Tip 1: How to Choose What to Pack Gather all the items you plan to bring, put them in one room, and imagine them all packed in your bag. Wow—time for the first rule: don’t bring anything if you’re not sure you need it. This will make your pack much more compact.
Tip 2: How to Pack Your Bag Place lighter gear at the bottom and heavier items on top. Since people naturally lean slightly forward when walking, this keeps the weight on your hips rather than your shoulders. At the bottom, put your sleeping bag (use a stuff sack or wrap it in plastic to keep it dry if you fall in water or your canoe takes on water). Then add clothes you won’t need that day: underwear, socks, down jackets, etc. Next is your sleeping pad—it should go inside the bag, not tied to the outside. Then place your tent and rainfly. After that, add cooking gear: stove, fuel, pot, cup, spoon, water filter, and first aid kit. Then—near the top—your food. Weather-appropriate clothing goes on top. Finally, tighten the drawstrings.
Tip 3: Keep Your Pack Tall and Slim Not short and wide. That’s what those backpack compression straps are for—tighten them, use your knees to press them down (just don’t damage the contents), and pack efficiently.
Tip 4: Avoid Swinging Items Things that dangle and swing as you walk waste energy. What about those cute little pouches on your belt or shoulder straps? They’re actually heavy burdens. When you need sunscreen or film, it doesn’t take much time to grab them from an upper pocket in your pack. The only exception is pepper spray—it should be within easy reach.
Tip 5: Keep All Your Food in Waterproof Bags When you hide supplements away from animals at night, you won’t have to search around for loose items. For lunch and snacks, wrap them separately in plastic bags inside your food sack so you can easily grab them during breaks.
Tip 6: Keep Your Water Bottle Inside the Pack Don’t hang it from your waistband—it’ll get hot in the sun.
Tip 7: Insect Repellent Spray some on the back of your neck and any exposed skin. During bug season, also spray your socks and the bottoms of your pants, since bugs often crawl up from low vegetation rather than from trees. Spray a bit on the back of your hand (not your palm), then rub it on your face. Sounds odd, but it helps keep pests away from your eyes. Also spray a little under the brim of your hat.
Arrival
Tip 8: Relax, But Maintain a Rhythm Start slowly to warm up your body, then find your own pace.
Tip 9: Arrive Early No matter where you’re going, try to arrive by noon, and secure your campsite before others show up. You’ll have plenty of time to set up your tent and dry your sleeping bag before bedtime. You can take a nap, go for a stroll, explore the area, or simply sit with a cup of tea, enjoying the beautiful scenery.
Tip 10: Keep Everyone Together
Tip 11: When You’re Feeling Tired, You’re Also Hungry and Thirsty So while resting, replenish food and water (happily, of course). Don’t wait until your body reacts negatively before taking care of these needs.
Bathroom Breaks
Tip 12: Don’t Drink Tea at Night Most teas, even decaffeinated ones, can make you wake up in the middle of the night to pee.
Tip 13: Use a Urinal
Tip 14: Store Used Toilet Paper in Ziploc Bags For those three urgent needs, it’s best to wrap waste in old paper and store it in a zippered bag. Dispose of it at the next waste site (fire pit or makeshift latrine) instead of burying it. Animals love digging up human waste (ahem!) and scattering the paper.
Tip 15: Do You Really Need a Campfire? I rarely make one. And it’s best not to have campfires in the wild. If we don’t light fires, the wood remains to support wildlife—organisms that serve as food for higher-level species in the food chain. Making a fire means gathering wood, starting the flame, getting smoke in your eyes, and then going to sleep smelling like smoke. But if you’re cold and wet, a fire might be necessary. Or if there’s something important to discuss around the fire that evening. (to be continued)
Tip 16: Got GPS? Where are you? How far have you gone? How fast? What places have you passed? When will it get dark? Questions like these are better answered with a GPS than a compass.
Tip 17: Where to Buy Maps? Big bookstores, specialty stores, or look online.
Tip 18: Many maps lack detailed features. That’s when GPS comes in handy to pinpoint your exact location. You can also lend it to friends later.
Tip 19: Check the Data When your GPS loads a map, don’t forget to set it up properly.
Tip 20: Ditch the Bear Bell Bears can hear bells from much farther away than you think. Try using your voice more than constant bell ringing.
Tip 21: Contact Lenses Before, I always wore glasses while traveling, putting up with frames, friction, and fogging. Not anymore—I now use contact lenses that can last up to three months without needing a replacement.
Tip 22: What You Don’t Need Toothpaste (but you do need a toothbrush and floss). A bar of soap (a bit of dishwashing liquid works too). A towel (air-drying is fine). Folding lunchboxes and mirrors.
Food
Tip 23: Snacks and Lunch High-energy cereal bars, beef jerky, cheese, crackers, dried fruit, cheese, steamed buns, jam, peanut oil, candy bars. Avoid sardines and canned foods—they can easily make a mess. Honey is also not recommended.
Tip 24: Dinner Instant soups and noodles, along with some dehydrated foods. All are packaged and require no further cooking. When adding water, pour a bit more than the instructions suggest, as these foods are quite absorbent. They all contain vegetables, are easy to carry, and have a long shelf life. Remember: double portions of dehydrated food are only enough to satisfy one person’s hunger.
Tip 25: Breakfast with Beans and Rice Put instant black beans or black-eyed peas into a cup, mix with an equal amount of instant rice, add some salad and a few pieces of cheese in a small plastic bottle. Top it off with some cornflakes. You’ll have a very tasty breakfast that provides enough energy for the next few hours.
Tip 26: Use the Pot Only for Water I only use my pot to boil water, which I then pour into instant soups, bean-rice mixes, hot chocolate, etc. This reduces oil usage, and there’s no need for a special clean-up afterward.
Tip 28: The Only Utensils You Need Are a Cup and a Spoon Unless you’re like me and eat some mushy stuff, you’ll need a knife and fork, a Teflon-coated pan, and many other items.
Tip 28: Using a Gas Stove
Tip 29: Stick to the Familiar Path If you find a trail you like, don’t forget to occasionally return to the main path, or you could easily get lost.
Sleeping
Tip 30: Find a Good Spot Because it’s hard to sleep in the wild or at high altitudes, one solution is to take a bit more sleeping pills.
Tip 31: Wear a Warm Hat Even if I’m not bald, I wear one. Wearing thin gloves also helps.
Tip 32: Use Earplugs The various sounds of the wilderness—or even someone else’s snoring—can make it hard to sleep, so consider using earplugs.
Tip 33: Best Camping Spots a. Flat and dry b. Close to a stream or lake for easy water access c. Well above the waterline to prevent flooding at night d. In the woods—shelter from wind and space to tie up a rainfly, but avoid dead trees that might fall e. Tents spaced apart to avoid being kept awake by others’ snoring f. Near toilet facilities for convenience and hygiene g. Away from lights and noise h. With the people you like, in the place you like
Essentials
Tip 34: What a Group of Four Needs for Seven Days 1 stove, 6 stove stands, 2 pots, 1 tarp, 1 water filter, 1 water bag, 1 topographic map, 1 multi-tool, 1 first aid kit, 1 nature history book, 1 outdoor book, 1 GPS, 1 compass, 2 ropes for hanging food, 1 shovel for digging a simple latrine.
Tip 35: 14 Personal Essentials 1 whistle, 1 Swiss Army knife, lighter, headlamp, food, water, wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, small first aid kit, handkerchief (for wiping and bandaging), clothing for bad weather, medications (don’t rely on others), toilet paper.
Tip 36: Compass? Feel free to bring one, but not many people know how to use it properly.
Tip 37: Umbrella In light rain, this British habit can still come in handy. You can get a small one that clips onto your backpack, keeping your bag dry and freeing up your hands. (Personally, I recommend a rain jacket over an umbrella.)
Tip 38: Spend as Much as You Can on Your Tent You get what you pay for. Remember what a famous explorer once said: in the mountains, the best is just barely good enough.
Tip 39: Keep the Tent Door Open at Night Closing the tent door can cause condensation inside, and water droplets may form on your sleeping bag. In summer, bring a 0°C sleeping bag, keep air circulating, and of course, use a mosquito net (especially in mountainous areas).
Tip 40: Bring a Tarp I always carry a 7x9-foot tarp. Tie a 12-inch rope to each corner (four in total), and use a 30-inch rope tied between two trees as a ridgepole.
Tip 41: How to Dress Smart dressing: 1. Soft nylon T-shirts that feel like cotton but are more comfortable 2. Odorless POLYPRO underwear 3. Pants with a zip in the middle 4. Waterproof pants with a zip at the bottom to cover your shoes 5. Women’s sports tops (for women) 6. Fleece jacket 7. Hat with strings 8. Waterproof shoes
Tip 42: Clumsy Dressing 1. Jeans (terrible when wet) 2. Odor-causing POLYPRO underwear 3. Any tight clothing 4. Pants with tight cuffs—good for rock climbing, not hiking
Tip 43: Rain Gear Wearing a thick fleece layer is helpful. When it rains, I always put on a fleece jacket, and in heavy rain, I wear a tweed coat. Sure, I’ll sweat, but the fleece wicks it away and keeps me warm.
Tip 44: Gore-Tex Socks Wear a pair of Gore-Tex socks over your regular socks to ensure your feet stay dry.
Tip 45: Boil, Treat, or Filter When you boil water, most harmful organisms are killed. So you don’t need to filter it specially or boil it for five minutes. I personally use filtered water rather than chemically treated water, although chemically treated water is better and reduces the weight of filters.
Tip 46: Use a Water Bag to Fetch Water from Streams Instead of Carrying a Pot A good water bag is light and can hold 10–20 liters of water.
Tip 47: If You Have to Use Water for Washing in the Wild Take the water to your campsite instead of bringing your gear to the water. The same goes for washing your face, brushing your teeth, or showering. {This is important to avoid polluting the entire water source. If we wash onshore, the water seeps into the ground, gets naturally filtered, and returns to the water much cleaner.} When you find a perfect spot...
Tip 48: Use it as your campsite morning routine—lay out yesterday’s clothes and sleeping bag when you wake up, then head out. When you return, you can enjoy a good sleep. {Of course, make sure the weather doesn’t turn bad.}
Tip 49: Traveling with Kids
Tip 50: Take a moment to reflect on how much time you spend indoors—in a season-less office, by the phone, in front of the computer. Then think about how long it’s been since you’ve been away from all that. So spend half an hour or an hour each day enjoying what you’ve worked hard to get. Relax in a place of breathtaking scenery, and as a famous Canadian naturalist once said: sit quietly in the natural world, forget that you are there, and you will see, hear, and feel things that amaze and delight you. That’s when you’ll know you’re home.
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