Wilderness backpacking Voyage Tips and guide

Wilderness backpacking is a form of self-reliant travel that affords opportunities to see sights available no other way. Carrying everything you'll need to get along for several days in the wilderness isn't everyone's idea of a "vacation", but if you don't mind including some physical effort and additional inconvenience in your travel time, it's an ideal way to truly "get away from it all", and hopefully see some truly majestic scenery.

For information on travelling through urban areas via public transit, sleeping in hostels and other budget accommodation, see urban backpacking.

A day hike is limited to however much ground you can cover before needing some form of sleep shelter. In some places there is lodging along the trail, in which case your trek won't ask much more of you than a series of day hikes. This is not the case in the wilderness and other places so remote that there are no services for miles around. You will need to make a camp.

Many forms of camping are frontcountry camping, at campsites along roads where you can haul your gear in with a vehicle. Backcountry camping, on the other hand, requires you to either haul your gear in with human power, or find materials onsite. Measuring your camping kit by the gram instead of by trunk space encourages you to make more minimalistic decisions.

Wilderness backpacking is the combination of long-distance hiking and backcountry camping, where you carry all the required supplies for multiple days of survival in the wilderness, including overnight camping en route. You have to live only with what you carry and perhaps fish from streams and berries you pick. If you need help, you'll have to fetch it yourself.

In earlier times, wilderness explorers extensively practiced bushcraft, such as constructing a temporary shelter out of found materials with a hatchet. This is not sustainable today in wilderness areas popular for backcountry recreation. Leave no trace is the ethic of making as little impact as possible in wild spaces, so that people after you can enjoy an environment in a minimally-disrupted state.

If you feel like returning to simpler times or truly immersing in the natural environment, you may get a lot out of a wilderness backpacking experience.

Check with the landowners and local authorities for any fees, permits or permissions needed to hike and camp on your trail. It's common for regional and national parks to require reservations for the most popular trails and campsites.

In some parts of the world, right to access may give you permission to hike on privately-owned undeveloped land, but elsewhere – especially the United States – be sure to get permission (unless you want to risk prosecution – or gunshot – for trespassing).

Preparation is crucial for wilderness travels. Pack the correct clothes, sleeping gear, food and drinks, safety equipment and first aid kit in case something happens in the wild.

Physical fitness is decisive for a good experience. If you are not used to physical exercise, begin training at least a few weeks before the trip. You also need to be mentally prepared for wilderness travels. You are going to be challenged physically and mentally without an easy way to get back home.

Avoid going "freestyle" and heading into the wild without letting others know your plans, your destination, your expected return time, and a "hot" deadline at which your absence should be considered an emergency by a trusted friend. If parking at a trailhead, you can also place a folded note above the car's sun visor indicating your identity and expected return day & time. To avoid trouble if you should lose the car key during the hike, you can hide a spare key nearby just in case.

Assess what kind of territory you'll be traveling through. Distances on a map never look that hard to cover, but once you find yourself staring up at a 400-foot ridge standing between you and tonight's camp, it's a different story.

Topographic maps will give you a better idea of what you're getting yourself into, as well as being essential for navigation if you're going off-trail. Unless you have an uncanny sense of direction, you'll probably need a compass, or at least know how to discern north from the time. GPS can be nifty, but many feel it takes the adventure out of hiking, and it may not always work as well as the sales pitch suggests. Check the local declination and know how to compensate; if your compass is wrong by 15° without your knowing, you will easily get lost.

Find out what kind of weather you can expect at the time of year you're planning to go. When's the rainy season? What's the temperature range? Keep in mind that going up in altitude is like going up in latitude. Daytime temperatures may be pleasant, but how cold does it get at night?

Even in the wilderness, you will meet people: those in the village where you do the final preparations, people living in the wilderness (there are few truly uninhabited places on earth), park guards and other authorities. Get some feeling for what the wilderness means or has meant for people living there or nearby. Also check on diseases, transport in and out, obstacles to access, local customs, etcetera.

Footwear is one of the most important aspects of backpacking. Traditional hiking boots could kill a small animal just by being dropped on them (empty) from a few feet up, but modern boots can be much lighter, reducing the drag on every step you take. You don't necessarily need to spend hundreds of dollars on state of the art boots, but odds are that your favorite athletic shoes or street shoes will leave you very uncomfortable and hold up poorly. Stiff soles and plenty of ankle support are a good idea if you're going over any rocks. Some prefer lighter shoes such as trail-running shoes, but this requires good ankles and good balance, even when tired.

Buying a new pair of boots just before your trip is a very bad idea. Break the boots in, first with short walks, then longer ones. Wear them around for a week, and you'll know where they rub, if you want to put soft insoles in them, etc. They should conform to the shape of your foot, so by the time you're ready to hike, your boots are too. The break-in period also helps your feet get used to the boots, building up thin callouses in the spots where they rub a little.

There are two strategies for keeping feet dry. You can use water resistant footwear to keep out water from the outside, even though sweat will accumulate even in shoes claimed to be breathable, and at some point you might get drenched by a badly timed misstep. You can also use footwear that dries quickly and embrace any occasional wetness (just keep walking to keep your feet warm, and have adequate socks).

In winter, your boots need to be warm enough, and any wet footwear – be it by wet snow, a creek hidden under snow or just sweat – can cause hypothermia and frostbite in cold temperatures. Greasing is the traditional way to make boots water resistant, and wool stays warm even when quite moist. If your boots get drenched, get rid of most of the water, put on dry warm socks and a plastic bag, and then the boots (you have suitable plastic bags, don't you?). Leather boots should be dried at moderate temperature, don't put them close to a fire. If you have a warm shelter, try to get rid of as much snow as possible before it melts on the boots.

Look into socks that are specifically for hiking. These socks will be of a sturdy fabric that provides more resistance to the wear and tear you're putting them through. Poor quality socks can result in toes rubbing against the inside of the shoes, or socks that creep down towards your toes.

If the terrain is especially challenging, or if your knees aren't what they used to be, you might benefit from using a hiking stick or a pair of trekking poles (like cross-country ski poles, but without the baskets – and the skis). They can improve your balance, absorb some otherwise going to your knees, and increase your pace by adding some power from your arms to your propulsion. They are essential when fording fast-moving water, or crossing deep snow. A sturdy chest-high branch (not pulled from a standing tree) will do, or you can buy a telescoping staff or set of poles. Some of them can double as a camera monopod. And while this usage isn't recommended, you'd rather face an angry cougar with a pole in your hand than without one.

The key strategy in all but the hottest climates is to layer your clothing. If the temperature is going to vary between night and day (and it probably will, even – especially – in hot deserts), carrying a set of clothing for the warm times and another set for the cool times will take up extra space and add extra weight. Instead bring clothes cool enough for daytime hiking, and bring extra layers to put on over them when it cools off after dark. "Convertible" slacks are handy in warmer weather, allowing you to zip off the legs and turn them into shorts when the day gets warm, or back into long pants for wading through prickly plants.

Packing a complete change of clothes ensures that if any item you're wearing gets soaked, you'll have another to wear instead. This is not necessary for all situations, but at least bring an extra pair of socks, which are both the most likely item to get wet and the most important to keep dry. Spare boots aren't practical, but a pair of cheap flip-flops or loose-fitting light-weight shoes will give your feet a chance to breathe when you're not on the trail, and give you something to wear after you accidentally dunk your foot in a pond while collecting water.

Although cotton is normally comfy, park rangers call it "death cloth". It soaks up water many times its weight and dries very slowly, making it a poor choice for undershirts and underwear worn next to your sweaty skin. Synthetic fabrics will "wick" moisture away from your skin, and can better keep you both cool and dry. Cotton also doesn't keep you warm when it gets wet, setting you up for hypothermia in the cold. Wool is a better material for socks and outerwear, as it still insulates when wet. Cotton t-shirts are fine in hot and arid climates, but avoid elsewhere.

If you're expecting rain, your best solution will naturally be waterproof overcoat, boots and trousers or gaiters. However, you can often cope with rain even if you don't have those, if you dress in 2–3 layers (even more if it's really cold) to prevent most of the rain from getting in. Some water will penetrate through the outer layers, so take them off (despite the cold) whenever there's a break in the rain or if you find good cover, to allow the water to dissipate from the inner layers. You can hang the outer layers to dry; if you're on the walk, spread them across the back of your backpack. Also, if you don't have waterproof shoes and trousers, it's best to wear three-quarter pants that don't get all the way to your ankles. If the pants are too long, they get soaked with water and mud and even wet your socks inside your shoes. Take advantage of every opportunity to dry your clothes, such as at campfires. Just be careful not to put your shoes too close to the heat, as rubber melts at surprisingly low temperatures, and leather doesn't like high temperatures either.

Keep in mind that the kind of underwear you normally wear may not be ideal for backpacking; women will probably prefer a "sport" bra that provides more support and no hooks in the back, and men may find that briefs provide less opportunity for skin-to-skin chafing and bunched up fabric than boxers. Finally, consider that humans in many cultures across countless centuries have lived without freshly laundered underwear every morning.

There are two basic kinds of backpacks used in wilderness travel:

• External frame packs are the traditional variety, consisting of a metal frame that's strapped to your hips and shoulders, and which your sleeping bag, tent, and the fabric pack itself are strapped to. They're better for keeping your gear organized and accessible, and a bit cooler to wear, because they leave small gaps for air to move between you and the pack. They're the best option for the heaviest loads.
• Internal frame packs are the most popular packs today. They use a more flexible frame built into the fabric of the pack itself, which allows you to carry the weight closer to your body, improving your balance. One trade-off is the lack of back ventilation, another that fastening any additional load (such as packing of your fellow who hurt his leg) comfortably is nearly impossible.

With either kind of pack, be sure to adjust the straps to put as much weight as possible on your hips, rather than your shoulders. The shoulder straps should mostly be keeping the pack from falling backward, not actually supporting its weight. This will save lots of wear and tear on your back and shoulders.

Some people prefer to bring along at least one of anything they might need, and others opt to travel more lightly, giving up convenience and comfort for faster hiking. If your pack weighs more than a quarter of your body weight, you will probably struggle to carry your load.

Sometimes you will want to climb up a mountain to see a glacier or a lake, just to return later—in that case consider leaving your (heavy) luggage and enjoy the trail without the burden. You might want to hide away your luggage, or leave it in plain view so that you cannot miss it, preferably by a landmark on the trail. Finding the exact same place again can be surprisingly difficult. If you have GPS, save the coordinates.

For some treks, you need not carry everything yourself but can hire porters. In a poor country where people desperately need work, this is the socially responsible thing to do.

Wilderness organizations (especially in North America) recommend always carrying the following safety equipment. The specific recommendations have shifted over the decades with new technology, but the core ideas behind the list have remained the same.

The following can be critical for reacting to an emergency:

• Navigation: map, altimeter, compass, GPS device, personal locator beacon
• Headlamp: with LED bulb and spare batteries
• Sun protection: sunglasses, sun protective clothing, sunscreen
• First aid: a first aid kit, wrapped in waterproof packaging
• Knife: hikers on a short trip may also carry a multi-tool, strong adhesive tape and cordage; on a longer trip, further small tools may be useful

The following will help you stay safe if you are out longer than you expect:

• Fire: the means to both start and sustain a fire; either a butane lighter or matches, or other fire making device. Firestarters for igniting even wet wood, or a stove in areas where no firewood will be available
• Shelter: plastic tube tent, jumbo plastic trash bag or bivy sack
• Extra food: at least one day's food, that requires no cooking.
• Extra water: drinking water and the skills and tools to purify water
• Extra clothes: layers to keep warm and dry if you encounter severe weather

If you are going into the wilderness, carry something for each category, or have a deep understanding of the risk you are accepting by leaving it behind.

See also: Outdoor cooking, Camping food

You'll want "light" meals, not in the sense of fat or calorie content, but in terms of how much the food weighs in your pack. In fact, you may want to lay off a lot of your "healthy diet" habits for the duration of your trip, because you'll want those extra calories, and fats are a good compact source of all-day energy. Wilderness camping is the very kind of lifestyle that led homo sapiens to develop a fondness for that kind of food. Depending on the length of your trip, food could make up a substantial fraction of your pack weight (figure at least a pound or half a kilogram per day).

Water makes up much of the weight of most foods, and typically can be found along the way. The obvious solution is to pack dry foods you can "just add water" to.

• Breakfast – Oatmeal is inexpensive, lightweight to carry, and easy to prepare. Measure portions ahead of time into zip-lock bags for convenience. Add a spoonful or two of brown sugar to make it more tasty. Berries found on the trail or brought as dried (possibly as a commercial powder) add even more taste. Peanut butter can likewise be bought as a lightweight powder.
• Lunch – You might welcome lunch as an excuse to stop to eat during the day, but preparing food on the trail can be a nuisance, so on-the-go foods like trail mix, granola or energy bars, or peanut butter are handy. For short trips, or for the first day or two of longer trips, you can bring semi-perishable foods such as fresh fruit or bagels. If you want a warm meal, you can heat water in the morning, carry it in a thermos bottle and add it to the dried components at lunch.
• Dinner – To restore your energy at the end of the day, freeze-dried foods are your most practical option. All sorts of prepared dishes are available, mostly combinations of noodles, rice, chunks of veggies and meat, and sauce. Many can be prepared in the packaging they come in, making clean-up easier: just add boiling water, mix, and wait a few minutes. Especially with the sauce of hunger added, they can be quite tasty.

The easiest way to cook is with a camping stove and a pot for boiling water. It's not as folksy as preparing food on a campfire, but it's more considerate of the environment, safer and more efficient. For most hikes a gas-powered camp stove is a good choice, but on long hikes, where one gas canister would not suffice, "multifuel" stoves may be more weight efficient, and finding fuel near your destination may be easier. There are also stoves using e.g. ethanol. See outdoor cooking for some more things to take into account.

Some campsites have fire pits or grills available for cooking. If you use these, make sure harvesting firewood won't degrade the experience for others; small branches taken from the ground is usually the best option. If you cannot find enough of these, or you wouldn't leave enough for those coming after you, don't make that fire. Some sites may even provide firewood, ready-made or for you to chop, or some ready-made to be replaced by that chopped by you.

If backcountry fires are allowed in your area, that may be an option. Usually you don't want to scavenge firewood from the wilderness you're there to admire, but in a forested backcountry area that is not heavily visited, there may be enough downed wood to satisfy your needs without significantly affecting the environment. Limit the wood you gather to small branches taken from the ground, not anything broken from trees (living or dead). Keep your fire small – you don't want to start a wildfire. You will want to be able to make a fire in emergencies, so research what tinder and firewood is available locally, and pack some tinder.

A lot of food can be eaten without cooking if need be (like oatmeal and freeze-dried meals), to minimise the need for firewood and carried fuel.

Keep pots and pans to a minimum, both for weight and clean-up reasons. If camping with someone you're in the habit of kissing, sharing a pot of food instead of dishing it out onto plates isn't a hygiene issue (but may become a relationship issue if you don't share equitably). In fact, if you mix and eat your freeze-dried meals in the packages they came in, and your oatmeal in the baggies you packed it in, you can get away with just a single pan for heating water, which won't even have to be washed. Stick to stewy and spoon-able food, and you may not even need to bring a fork or dinner knife.

Be prepared to drink more fluids than you're used to. See dehydration for details.

You might be able to take all the water you'll need for short trips of a couple days, but not for anything longer. Some areas will have clean water available on the hiking trail. In more remote areas, you'll have to collect water from lakes and streams. Check with the local authorities to find out which water supplies they recommend, and what precautions to use with them. Depending on which micro-organisms are common in the area's water supply, they may recommend:

• Chemical sterilization tablets, usually iodine-based. Tablets impart a taste and should only be used for a few weeks at a time, due to their iodine content.
• Micropore filters. Various brands are available.
• Boiling. To kill bacteria and viruses, water should be brought to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute. At higher elevations, water boils at less than 100°C, so you will need to boil longer. At altitudes greater than 2,000 m (6,600 ft), you should boil water for 3 minutes.

Filtration or purification tablets are less hassle for water you'll want cool enough for refreshing drinks as you hike. Filtered water tastes best. See water for more.

Sweat depletes your body of sodium as well as water. This is especially true in the hotter climates. Sodium loss can be just as serious as dehydration, but is much harder to notice; symptoms include a loss of appetite and headaches. Drinking water does not restore sodium into your system; in fact it lowers sodium levels in your blood even further. In some countries, sports drinks with dissolved salts including sodium (on the label, dissolved salts are called electrolytes) are available. Powdered sports drink mix is a convenient option. You can also eat soup that is a little bit saltier than you are used to for dinner.

Lightweight synthetic insulating materials have been developed for sleeping bags in the last few decades, but old-fashioned down remains a good option. Down still offers the most warmth for the least weight and it packs up more tightly than synthetic fill. However it loses its warmth-keeping ability when it gets wet and takes longer to dry (modern down products are water resistant to some degree). Down-filled bags last longer but are also more expensive. Mummy-style bags will keep you warmer than rectangular ones (less space for your body to heat up) and take up less room in a tent, but don't plan on moving around much if your sleep in one.

Sleeping bags are typically rated for the coldest temperature in which they'll keep you warm enough to avoid hypothermia, which is not necessarily the coldest temperature you can sleep soundly at. If there are separate extreme and comfort ratings, the former is a guess about what an adult healthy man would survive. The standards for these ratings are based on average people, and don't know what your metabolism is like, how sensitive to cold you are, or for that matter what you'll be wearing to sleep in. Select your bag based on the coldest temperature you can anticipate experiencing, typically the overnight low of the highest point of your trek.

• For summer camping in temperate latitudes, you can often get away with a bag rated to about 30 °F (−1 °C).
• If you hike at high altitudes, in high latitudes, or in spring or autumn, get a 3-season bag with a lower temperature rating to stay comfortable down to about freezing. These are typically rated to 20 °F (−7 °C).
• If there's a chance you'll see snow when you camp, get something in the 0 °F (−18 °C) range for "extreme".
• Adding a simple liner – made of a single layer of silk (preferable) or other lightweight fabric – can raise the temperature in your sleeping bag by several degrees. You can also put a second sleeping bag inside the other, but its difficult to determine the rating for that, so try them out before trusting them.

Cold ground can suck the heat out through the flattened underside of a bag as quickly as exposure to cold air would. For these reasons, a thin insulating sleeping pad is also necessary. Foam pads are foolproof but bulky, whereas inflatable pads are compressible but susceptible to leaks. They won't come close to the softness of a mattress. Sleeping pads are rated by "R-value", a measure of their ability to block heat flow. If you will be using it in winter, a thin one will not suffice: look for one with an R-value of 5 or greater, or bring along two - R-value is additive (two R-value 1 pads have a combined R-value of 2). You can also use a thick layer of twigs, where available.

Instead of a pillow, try wrapping the clothes you aren't wearing in a towel, or your sleeping bag's stuff sack, and rest your head on that. Or buy a travel pillow, which collapses into a tiny pouch.

Some backpacking areas have shelters along the trails, spaced at intervals a typical hiker can cover in a day. If these are available, and the park authority lets you reserve them, you may be able to dispense with carrying a tent. This doesn't mean you can use a lightweight indoor "slumber party" sleeping bag, though; even when these shelters are fully enclosed, they probably won't offer much protection from cooler night-time temperatures.

In areas with extreme temperatures there may be huts or shelters with stoves or fireplaces, enabling you to have a more comfortable temperature at night – but heating the hut takes time, and in these areas there is often a risk of snow storms or other circumstances that may hinder you from reaching the shelter as planned. At least you will be able to dry your equipment there afterwards. Some know-how about handling a wood fired stove (or whatever is used in the area) may be needed. Check the condition of the stove before using it.

Tents are available in many shapes, sizes, and levels of protection. Some models (especially domes) can be free-standing, requiring no stakes to hold them in shape. But they tend to be heavier, and trickier to set up. Unless you're sure you're never going to get rained on, a tent with a "rain fly" – a water resistant raincoat for your tent – is essential (this is integrated in some tents). Check how to set up the tent in a heavy rain without the inside getting wet. This is easier with some tents than with others. Also, some tents are more dependable in high winds than others.

At the small end of the scale is the "bivy sack", which is little more than a raincoat for your sleeping bag; the most spacious ones are just big enough inside to carefully roll over. Important: a bivy bag is usually almost airtight and can cause suffocation if closed completely. Additionally, a bivy bag does not allow for drying anything, like a regular tent. Since it is so small condensation from your breath will build up. If you cannot get it dry in the day, your next night will not be too nice. Bivy bags are therefore great for shorter trips or if you are comfortable that the weather or area will provide some opportunities for drying, and are lighter than even the smallest tent.

A typical "1-person" backpacking tent might give you enough room inside to actually hunch over and maybe even scrunch up and turn around, but no more. A "2-person" tent is going to be big enough for just that: two people, lying right side-by-side. Depending on just how close you and your camping partner want to be, you might prefer a "2-to-3-person" tent (otherwise big enough for two adults and a child). If you're thinking of a larger tent so you can keep your gear with you (whether for easier access or to keep it out of the weather), a tent with a vestibule or an extended rain fly might be all you really need. By the time you get to a "4-person" tent, you're generally talking about something spacious enough that one or two people can sit upright in it, but heavy enough that you'll want to distribute the components among the people in your hiking party.

Although tents will keep most of the wind out, and usually trap air well enough to keep it warmer than outside, don't count on them to keep you warm; that's your sleeping bag's job. The difference between a 3-season tent and a 4-season tent isn't their warmth, but the latter's ability to stand up to stronger winds and snow.

Main article: Wild camping

Things to consider when choosing your site for the night vary from place to place, but include having shelter from strong winds, avoiding dead branches hanging above your tent (widow makers), having potable water in reach and being away from irritating (mosquitoes) or dangerous (hippos) wildlife.

If there is no established campsite, follow leave-no-trace camping principles for making and breaking camp, as well as your other activities in the wilderness.

Take care of your feet: they're what's getting you home. If you start feeling "hot spots" on them, take care of them quickly before they develop into blisters. Moleskin offers the best protection, but if you don't have that, adhesive bandages or even tape will help protect these spots from friction.

Main article: Sunburn and sun protection

You don't need to be sunbathing to need sunscreen. You'll be sweating, so apply water-resistant "sport" sun lotion to anything that the sun can reach, and be prepared to re-apply it every 40 to 80 minutes all day long. A hat with a brim reduces the UV exposure further, and is essential if you have thin hair. Thin, light-colored clothing often seems comfortable on a hot day, but it provides very little protection against the sun. Your favorite old T-shirt has approximately the protection value of SPF4 sunscreen, which is next to nothing. If you don't want to buy and wear tightly woven clothes with a high UPF rating on a hot, sunny day, then smear sunscreen under your clothes, too. Give your skin a break during the peak hours of sun by seeking shade.

If you move over snow or ice, beware of snow blindness. You can avoid staring at the sun, but you can hardly avoid watching the snow, ice, water, white sand, or any other shiny surface reflecting the sunlight into your eyes. Snow blindness is essentially a sunburn on your eyeball, and can cause temporary blindness as well as pain. Wear sunglasses that block 100% of UV rays and have a wrap-around shape to keep light from entering through the sides.

Main article: Pests

Mosquitoes, flies, and other pests can carry various diseases; they can also be detrimental to your mental health. Mosquitoes in particular are most common around water (where they breed), in the evening twilight, and in heavy woods that resemble twilight. Most backpacks and some clothing should be treated with insecticide. Liberal application of DEET-based insect repellent is another good defense against mosquitoes, ticks, and some other insects. But even this won't stop them from swarming around you and in your face; a head net (best worn over a hat with a brim) provides a small DMZ that may help with your peace of mind, and is small and light enough to be packed "just in case".

If your personal vision of hell is mosquito bites on sunburned skin, then consider using a combination mosquito repellant and sunscreen lotion only if you will be outside for two hours or less at a time. Many sunscreens actually make DEET more rapidly effective, but the re-application times for sunscreen and all but the weakest insect repellants differ, you may not need insect repellant all day long, and you should avoid putting DEET-based products on sunburned skin – which means no more sunscreen, either, if you only have the combination product with you. In the end, packing separate bottles for bug repellant and sunscreen will give you the most flexibility. When it's time, just layer one on top of the other, and re-apply each as directed.

Killing pests, especially with non-degradable pesticides, isn't really compatible with leave-no-trace hiking. Unless you need to protect yourself from real danger, such as malaria, you should try to get by with appropriate clothing (suitable footwear, long sleeves and a mosquito hat), and save the chemicals for the times you really cannot stay sane without them.

Know and be able to identify the poisonous plants that may be in the area you will be exploring and understand basic treatment and symptoms.

You don't want to go overboard with medical supplies, but a basic first aid kit is worthwhile. If you're lucky, it'll be the one thing you brought that you didn't "need", but if you're not so lucky, then you'll definitely regret leaving the essentials behind. Adhesive bandages, disinfectant, and a general-purpose headache or inflammation remedy – aspirin or ibuprofen are okay in most areas, but if dengue fever is a risk, carry paracetamol (acetominophen) instead – are the bare essentials. As makeshift bandages (and dozens of other uses), cotton handkerchiefs are worth carrying. Many travellers carry hand sanitizer and a remedy for diarrhea as well.

Even if there are maintained outhouses along the trail (again: don't assume there will be), you shouldn't count on them having toilet paper; bring a partial roll from home. If you're unsure about the availability of facilities, bring a garden trowel so you can dig and then cover your own single-dump latrine (well off the trail and far away from any water supplies).

Take care of your hygiene. Although you shouldn't worry too much about your natural scent, you don't want your private parts or feet to get sore, and you definitely don't want infections or an upset bowel. This applies double in cold weather, when washing is more difficult. In summer, fine sand in your socks may be an issue. Warm water is needed mostly for comfort, but you probably want a small piece of soap for your hands, and you might want a setup that allows your doing some washing a distance from your water source, and without risking the cleanliness of your cooking utensils.

If you pass by campsites or lodges with electricity, you might be able to get a shower, which can do wonders after hard days – but don't expect showers at campsites on backcountry trails. (However, in some parts of the world, there may be a sauna even at some very remote and primitive huts.) Washing in rivers and lakes, try not to get dirt or soap into the water, do that kind of washing at a distance from the shore.

Altitude sickness can be a life threatening issue when camping a high altitudes. Be aware of symptoms and treatment.

Main article: dangerous animals

Know the species of animals you might encounter in the wilderness. In many places these pose little real threat to backpackers, but some – a human-fed bear in a national park, a cow moose protecting her calf, a hungry panther, or a venomous snake – may be quite dangerous. Check with local wildlife experts about what to be wary of, and how to protect yourself.

Don't assume there will be mobile-phone service in the area you're hiking. If you get a signal in a remote area, the dispatcher that happens to pick up your emergency call may have no idea where you are, so explain clearly. Check in advance what directions would be easiest for them to recognise. WGS84 coordinates (used by GPS) are recognised in many areas, learn how to get those from your map. In some regions, the coordinates on the map may differ significantly from what your GPS tells.

There are also 406 MHz GPS Personal Locator Beacons, which when activated send an emergency signal via satellites to the rescue authorities. These are reasonably lightweight, waterproof, strobe-equipped units, a little larger than a cell phone. They cost around USD 300–400, with no subscription fees.

See also: Severe weather

Weather conditions can change very quickly at high altitude. Consult a weather forecast before departing, but be ready for anything, including fog, storms and cold weather. Heavy rain, here or upstream, can make fording problematic. Rain and wind can cause hypothermia even in quite warm conditions.

Rain and cool weather often have severe effects on the morale of the party. Remembering warm drinks, activities and keeping a cheerful spirit can make the difference between a miserable hike and a tough one to be gilt in your memories – in extreme conditions even between life and death.

Thunderstorms are especially dangerous for hikers, as there is no adequate shelter from lightning strikes and tree-toppling wind downbursts. Get familiar with signs of a developing storm, such as large build-ups of Cumulonimbus clouds (“cotton ball” clouds, especially those with and flattened or “anvil” shaped tops), a sudden reversal in wind direction, a noticeable rise in wind speed, and a sharp drop in temperature. Heavy rain, hail and lightnings can occur in the mature stage of a thunderstorm. Get out of high and open areas if a thunderstorm is approaching. Do not take cover under high trees, which may get hit. Also avoid narrow river valleys, dangerous in case of flash floods.

During an intense thunderstorm, or if you cannot avoid open landscape, use the following guidelines:

• Do not lie down, the best position is sitting on a day-pack (only those without metal frames or components) or crouching with feet close together
• Avoid sitting directly on the ground, if possible; but, if necessary, keep feet and buttocks close together
• Avoid grouping together — keep a minimum of 5 m (16 ft) between people when possible.
• Wide, open spaces are better places to shelter than trees or near clumps of trees. A forest may be a better place than open terrain where you are the highest object, though. Ridge tops or other high places should be avoided.

If you feel the hair on your arms or head “stand up,” there is a high probability of a lightning strike in the vicinity. Crouch or sit on a day-pack (without metal frame)

Snow storms reduce visibility to near nil. When there seems to be a snow storm approaching, head for shelter or prepare a shelter where you are. If the storm hits you, wait it out. Advancement will be very slow and the risks of frostbite, hypothermia, getting lost, losing things and getting hurt in rough terrain are big.

Even light fog or snowfall obscures distant landmarks. Check your exact position in time and use landmarks you are sure to recognize and not to miss (did you check the declination? did you check there are no magnets in your gear?). If you are not sure to find your way, wait it out.

• Long distance walking in Europe
  • East Sussex Footpaths (England)
  • Grande Randonnée (western Europe)
  • Hiking in the Nordic countries
• Hiking and backpacking in Israel
• Hiking in South Africa
• Hiking and bushwalking in Australia
• Hiking in the United States
  • United States National Trails System
• Tramping in New Zealand
• Trekking in Nepal
• K2 base camp trek, in Pakistan
• Inca Trail

• National parks

• Hiking
• Foraging
• Packing for a week of hiking

Other ways to explore the wilderness:

• Canoeing
• Cross country skiing
• Horse riding
• Mountaineering
• Straight line missions