It always begins with good intentions.
“Wouldn’t it be fun to hike that segment of the Appalachian Trail this week and stay at the huts?” you innocently ask your partner.
Or maybe your kid is finally ready to join the troop as they wander deep into the wilderness this weekend.
Whether you are a conditioned veteran or a young newbie, it’s only too easy to turn a fun backpacking adventure into a spirit-killing slog.
As you get ready for your next off-road overnight excursion, make sure you are not making these 10 common backpacking mistakes. Your morale and your feet will thank you.
1. Too Many Clothes
It may be shocking to admit it, but you do not need a clean shirt for every day you are out on the trail. If you will be gone for more than a week, the added weight of five more shirts will have you carrying 1.5 lbs more than you should be. That is 1.5 pounds you are carrying up and down every hill, mountain, and river crossing.
When choosing your clothing, remember the number 1 – one t-shirt, one long sleeve shirt, one convertible pants, one rain jacket, one pair waterproof pants, one fleece layer, etc. The only exceptions are socks and underwear. Bring one extra pair in case the first gets wet or desperately needs cleaning.
And one more important consideration, if you wear a clean shirt every day the bugs will eat you alive! Bugs love artificial scents and the more you smell like the woods around you, the more they will leave you alone.
2. Unnecessary Equipment
Every ounce counts and that backpacking chair is packing 32 of them. Unless you are on a short backpacking trip or have special body needs (i.e. you can’t sit on the ground) then keep your equipment simple.
No extra chairs, no Gatorade powder, and no hardback books. Check your first aid kit for common ounce-adding culprits like 24 band-aids and full-size antibiotic ointment.
If your tent floor is sound, don’t wear yourself out carrying an extra groundcloth. If you have a handkerchief and toilet paper, you don’t need to be hauling Kleenex.
Find equipment that can do multiple jobs and your body will thank you. A spork works as both an eating and a cooking utensil, your pot is also a plate, and sleeping pads can also be used for sitting.
3. Heavy Equipment
I hate to tell you this but, unless you are a muscular and fit 250-lb man, you do not want to pack your regular camping gear for backpacking. Car camping gear is not made with weight in mind. It’s heavy and you don’t want to carry it up a mountain.
For a lightweight tent at a good price, try the REI Camp Dome 2. At 5 pounds, that means you and your buddy will be dry and happy at night for a carrying weight of only 2.5 pounds each.
While Nalgene bottles are nice and don’t leak, you can save weight by using the big Gatorade or Powerade bottles instead. They have the same no-leak qualities and can be easily replaced on long distance hikes at nearly any gas station or grocery store.
If you are a Scout and borrowing a backpack from the troop, pay no attention to the colors of the fabric. Instead give them all a little lift and start your fitting with the lightest one. If you’re buying new equipment, look at the weights and don’t even bother with those packs over 6 pounds. I’d even keep it below 4 lbs for an extended hike and 3 lbs if you’re just going out for weekends.
4. Carrying Metal
Metal has its place – as a pot, in a fuel canister, and as a knife. But that’s about all. Even a titanium spork weighs more than heavy duty plastic. Don’t use metal unless it is absolutely necessary.
In those instances where you need metal, you can save ounces by using titanium. It’s more expensive but lasts a long time. Lightweight aluminum is another good choice. One aluminum pot from Big Lots lasted us our entire four months on the Appalachian Trail. Choosing the right stove, an item that has to be metal, will affect your weight as well. While we prefer Esbit fuel tablets due to their light weight and tiny stove, there are a lot of adamant fans of the JetBoil system.
5. Packing Wrong
Yes, it does matter where you place your equipment in the backpack. If you put your heavy gear at the top or too far away from your body, those rock hops suddenly become a lot more precarious.
As a general rule, follow this mantra:
Tonight – Heavy – Today
- Put the light things you won’t need until tonight (like your sleeping bag) at the bottom of the pack
- Place the heavy items (tent, cookware, extra food, water bladder) in the area closest to your back. Use everything else you don’t need during the next eight hours to fill in the gaps.
- On top should be the stuff you need during your hike today – your snacks, extra clothing layer, sunscreen, etc.
If you are a parent sending your Scout onto the trail, make them repeat this mantra ten times while they pack their bag, then again on the way to drop-off, and again before you leave. Heck, you might even want to write it on masking tape and post it on the lid of their bag.
6. Incorrect Backpack Fit
You don’t need a new $300 pack to get a good fit. Most packs have an adjustable torso and multiple straps to customize sizing. Become familiar with your straps and use them.
Your goal is to have most of the weight resting on your hips, not your shoulders. A well-fitting pack will have the hip belt tight and sitting on the hip bones and the shoulder strap anchor points 1-2 inches below your shoulders.
This is so important I’m going to say it again:
The weight should be on your hips, not your shoulders
Once you have your waist belt tight and your shoulder straps cradling your shoulders, then you can begin adjusting the other main straps. The load lifter straps (at the top of your shoulders) should sit at about a 45 degree angle to the pack. The chest strap is usually most comfortable at sternum height.
Women and other smaller framed people (like children) may want to consider a women’s pack. Women’s packs are sized for smaller torsos and smaller waists and have contoured straps. I know a guy who is 6’1 and his go-to pack is a women’s model because he thinks it is so much more comfortable.
When out on the trail, there are usually multiple straps around the pack that you can use to compress your load into as small a space as possible. Use them to tighten everything down before putting your pack on and you will be keeping the weight closer to your core. This makes your hike much easier.
7. Footwear
You need hiking boots. Unless you pack ultralight and have gotten your pack down to 10 lbs, your feet and ankles need the extra support of boots to carry that extra weight. On a hike of over 10 miles, hiking shoes will not cut it.
When you go buy your boots, you want to accurately simulate your on-trail gear. This means you need to wear two pairs of socks. Feet expand while hiking so your boots should be ½-1 size larger than your regular shoe size. On that note, if you can try them on at the end of the day, that will also give you a more accurate fit.
Try on a bunch of different pairs to find the one that feels most comfortable. You should be able to comfortably wiggle your toes.
For socks, you can reduce the possibility of blisters by wearing two layers: a thin moisture-wicking liner sock and a wool hiking sock. While some people have success wearing just the newer, non-itchy wool socks, we prefer the confidence of wearing two layers.
One more foot addition you may want to consider – gaiters. These little guys wrap around your ankle and prevent mud and rocks from getting into your shoes. While they aren’t very common, once you wear them for a few hikes, you’ll start to love them. Due to our obsession with weight, we don’t often recommend optional backpacking equipment but gaiters are just that good.
8. Ignoring Each Extra Ounce
On that note, we come to a very important and very common mistake – ignoring those extra ounces. Every single ounce counts. Trim off ounces and you trim off pounds. Some easy ways to save an ounce here and there include:
- Cutting off the excess length on your backpack straps
- Carrying toilet paper without the tube
- Carrying travel size toiletries
- Using netted bags to organize items instead of stuff sacks
- Don’t use cotton – wear synthetics because they are lighter and dry faster
- Wrap duct tape around itself and lose the cardboard tube
- No deodorant (it is heavy and attracts wildlife)
- LED headlamp with lithium instead of one powered by AA batteries
- Either get rid of the sleeping bag stuff sack or use it to replace a pillow
- Use a torso length sleeping pad instead of full-length
- Make your camp shoes lightweight (Crocs or very light sandals are great)
- Repackage everything you can. If you have mac and cheese in a box, put it in a Ziploc instead. The same goes for anywhere where extra packaging is not needed.
9. Carrying Too Much Weight for Your Size
Your backpack should not weight more than 20% of your bodyweight. If you are small (or you are packing for a kid) be extra mindful of your equipment and clothing choices. Water adds a lot of weight and it is a necessity. Use this table to find your max weight:
| Your Weight (pounds | Max Pack Weight (pounds) | Max Pack Weight (ounces) |
| 100 | 20 | 320 |
| 110 | 22 | 352 |
| 120 | 24 | 384 |
| 140 | 28 | 448 |
| 160 | 32 | 512 |
| 180 | 36 | 576 |
| 200 | 40 | 640 |
| 220 | 44 | 704 |
| 240 | 48 | 768 |
10. Don’t Pack the Same Food for Every Meal
Once you get out on the trail, what you take is what you have. There’s not a lot of opportunity to trade out food you don’t like or add further variety. While it’s easy to say that you’re going to have trail mix for snack every day, if that’s your only choice you’re going to start hating life soon. As much as I loved pine nuts, after eating them for 10 days in Maine I still don’t particularly care for them 15 years later.
Write your meal plan with diversity in mind. Keep the food light and calorie dense but add variety. This will help both your palate and your moral.
If you avoid these 1o mistakes, you are already most of the way to having a successful backpacking trip!
See Clearly Again – Our Gorilla Mind Rush Review