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State of the Art
The current state of the art is such that a person can live in relative comfort without being burdened by an excessive amount of weight. There is a big market for backpacking gear, suiting a wide variety of needs. With so many choices and so little space, it may be difficult to hone down the right gear. In order to tune out all the noise of the market, it’s important to consider the necessities and how best to meet them.
Water
When backpacking, there are a few concerns regarding water: daily consumption, filtration requirements, and the estimated distance between drinkable water sources.
For a backpacker, a majority of water is used for personal consumption. Consumption should be generous but not excessive. Drinking water should not have biological and chemical contaminates. If there are no contamination concerns and there is a healthy flow of water, then water is generally safe to drink without filtration.
Concerns over possible contaminates require an understanding of upstream conditions. Human activity plays a major roll in water pollution. Major contaminants include industrial runoff, sewage, agricultural contaminants (fertilizer, pesticides, and livestock waste), spilled petroleum products, detergent, and mining waste. Any large population located upstream is a major risk factor that even filtration may not mitigate.
The natural presence of bacteria from surface runoff is also a concern. Decaying organic matter provides the ideal growth medium for potentially harmful bacteria and viruses. In this sense, filtration and purification may play a significant role in safe consumption.
Generally, the potential of natural and man-made contaminants diminishes as elevation increases. Higher elevations tend to be in pristine condition and water flow tends to be more vigorous than in valleys. In contrast, water at a lower elevation tends to stagnate and has a greater chance of having been in contact with a variety of contaminants.
In cases where chemical pollutants are not a concern, MSR makes a variety of water treatment solutions, from the lightweight Miox filter, to the mechanically simple, expedition quality Miniworks filter. There are also designs on the web for DIY filters revolving around ceramic and carbon filtration.
When safe water is procured, it must be stored in sufficient quantity. Water storage containers come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials. Perhaps the most weight and space conscious is the collapsible hydration bladder. MSR makes an excellent series of hydration bladders under the name of Dromedary and Hydromedary. Platypus creates both handheld and hands free collapsible bladders. It may be prudent to carry at least one Nalgene bottle, constructed of durable Lexan plastic, capable of holding boiling water and acidic items, with the added benefit of marking ounces and milliliters.
Hands free hydration makes drinking an easier, economic affair. Because water is accessible via a hose attached to a pack strap, taking sips is easy. To use a hands free hydration bladder, one will need a hydration pack. Golite makes a lightweight, functional pack, 24. This pack is well suited for holding 3 liter hydration bladders, as well as a small quantity of food and equipment.
Water containers come in a variety of sizes. The right size depends on the anticipated time between water sources, as well as the nature of use. Though conventional wisdom states that a person on average consumes a gallon of water a day, it may be helpful to travel a day in extreme conditions, monitoring water consumption. Measurements should be made not only for drinking and cooking, but also for dishwashing and personal hygiene. Methods to minimize water use for cleaning mean less water needs to be carried.
Anticipated time between water sources may be difficult to establish. Regional knowledge and contamination awareness are essential skills. It is better to overstock water supplies, though it is important to recognize that a healthy, cautiously active person can survive at least a couple of days without water in extreme heat.
An important note concerning fluids: sports drinks with electrolytic fluids and carbohydrates should be consumed in anticipation of high-energy demands, as well as during and after exertion to replace depleted reserves. Failure to replace electrolytes lost through sweating and carbohydrates may result in a sudden loss of energy.
Food
Flavorful, fresh food is part of the enjoyment of life. Colorful, rich meals should take precedent over mileage or landmarks. While traveling, many people make the mistake of eating an unbalanced diet due to convenience, inexperience, or convention. This ultimately leads to poor health and low energy levels, which in turn affects just about every aspect of the backpacking experience.
Proper nutrition is especially important to those who are on the move. Carrying a heavy backpack throughout the day can place high-energy demands on the body. Constant stress on joints and exposure to the elements places additional demands on cellular repair and the immune system.
In order to maintain a high level of energy, daily consumption should reflect a simple proportion: 60-25-15. Sixty percent of food consumed should be carbohydrates, twenty-five percent should be fats, and fifteen percent should be proteins.
In his book, Serious Cycling, Edmund Burke, PhD, states that this proportion is generally followed by Tour de France cyclists who burn anywhere from 3000 to 7000 calories a day. The Tour de France is a multi-stage race that extends 1800 to 2500 miles. Participants make miniscule alterations in every aspect of their training just to shave seconds off their time trials.
Carbohydrates are required in such abundance because they are used most efficiently in muscles. They can be released within exercising muscles up to three times faster than energy from fat. Carbohydrates are stored within muscles and the liver in the form of glycogen—a highly branched chain of glucose. These stores are relatively limited. When depleted, energy levels rapidly diminish. Endurance athletes are constantly looking to sustain these reserves, with an emphasis on easy to digest carbohydrates during and immediately after exertion.
All fats are calorie dense. They provide long-term sources of energy. They also play a vital role in metabolizing important vitamins, as well as promoting healthy cellular function. Twenty to twenty-five percent of daily intake is recommended. Sources of fat should be balanced between saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated.
Proteins are required for many metabolic activities; they are used to build and repair cellular structures as well. Endurance athletes have higher protein demands than sedentary individuals. Even still, ten to twenty percent of daily intake is adequate. Sources of protein should be balanced between grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and animal sources to ensure that all essential amino acids are consumed.
Vitamins and minerals are especially important to active people. As aerobic activity increases, levels of free radicals in the body increase as well. Fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains should be consumed when attempting to meet dietary requirements. Variety is essential. Vitamin and mineral supplements may be considered as a dietary insurance policy.
Dehydrated foods are lightweight, easy to prepare, and can be very delicious. A weight and space conscious backpacker cannot ignore their utility. They should be consumed in moderation as a complement to fresh foods. Long-term consumption of exclusively dehydrated foods may be considered as a possibility, though cautious observation should be practiced.
In essence, as Bruce Lee advocated: “A little bit of everything and not to much of anything.”
The Portable Kitchen
Food preparation can be as simple as grabbing cold, ready to eat food. In that case, all one will need is a place to store the food. Apples, carrots, wheat germ, cream cheese, hummus, beef jerky—all these things and more can be used to obtain a balanced diet.
More complicated food preparation involves the use of boiling, frying, roasting, or otherwise heating ingredients. This can be as simple as boiling water and pouring it in a dehydrated food bag, or it can be as complicated as dicing vegetables, marinating meats, spicing food, and slow cooking. Hot food can warm the body, release nutrients, eliminate bacteria, or denature volatile ingredients. Some people are very unwilling to go without hot food for good reason.
At the least, something like the Jetboil Personal Cooking System may be used to heat beverages, make soups and other foods with high water content, or to boil water for dehydrated foods or dry food mixtures. This cooking system is lightweight, energy efficient, stowable, auto igniting, and the fuel canisters are inexpensive and long lasting. Hot water is great for dissolving skin and hair oils; boiling water is great for eliminating viral contamination in water.
Jetboil’s Group Cooking System is great for frying or cooking food with lower moisture content. A pot stabilizer is available to adapt the stove for use with a variety of pots and pans. For cooking at high elevations, MSR makes specialized camp stoves.
Whatever the food or cookware, a bear canister is highly recommended, and in many places, compulsory. Bears are intelligent creatures. Many have adapted to harvest bear bags from trees and lines. They will spend hours working away at them and nothing short of physical confrontation will stop them. People who are prepared to fight and/or kill a bear or lose their food should continue to hang their bear bags.
Bear bins are excellent for keeping the little critters out too. Animals will dig at anything that has the scent of food. They will dig holes in backpacks used as pillows during the night if they smell goodies, right next to a sleeping head (Yosemite—Racoons. Didn’t sleep much that night…)
Shelter
Whatever the shelter, it should protect from extremes in temperature, insects, and inclement weather. A tarp is a very simple, lightweight shelter that will serve most of these requirements without a major investment in weight. Adding a bug net and a ground cloth will complete the requirements of a shelter in a wide range of environments. Golite makes an excellent ultralight product line. The Lair 1 Shelter and Lair 1 Nest make an excellent one-person shelter. They also sell a lightweight ground cloth that can be used as a vestibule for the Lair 1 Shelter in bad weather. The ground cloth is nice to lay gear out on to keep from losing things or getting them dirty.
Hiking poles make great tarp poles too. Leki’s Makalu series of hiking poles are rugged, ergonomic, and relatively lightweight. They are nice to have when no trees are around to pitch a tarp.
A good sleeping bag is an important piece of gear. When purchasing a bag, one must recognize that temperature ratings are general; some people sleep colder than others do. It’s best to err on the side of caution, purchase a bag that’s rated a little colder than lowest expected temperature. Down is probably the best material if treated properly, its highly compressible and very light. That said, it’s performance is dramatically reduced when wet, whereas a synthetic bag keeps around half of it’s previous insulative value. Neither take well to maximum compression over long periods. A well treated down bag can last anywhere from ten to twenty years. A poorly treated down bag can lose its insulative value within five years. Synthetics generally last about half as long as down. Liners increase the longevity of any sleeping bag.
A sleeping pad not only makes the ground comfortable, it protects the user from significant heat loss. In cold weather, the ground will easily suck away body heat. Sleeping bag insulation will simply crush under the weight of the body, negating its effectiveness. Therm-a-Rest makes two great sleeping pads—Prolite 4 and Prolite 3. Both are lightweight, compressible, and comfortable.
Clothing
The ideal wardrobe will protect against all anticipated conditions. This will require a little research into the range of conditions likely to be encountered on a journey. Once this is established, the appropriate garments can be visualized and procured.
Layering is a common method of adapting to weather extremes. In colder weather, silk makes an excellent base layer. It’s very warm for its light weight, it feels wonderful against the skin, and it compresses to almost nothing. It is, however, more prone to odor absorption than other natural fibers. In a pure silk weave, it is prone to tearing. Hand washing and line drying is recommended, machine wasing and drying in a mesh bag works adequately to prevent tearing.
Merino wool is perfect for jerseys and underwear. Because of the fineness of the fiber, it doesn’t itch. It manages moisture better than any other type of fabric. It has natural odor management properties. It is quite comfortable in a wide range both hot and cold weather. Smartwool makes a long sleeve lightweight zip-t and microweight boxers, very simple, very functional. They have a wide selection of garments that can fit different niches. Their fabrics are machine washable and dryable.
Synthetics are poor base layers simply because they promote the growth of bacteria and they hold odor even after washing. Cotton is poor in cold weather because it holds water tenaciously and takes a long time to dry.
In extreme cold, vapor barriers work very well to keep the body insulated from the effects of it’s own perspiration. Anything worn against the skin that seals in water does the job. Latex gloves worn beneath gloves or plastic socks help prevent against the potential of frostbite.
A nice, thick wool sweater makes a great layer of insulation. Wool, especially in thicker weaves, is very resistant to abrasion and can withstand the constant compression of pack straps. It naturally repels water; in a drizzle or mild shower, it can be worn on its own without concerns of saturation. Even when saturated, it provides a considerable amount of insulation. It can be tied around the waist to leave room in the backpack and quickly donned when stopping or reaching higher elevations. Though it doesn’t need to be cleaned often, it generally requires hand washing and it takes quite some time to dry, especially if it’s dried flat. Sierra Trading Post always has great deals on wool sweaters.
Synthetic fleece has great insulation value for considerably less weight. It can be machine washed and dried. Standard Polartec fleece is not so good at resisting wind. Soft shell jackets are better at blocking wind and mild rain; they are also more resistant to abrasion than standard fleece. Beware of stray embers, synthetics melt easily. REI and Marmot make great soft shell jackets.
Fleece pants are essential in colder climates. A lot of heat can be lost through the legs. Standard Polartec fleece pants work quite fine, they can be layered with rain pants in high winds or where abrasion may be a concern. A good pair of gaiters will serve to protect against wind as well.
Down vests cover the most vital parts of the body with lightweight, compressible insulation. They make great lounging layers when body heat diminishes and they serve well as part of a whole when things get very cold. As mentioned earlier, when down is wet, it loses nearly all of its insulative value.
Rain jackets and rain pants are needed just about anywhere. Marmot makes some of the finest rain jackets in the market. REI makes a variety of good rain pants. Waterproof-breathable laminates are fine but they won’t stop sweat soaking during heavy exertion.
A baseball cap keeps out the sun—quite important for the eyes. A fleece or wool hat insulates the part of the body that loses the most heat. A scarf keeps the neck insulated and can protect the body core.
A Buff is a microfiber tube that can be configured in many ways to protect the head. Among other things, it can be converted into a balaclava to cover the neck, the back of the head, and the cheek area.
Fingerless bike gloves actually have utility for the backpacker. A simple lightweight pair can be worn in warm weather to protect the hands from impact, abrasion, and sun exposure. These gloves typically have terrycloth thumbs to wipe the face. They can be washed and dried very quickly.
A good pair of lightweight work gloves are perfect for setting up camp. Clearing a good spot, gathering firewood, and keeping a fire going can be messy. Broken glass and other sharp objects have a tendency to migrate just about everywhere; gloves offer protection against accidental encounters.
Pearl Izumi makes a very interesting pair of gloves for cold weather use. The Lobster Gloves have two fingers and one thumb. This allows more mobility than mittens but insulates better than standard gloves.
Footwear largely determines the quality of a trip. The fit should be snug, allowing wiggle at the toes while holding the foot securely to the sole and minimizing rubbing at the heel. Excessive shifting can lead to sores and ankle injury. Some people prefer the use of sneakers, as they are lightweight and fast drying. A good pair of boots may weigh more, but they offer a greater degree of protection. For people with weight on their back, this is very important to consider. Merrell has an excellent line of gender and activity-specific footwear.
Smartwool socks may well be the best in the market. The balance of merino wool, nylon, and spandex is such that the socks manage moisture very well, control odors, are very durable, and are easy to care for.
Gaiters are indispensable in muddy conditions. They protect the legs and clothing from mud and abrasion. In essence, they help keep things clean below the knees. They can simply be removed and stowed away when visiting stores and inns to minimize the dirty backpacker appearance.
Backpack
A backpack reflects the hiking philosophy of the backpacker. Models range from ultralight frameless packs to large capacity external and internal frame backpacks. When purchasing a backpack, one must consider where along this spectrum to settle.
Fitting a backpack may be difficult at first. Sales associates may not be helpful or may even dispense bad advice. It’s best to understand a few things before trying things out.
As a rule of thumb, expect 3000 cubic inch capacity to be the lower end of the overnight backpack range. A 5000 cubic inch capacity backpack can be used up to a week. Beyond 5000 cubic inches, the pack is suited for a week or longer or winter backpacking. This is a very general snapshot. To visualize these volumes, take a common rectangular object like a tissue box, multiply the length, width and height in inches to get the volume of the object. Then divide the cubic inch capacity of the backpack by the volume of the measured object. This number will be roughly how many of these objects fit in the backpack.
Volume is only one part of the picture; weight capacity is also an issue. A backpack will sometimes list its recommended weight limit; this is a general estimate. Ultralight frame sheets generally can handle no more than 20-30 lbs without discomfort. More substantial internal frames vary by design and capacity. External frames handle heavy loads very well.
Any given backpack will be made in different frame sizes. Frame size doesn’t necessarily correlate with a person’s height. It’s important to accurately measure torso length before fitting a backpack. The torso length starts at the base of the spine at the same level as the two bony protrusions on the front of the hips, it follows the curvature of the spine to the bony protrusion at the base of the neck. The instrument used to measure the distance between these points needs to be flexible to follow the curves of the back. This measurement will lie within one of the pack frame sizes.
Each adjustable strap effects weight distribution in different ways. Whatever the configuration, the pack should allow weight to be distributed between shoulders and hip with a simple adjustment of the shoulder straps and load lifters. The weight of the backpack should hug the hips, placing weight on the legs. The hip belt should be at belly button level, though some may prefer a lower position. The shoulder straps should rest snugly on the shoulders, not pinching the neck. They should be able to transfer a good portion of weight to the hips. The sternum straps help to keep the pack from slipping to the edge of the shoulders; this strap should run just below the clavicle. When the comfortable adjustment is found, all straps should have room to tighten and loosen.
When it comes to internal frame backpacks, a quality brand may be a good place to start, though fit is the ultimate deciding factor. Granite Gear makes an excellent line of internal frame backpacks to meet a wide range of weight and capacity requirements. They accomplish these requirements in as simple a manner as possible without sacrificing quality. Some may find, however, that their load lifter straps are too low on their packs.
Kelty makes some very fine external frame backpacks. Though fading in popularity, external frame backpacks have their niche. They have better load distribution and superior ventilation at a lower price. They have a far greater range of adjustability than internal frames. They are, however, wider and stiffer, making them less maneuverable in tricky terrain. External frames are perfect for wider trails or terrain that doesn’t require a lot of bending and twisting of the back.
Don’t forget a pack cover if you want to keep your gear dry.
Navigation
When traveling in the wilderness, a detailed contour map is indispensable. It puts distances in perspective, it gives names to geographic features, and it shows where to go in the event of an emergency. Basic navigation skills may be critical in some regions.
A GPS, such as the Garmin GPSMap 60CSx, is great for getting an accurate fix on position. Loaded with the proper maps, it can assist navigation in the wilderness. It’s generally not a good idea to use a GPS as a primary means of navigation. In an urban setting, a GPS has greater utility. Garmin’s City Navigator software has impressive details of roadways and points of interest.
First Aid/Safety
A first aid kit should cover basic emergencies, though it won’t substitute for good knowledge and common sense. Some injuries and ailments to consider when constructing a kit: abrasions, burns, rashes, stings, splinters, cuts, lacerations, ankle sprains, broken bones, stomach ache, diarrhea, headaches, and allergic reactions.
It’s best to envision each possible condition, to understand the fundamental treatment strategy, and to imagine what supplies it would take to effectively treat the condition until reaching civilization. Once a list of supplies is constructed, it can be abbreviated by eliminating redundant items and finding items that serve dual uses.
A person should enter the wilderness equipped enough to effectively exit in the event of an emergency. Sometimes, due to extreme conditions or negligence, rescue may be a necessity.
A cell phone may not have reception, emergency locator beacons are better for communicating electronically. A signal fire is a more primitive approach. Traditional signaling devices: flares, flare guns, signal mirrors, and whistles are all good things to bring. Each item has its limitations. Flares are bad to use in dry, fire-prone areas; mirrors are nearly useless in dense canopy; whistles are limited to a small radius.
For detailed first aid and survival strategies, the SAS Survival Handbook is an excellent resource.
Final Thoughts
Backpacking is a way of living. There are many things to learn. The first few outings may be a series of disappointments and learning experiences. Certain equipment doesn’t show its true demeanor until days of use. It’s not uncommon to go through two or three backpacks over a few years to finally get the right one. It’s best to be patient through these times and learn to appreciate the process. Eventually, experimentation will win out. Besides, the joys of backpacking often result from conquering challenges along the way.
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