How to Prepare for a Backpacking Trip
We went on our first multi-day backpacking trip at the end of April. We spent four days hiking 30 miles of the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain to Neels Gap. We loved the challenge and simply being out on the trail enjoying nature.
We spent a lot of time researching and preparing for the hike, so we wanted to compile everything we learned here!
Determine where you want to hike
The first step is figuring out what trail draws you in. There are many popular trails in the United States like the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, John Muir Trail, Colorado Trail, etc. There are also international options like Patagonia’s O Circuit or the Italy/Switzerland Matterhorn Trek.
We decided to hike the Appalachian Trail because we’d always been interested in the terrain. It was also easy for us to get to because of the option of a direct flight into Atlanta.
Figure out how far you want to hike
A couple questions to ask yourself:
How many days can I take off to hike?
How many miles can I realistically do in a day with a full pack?
How will the terrain impact how far I can go each day?
We recommend starting off small if you’re just beginning backpacking. We decided to hike for four days because it felt attainable. We also estimated that we could hike 7-10 miles each day. We knew we could learn from this first hike and get back out there for a longer trip after we tested it out.
Plan how you will get there
Something to think about is how you will get to the start of your hike; will you drive yourself, can a friend drive you, or is there a shuttle service?
The Appalachian Trail’s southern terminus was overall easy to get to. We flew into Atlanta, rented a car, drove an hour and a half, and parked our car at Neels Gap. We then got a ride from Neels Gap back to Springer Mountain, where we would start.
There are also other options like shuttle services and personal drivers that will pick you up right at the airport.
Research if you need permits
While our section of the AT didn’t have any required permits, there are other sections that do. Do your research before hiking and make sure to plan when and where you will get the permits.
Determine what gear you’ll need and research
We spent a lot of time researching the right gear for us. Our research included making sure it was good quality, light-weight, and within our budget. We also researched what gear was required for our hike. The final five mile section of our hike required a bear canister to camp, so we made sure that was included in our gear.
Plan your hike
One of the biggest game changers was the app FarOut. We used it for planning and navigating our hike. Here are some highlights of the app:
Once you buy a section of the trail, you will have full access and can download the map, meaning you can use it when you don’t have service on the trail.
There are a ton of “waypoints” documented on the map. These include campsites, shelters, water sources, roads, etc.
You can plan where you’ll stay each night based off of your planned mileage. Each “waypoint” has the mileage documented.
Each waypoint also has a ton of other helpful information, like elevation, how close it is to the next water source, and reviews from other hikers. Fun fact: when we pulled up the Neels Gap waypoint, we saw reviews with people listing their phone number for shuttle rides. This is how we found our shuttle ride from Neels Gap to Springer Mountain. It was about $100 for an hour and a half ride.
After using FarOut to map out some options, we realized we didn’t have to do an out and back hike. Instead we planned for a straight hike from Springer Mountain to Neels Gap. If it wouldn’t have been for FarOut, we wouldn’t have known the mileage and that there was reliable parking at Neels Gap.
Another thing to keep in mind while planning your hike is if you’re flying in to figure out how you will bring items you can’t carry on. We decided to use a checked suitcase since we were renting a car. We put things like our hiking poles, knife, bear canister, and sleeping pads in the suitcase. We then packed up our gear the morning of and stored our suitcase in the trunk of our rental car.
Register your hike
To help with knowing trail/campsite capacity, check to see if you can register your hike. The Appalachian Trail has registration here. This allows you to make an itinerary to share with others and it will also show you the capacity of the campsite each night. It’s a good way to prevent overcrowding and to share knowledge.
Physically prepare for your hike
One of the harder preparations is physically getting ready. We started truly preparing about two months before. Some things to focus on are:
Slowly increase your backpack weight. We started off with just our backpacks and then slowly increased our weight by a couple pounds. We never fully got to our final weight of 25-30 pounds, but it’s definitely something we wish we would have done looking back.
Make sure to do a long hike with heavier weight. Your body will take some time to adjust to being on your feet for that long with that much weight.
Hike on back-to-back days. This will help you keep going even when you’re sore from the day before.
Learn the Leave No Trace Principles
Before any trip outdoors, familiarize yourself with the Leave No Trace principles. You can read more about these here.
Now that we have a bulk of the preparation done, we’re excited to continue backpacking and exploring new sections of the AT, as well as new trails. We’ll see you out on the trail!
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