Layer One: Long Underwear:
Remember: dry skin = warm skin. However, this can be difficult to manage when you are also hiking up a steep trail with a heavy pack on your back. A healthy body perspires constantly to cool itself off. As the perspiration evaporates, it transfers excess heat away from your skin along with [...]

If you plan to do any winter camping, you will probably need to purchase or rent a bag designed specifically for that purpose. Many mountaineering bags are made of water-repellent nylon or Gore-tex on the outside, and have a special absorbent inner-liner that “wicks” perspiration and moisture away from the body. They are also made [...]

Before leaving for your trip make sure the pack you plan to use is adjusted to fit your body. If you have purchased or rented a backpack, do not leave the store until the salesperson checks and adjusts the pack for the proper fit. This needs to be done with the pack moderately weighted. Most [...]

If you prefer to create your own first aid kit, you need to learn what supplies are commonly needed and how to treat everything from blisters to broken bones. Fortunately, most of the problems people encounter on weekend backpacking trips are minor, involving maladies such as sprains, blisters, insect bites and upset stomachs. But if [...]

One of the most dangerous situations that can occur on a wilderness backpacking trip is getting lost in unfamiliar terrain. Usually, backpackers will get lost on a trip as they wander away from their camp for a day hike, in search of water, or to find a secluded place to go to the bathroom, and [...]