
2. Snowshoeing Equipment Basics
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But take heed, avid campers and backpackers, there is a very logical way to wade through the huge selection and pick out the perfect tent for your needs.

Let’s talk Tent Size

The first, easiest way to narrow down your selection is to determine the size of tent you will need. Tents are designed to accommodate a certain number of people. So, a solo backpacker, and a family camper will be looking for two very different tents.

Most tents come labeled with their capacity in the description. Other tents have a number next to the name, indicating the number of people the tent is designed to hold.

If you are not interested in having more than one tent in your outdoor gear collection, it is best to determine the maximum number of people you think will ever sleep in your tent at one time. If you are doing a solo trip this summer, but usually hit the trail with one other person, it is best to select a two-person tent.

So… Where are you headed in this tent?

The next step is determining when and where you will be using your tent. Are you spending a couple weeks on a volcano in Mexico, a month on the Pacific Crest Trail, or an evening in Rocky Mountain National Park? Tents fit into different “season” categories, which are usually labeled “Three Season,” Four Season,” “Convertible,” and “Lightweight.” For the most part, these are generic terms that may change from one manufacturer to the next. The terms generally encompass similar features, regardless of the manufacturer.

A Three Season tent is designed to function during every season but winter. Not to say that you couldn’t use this tent during the winter, but for all intensive purposes, the tent would not be ideal during a winter storm.

A Four Season tent, on the other hand is designed to function during the harshest winter conditions. If you end up stuck on a high peak, during a three-day blizzard, for example, this tent will keep you dry, warm and comfortable. The downside to this tent, however, becomes apparent in the summer months, when you are carrying a heavy tent, lacking the ventilation of a Three Season tent.

Convertible tents, designed to bridge the gap, include the weather blocking features of a Four Season tent, but come equipped with removable ventilation panels for the warmer months.

Lastly, the Lightweight tent category features tents that often have the most technical fabrics and newest designs which allow the tent to be functional and roomy, but most importantly, lightweight.

Comfort vs. Comfort – The Tent Weight Debate

What’s more important? Comfort on the Trail? or Comfort in Camp? After you have decided when and where you will use your tent, you can further narrow your selection, by considering weight. An important aspect to many tent shoppers, tent weight will be listed in the primary description.

Weight is oftentimes, (but not always), closely related to size. Generally, the larger the tent, the heavier the overall weight.

An important detail to note, while looking at tent weight, is the three weights that most manufacturers list in the tent description. This detail is most important for individuals who plan to carry their tent.

“Maximum weight” indicates the weight of the tent when you take it right off the shelf. This includes the weight of the tent, fly, poles, bag that it comes in, instruction manual, stakes, and anything else that comes with the tent.

“Packed weight” indicates the weight of the tent when it is packed for a trip. This may vary from one manufacturer to the next, but usually includes the tent, poles, fly, bag and stakes.

The “minimum weight” again varies from one manufacturer to the next, but usually includes only the tent, poles and fly. For backpackers concerned with weight, the minimum weight of a tent is an important comparison factor while shopping.

So what’s this tent made out of?

Tent materials are another important consideration while tent shopping. You can easily become bogged down by the technical details, but there are some basic components that will indicate the inherent value of the tent you are considering.

Unique, technical, and innovative fabrics and materials are found in the poles, fly, floor, tent body, windows and zippers. Different manufacturers pride themselves on the materials they choose for each aspect of the tent.

Some materials are better than others, but for the most part these technical aspects will be more or less necessary depending on your intended use and specific environment.

What do you need functionality wise in your new tent?

Looking for a tent that is easy to set up and take down? Interested in a tent with multiple entrances? How about an extra large vestibule? These are all important considerations when you are narrowing down your tent selection.

Design features furnish a tent with its individual flare. While many add on accessories are available, the unique, built in features make a tent more or less perfect for an individual with specific needs.

Some features to keep in mind while shopping are the number of poles, number of doors, size and shape of vestibule, size and shape of tent floor, and staking options, to name a few.

Oh yeah… the good tents cost money!

Finally, most of us usually shop with a budget in mind. If shopping for all of your outdoor needs at one time, it will important to determine where on your priority list your tent ranks. A tent is worthy of a large portion of your budget, since this item will last, if taken care of, for many seasons.

All of the features mentioned earlier will be reflected in the total price of the tent, so the number one rule of thumb, is of course, “you get what you pay for.” A tent, high in quality materials, and features that fit your individual needs, will surely keep you a dry, comfortable, happy camper.

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