I have a complicated relationship with backpacking. A pure passion for nature and a committed love for exercise are not the primary fuels for my drive to tackle the wilderness. Nor am I motivated by a craving for adventure–which I certainly have–since there are far easier ways to satisfy that impulse. Although I find it fulfilling to conquer the challenges backpacking offers, it is not the sole or even primary reason I persist in hitting the trail. The connection goes deeper than those things.
It’s an opportunity to disconnect from technology and reconnect with simplicity, to find inspiration in the rhythmic steps, the dramatic setting, and the changing light. The breathtaking settings, rustling leaves, and cascading waterfalls lead to reflective moments of quiet that spark creativity. Days filled with continuous activity and challenge lead to nights of long, dreamless sleep from which I feel rested despite sleeping on the ground. Mixing physical exertion and natural splendor provides a unique state of bliss, where each effort has a direct, immediate reward.
Backpacking isn’t all satisfaction and enjoyment. There’s also an element of drudgery that comes from relentless walking, especially in the heat, uphill, where shade is limited. Less interesting sections of trail become a feat of mental and physical endurance to complete, at the end of which I feel accomplished but not pleased. The tediousness of the frequent sock changes to prevent blisters and unavoidable frustration when, despite these efforts, the blisters arrive anyway. The repetitive nature of setting up camp each night and breaking down the next morning. The test of patience brought on by being chased by clouds of relentless, hungry mosquitos. These more challenging moments make me question my sanity in undertaking this odd hobby, even though I know I’ll rush to do it again at the next opportunity.
One of the more surprising aspects of backpacking is the curious questions posed by non-backpackers. When I cross someone carrying my pack or speak of my plans, it inevitably leads to some amusing (and invasive!) questions. Answering these questions is almost always entertaining, as is watching the comical reactions to the answers I give.
Given that our friends and readers are not accustomed to backpacking, I wanted to give them a taste of this lifestyle by sharing the most commonly asked questions and their answers below.
Q) Where do you poop?
A) So you would think people would sort of ease into asking this one, warm up a bit with some less personal questions before doubling back to a question about poop. But they don’t! Most people start with this stunning opener.
The short answer is in the woods.
The longer answer is in a hole in the woods. The first step is to find a spot 70-100 feet from trails, campsites, and water sources. Next, a little spade is used to dig a 6-8-inch-deep hole. Then poop in the hole. Cover it up. Use the t.p. that you’ve carried with you, then place it in your garbage bag, along with any wilderness wipes or other hand cleaning materials. Finish by using a bit of hand sanitizer.
You now may wonder how someone goes about this in the open, but privacy isn’t an issue since it’s unlikely anyone will wander far enough from the trail to interrupt your pooping. Squatting isn’t a problem since walking all day should have strengthened your thighs. Actually, it feels like a pleasant stretch at times…
Q) Do you shower? Don’t you smell bad?
A) Yes and no. Or at least I think I smell like soap and sunscreen.
No organized facilities, such as campgrounds with amenities, are available in the backcountry. Instead, you can swim, or if you’re looking for more of a wash, use biodegradable soap to have a bath. Depending on the regulations where I am backpacking, I might do this in directly the water (Grand Canyon) or using a camp sink 100 feet from the water (Yosemite). On the trail, I take a bath daily. It refreshes both my mind and body. It’s also nice to wash off bug spray and sunscreen before heading into the tent.
I also use the camp sink to wash clothes. It isn’t a washing machine quality wash, but a wash in the camp sink keeps clothes smelling fresh.
Q) Where do you sleep?
A) In the small, lightweight tent I’m carrying in my backpack. The tent doesn’t have the expansive space offered by tents used for car camping but sleeps two people comfortably. I also carry a lightweight air mattress, sleeping bag, and set of camping sheets. My backpacking sleep set up is more comfortable than the one I have for car camping and then what I’ve experienced in plenty of hotels. Few realize how comfortable backpacking can be…
Q) What do you eat? Are you worried about bears?
A) I have a small, lightweight backpacking stove and a set of ultra-light pots and plates. I eat a mix of dehydrated backpacking food, food from the grocery store, and dried fruit and nuts. A lot of dehydrated backpacking food tastes reasonably to very good, but also it is also horrendously expensive. The grocery store has plenty of food that works for a backpacking trip, especially if I repack it to take less space. Annie’s Macaroni and Cheese is one of my trail favorites, as are banana chips dipped in Nutella. These aren’t things I eat at home, but after hiking all day, they’re tasty, convenient, and calorific.
Because I frequently hike in bear-populated areas, I use a bear cannister to store all my food and scented items. The game of Jenga to fit everything into the cylinder is annoying, but it beats the aggravation of a bear stealing my food. Overnight, I store the cannister 50-75 ft away, downwind from the tent. This is where I prepare all my food and eat my meals.
I’ve never come across a bear while backpacking, even though I would like to see one at a (safe) distance.
Q) What do you drink?
A) Water! I prefer to hike in places that have both trees and rivers or lakes, for the beauty provided by those settings, and the practicality of having easy access to shade and water. Any route I plan will include passing lots of streams or lakes. This clear, cold, delicious fresh water is better than tap or bottled water. All I have to do is filter it, using a squeeze filter system that is popular with backpackers. The filter is even useful for longer day hikes since it reduces the amount of water I have to carry.
With the squeeze filter, it only takes a minute or two to fill a 1.5-liter water bottle. I also carry electrolyte powder to add to the water. Hiking in heat causes the loss of electrolytes, such as salt, potassium, and magnesium through sweating. To maintain hydration, I replace electrolytes by adding solutions to filtered water.
A lot of hiking foods and snacks are salty, so it is possible to replace electrolytes without electrolyte powder. But I don’t care for salty foods and find that I feel better if I also consume a couple of electrolyte packs mixed with water per day.
Q) What about garbage? What do you do with that?
A) For me, this is the grossest part of backpacking, especially when the weather is warm.
Backpackers carry in everything they need and carry out all the garbage they generate. When I am packing for a trip, I pack as best as I can to minimize the garbage generated on the trail, knowing I’ll be carrying it out with me.
I pack garbage into sandwich sized strong, resealable plastic bags, which I then place in larger gallon bags for added protection. Unfortunately, because of the bears, I have to store the garbage inside the bear cannister overnight. I do my best to keep garbage away from the food and will bag it as many times as needed to eliminate the risk of contaminating my food. But despite this, I still find the idea of garbage in the same cannister as food gross.
Sometimes I’m lucky enough to pass a day hiking area and can dispose of our garbage in a trashcan. If I have a fire and have paper garbage that is suitable for burning, I will use it to start our fire.
An advantage of backpacking meals is that they come in sturdy, resealable bags. The rehydrated meal is eaten directly out of the bag. Those bags make excellent inner garbage bags inside which I can pack messier garbage, such as wrappers with melted chocolate. I then place that bag can go into a resealable plastic bag. The downside of these meals is that they produce larger, heavier garbage than grocery store meals.
Q) Is it hard to carry that backpack? How far are you going with it?
A) It’s harder to hike with a backpack than without one. When loaded with food, the pack weighs 25-30 pounds, and most of that weight sits on my hips. So I feel it mostly in my thighs, especially when going up or down hill. When I’m tired, I find a shady spot and take a break.
Like any sport, with enough training and practice, it gets easier, and the body adapts to it. Wearing a sturdy pair of hiking shoes is a must and having a suitable set of hiking polls also helps.
I hike 8-15 miles a day, depending on heat, elevation changes, camping spot availability, and the route. On the trail, I’ve met people who aim for 20-30 miles a day and others who tap out at 6 miles. The most important thing is to have an overall route and daily distance goal that I can manage with my pack.
Q) What do you do at night?
A) I sleep! In my predeparture frenzy of ambition, I will pack a book and notebook, certain I will read and write a journal. The reality is that most nights I’m too tired to do those things. After a day of hiking, I can easily sleep for 10-11 hours.
I aim to stop to camp between 5:30-7 pm. It takes 45 minutes to set up camp. Then I have dinner, do the dishes, and swim or bathe. By the time all of that is done, it’s 8 pm or later, and that leaves me just about 10 hours to sleep. I need every minute of that sleep!
Q) Is it lonely? Scary?
A) Fewer people backpack compared to day hiking, but I have never gone an entire day without crossing someone. On the lower end, I encounter 6-12 people in a day, and on the higher end, over 50. Friendly backpackers often stop to exchange information or engage in small talk on the trail. It’s a good excuse for a quick break.
The scariest part of backpacking for me is worrying about bee and hornet stings. I have severe bee and hornet allergies and, as a result, always carry a couple of EpiPens. If I get stung, it is likely I won’t be able to walk until the reaction subsides. I might need to be rescued. So I also carry a lot of Benadryl, ibuprofen, a satellite beeper, and a first aid kit. And I do everything I can do to avoid bees.
Otherwise, I don’t find backpacking any scarier than camping or day hiking.
Q) Do you tire of sitting on the ground?
A) I sure would, if that’s what I did. I carry a lightweight backpacking chair, which provides the humble luxury of a soft, elevated place to sit. My backpacking chair isn’t as sturdy or comfortable as a normal camping chair, but it is better than sitting on the ground. The bear cannister makes for an excellent, sturdy dining table. It is also designed to function as a chair, but I find sitting on it less comfortable compared to sitting on the ground or a rock.
Q) What about the temperature? Are you too hot? Too cold?
A) I’m not any hotter or colder than you would expect for an outdoor activity. It comes down to planning and packing.
In the heat, I prefer to hike in long sleeve and full-length lightweight hiking shirts and pants, to protect my skin from the sun. I also find that I am more comfortable when the sun is beating on a loose, light colored piece of fabric rather than directly on my skin. The long sleeves and pants also have the added benefit of protecting my skin from scratches and scrapes from rocks and bushes and from insects.
Once the sun sets, the temperature drops off. In the mountains, I carry a beanie and the base layer of pants and a shirt that I use for skiing, which I can then layer under my hiking clothes. I also carry a lightweight but warm puffy jacket.
I don’t plan backpacking trips in the desert or other low shade and low water environments because I don’t enjoy spending the night outside in these places.
Q) You aren’t making this sound like a lot of fun. It sounds like a lot of work. Why do you do it?
A) And now we’re back to the unanswerable question which starts both this post and every one of my backpacking trips. The honest answer is that I’m not sure.
There isn’t a single factor that motivates me to go backpacking, but a combination of several things that, when taken together, keep me venturing out. I have a desire to seek inspiration and awe through the experience of overcoming challenges and seeing wilderness locations with my own eyes. There’s a shift in perspective that happens in this deep, unconnected quiet, an almost meditative state that is difficult to find in daily life in the middle of a bustling city. There is a mental and physical resilience that comes from finishing a backpacking trip, akin to a long-lasting runner’s high, which is more than a little addictive. And the trail itself offers a stretch of possibility, where we know the beginning and end, but the details of the journey in between.
