A backpacking trip can be a fun adventure to go on, whether you are by yourself or with others. Before heading out, however, you need to be sure that you are fully prepared for anything that can happen. Perhaps it will be a simple trip and nothing will go wrong. Chances are, though, that something might. Being out in the wilderness opens the door for all kinds of possible things to happen. Follow these tips for preparing for your backpacking trip to ensure you have a safe adventure.



Pack Lightly

When you go on a backpacking trip, you will be carrying your pack with you at all times. An overpacked bag will end up weighing you down, and be hard to carry for a long period of time. Be sure to pack what you need, but pack lightly. Just grab the essentials and don't worry about all the extra stuff. For example, you should for sure have a first-aid kit with you. Grab a small kit that contains the following:

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• Bandages

• Bug Spray

• Aspirin

• Burn Relief Pack

• Cleansing Pads

In case of an emergency where someone gets hurt, these items will be useful to have.



You should also take along a flashlight. You want to be sure you can see at night, particularly if you find yourself lost. Don't forget the extra batteries as well. You wouldn't want the batteries to die when you have no replacements. Also useful when you're lost is a compass. Bring one, and make sure beforehand that you know how to read it. Don't forget your food either. Pack protein bars and water to keep yourself energized.



Choose your clothing wisely. Figure out how many days you will be on your backpacking trip, and go from there. You can probably get away with wearing the same pair of pants that you have on if it will only be for a couple days. That just leaves a couple shirts, pairs of underwear, and some socks to pack. You can tie a sweatshirt around your waist for wearing if it gets cold. You could also get away with only packing one other outfit. Then, you could wash your clothes in any stream nearby and switch between the two outfits. It would save a lot of room in your bag, meaning less for you to carry.



Know How to Start a Fire

When you go backpacking, you are going to have to stop somewhere to rest. It is important that you know how to make a fire so you can keep warm at night. That also means you need to have the proper fire-starting equipment with you. Bring a pack of matches along, and you should be fine. It would also be good, however, to learn how to make a fire without matches. You might run out or lose them, and then you'd be out of luck. The most common way is taking a rock, quartz is the best, and striking it against something, such as another rock. Be sure you have your small sticks and dried moss or crumbled leaves ready to place the spark in. Striking a pocket knife against the rock is the best method.



As long as you prepare before your backpacking trip, you should be completely ready to go and have a safe adventure. Make sure you pack the necessary items, and learn how to start a fire and read a compass before you go. It is also important to let someone know that you're going, and where you'll be. You never want to be backpacking without someone knowing where you are.