This is the first in a series of articles intended to help beginning backpackers prepare for their first trip. I’m not going to start out with a list of expensive must-have ultralight gear or a discussion on how to deal with rabid animals ransacking your camp. Rather, the first information I’ll share with you is about the “why”. Why should you go backpacking? Wouldn’t it be easier to relax at home with access to unlimited clean water and a place to poop that doesn’t require finding a discrete hiding spot and digging a hole? Yes, that would be easier, but easier doesn’t always mean better.
It would be simple, if not a bit trite, for me to rattle off a list of backpacking positives like “incredible scenery” or “viewing wildlife in a natural setting” or “it’s a fantastic way to get exercise” as reasons to strap on a pack and head out into the backcountry. But those are all benefits you can imagine on your own. I’m going to take it one step deeper, and share with you some of the more intrinsically important reasons I love to spend so much time on the trail, such as living with less, appreciating the little things and being able to mentally recharge.
Living with less
We live in a society that accumulates unnecessary junk unlike any other in the history of mankind. I’ve fallen into this trap myself. Want proof? I have 25 travel mugs jammed into a cabinet in my kitchen. Who needs more than three? Think about your own basement or garage. How much of that stuff hasn’t been touched in years? Why do we keep all this crap? Does any of it make us happy, or does it just make us mad when we can’t find a screwdriver in the junk drawer because it’s hidden under a pile of expired coupons and a broken stapler – all of which should have been tossed a long time ago. Now imagine yourself in a situation where everything you need to survive has to be carried in a 65 liter container on your back. Wait, what? How can we live with so little stuff? You can do it. Easily. And the best part is that after your first trip you’re going to come home and cross off half a dozen items from your gear list because you realize how much you overpacked. Once you’ve spent a week or more with all of your possessions in your backpack and recognize how happy you are, you’ll understand that having more “stuff” just simply isn’t the answer. The gift that backpacking has given me is the realization of how little we actually need to not only survive, but to thrive.
Appreciate the little things
There is so much in our lives that we take for granted. The news tells us immediately who’s been cancelled for saying the wrong thing. We can click a button our Amazon app and have the meat thermometer we just saw on “Chopped” at our doorstep the next morning. We get what we want whenever we want it. Now imagine life as a backpacker. It’s been five days since you started your trip. You have no idea what’s going on in the news. You smell terrible. Clean underwear? That was SO two days ago. Your feet are caked with mud. And then you think about that shower that’s waiting for you at the campground this afternoon and your spirits soar. You finally get there and when that hot water hits your back you feel an overwhelming sense of joy and gratitude. When is the last time you took a shower that you’ll still remember five years from now? Backpacking does that – it lets you immensely enjoy and appreciate common events that we typically disregard as meaningless, like a shower or even a simple glass of clean water.
Mentally recharge
Our lives can be quite complex. We’re managing jobs, relationships, home repairs, family issues, nosy neighbors and the list goes on and on. What if all we had to do was walk? That’s exactly what life is when you’re backpacking. You have one job when you’re on trail, and that’s to walk. And while you’re walking you get time to think, time to ponder life’s questions, time to remember that you’ve been too busy to tell your Mom that she’s special. By temporarily disconnecting yourself from the complexity of life, you allow your mind to heal and put yourself in much better state of mind to handle the challenges that await when you return.
If you’ve made it this far then congratulations. You are one step closer to becoming a backpacker and experiencing all of the obvious and not-so-obvious joys that the trail has to offer. It is my strong opinion that living with less, appreciating small events in life and being mentally recharged are at the foundation of a better life. With that in mind, it’s time to start planning your first trip!