Backpacking through the wilderness is a refreshing way to step away from the stress and chaos of society, if only for a week. Being in the great outdoors for so long can leave you with a feeling of tranquility—and once you return, you’ll feel proud of yourself for roughing it for so long.
However, a lack of preparation for your trip this fall could leave you feeling wet, cold, and stranded. Before you head out on your grand adventure, learn how to pack for your next fall backpacking trip and make the most of your journey.
Bring Your Four-Seasons Tent
Depending on when and where you’re setting off, the weather can fluctuate between hot, cold, dry, and humid during the fall. Your tent should be a sanctuary that you can rest in to prepare for the long days ahead—not a leaky tarp, a bitterly cold shelter, or a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Keep yourself and your group comfortable with a high-quality four-seasons tent to ensure that you have a relaxing place to rest at night, no matter what Mother Nature throws at you.
Don’t forget a comfortable sleeping pad to place between the cold, hard ground and your cozy sleeping bag!
Pack Your Warm Rain Jacket
During many backpacking trips, you need to stay on schedule even when the weather is unpleasant. One way to stay dry and prevent cold air from chilling you to the bone is to pack a well-made rain jacket. Rain jackets have multiple layers of hydrophobic materials to both repel the perspiration in the air and wick your sweat away. However, you don’t want to confuse rain jackets with windbreakers—the differences between them are great enough to endanger you if you bring just a windbreaker instead of a rain jacket.
Choose a rain jacket that compresses into a small attached bag to maximize your backpack space.
Plenty of Easy-to-Make Food
A backpacking trip is not the same as a hardcore bushcraft adventure—you can bring as much food and water as you can carry with you. However, you won’t have the same cooking luxuries that you would at home, such as refrigeration, so it’s important to bring non-perishable foods that cook well on a campfire.
Some ready-to-eat meals are easy to heat up, only require water to cook, and can provide you with some quick nutrients when it’s dinnertime. If you have the space, consider bringing a portable camping stove with you for a more reliable heat source.
Avoid packing canned food—it weighs too much! Look for vacuum-sealed meats and meals for an easy-to-pack meal plan.
Don’t be afraid to bring some of the comforts of home with you on your backpacking trip. If you don’t mind the extra weight, you can consider bringing more luxurious items with you—like mountain slippers or electronics. After you perfect the art of knowing how to pack for a fall backpacking trip, you’ll be able to focus on more important things instead, such as having fun and letting go of stress.