By Craig Copeland
The difference between dayhiking and
backpacking is the difference between gazing at
your lover and making love: Staying overnight
consummates the relationship. It's how you get to
know the wilderness intimately.
Hiking by day then scurrying home before dark is
fun. Your pack is lighter, your stride is bouncier,
and a hot shower and soft bed await you just
beyond trail's end. Understandably, this is how
most hikers do it most of the time. But it's mere
foreplay compared to the richer, more meaningful
experience of backpacking.
It's simple: You walk the earth, then you bed down
on it. It's the most primitive, elemental way of life
known to our species. As such, it's cathartic for
anyone whose frenzied, urban existence is largely
divorced from nature.
At the very least, backpacking enables you to hike
farther and see more, earning you a greater sense
of adventure and accomplishment. But there are
even better reasons why dayhikers should go
backpacking.
Do it to cultivate your wild self--it will give you
perspective; do it to revel in simplicity and selfreliance,
qualities that make life more fulfilling; do
it to distance yourself from the cacophony that
muffles the quiet, pure voice within; do it to give
nature more time to seduce, soothe, and heal you.
Compared to dayhiking, however, backpacking
requires additional preparation and extra effort on
the trail. The following suggestions will help you
get ready and will ease your burden en route.
Wear sturdy Boots
Most hiking boots are too flexible, even for
dayhiking. They're designed to look cool and feel
cushy in the store, but they're inadequate on the
trail. Choose boots with a stiff shank to keep your
feet from tiring under the weight of a hefty
backpack. Grip the toe of a boot in one hand, the
heel in your other hand. If you can bend the boot
easily, don't buy it. Search for a stiff pair that's
reasonably light: about 1.14 kg for women, about
1.35 kg for men. Just don't backpack in new boots.
To be sure they fit, dayhike in them first.
Carry a Comfortable Pack
Most of the weight should ride on your hips, not
your shoulders, so choose a pack with a substantial
hipbelt that won't sag or crumple under stress.
Look for a simple, stripped-down pack bag.
Organizational features appear useful but are
unnecessary and add weight. For trips of up to
four or five nights, you'll want a pack volume of
about 60 to 75 litres. Ideally the pack itself should
weigh 1.6 to 2.3 kg.
Use Trekking Poles.
They alleviate strain by enabling you to hike with
your arms and shoulders, not just your legs.
During a typical eight-hour hike you'll transfer
more than 250 tons of pressure to a pair of poles,
significantly reducing stress to your knees, lower
back, and feet. Poles also keep you more upright,
allowing greater lung capacity and more efficient
breathing. The heavier your pack, the more you'll
appreciate the support of poles. They're especially
helpful when crossing streams, traversing steep
slopes, and negotiating rough terrain. Poles
prevent ankle sprains--a common hiking injury. By
making you more stable, they help you relax,
boosting your confidence. If you can't afford
trekking poles, make do with old ski poles. Forget
those big, heavy, gnarled, wooden staffs. They're
more burden than benefit, unless you're going to a
costume party dressed as Gandalf. |
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Sleep Soundly
Pack a rainproof tent that's impervious to bugs and can withstand a gale. The minimum interior space two people need for a night's rest is about 3 square meters. Some models weigh only 1.8 kg, but their Spartan size requires you to keep your gear outside, under the vestibule. To bring your packs in with you, you and your partner will want at least 3.4 square meters of interior space. Some models that size weigh just 2.3 kg. For summer backpacking, a sleeping bag rated to about -5º C and weighing less than 1 kg should be sufficient. You'll also need a sleeping pad. An ascetic can sleep like a boulder on a short (119 cm), thin sheet of closed-cell foam. If you're sensitive, carry a fulllength (183 cm), self-inflating, insulated mattress weighing about 570 g.
Pack a First-aid kit
Be prepared to deal with minor medical emergencies. Your kit should include ibuprofen to ease pain and swelling; a variety of bandages; sterile gauze to staunch bleeding; adhesive tape; fold-up scissors; and a small, wilderness first-aid manual.
Travel Light
An hour up the trail, a backpack that seemed to levitate at home can feel like a sack of bricks. So jettison everything you can, which is probably more than you think possible. Question the need for each item before you pack it. But if it's small, light, and will significantly enhance your comfort or enjoyment, bring it (like a bum pad made of closed cell foam so you can sit contentedly anywhere, or maybe some gourmet chocolate to reward yourself at milestones)--every backpacker has idiosyncratic "necessities."
Rent a Tent
Don't invest in outfitting yourself until you're a backpacking convert. Mountain Equipment Co-op (269-2420) and the University of Calgary Outdoor Program (220-5038, ext. 5) rent all the necessary gear.
Pick a Rewarding Destination
Read "Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies, The Opinionated Hiking Guide." It's the only book that rates each trip according to its scenic reward, thus enabling you to make the most of your precious time. It's available at bookshops and outdoor stores, or directly from www.hikingcamping.com. |
