Backpacking

This is one of my favorite subjects & although I research everything that I participate in or try to excel at, backpacking is probably the one thing that I am the most knowledgeable on. I research all the new products, read reviews, do my own testing & always try to keep in mind, weight, efficiency, pack size, necessity & durability. I have made all the typical mistakes when backpacking & some of those mistakes have been very costly, both physically & monetarily.
There are a few rules to follow which are always important & if you follow those rules, you will be as prepared as possible for a great experience. If you aren't prepared, you could have the worst experience of your life & in many cases people who aren't prepared have died.
(1) Always pick hikes that you are physically able to do (2) Never hike alone (3) Know where you are going & let others know where you are going (4) Only take what you need because more isn't better when hiking or backpacking (5) prepare for the unexpected. The mountains offer a an entirely different set of potential problems than the desert, the foothills have different dangers than the high peaks & wetlands have different problems than coastlines.
If you are doing a day hike under 8 miles or an overnight backpacking trip under 4 miles, you really don't have much to worry about if you have checked the weather, are in ok physical shape, are hydrated & are on a well marked trail. If you are this close to a road, you will probably not go far without seeing people which can help you if needed because most people stay within a comfort zone when hiking & that means they don't stray to far from the roads. The unfortunate thing is that the people you meet close to roads are usually a lot different than those you meet, far down the trail. The people who stay close to roads are less likely to appreciate the beauty or the magnitude of what they are experiencing while those who venture farther down the trail will be there for the challenge, the beauty or the experience & had to work for that experience. These people are friendlier because they know you have endured the same pains & overcome the same challenges, it is almost like seeing a friend, one you have shared life experiences with & enjoy sharing those experiences.
I have learned far more by talking to long distance hikers than I have ever learned in books, on tv or in outdoor equipment stores. As in the rest of life, there are people who think they know it all & are full of crap, so choose carefully when taking advice from somebody who appears to talk a lot but have very little actual experience. This is what happened to the Donner party & after trusting somebody they didn't know & believing his lies, they were trapped in the Sierras by Truckee & this became one of the most tragic survival stories in American history.
I will be discussing survival tips, backpacking & hiking tips & some of the hikes I have been on during future posts so if this stuff interests you as it does me, we can share experiences.