Backpacker's Start-Up: A Beginners Guide to Hiking and Backpacking
By Doug Werner
3/5
()
About this ebook
Read more from Doug Werner
Boxing Mastery: Advanced Technique, Tactics, and Strategies from the Sweet Science Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boxing's Ten Commandments: Essential Training for the Sweet Science Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boxer's Start-Up: A Beginners Guide to Boxing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Skateboarding: Book of Tricks Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fencer's Start-Up: A Beginner's Guide to Fencing Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Surfer's Start-Up: A Beginner's Guide to Surfing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5No Holds Barred Fighting: The Ultimate Guide to Submission Wrestling Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5More No Holds Barred Fighting: Killer Submissions Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Sailor's Start-Up: A Beginner's Guide to Sailing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Skateboarder's Start-Up: A Beginner's Guide to Skateboarding Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Skateboarding: Legendary Tricks Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLongboarder's Start-Up: A Guide to Longboard Surfing Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Beautiful Soccer: Creating Passion and Confidence in Young Players Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBowler's Start-Up: A Beginner's Guide to Bowling Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMud, Guts & Glory: Tips & Training for Extreme Obstacle Racing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Willie Pep vs. Sandy Saddler: Notes on the Boxing Legends and Epic Rivalry Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Torn: A Simple Guide to ACL Tears and Healing for Girls Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSnowboarder's Start-Up: A Beginners Guide to Snowboarding Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGolfer's Start-Up: A Beginner's Guide to Golf Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related to Backpacker's Start-Up
Related ebooks
A Backpacker's Guide to Making Every Ounce Count: Tips and Tricks for Every Hike Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Pocket Outdoor Survival Guide: The Ultimate Guide for Short-Term Survival Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCamping 101!: A Beginners Guide with Campfire Recipes and Hacks That Will Make Your Adventure Fun!: Camping and Backpacking Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Honest Backpacker: A Practical Guide for the Rookie Adventurer Over 50 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWilderness Wisdom: 25 Life Lessons from the Landscape Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Complete Guide to Surviving In the Wilderness: Everything You Need to Know to Stay Alive and Get Resuced Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBushcraft: The Ultimate Bushcraft 101 Guide To Survive In The Wilderness Like A Pro Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWinter in the Wilderness: A Field Guide to Primitive Survival Skills Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Badass Survival Secrets: Essential Skills to Survive Any Crisis Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bushcraft : 101 Bushcraft Survival Skill Box Set Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Pocket Guide to Camping Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAdvanced Bushcraft: An Expert Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Backpacking Hacks: Camping Tips for Outdoor Adventures Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTrail-er Trash: Thoughts On an Appalachian Trail Thru-hike Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Thru-Hikers Secret: Wisdom from a Two-Time, Joyful Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Bivouac Handbook (A No-Nonsense Guide to Austere Wildnerness Camping) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBushcraft :101 Bushcraft Survival Skill Box Set: The Blokehead Success Series Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summit Mt. Whitney Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Wilderness Survival: Basic Safety for Outdoor Adventures Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Backpacker's Handbook, 4th Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Camping in the Old Style Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Pendleton Field Guide to Camping Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSurviving Out of Your Backpack: A Guide to Survival Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Sports & Recreation For You
The Knot Bible: The Complete Guide to Knots and Their Uses Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga: The Philosophy and Practice of Yin Yoga Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBen Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Guide to Improvised Weaponry: How to Protect Yourself with WHATEVER You've Got Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ultimate BodyWeight Workout: Transform Your Body Using Your Own Body Weight Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The Vegetarian Athlete's Cookbook: More Than 100 Delicious Recipes for Active Living Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Pocket Guide to Essential Knots: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Most Important Knots for Everyone Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRugby For Dummies Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding: The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revis Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Anatomy of Strength and Conditioning: A Trainer's Guide to Building Strength and Stamina Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It Takes What It Takes: How to Think Neutrally and Gain Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ultimate Survival Medicine Guide: Emergency Preparedness for ANY Disaster Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Breathing Book: 11 Exercises to Increase Relaxation, Reduce Stress, and Improve Physical Performance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Arthur: The Dog who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Peak: The New Science of Athletic Performance That is Revolutionizing Sports Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Spartan Way: Eat Better. Train Better. Think Better. Be Better. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons And Teachings From A Lifetime In Golf Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Am I Doing?: 40 Conversations to Have with Yourself Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Take Your Eye Off the Ball 2.0: How to Watch Football by Knowing Where to Look Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5How Champions Think: In Sports and in Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Getting to Neutral: How to Conquer Negativity and Thrive in a Chaotic World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Field Guide to Knots: How to Identify, Tie, and Untie Over 80 Essential Knots for Outdoor Pursuits Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBody by Science: A Research Based Program to Get the Results You Want in 12 Minutes a Week Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tiger Woods Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for Backpacker's Start-Up
3 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Backpacker's Start-Up - Doug Werner
B
Acknowledgements
Kathleen Wheeler
Phyllis Carter
Jim Clinkscales
Mark Suchomel
Lynn’s Photo
ColorType
Alison Thatcher
Tammy Parsons
Bookcrafters
Jim Waide
Alan Lachica
Preface
Plan for fun
Like any active pursuit outside the workplace, backpacking is supposed to be fun and challenging. Surviving horrible situations make for good stories, but it’s the pleasure of accomplishment and the pure joy of being outdoors that we’re concerned with here. Planning and preparation are key. With them your backpacking goals are reasonably attainable. Without them you’ll be hating life. And you’ll never go back.
Image C: Just seven miles into a 45-mile hike.
Image D: Getting off outdoors.
Introduction
Rewards
Image E
The ultimate antidote to modern living is the outdoors. Natural surroundings speak of beauty, eternity and true origins. There’s an ageless order that sorts out the mundane and creates a primary perspective.
Simply put, it’s a place to become recharged and refreshed. It’s more than that, but it’s difficult to describe very well because the spiritual refurbishment sounds like religion. And that misses the mark. For folks who allow themselves to know, the natural world is an enormously comforting place to be. Comforting to know how great it is and how small we are in it.
Roving about in a natural place yields a number of rewards: physical challenge, wondrous sights, breathing sweet and fresh air, sharing space with wild creatures. Moments you take back and cherish in your mind one thousand times. The profound satisfaction of self-reliant behavior runs deep. Tiny triumphs feel Olympic. Like lighting a match in damp weather. Character is built and rebuilt in a place that demands every moment of your attention. And that you succeed. (Image F)
Image F
Backpacker’s Start-Up is an introduction to this roving about for modern people. Hiking and camping in the wild requires an attitude and a load of preparation. This book covers the essential gear, preparations, precautions and techniques required for dayhiking and short backpacking trips. Stuff is straight to the point and backed with insightful first hand experiences that beginners can relate to easily.
Chapter One:
Getting started the right way: Dayhikes
My wife and I dayhiked for years. Scores of hikes of various distances over different terrain in all kinds of weather. Before we ever considered backpacking, we were accustomed to the pounding in our joints and the utter weariness of occasionally hiking too long and far. We knew the importance of hiking with essential gear because we had suffered without a time or two. (Image 1.1)
Image 1.1: Not another soul around.
Our hikes averaged around 10 miles, but there were times we covered up to 20 in a day. Three times we hiked from 5,000 feet to 10,000 feet (and back) covering more than 16 miles. With friends I hiked up and down Mt. Whitney (14, 494 feet) in a day and that’s a 22-mile journey.
Hiking in and out while the sun’s up defines dayhiking. You need little beyond proper footwear, clothing and water to enjoy a complete escape into nature. Your dayhiking experiences can be so fulfilling that you may never feel the need to camp. Once you’ve developed as a hiker, 10-, 15-, even 20-mile excursions are very doable in a day. You’ll reach (and come back from!) those places that you once only dreamed of or saw on the nature channels.
If your ultimate goal is to pack it in for days on end, dayhiking is where you begin and develop.
The physical challenge
Dayhiking will get you used to the physical and mental requirements needed for tromping over miles of natural terrain. You’ll use certain muscles to go up and different muscles to go down. You’ll feel the pounding in hips, knees, ankles and feet. Although we all walk everyday, most don’t do it in five-mile chunks over hill and dale. Like any new physical activity your body will complain the next day or two after a hike, but you will grow accustomed to the new exercise over time. (Image 1.2)
Image 1.2: Trees, trees, trees! Nature is so boring!
The right mind set
Hiking, of course, isn’t like driving a car. It may take an hour to travel only two or three miles. For most modern people it’s Really Slowing Down, this hiking business. Some become annoyed and bored with mere plodding and what seems to be an unchanging setting (if you’ve seen one tree, you’ve seen them all!). The joy of hiking may take time to discover. It’s not often a rush or a thrill. A hiker needs to develop patience as well as leg strength and stamina. Patience for what? I can almost hear certain readers exclaim. Well, that’s for you to discover for yourself. (Image 1.3 and Image 1.4)
Image 1.3: Typical daypack.
Image 1.4: Fanny pack.
Daypack and essential gear
Image 1.5: Absolutely, always, never forget.
Carry what you need in a small day-pack or fanny pack. Even with overkill, the loaded pack shouldn’t weigh much more than a very manageable 10 pounds. Anything under 20 pounds can be comfortably sup-ported by your shoulders. There are a number of simple, quality daypacks to choose from. There are models with hip belts as well. Consider using a fanny pack for light loads. This is a very small pack that simply buckles around the waist. (Image 1.6)
Image 1.6: What to pack for a short, warm weather dayhike: Pullover, energy bar, map, poncho, water, tissue and Ziploc.