Backpacking in the Wilderness

You can go hiking without backpacking but if you want to be out in the wilderness for a few days you absolutely need a good backpack to carry the items you will require for survival. Some people take only the bear minimums with them when they go on a trip like this because they know what to eat in the wild. So it depends on what type of wilderness camping you're able to do.

Wilderness Backpacking is really a combination of hiking, climbing and camping. It's the method by which a person goes into the wilderness and spends from one to several nights while carrying their supplies on their backs. These supplies will include what they require to eat, sleep and remain safe.

Backpackers who enjoy this sport will tell you that there truly is nothing like it. There are places you can see that you're only able to get to if you are prepared to hike to them. The wilderness is a magical place full of beauty. But this beauty cannot be seen to its fullest by driving through conservation parks and sticking to the sights you see from the roadways. You must be prepared to hike into rough country and live off what you carry on your back to truly see the wilderness.

This does not mean that there are not trails to follow. There will be. But there are also places that you will want to walk through without following trails that will bring you to areas that are untouched. There will be sights even the best photographers cannot do justice to. The only consideration on a trip like this is that you must have good survival skills for this kind of backpacking adventure. This kind of trip is not for the beginner and reading all the survival handbooks in the world will not change that.

If it's a wilderness trip you are prepared to go on then you must be an experienced backpacker and hiker. Someone who has spent years learning the skills needed, to safely go deeper into the wilderness, off the regular peopled trials where anything can go wrong and this will not endanger your life. The only way to be this proficient in wilderness backpacking is to spend a long time hiking with packs and learning those skills that will keep you safe.

A smart way to build up to being able to do this is to make sure you learn from skilled wilderness backpackers. As your skills on the trails improve try to join groups who are going on wilderness hikes. Learn from them. Over time you will find friends who share these same interests and be able to go in smaller groups deeper onto the wilderness. Eventually, and it will take years of learning, you will be able to go on your own, if that is your preference, and know that you will have the necessary skills, and the supplies in your backpack, to ensure a safe wilderness hike/campout.