Tremblant Lifestyle

As pack weights get lighter and going into the wilderness gets safer, backpacking also is getting more and more expensive. How do you save money without giving up the ultralight equipment and safety gear? Let’s look at a few different ways.

Backpacking  in the most remote places has become much safer now that there are personal locator beacons. One I recently saw advertised lets you call for help to 911 and family or friends at the touch of a button. It will even locate you on Google maps so others can see exactly where you are. Of course, at almost $200 for the device plus an annual fee of $100 per year for the service, it isn’t cheap.

My alternative? Just bring your cell phone and GPS unit. If you already own the phone you will only have to buy the GPS, and using it is free. When in trouble you can call for help on your phone and give the coordinates of where you are. They can type them into an online service themselves to see where you are on a map. Since your cell phone probably isn’t satellite based, coverage won’t be quite as good as the expensive locator, but it is a reasonable way to save money. Here are five more.

1. Buy used gear.

I would never buy an old sleeping bag, because the filling gets destroyed with time. On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with used aluminum pans or tent stakes. I have seen both in thrift stores for a fraction of what they cost new. You can also find some decent backpacking equipment online at either Ebay or in outdoor forums which allow users to sell their old gear.

2. Stay close to home.

A big part of the expense of backpacking can be the travel expenses to get to the trailhead. But do you really have to go 2,000 miles to backpack somewhere beautiful? If you intend to eventually hike some of the trails closer to home, why not start with them? Inevitably there will be destinations you never get to, so why not have them be the more expensive ones?

3. Buy real foods.

Forget the expensive freeze-dried backpacker‘s meals. Bring nuts, granola and other inexpensive real foods. For cooked meals, bring instant brown rice and a fast-cooking legume like red lentils. Noodles with olive oil, parmesan cheese and spices can be more delicious than a freeze-dried dinner and cost only a fourth as much. Many supermarket foods are better than specialty “backpacking meals” in my opinion.

4. Buy regular clothing.

Contrary to the impression given by outdoor clothing manufacturers, you don’t need a new high-tech wardrobe to get out into the wilderness. Instead of a $16 super-wicking t-shirt, try a 50/50 cotton polyester blend t-shirt from Wal-Mart for $4. It will probably be more comfortable, and dry almost as fast if it gets wet. In a warm climate with brief summer showers you can forgo the $120 waterproof/breathable rain jacket in favor of a $20 low-tech one, or even a $2 emergency poncho. There are usually ways to save a lot of money on clothing if you consider where you’ll be going and what is truly necessary.

5. Base camp.

If you just want to get out and hike, you might consider camping in your car or in a cheap tent next to it. You can hike all day with just water, food, and the few other things you need in any cheap day pack (buy it used at a thrift store to save money), and return to the car to sleep. You don’t need a great sleeping bag, backpack, tent or other expensive gear if you don’t plan to spend your nights out there in the woods. This technically isn’t backpacking, but perhaps the point for you is just to see and hike in some beautiful places, and on a budget.

Backpacking with children can be a challenge, but it is a good way for kids to learn about the outdoors and develop independence and responsibility. It is also just a great way to have fun. That is, as long as you plan well. Here are four tips to help you out.

1. Generate Interest

Forcing uninterested children to go backpacking is probably a bad idea. They are likely to resist, cause problems, and ruin the trip for all. So try to generate some interest first. A couple good outdoor movies can help. Try to find movies with characters who are the same age or a little older than your children. After watching them, suggest the idea of backpacking and gage the response.

If you aren’t sure that your children are old enough for backpacking, try a camp-out in the back yard first. Let them help set up the tent. See how well they make it through the night, and try your best to make the experience fun for them.

2. Have The Children Plan With You

The more the kids are involved in the whole process, the better. Let them help in choosing the trails you will hike, but narrow the options ahead of time to those most appropriate. Allow them to suggest what foods to bring, again narrowing their options to meals that make sense for a backpacking trip. Show them how to use a map, and how to judge daily hiking distances. Then let them help in the packing.

3. Give Them Responsibilities

If they are old enough, have the children set up the tent or make the fire. If they are younger, you might have them collect sticks to burn, or prepare their sleeping pad and bag for the night. Give them things that they can handle, and let them know they are doing a good job (if they are).

When backpacking with children, it’s okay to let them get a little ahead of you if there are no dangerous animals in the area. Let them be out of sight just a bit, as long as you can hear them or quickly catch up. And tell the older children that they are responsible for keeping an eye on the younger ones.

4. Bring Fun Items

Most adults love the opportunity to get away from all the things of home, and can sit talking for hours while watching the sun set. Backpacking with children, though, might require some more entertainment. Bringing a movie player is probably a bad idea, since the idea is to have a new and different experience. On the other hand, there are things that are fun and perfectly appropriate to backpacking.

For example, a pair of binoculars can keep young ones entertained for long stretches. One pair is enough, so they can learn to share. If they are old enough, a pocket knife and a quick lesson on how to make a walking stick might be a good idea. For evenings in camp a deck of cards is small enough to bring, and you can teach them a new game each night.

Finally, make sure that when backpacking with children you teach them the rules of the woods. Show them where and how to go to the bathroom, what is allowed and what isn’t. Teach them to respect the wilderness, and treat it right.

They say that there is no better time to travel then when you’re young and eager to discover new things. If you feel like you want to be part of nature, then you need the right backpacking equipment. The same goes for music lovers going to different parts of the country for festivals and concerts. They can use the same resources to search for the festival equipment they need and benefit from some pretty incredible prices.

The Internet is the best place to look for backpacking equipment. There are special offers that you can benefit from, including those made for tents, solar torches and highly-resistant backpacks. If you like to travel, then you will need a wide range of products that can get quite expensive. Online virtual stores entice their clients with affordable prices and impress through their diversity. Whether you’re looking for festival equipment or just want to go backpacking, you can find everything needed thanks to the World Wide Web.

No adventure is complete without the right equipment. Use the resources that are so readily available and discover the products you need to go backpacking. Start by looking at the essential products – tents, battery chargers, survival kits – and then proceed to latest-generation gadgets that will make your entire experience even more interesting. The range of products presented under festival equipment does not differ very much from the one pertaining to the backpacking category. And fortunately, there are an impressive number of options from where to choose.

Hikers, trekkers and travelers of all kinds have welcomed the appearance of the quick-pitch tents, the chargers powered by solar power and other smart gadgets. They have learned to rely on such items when they go backpacking and often prefer them to the more traditional ones. However, the Internet seems to be able to fulfill all possible tastes and preferences. Whether we are talking about festival equipment or the basic traveler’s kit, the prices are simply unbelievable!

Let’s talk about the kinds of products you can expect to find online for backpacking. Well, it’s kind of obvious that one of the most popular categories is represented by backpacks. As for the rest, you can find all the essential items for cooking, a wide range of useful tools and knives. You would not want to go on a hiking trip without a first aid kit, so don’t hesitate to purchase one. Consider a sleeping bag (it’s for your own good, you don’t want to freeze if you decide to spend the night), lighting items and various other accessories that you might find as useful. The list of available products, including those marked as festival equipment, is long so be careful to purchase only what you actually need.

So, there you have it. Since you have the Internet, there is no need to ramble from store to store in search of backpacking accessories. You can use one single online resource to find all the products you need and benefit from discounted prices, not to mention daily special offers. There are numerous items out there that you can purchase if you plan on traveling to a festival. And to be frank, festival equipment is in high demand right now!

Hiking light is much more comfortable and enjoyable than hiking with a heavy backpack. Of course what is defined as light may not be light for another person. It also depends on the level of fitness and strength of the person carrying the backpack. Being fit does make your backpack feel lighter.

Choose gear that are lighter but perform the same function is the obvious solution. Or you can also choose gear that serves multiple functions.

So hiking light is about carry less equipment and lighter and smaller equipment. It’s not about sacrificing essential gear for a lighter backpack.

Benefits of Lighter Load

When you carry a lighter load you feel more comfortable and happier in general. There’s less stress on your shoulders, back and knees. A good backpack will distribute the weight to the different parts of the upper body and make the load feel lighter by reducing stress on the shoulders.

You can also move quicker and cover more miles in a day. In an emergency, you can move away to safety so much quicker without having to sacrifice your backpack.

Reducing Your Load

If you want to travel light by reducing the amount of gear you carry, it’s better to do it in stages than to cut down to bare minimum in one go. Take note of the things that you don’t need or can go without.

Take into account the weather too. You don’t want to leave your raincoat on rainy day.

Five Ways to Keep Your Gear Light

1. Get rid of extra clothing, pots, boots, etc if you can. Usually one pot and one pair of boots is enough but during cold weather extra clothing may be essential.

2. If you’re hiking with a partner or in a group you can share some equipment like tent, stove, cookware, first aid kit, insect repellent and more.

3. Use equipment made of lighter material. For example, use down sleeping bags instead of synthetics and use internal frame backpacks instead external frame backpacks. If available, use simple designs that functions well and minimizes weight.

4. Use equipment that can perform several functions. A poncho for example can be used as rain gear or rigged up as a tent.

5. Carry smaller portions of consumables such as sunscreen, soap, toothpaste and spices. Instead of using the original packaging, whenever possible pack in a small ziploc bag.

As a guideline, your backpack should be no heavier than 4.5 lbs, your 2 person tent should be no heavier than 5 lbs, solo tents tent no more than 2.5 lbs, your sleeping bag should be less than 2 lbs, hiking boots less than 2 lbs, rain gear less than 1.5 lbs and food no more than 2 lbs per day.

However, some hikers prefer to carry more equipment for convenience and ease of mind. It depends on how well you can go without extra equipment in return for a lighter backpack. Be sure that you reduce your load in stages so that you don’t have any regrets on the field.

If you are going for a backpacking tour, the first thing you need to consider is that the luggage to be carried should be light. At the same time, you should not be compromising on the essential things that you need to carry. As you will have a single pack on your back, you will want to carry as many things as possible in the limited amount of space available. So, while preparing your backpacking checklist, make sure that you choose the items that are lightweight but serve the same purpose as their heavier counterparts.

While packing your backpack, you will find that one of the items that consumes a lot of space is a towel. However, you can easily avoid carrying bulky towels by switching to light load ones. Whether it is a beach towel or a hand towel, there are lightload towels available that are extremely small in size and can be converted into full size towels when they have to be used. These towels are not only light in weight but also save a lot of space in your suitcase, RV or backpack. You can keep them in your pockets and still have space for your money and keys.

This feature makes them an essential travel accessory for outdoor camping. These towels can also be used as wind scarves, fire starters, bug repellants, insulators, sun blocks, masks and strainers. To deal with emergency situations, people can also include them in their toilet kits, first aid kits, cars, boats, hunting gear, camping equipment or hiking gear. Since you will not need to buy a separate first aid cloth, wind scarf or fire starter when you use a light load towel, you also end up saving a lot of money, space and weight.

Lightload towels are an indispensable part of a backpacking checklist because of their numerous advantages. Some of the major advantages that these towels have over regular cotton towels are:

·                  Lightload towels are more absorbent when compared to cotton towels.

·                  These are the only full size beach towels that can fit easily into a person’s pocket.

·                  These towels can be used to serve more purposes than a traditional cotton towel.

·                  They are very easy to store and consume lesser space than cotton towels.

·                  They can sometimes be bigger than cotton towels.

Because these towels are extremely cost effective and cheap, they can easily be used and thrown away if you do not want to carry the extra burden of a towel once it has been soiled. If you do not want to waste them, you can wash them and reuse them for a number of times. At the end of the trip, you can discard them off so that you do not need to carry back the burden.

You also do not need to worry about drying light load towels because after washing, they dry up very easily and quickly. It is a product which is biodegradable and does break down in the environment rapidly. The towel can also be burned thus you do not need to worry about any after effects, once it is thrown off. All these reasons make light load towels one of the most favorable options that need to be ticked off as you prepare your backpacking checklist.

I need simple backpacking recipes because there is never a stove in my backpack, even on week-long trips in the wilderness. I often backpack with less than fifteen pounds total pack weight, and total means all food, water – everything. It’s often in a daypack, so I don’t have much room for a stove and fuel canisters.

I also don’t want the extra weight. I don’t want the extra trouble of cooking either. I prefer to spend my time to hiking and exploring and picking wild berries. I leave the stove home. If you’ve considered doing the same, try some of the following simple backpacking recipes to add a little variety to that diet of crackers, nuts and granola.

Peanut Butter And Wild Fruit

Peanut butter is a great backpacking food because it is so high in calories for the weight. Put some on a wheat cracker and top it with a few wild strawberries or raspberries for a healthy treat. My wife and I have eaten as many as nine different kinds of berries on one day hike, so you can have quite a variety of taste sensations with this plan.

If it isn’t the season for wild fruit, you can bring along a handful of jelly packets borrowed from your favorite restaurant. If you bring jam or jelly from home, ditch the heavy glass jar, of course. Jelly in a small plastic tub will be lighter and safer, and should stay fresh for at least a few days.

Trail Mixes

A good trail mix is one of the most convenient backpacking foods. Here’s my recipe for a good one: Mix peanuts, sunflower seeds, chocolate chips, and raisins in any proportions you like. Taste and adjust the quantities. Add whatever else you can think of and taste it again. Is that simple enough?

A Full Dinner Backpacking Recipe

Want a delicious dinner in the middle of the wilderness without cooking? Pack whole wheat crackers and two types of cheese. Hard cheeses, like a good smoked gouda last longest. Bring a foil pouch of tuna. These don’t have to be refrigerated. Put a few olives in a zippered plastic bag with a small handful of baby carrots. Then get a boxed wine, drink all but about four glasses, remove the bag from the box and pack that.

Have this special meal on your first or second night out, while the carrots and cheese are still good. Prepare crackers with tuna on then. If you come across some wild onions, sprinkle some chopped up leaves or bulbs on these. Prepare crackers with the two types of cheeses and top these with the olives. The baby carrots will be ready to eat as is, and will have been flavored by the olive juices.

Enjoy it all with a water bottle half full of wine (I never carry a cup). The wine bag, by the way, can then be used to carry up to six quarts of water, or can be blown up and used (wrap in a sweater) as a pillow. These bags weigh less than three ounces and are very tough.

Salad Recipe

Backpacking doesn’t have to mean giving up fresh foods, not even if you go really light. Throw a few carrots and radishes in a plastic bag and they’re usually good for at least several days. Add some edible wild greens, like dandelion leaves, and some wild onion or peeled and chopped young thistle stalks, and you have a salad. Carry you veggies in a large zippered plastic bag, for easy mixing.

For dressing, get one of those eight-ounce plastic water bottles. These weigh less than an ounce and don’t take too much room. Put a few ounces of olive oil in it (a great high-calorie backpacking food), an ounce of wine vinegar (or any other vinegar), and a pinch of salt, pepper and oregano. Add a touch of honey if you like it sweet, and a bit of cayenne pepper if you like it hot.

This should be enough for two salads. Just wash your salad ingredients, put them in the bag, add some dressing, close and shake. You can eat it right from the bag. The salad dressing container can be used as an extra water bottle when it is empty. I like backpacking recipes that keep it light, and multi-use containers help with this.

Although backpacking with children may seem like a lot of effort, the benefits gained from taking them along can far outweigh the hassles. The benefits include not competing with technology for your children’s attention, teaching them self-sufficiency skills, and watching them connect with the peacefulness of nature. Here are six tips that allow for a more positive experience when backpacking with children.

1. Involve Them In Packing

Make a list of the items to bring and have your children help collect them. If they are not old enough to read, you can read the items to them. This is important because the more the children are involved in preparations the more they will feel a part of the trip, and the less likely they are to be resistant to backpacking.

2. Get Their Help with Choosing the Trail

Choose a couple of trails and sites that are acceptable to you and then let the children choose from among them. This is another way of involving the children and letting them have a say in where you will be going.

3. Give Them Special Items For Backpacking

Give them something special that is to be used only for backpacking. Children enjoy binoculars, water bottles with fun designs on them, walking sticks, and small waterproof cameras. Another special item that is not only fun, but can be very useful, is their own flashlight.

4. Get Them Excited About Going

Getting children excited can be as simple as talking about backpacking in terms of how fun it is. Another method of eliciting excitement is to go to the library and get books on, and about, backpacking. These may be how-to books, especially illustrated ones, or fiction books with characters that have adventures in the woods.

5. Bring Along Games

While there is a lot to entertain children with while backpacking, it is always a good idea to bring along a game or two. These are useful when it rains, or at night when the children are in the tent, but too restless to sleep. Small, lightweight games specific to backpacking can be found in stores that specialize in outdoor activities. Other options consist of purchasing an extra small deck of playing cards (these are about 1/4 of the size of standard decks), using travel versions of traditional games, or repacking games, such as bring the dice from a Yahtzee game in a zip lock bag with a couple sheets of paper and small pencils or pens.

6. Praise Their Hard Work

It can work wonders when children feel that they are impressing their parents. One easy way to accomplish this is to comment on how hard they are working, both with the hike and with camp chores. First, encourage them to do a good job, and then praise the results.

While backpacking with children can be extra work, the end result is often more than worth it. There is something about nature than can calm even an otherwise hyper kid, and time alone with parents provides the perfect opportunity for long talks and quiet companionship, that may proof elusive when at home where computers, televisions, and phones all make distractions a common occurrence.

So, load up the kids next time, and build a special memory that only backpacking with children can create.

Backpacking is a great way of getting fit, while enjoying what nature has to offer in the Great Outdoors. It is becoming an increasingly more popular leisure pastime. But Backpacking For Beginners can be a little bit daunting when it comes to choosing the right type of gear, and even uncomfortable if you do not buy the right backpack for you.

Buy the best backpack that you can afford, and try to buy it from a store that specialises in outdoor activities. Ask the advice of the shop staff, especially if they are hikers or backpackers themselves. Some stores will actually pack a backpack for you, so you can get a feel for it and see how comfortable (or not) it is.

There are many types of backpacks, from daypacks that will allow you to carry just enough gear, food, and water, for a days hiking. Right up to huge expedition size packs that will carry all you need for weeks and weeks of travel.

To start with I would suggest buying something in between these, something that would be fine for a days hiking, (remember a pack that is slightly too big can still be used without being full. Where as a pack that is too small will not hold all the things you may need for a longer trip.) Again talk to the shop staff, and explain what type of backpacking you intend to use it for.

Make sure your backpack has a padded hip belt, as this makes the pack far more comfortable to carry on longer trips. And also makes the whole load more stable and stops it from bouncing around on your back, especially when walking on rougher ground.

Buy a pack with a decent amount of external pockets, for all the items that you will need to hand during the day. (This will stop you from having to empty out the main pack to find things that are at the bottom.) I like to keep things like my cooker, food, and water in side pockets so it is easy to get at when I want to stop for a hot drink or a snack.

Backpacks with a separate lower compartment are great for keeping your sleeping bag, and kip mat etc, again just for the ease of locating them, this way you know exactly where everything is at any time.Do not forget to keep everything dry, either with a waterproof liner or in individual plastic bags.

Lastly when you are happy with your pack, do not try to do too much on your first hike. Start off with small day hikes and build up to long weekenders, before you attempt any major expeditions. Most importantly ENJOY IT after all it should be FUN not a chore.

One of the biggest challenges when backpacking is actually trying to get everything you need packed into your backpack. It is so easy to over pack especially when it comes to your backpacking supplies. One way to avoid this is to have a few backpacking food ideas, just a simple plan of your expected food and supply needs for the length of your trip.

When planning your backpacking supplies there are three things to consider. First you will want to think about the weight of your food and the amount of room they will take up in your pack. Second you need to consider your energy requirements for each day of hiking. And third you need to know how many days you will be taking for your trip, and so how much food you will need overall.

In addition to these three main considerations there are a few other things to think of. For instance you will want to have at least one hot meal a day. The other meals will need to be easy to prepare and require little or no cooking. Foods that can be prepared in their own packaging are great for backpacking. They take up little room and as they are usually dehydrated, they tend to be light as well. And by buying single servings, you can eat only what you need.

While backpacking you are going to need to eat at least three meals per day, as well as snacks and trail food such as gorp ( good old raisins and peanuts). Staying well nourished is important as it keeps your energy levels up, allowing you to hike further and feel fitter in general. Taking vitamin supplements can also help as they are very light to carry and ensure that your body is getting everything that it needs. It is also important to eat at regular times, even if you do not feel that hungry.

Planning your backpacking supplies for any trip, no matter how long is very important, and having a few backpacking food ideas will start you on the right track. So always make sure that you have enough for your trip. Try experimenting with different types of food before you go, this way you will have a better idea of what to take. And don’t forget to take things like high energy bars for those times during the day when you need that extra boost.

Having the right backpacking supplies will make all the difference to your trip. If you are well fed you will feel better and have more energy, so ensuring that your trip will be one you ENJOY and not one that you ENDURE.

A backpacking trip is enjoyable and adventurous. It enables you to explore nature and have a wonderful time outdoors. However, you need to be very careful while choosing your backpacking gear. You need to carefully think about the items what you need to carry (on your backpack) and what you can manage to leave behind.

There are a few items that you can afford to leave behind but you cannot go on a backpacking trip without some essential ones. Backpacks, trek poles, hiking boots, polarized sunglasses, water-resistant outerwear and sunglasses are some of the basic equipment needed for any backpacking trip. These items should be carried with the backpacker in order to prevent injury as well as provide necessities while being away from modern amenities.

The basic backpacking gear requires four essential things: something to sleep in, something to sleep under, safety equipment, food and clothes. Backpacking sleeping bags vary in comfort and weight. Polarguard 3D can be an excellent choice of backpacking gear, because it is light weight and comfortable when compared to other sleeping bags.

How can you forget to leave a flashlight behind? It is very important to carry a flashlight along with you to ensure that you can always see where you are going. Not having adequate lighting can lead to falls or injuries and that can really ruin a good backpacking trip. Clothing is something that cannot be forgotten. You need to carry comfortable and functional clothes. Always carry a raincoat and warm clothes along, in case if the weather condition becomes bad.

Other important equipments that you need to carry while going for a backpacking trip are: appropriate clothing, food supplies, hiking boots, raincoats, camping tent, map of the area, foldable furniture (if possible), utensils and a camp heater or stove. These are some of the essential equipments that you definitely need to carry along, but make sure that they are light-weight and reusable.

So, what are you waiting for? Pack your bag and have a wonderful camping trip!