Backpacking: Before You Leave Home

Backpacking: Before You Leave Home

By Steve Tischler

Rating: ***

This article is about making sure that you have everything that you need for your trip ready and prepared before you leave home.  You should make sure that all your needs such as all the gear, clothes and food for your trip is set and ready to go.  You should also take enough cash for emergencies as well as any required papers like campsite reservations or permits.  It would be important to tell people (family or friends) where you plan to go, which cities or campsites you will be staying, where you will be on specific days and when you expect to return home.  That way, if you get lost or something happens and you don’t return on your scheduled day, they can alert people that you did not return as scheduled.  You should also tell people who you are going with and leave contact information such as cell numbers, addresses, etc.  You should also check the conditions of the weather and highways before you leave to see if there will be good weather for travelling.  Plan your route in advance and be prepared in case one or  more of your roads are under construction and you’ll have to take a different route.  You should also confirm all your reservations and permits whether it be for a campsite or hotel.  It would be very helpful to have an experienced backpacker in your group.  They will be able to help in the planning of your trip, assist in the navigation of the route, and offer advice on how to prepare.

This article was very interesting because it outlined ideas for preparing for a trip that I hadn’t thought of before.  It mentioned how important it is to be aware of the small details of the trip and to make sure that all parts of your planning are complete.  It mentioned a lot of safety advice and prepared a person on how to react in case of an emergency or if plans have to be changed.  It stated that there are many factors to an outdoor hiking trip that can change quickly.  Weather conditions can change in minutes and things can happen in a blink of an eye so you must be prepared for all situations.  It also mentioned that navigational and survival skills would be very helpful on these trips.  If you don’t have these skills, it would be good if someone on the trip was experienced in these areas.  Lastly, it did inspire me to be better organized when I travel and make certain that I plan all the details of a trip before I leave home.

If want to read more here is the website:

http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/before-leave-home.html