TUMI Backpacks? This is a truly excellent carrier, and this is the second year the LILLEBaby carrier was tested for inclusion in our list, and it made it right into the first place position again! The LILLE Baby series is relatively new to the baby carrier market, using beautiful and highly functional Scandinavian styling, and including some very comprehensive features. They make three categories of carriers: the LilleBaby’s COMPLETE series, CARRY-ON series, and ESSENTIALS series. As the name would suggest, the COMPLETE series is the most versatile, with six carry positions, a wide weight range that includes infants down to 7 pounds, and big kids up to 45 pounds. Within the COMPLETE series, they have the All Seasons, the Airflow, the Original, and the Embossed Luxe version. Unless you live in (and never travel outside of) Arizona, southern California, or Florida, which might lead you to purchase the Airflow version, we highly recommend the All Seasons.

Wildlife Precautions: On the trail follow common-sense measures like keeping a respectful distance away from animals and taking care not to come between large mammals and their young. At night, secure all food and scented personal products well away from camp. Often this is done by putting everything in a spare stuff sack and then using some nylon cord to hang it from a high a tree branch. You can also use a bear canister to secure things, even if the main concern is rodents stealing your food. To learn more read Food Handling and Storage for Backpackers and Campers. See extra information at https://www.backpackultra.com/best-carry-on-travel-backpack/.

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.

Lowering backpack weight advice : Shelter/ Tent. 2 lbs or less for a solo tent. 1 lb or less for a tarp. See ultralight tents. Sleeping bag should be down material. It is lighter, more compact, and warmer than its synthetic rival. Yes, it can get wet and become almost useless. However, with a proper dry pack liner (see 1), that won’t happen. Tarp, not a tent. Tents can weigh twice as much as a tarp shelter. A tent provides two walls – an outer one for shelter and inner mesh one for a bug-free enclosure. You only need the outer one for shelter (a tarp). What about the creepy crawlies though? Use a mosquito net for your face, everything else will be covered by your sleeping bag. Find extra info on this website.