Heather Balogh Rochfort - Backpacking 101

Thank you for downloading this Simon & Schuster ebook.

Get a FREE ebook when you join our mailing list. Plus, get updates on new releases, deals, recommended reads, and more from Simon & Schuster. Click below to sign up and see terms and conditions.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Already a subscriber? Provide your email again so we can register this ebook and send you more of what you like to read. You will continue to receive exclusive offers in your inbox.

We hope you enjoyed reading this Simon & Schuster ebook.

Get a FREE ebook when you join our mailing list. Plus, get updates on new releases, deals, recommended reads, and more from Simon & Schuster. Click below to sign up and see terms and conditions.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Already a subscriber? Provide your email again so we can register this ebook and send you more of what you like to read. You will continue to receive exclusive offers in your inbox.

Advance praise for Backpacking 101

Heather has put together a comprehensive guide to one of the most enjoyable and rewarding activities. Anyone could get started backpacking using this guide.

Adam Buchanan, social media marketer for ten years in the outdoor industry

Heather is more than just a powerhouse in the outdoor industryshe makes getting outside approachable for everyone. Her writing combines trustworthy expertise with punches of personality. Whether with her or guided by her words, Heather facilitates an inspiring outdoor experience for everyone who shares a trail with her.

Katie Bou, content producer for the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA)

With her combination of experience, expertise, and unbridled enthusiasm, Heather is the perfect guide to help anyone rookies to old hands get the most out of their outdoor adventures.

Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, Rocky Mountain editor for Backpacker magazine

Adams Media

An Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

57 Littlefield Street

Avon, Massachusetts 02322

www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright 2017 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Adams Media Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

First Adams Media trade paperback edition MAY 2017

ADAMS MEDIA and colophon are trademarks of Simon and Schuster.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or .

The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.

Interior design by Michelle Roy Kelly Interior images by Eric Andrews

Cover Images Istockphoto.com/Rapideye; 123RF/Marko Kujavic

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Rochfort, Heather Balogh, author.

Backpacking 101 / Heather Balogh Rochfort.

Avon, Massachusetts: Adams Media, 2017.

Includes index.

LCCN 2016056053 (print) | LCCN 2016057127 (ebook) | ISBN 9781440595882 (pb) | ISBN 9781440595899 (ebook)

LCSH: Backpacking--Handbooks, manuals, etc.

LCC GV199.6 .R65 2017 (print) | LCC GV199.6 (ebook) | DDC 796.51--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016056053

ISBN 978-1-4405-9588-2

ISBN 978-1-4405-9589-9 (ebook)

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Simon & Schuster, Inc., was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

Readers are urged to take all appropriate precautions before undertaking any how-to task. Always read and follow instructions and safety warnings for all tools and materials, and call in a professional if the task stretches your abilities too far. Although every effort has been made to provide the best possible information in this book, neither the publisher nor the author is responsible for accidents, injuries, or damage incurred as a result of tasks undertaken by readers. This book is not a substitute for professional services.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my husband, the best friend and human Ive ever known. Without his unwavering love, support, and early-morning coffee runs, who knows where this book would be!

To my parents and little sister: thank you for filling my early memories with cherished outdoor experiences. Its been more than twenty-five years since Melissa and I first learned while camping that a tree branch does not, in fact, suffice to unlock a car door. Im convinced these early wilderness lessons molded me into the person I am today, and I love you for it.

And to Tally, my wilderness adventure dog: thank you for always reminding me of how good life is, particularly on the trail.

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

Henry David Thoreau, American Poet and Naturalist

In its simplest terms, backpacking means hiking for more than a day while carrying your gear in a backpack. Everything you can possibly need goes into this backpack: food, shelter, clothing, water, cooking utensils, and medical supplies. Weight and space are at a premium since you can only bring what you can physically carry, and it is important to include the proper items. After all, realizing you forgot your dinner when youve come fifteen miles into the backcountry is less than ideal. Because of the weight you carry, in addition to the activity of hiking itself, the sport can be arduous, demanding, and occasionally uncomfortable.

So why do it?

Attaining a goal such as hiking twenty or thirty miles in the wilderness is frequently more satisfying when we have worked hard at it. I like to call this sweat equity. Laying eyes on an alpine sunset is far more rewarding knowing that you trekked ten miles and hauled twenty-five pounds of gear into the wilderness in order to witness that beauty. Wildflowers smell sweeter, sun rays feel warmer, and a mountain lake glistens brighter after a hike. As a backpacker, you will see these places with fresh eyes and a newfound appreciation. After all, not everyone gets the opportunity to see this mind-boggling scenery; only those who are willing to work for it will be rewarded.

There is a learning process that will allow you to become proficient at this activity. Of course, you could opt to learn through trial and errorjump off the couch now and hit the trail. I chose this route some fifteen years ago and, while painful, it was ultimately effective. But it could have been easier. Backpacking is a basic sportput one foot in front of the otherbut there is specific gear as well as a range of skills that will allow you to enjoy the hike. Knowing what gear to purchase and how to behave in the backcountry is merely the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

The goal of this book is to prepare you for your first backpacking trip so that it can be an enjoyable and worry-free experience. While written for the beginner backpacker, this book is also a great reference for people with practical knowledge of backpacking. It is based on years of experience, learned lessons, and mistakes. From the necessary gear and proper trail etiquette to the accepted Leave No Trace principles, this guide covers everything you will need to know before heading into the wild for the first time. My intention is to make backpacking more approachable and less intimidating for newcomers to the sport... and to save you from some of the many embarrassing mistakes I made along the way!