Are you ready to hit the trails? Wait just a minute. Before you venture off into the great outdoors, take a look at this blog to make sure you’re not committing any of these easy-to-make rookie backpacking mistakes. We will cover everything from packing mistakes to planning problems.
1. Packing poorly
Poor packing is one of the most common rookie mistakes. This involves everything from packing the wrong gear, forgetting safety equipment, and having a frustratingly unorganized pack.
Staying organized may seem like an unnecessary step, but it’s honestly worth it. Being able to easily and quickly find what you need, unpack, and re-pack your bag is a definitive flex in the backcountry. Plus, it doesn’t have to take any extra energy, effort, or weight. Use LighterPack to track the gear you bring!
So, instead of stuffing all your gear into your backpack willy-nilly and then dumping it all out in a giant, chaotic pile, opt for packing organizers. Chicken Tramper Ultralight Gear (CTUG) makes custom-made, made-to-order fanny packs and waist bags that double as packing organizers for your ultralight backpacking gear.
They come in 1 liter, 2.5 liter, and 4 liter varieties. We also recommend using color coded Sea To Summit dry bags or stuff sacks! If you know what color bag your specific gear is in, you don’t have to rummage through all your stuff!
2. Carrying too much weight
The start of your backpacking journey is going to involve some trial and error. As you begin to rack up the miles over multiple trips, you’ll start to get a good sense of what you actually need and what you can leave behind. Until then, it’s easy to overpack.
In some cases, it’s better to have too much than too little. Too much food rather than not enough, for instance. However, if your bag is far too heavy, you’ll be in for a rough time. An unnecessarily heavy backpack inevitably leads to some long, slow, and exhausting days on the trail.
Okay, so you need to have enough food (that includes meals and snacks) and your ten essentials. Where can you cut down on weight?
Clothing is an easy one. Although extra clothing and warm layers are crucial, you don’t need to bring dozens of items (or a separate outfit for every day).
You can also minimize weight by investing in low-weight or ultralight backpacking gear. Chicken Tramper Ultralight Gear makes gear specifically for that purpose. With our gear, you can shed those extra pounds that were slowing you down (or pack more snacks, your choice).
3. Not breaking in your boots
If your relationship with your new hiking boots or shoes gets off to a rough start, you’re not the only one. Boots need to be broken in before your first trip into the outdoors, especially if you’re rocking leather, over-the-ankle boots!
We highly recommend steering clear of those big leather boots, and investing in some great trail-runners. They tend to be a little gentler on your heels and toes. Nonetheless, don’t wait to find out whether you love or hate them until you start hiking to find out.
After you pick up your new boots or shoes, wear them around the house, yard, and town to break them in. You can also take them on some short day hikes to really get the job down.
Additionally, this is the perfect time to make sure that your footwear actually fits you. If they’re too big, too small, too pinchy, or too uncomfortable, you want to figure that out as soon as possible.
4. Not packing enough food
Backpacking is hard work. Multi-day trips, in particular, require a lot of calories, so you’re going to be hungry. Make sure you have enough food. Otherwise, your energy levels will dip, your pace will slow, and you won’t enjoy your time as much.
The lighter the food is, the more you can bring. A lot of the dehydrated meal options out there aren’t glamorous, but they get the job done. Try to find meals that you actually enjoy (or can tolerate) and bring those. Breakfast and dinner are going to be your biggest meals, so make sure they’re high-calorie.
Snacks, of course, are also extremely important. Consuming salty snacks as you hike helps replenish all the sodium you lose while sweating. Also, we always treat ourselves with our favorite sweet snack, like peanut M&Ms or gummy bears…
5. Only checking the weather at the base of the hike
The weather at the start of your hike can be dramatically different from the weather a few dozen kilometers in. Weather in the mountains is its own thing. It’s often very different from the weather in the valleys, and it can change quickly at high altitudes.
So, if you’re going up into the mountains, make sure you check the weather in the mountains as well. If you are going up some elevation, definitely bring your warm layers regardless of how warm it is at the parking lot. This is vital for safety and will help you prepare.
6. Trying to do too many miles per day
Short, achievable days are your best bet as a beginner backpacker. You probably don’t have an accurate sense of your pace yet, so being overly ambitious is a recipe for exhaustion and frustration. As you make more trips during the season, you’ll get a feel for how far you can walk with a 20–30 pound bag strapped to your back.
Hiking is part of the fun, but so is relaxing at camp with a beautiful view and a pile of snacks. Plus, it’s better to get to camp earlier than you expected than much later than you wanted.
7. Not factoring in elevation gains
Elevation will slow you down, especially if you’re new to hiking. Make sure you take a close look at the amount of elevation gain as you start planning your backpacking trip.
See how much the total elevation gain is and how much you plan to do each day. Remember, the more elevation gain over a shorter distance, the steeper the climb and the longer it’ll take.
Your average hiker can do around one and three miles per hour or 1000 feet of vertical elevation gain per hour. The safest bet is to use an average of 1 mile per hour with a backpack on, factoring in your water, snack and lunch breaks!
8. Not leaving a safety plan with someone you trust
Safety, safety, safety—it’s necessary in the backcountry. You need to share your backpacking plans with someone you trust, no matter how seemingly simple or safe the trip appears. This is just as true for experienced backpackers as it is for rookies. Emergencies can happen to anyone at any time.
Your trip safety plan should include the names of everyone in your hiking party, short descriptions of each, an overview of your trip details (trail name, location, start date, exit date), and emergency contacts for the group. Give this information to someone you trust with a plan for what to do if you’re delayed getting off the trail.
We also recommend getting an AllTrails membership, as it’s only $35.99 per year, and you can download your trail map offline, making sure you're on the right track and can get back to your home base safely!
CTUG Ultralight Backpacking Gear
Now you’re ready to start hiking! Don’t forget to bring us along with you. Chicken Tramper Ultralight Gear makes custom, low-weight gear to support you (and your lower back) on your adventures. Use our fanny packs and waist bags to organize your gear, or order a custom ultralight backpack for your next trip.
To learn more about our ultralight backpacking gear, reach out to Chicken Tramper Ultralight Gear at info@chickentrampergear.com.
