Backpacking Nightmare | 8 Biggest Backpacking Mistakes From My First Trek
Holy crap, what did I get myself into?
I just wanted to catch some cool mountain views. Now I’m cold, sore, and my lips are bleeding. These were some of the thoughts going through my head during my very first backpacking trip. It turns out dropping a city boy in the middle of the wilderness without proper gear or preparation doesn’t go smoothly. Who knew?
My first backpacking trip was about five years ago. Prior to this I grew up in Long Island suburbia and spent my young adulthood in New York City. I was not an outdoorsman by any means.
So when my friend Joe, an experienced backpacker, asked me and our friend tom to go on our first backpacking trip, I was a little intimidated. But I figured how hard could it be?
Since neither Tom nor I had any experience backpacking, Joe sent us a list of the backpacking gear we needed for the trip, told us to get in shape, and assured us that he would walk us through the skills when we were on the trail.
We planned a three-night, four-day backpacking trip on the Teton Crest Trail in Grand Teton National Park. Let me tell you. I made many mistakes throughout this trip which left me cold, uncomfortable, and sore. While I still had a great time, this trip would be a nightmare for some and there are a lot of things I would have done differently. So I figured let me share some of my beginner backpacking mistakes with you guys, so maybe you can avoid making the same ones as me!
Backpacking Mistake #1 Missing Raingear (no rainfly for my tent):
We spent the night before the start of our backpacking adventure on a front-country campsite, and as I finish setting up my tent, Joe goes, “dude, where is your rainfly?”
“Rainfly? What do you mean?” Says I, the dumb city boy.
Joe explains that we will encounter rain on and off throughout the trip , and I need a rainfly to cover the outside of my tent. Without one, if it rains, both my gear and I would get soaking wet. This meant that my tent was essentially useless.
Fortunately for me and unfortunately for Tom, Tom had a two-person tent which meant that the two of us were getting cozy for the next three nights!
Backpacking Mistake #2 No Sleeping Pad:
That’s right. You know that thing you need to sleep on so you are not sleeping on rocks? Well, I slept without that.
Slept might be a stretch, more like I stared up at the ceiling of my, oh wait, no Tommy’s tent for three nights straight. By the end of this trip, I was tired, and my back was killing me from lying on the hard ground.
GET A GOOD SLEEPING PAD! It is more than worth the investment. A good night’s sleep will allow you to recover and enjoy your next day of hiking, and a bad one will leave you tired, sore, and cranky!
Backpacking Mistake #3 Hiking Out Of Shape:
I was no-neck-ed at this phase of my life, spending a ton of time weightlifting and avoiding cardio like the plague, so when I had to do an aerobic activity like hiking 10+ miles a day, I was in pain.
After just one mile, I asked how much longer we had to go, and when I heard ten more miles. I was devastated my precious biceps were doing me no good here!
Next lesson, you need to be in the proper shape for the distances you plan on hiking. The proper shape means good aerobic fitness. Activities such as running, long walks, or cycling can help improve your endurance for a long hiking trip. Don’t be like me. Prepare for your hike, so your legs don’t hate you.
Backpacking Mistake #4 No Trekking Poles:
But this one was terrible because, before our trip, Joe explicitly asked me if I bought the hiking poles he recommended. I laughed at him and said, “what do I need to buy hiking poles for? I got two right here!” pointing to my legs.
Fast forward to just our second day of hiking, we are climbing a steep uphill section of the trail, and Joe sees me struggling with the ascent. Like any friend would do, he proceeded to let me know how dumb I am for not listening to him and then let me use one of his hiking poles.
Yep, I’m a knucklehead. But I have learned my lesson and now I wouldn’t dare go on a backpacking trip without my hiking poles. I recommend them for anyone going on a backpacking trip no matter their age or skill level. Hiking poles help you keep your balance, hike faster, and take a load off your knees.
Backpacking Mistake #5 No Camp Shoes:
The gear blunders continue. At the time, I didn’t even know what camp shoes were, so I sure as heck didn’t bring them on our trip. But boy, I wish I did!
After each day of hiking, all I wanted to do was get out of my boots and slip into some comfortable sandals. Alas, I didn’t bring camp shoes. So at the end of each day, I had to either walk around in the cold barefoot or keep my sore feet in the same boots I’ve been hiking in for the past 8 hours.
Get a pair of camp shoes. They are inexpensive and an essential.
I’m sure you can probably tell by now, but gear preparation is crucial for any backpacking trip. Check out some of my recommendations on my “Backpacking Gear Guide.”
Backpacking Mistake #6 No Chapstick:
I didn’t even imagine this could be an issue, and it may not be a big problem for most of you. But for me, it turns out once I start hitting higher elevation, my lips chap, BADLY.
I’m not talking about just some dry lips. Oh no, these puppies look like they were put through a meat grinder. My lips were so chapped that they were straight-up bleeding for three of the four days while we were hiking. It was very uncomfortable, and I do not recommend it.
After this trip, I never leave my house, let alone a backpacking trip without chapstick on me.
Backpacking Mistake #7 Overpacking:
If you read this far, you can see that I was pretty unprepared and forgot to bring a lot of necessary gear. Tommy’s biggest backpacking mistake was that he overpacked BIG-TIME.
Jeans, hairbrush, and hair gel are just a few of the absurd things Tom brought on this trip. He brought so many nice clothes hiking we thought he had a Tinder date in the woods. The worst part about this was that I had to carry his extra things that wouldn’t fit in his pack! I can’t complain too much though, seeing as I was squatting in his tent the entire trip.
But I digress, the point is when you are backpacking, you need to find the balance of bringing all of your essential gear but not overpacking to the point where your pack is too heavy, and your friend is stuck carrying your hair gel!
Backpacking Mistake #8 No GPS:
This was a mistake that all of us made. While we expected to encounter rain during our trek, we did not anticipate snow.
We encountered a blizzard on the top of a mountain pass during our trek, which completely covered the trail. After several attempts searching for the trail, we still could not find it. This situation quickly became dangerous as the footprints we made were getting covered by the snowfall as soon as we were making them.
Fortunately, we got lucky and finally stumbled onto the trail, but this is a situation where having a GPS device such as a Garmin watch would have been extremely helpful to help us navigate the snow-covered path.
Also, it is worth mentioning that If you find yourself in a situation where you are unable to pick up the trail confidently, it is a good idea to go back to your original path and head back. Safety should always be your number one priority whenever in the backcountry.
All In All Still A Fun Trip!
Believe it or not, despite all of these mishaps and uncomfortable moments, my first backpacking trip was still an incredible experience. While I did forget many important things on my first adventure, I did not forget a positive attitude!
It’s corny, but I always like comparing hiking as a metaphor for life. There will always be difficult moments, but if you take the time to appreciate the beauty around you, it becomes way more enjoyable.
If you are new to backpacking and want to learn some of the basics to avoid many of the pitfalls I ran into, you should check out my article “How To Start Backpacking A Beginners Guide By A City Boy.”
