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Beginner Guides 6 min read

Backpacking for Beginners

Start backpacking with confidence. Learn what to expect, what gear you actually need, and how to avoid common first-trip mistakes.

Backpacking for Beginners

Backpacking is hiking with a place to sleep strapped to your back. It's how you escape civilization for multiple days, cover real distance, and experience wild places without relying on roads or established campsites. It's not as extreme as it sounds, and you don't need thousands of dollars in gear to start.

What to Expect

Your first backpacking trip will be harder than you think and more rewarding than you expect. You'll walk farther than usual while carrying weight. You'll sleep on the ground in a tent, where even the most comfortable sleeping pad feels slightly weird. Everything takes longer—filtering water, cooking dinner, breaking camp in the morning.

You'll also notice things day hiking never shows you. The way light filters through trees at dusk. How quiet the forest gets after dark. That moment when you realize no one knows where you are, and it doesn't matter. By your second or third trip, the routine becomes automatic and the reward scales up dramatically.

Basic Gear to Start

You need surprisingly little to backpack safely. Start here.

  • Backpack: 50-65 liter capacity for trips under four nights. Brands like REI Co-op, Decathlon, and Osprey make solid beginner packs in the $100-200 range.
  • Tent: Three-season tent rated for the conditions you'll actually encounter. A two-person tent weighs 3-4 lbs and costs $100-300. You don't need ultralight yet.
  • Sleeping bag: Temperature rating matters. A 20°F bag works for most spring-to-fall trips and runs $80-150. Know the difference between comfort rating and limit rating—the limit is survival, not comfort.
  • Sleeping pad: This prevents the ground from draining your warmth. Even budget foam pads work. An inflatable pad costs $30-80.
  • Water filter: Sawyer squeeze filters are proven, affordable ($25), and require no batteries. Carry or make a water container.
  • Stove and cookware: A lightweight canister stove ($20-30) and a titanium pot ($25) are enough. You're boiling water and heating pre-made meals, not cooking elaborate dinners.
  • Navigation: A map and compass cost nothing. Download offline maps to your phone as backup. Don't rely solely on GPS.
  • Layers: No need for specialty brands. Cotton doesn't work when wet. Wear merino wool or synthetic materials—fleece or insulating jacket for warmth, rain jacket for wet.

A complete setup for under $500 is realistic. REI's rental system lets you test tents and packs before buying. Use it.

Your First Backpacking Trip

Plan for one night and two days. Ten miles total distance is plenty. Pick a trail you know or one with good reviews on AllTrails. Check if the area requires permits and reserve sites in advance.

Pack your backpack at home before leaving. Everything feels manageable in theory until you're standing with a full pack wondering if you overpacked. You probably did. Strip out anything you didn't touch on day hikes. Assume your pack weighs 25-30 lbs on your first trip (including water and food).

Start early. Plan to reach camp by late afternoon so you have time to find a site, set up, and deal with problems in daylight. Eat something substantial at camp—not just snacks. Test your stove at home first. Bring far too much water purification capacity because you'll use more than expected.

Sleep will be rough. You'll wake up multiple times. The pad isn't as comfortable as your bed. The tent isn't silent. Your feet will ache. This is normal and temporary. By morning, the discomfort fades against the reality of waking up in the wilderness.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Overpacking weight and volume. You'll bring clothes you don't wear, gadgets that seemed essential, and enough food for an apocalypse. Pack, weigh it, then remove a quarter of it. You're hiking and sleeping, not moving into a cabin.

Ignoring campsite ethics. Pack out all trash, even tiny scraps. Camp 200 feet from water sources. Don't use soap, even biodegradable, in or near water. Leave no trace isn't a suggestion—it's the requirement for public lands to remain open.

Skipping water planning. Know where water sources are on your route. Don't start a trip assuming you'll find water. If the map says no water for six miles, that's a six-mile carry. Plan accordingly.

Underestimating weather. Check forecasts, but also pack for conditions worse than expected. That 15% chance of rain means bring a rain jacket even on the sunny day hike you thought you'd do.

What's Next

After your first trip, identify what felt wrong or uncomfortable and address it. Buy a better sleeping pad. Upgrade your stove. Learn to read topographic maps instead of relying on GPS. Start planning overnight hikes in different seasons to see how gear and strategy change.

Take a leave-no-trace course or read the full principles. Learn basic first aid. Get a guidebook for areas you want to explore. Join local hiking groups or online communities where people share current conditions and route advice.

Backpacking is less about having perfect gear and more about understanding your limits, respecting the environment, and accepting that some nights are uncomfortable but worth it. Start small, learn from experience, and the hobby scales up naturally from there.