Preparing for an Overnight Backpacking/ Hiking Trip
- Sandra Romero
- Nov 20, 2019
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 25, 2019
In this blog, I talk about my recent experience hiking the John Muir Trail (JMT) in Central California. Take my live-and-learn experience to prepare for your next backpacking trip.
Having hiked the Santa Cruz mountains during my college years, shaded by the beautiful canopy of the redwood trees, I was not prepared for the dry, July heat the Los Angeles mountains brought me. “Never again,” I told my friend, “I’m good for another six months, please don’t invite me again until November.” A few weeks later, he invited me to hike the John Muir Trail with him, the JMT, for a total of 4 nights, 5 days, and an additional 4 days of camping at the end of our journey in Yosemite National Park. During this time, I had made the decision to quit my job and move back to my small hometown, away from Los Angeles-I had the time. Having just come off of the high from reading Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, I took the invitation as a sign and said hell yes. Little did I know how horribly unprepared I would be.
My Trekking Experience
Before embarking on my five day journey, I prepared and researched the best way I know how: YouTube. I was packing away my belongings and giving away free furniture while simultaneously watching videos from expert hikers. The videos I was drawn to more, however, were the ones created by women because I knew that not only would I be visiting nature, but that mother nature would be visiting me as well. I couldn’t exactly ask my friend for advice on this, but if you’re someone who doesn’t get this monthly visit, then you have one less thing to worry about! Researching and actually taking this hike are two different things, however, it’s better to over prepare than to lack very necessary items.
We began our journey at Mammoth Mountain commonly known for its ski resort. Parking is fairly easy, all along the mountain. If you don’t get there early, you have to park at the end which is near the bottom of said mountain. We got there around 1pm. With our gear at the ready, we climbed up the parking lot to the main building to purchase our tickets for the shuttle that would drop us off at the start of our trek. I was worn out by the time we got to the ticket window!
Though it was summer, our days were hazy, rainy, and windy. I prepared for the rain by purchasing a couple of the dollar ponchos. On our very first day, we traversed a river crossing which reached up to our waists. Because my pack was large and sat at my hips, it too got wet. The rest of the trip, I had to sleep in a wet then damp sleeping bag, the toilet paper I had stuffed conveniently in my pant pockets turned to mush, and the only shoes I brought were soaked the remainder of the time.
Later, in attempts to dry my clothing, I strung my clothing to the outside of my pack. When the rain came a second time, I had discovered that I lost my only pair of pants and a pair of socks. In fact, I wet through all of my socks and soon was sleeping without-I thought I would get pneumonia or worse: wet myself during sleep. My lack of experience convinced me that I’d lose a toe or two by the end of the trip. Having lost my pants, I hiked through snow in wet snow and wet shorts. Paranoia set in when I heard howling in the distance; I thought my monthly visit was attracting large animals that would eat both my friend and I. I apologized in advance if such an incident did occur. Having to urinate while squatting exposed my bottom to a number of mosquito bites-a real pain in the ass. I used my only extra poncho on my backpack only to later discover that the pack, as a proper pack should, had its own rain poncho.
Hang on, am I trying to dissuade you from taking this hike? On the contrary, given everything that happened, I would absolutely do it again. This time, however, adequately prepared! This is experience was extremely remarkable, soul soothing, and harmonizing. I write this to better prepare both you and I.
Preparing For Your Trip
GET YOUR PERMIT
It’s very important to have your permit to hike the trail.
I used to scoff at the idea of having to pay for something natural. “Nature should be free!” I used to exclaim from the top of my lungs! Oh naive I once was. A permit regulates the amount of foot traffic the trail receives. The amount of people who apply for permits have skyrocketed since the 1990’s and it is important to preserve the trail as much as possible in spite of human interference. You can find more information specific to your hiking trail here. Keep in mind that you’ll want to get your permit roughly six months in advance.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS
Use social media before heading to the store. On Instagram, for example, I searched the hashtag, #johnmuirtrail, and explored the various posts that popped up and messaged the users who had posts like this asking for pointers on what is absolutely necessary to take. More than likely they will reply with their own packing list, if not, the worst thing is they’ll ignore your message.
Walking in to a large camping/outdoor store for the very first time can be intimidating. You’re greeted by a plethora of items that beg you to question whether you need it or not. Ask questions! Even fellow customers will help you with your concerns. I happened to overhear a customer asking for a map of the John Muir Trail. I chimed in and asked what section he was hiking. He happened to also be starting at Mammoth Mountain ending in Yosemite and starting and ending the exact same days! He then revealed that he would be going with his boy scout troop and I knew he was put in my path to ease my worries. I asked him what I should take voiced concern that I was incapable of going on such a hike.
“Can you walk?” He said.
“Yes,” I nodded.
“Can you step over a rock if you see one on the ground?”
“Yes,” I laughed this time.
“Then you will do just fine.”
LIST OF ITEMS YOU WANT TO PACK
See list blog here.
IT PAYS TO PAY
If you’re new to hiking/backpacking, you’ll discover that the first journey is very much over budget. You’ll tell yourself that you can get away with buying the less expensive option because you, at this moment in your life, are not an avid hiker therefore it is senseless to buy expensive versions of the items you wish to obtain for the trip. Do not fall into this trap, friend. Now I don’t mean to say that you absolutely need the $45 shade hat when more economic options exist. Use your judgement when deciding what matters to you more in your comfort needs and what you can carry. As luck would have it, it seemed that the more expensive options were also the lighter options. Considering I didn’t want to have a lot to carry, I opted for a few of the costly items. For example, a sleeping bag around $200 sounds daunting, however, you’re paying for the quality of the material that keeps you warm during the cold night, is lightweight, and can compact itself into a relatively small bag. You want to keep in mind what you’re willing to carry for a prolonged period of time.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Before embarking on what you deem to be a strenuous journey, I recommend practicing for the trip first. Pack your backpack and take it on walks with you. You’ll come to learn about the best way to pack everything that fits your ergonomic needs. In addition, you’ll discover what you’re comfortable carrying on your back and hips during your journey. I did NOT do this, friends, and I found my journey difficult as a result. At the end of the day, I believe I ended up with a pack that weighed about 45 pounds. I hardly went through my food, I did not need a lot of my “emergency” items, such as matches and foil blanket.
At the end of the day, you know your body and you know what you are capable of. If you’re having doubts, ask yourself, “Can I step over a rock?”
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