Hiking bear/food bags buyer tips and hiking tips. Seek summer weather: Unless your destination is one where extreme heat or fire danger can be an issue, go in mid-summer to maximize daylight hours and your odds of comfortable conditions. Always check weather forecasts and don’t hesitate to cancel or turn back if a storm moves in. Consider “walk-in” campgrounds: Some state and national parks have campgrounds that are within a mile or so of a car campground. Staying in one of them is an excellent way to transition into backpacking.
Lowering backpack weight tip : Use Lithium batteries. They are more expensive, but last longer and weigh less. Go stoveless. There are plenty of non-cook, nutritious and tasty meal plans out there. Leaving the stove, cup, fuel and spork at home can save pounds. Tooth powder vs toothpaste. Yep, there is a “dehydrated toothpaste” and it makes a good substitute for the real thing on trail. See tooth powder recipes. Stuff the fluff manually. Leave extra sleeping bag compression sacks and tent bags at home. Instead, mash your sleeping bag and tent down by hand inside your bag. They will be more ‘flexible’ like this as well… not like an overly compressed ball. See more info on Custom Hiking Stuff Sacks Online Shopping.
Don’t hike in winter conditions unless you have experience doing so. Every year I see dozens of preventable hiker deaths in the winter. Hikers attempt a trail that’s straightforward in the summer, but in the winter becomes a mountaineering exercise. Don’t push yourself past your limits. Build your strength and distance in a gradual way. Stay hydrated and fed, even if you aren’t hungry or thirsty. Heed signs and warnings. Sometimes they seem very basic and aimed at beginners, but they’re there for a reason. Stay on the trail, avoid shortcuts, and always know where you are and where you’re going. Check out my “hiking for beginners” post to make sure you haven’t missed anything important. Leave your hiking plans with a friend or family member, along with a time that you will be back by. If you’re not back by that time, let them know that they should call 911 and alert the authorities of your situation. Usually this is as simple as forwarding a link to a hike web page in an email. Worth the 2 minutes it takes. Practice camping overnight with your emergency gear in your backyard (or a nearby park). Learn some primitive skills to help you survive in the outdoors. You can watch videos on Youtube, or even attend classes all over the country. I’ve gone to the Tom Brown Tracker school and it was pretty awesome. And even though I know primitive survival skills, I still bring all of the emergency gear that I mentioned earlier. It’s better to have as many options as possible.
Will Hilltop Packs make a custom product? We occasional take on custom orders for items you do not see on the website. Contact us about your next project. Lead times on custom orders will be longer than current lead times listed for regular products. Have an idea for a funny bear bag or other product? We love adding a little humor into our products. Have an idea that might make someone laugh? Contact us. How does the custom printing work? ?Our printing process is permanent. Will not fade, bleed, or scratch off. You can find more info on our printing here. See extra info on https://www.hilltoppacks.com/.