Best Fjallraven Kanken Backpacks and high quality shoe holders: If you have an experienced backpacking friend who knows you well, invite them along and they can be your guide. But you can also do this backpacking thing on your own—that’s the focus of this article. We advise you to bring a friend regardless of their backpacking knowledge, though, because that makes any trip safer and more fun. Just a few miles roundtrip is fine: Plan on shorter distances than your typical day hike because walking with a heavier pack is slower and more difficult. Aim for a few hundred feet of elevation gain: If you’ve hiked much, then you know that mileage alone doesn’t tell the full story. So also choose a trail with less elevation gain than your typical day hike. Find even more information on https://ilouxnei.com/shoe_holster.

This is another all-around awesome baby carrier that has been at this #2 spot for 2 years now. The Ergobaby 360 all-position carrier is the newest addition to the already great Ergobaby carrier line up; a few years ago, their Ergo Original 3-position carrier was rated #1 on our list, so they have a great history of making excellent carriers. The Ergobaby 4-position carrier is definitely the most comfortable carrier on our list. In our testing, we found it to be super lightweight, comfortable, soft, and easily adjusted to nicely fit nearly any body shape. We wore it for several hours around town and along some trails, and our backs and shoulders felt completely fine. Definitely more comfortable than the LILLEBaby, and we also thought it was a bit easier to breastfeed while wearing the Ergobaby versus the LILLEBaby. We also found it easy to put on, take off, and adjust, even when carrying the baby. However, the shoulder strap adjustment needed to be done by someone else while carrying a baby. It also has a small hood to protect baby from the elements, or give a little shading for a nap. However, it just isn’t as versatile as the LILLEBaby.

Reducing backpack weight tip : Ultralight tent footprint/ groundcloth. Footprints and ground cloths act as a protective barrier in between the ground and the floor of your tent. They also prevent any water from seeping in from the ground through your tent floor. Use a painters tarp instead of buying the manufacturer’s footprint. You can find painter’s tarp at any hardware store. 2-3 mm thick is perfect. Cut it out to match the outline of your tent floor… and then cut off an inch border to make it slightly smaller than your tent floor. Trekking poles, not tent poles. Two trekking poles (plus your guylines) is all you need to keep your tarp supported. Many tarp systems only require one pole. See ultralight trekking poles. See even more details at ilouxnei.com.

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.