Backpacking Tangent

Spider Meadow - Dan's Birthday Trip 2018

Summer is upon us! And what is in store for our wonderful group? For me, it will be jam-packed with weekend trips into the wilderness. I don’t think I’ve talked explicitly about backpacking in Washington and why I love it so much. So settle in for a backpacking tangent by yours truly and possibly a little bit of commentary by none other than Daniel Sherman! So exciting!!

Marmot!!!!

First of all, you may be wondering to yourself: why does Nicole even like backpacking? Days without the creature comforts a home provides, dehydrated meals, filtered stream water, and LOTS of hiking – which is indeed just walking on variable terrain. Although this might seem like a sort of punishment to some people, it actually brings me immense joy. Akin to what I imagine going to church does for people, going into the woods rebalances me and melts away the stresses life doles out. That and getting to witness the views of breathtaking mountains, pristine forests, wildflower meadows, glaciers, and the occasional wild animal - is my motivation to keep getting out there. (“And the sense of accomplishment!” -Dan)

Rainier - Mother Mountain Loop

I think I started to develop the backpacking itch right before Dan and I went to Alaska when we went on an overnight in New Hampshire (Bond Mountains) to perform a gear check. It was love at first night. Yes, it was challenging and a bit tiring, but so empowering!!!! Of course I’ve told you all how Alaska went – turns out I loved long trips even more despite the rain, cold temps….and even the physical pain I endured. Since then Dan and I have gone on several short trips out West, which have also all been amazing in their own unique ways. Washington has a seemingly endless supply of trips that we are eager to undertake. 

Spider Meadow - Wine Time

So, what if this post inspires you to get on the backpacking train? Here are some of my thoughts about getting started and things I have learned since becoming more invested in backpacking.

The most difficult thing about getting into backpacking is getting all the gear you need. Not only is gear expensive but the buy list and options are seemingly endless. Dan and I have been doing overnights since Alaska and we still need things – due to the borrowing of items such as water filters and summit bags. And like I said, these items are not cheap. Dan and I scour for deals at REI garage sales and the sticker shock remains! This is due to the fact that backpacking equipment must be light in weight yet durable so things will not fail you a day or two into a trip. As far as brands go, you can’t go too wrong. Especially if you shop at REI – they do a really good job of selling quality products. Even their own brand is worth considering - Dan and I have a REI backpacking tent and we love it!

Thunder Mountain - Mexican Mac & Cheese

After all the gear, the next thing that can be the most difficult to plan for is meals. This is because you need lots of calories BUT you can’t carry an excessive amount of weight. So what do you do? In my opinion: DEHYDRATE!!! And plan, plan, plan.

Last year I got really into dehydrating my own meals due to the trauma of consuming store-bought backpacking meals that wrecked my insides. I knew I would never do that to my body again, so I did a bunch of research about meals to make using our dehydrator and just went with it. It is amazing how much more tasty/healthy/easy homemade backpacking meals are in comparison to the likes of “Mountain House” meals. And it really isn’t that difficult! I’m looking forward to getting the dehydrator out in a couple weeks (:

Rainier - Chicken Curry w/ Rice

I really only dehydrate dinners. For breakfast, we are pretty basic since we try to pack up and leave camp as quickly as possible. Therefore, oatmeal is the meal of choice (ha). Perhaps with some dried fruit and always coffee! Which we drip filter because we fancy. Lunches are also simplistic for us. We often pack pita bread, hard cheeses, summer sausage, tuna and just go through those items. We also are well stocked with energy bars and candy (I always crave sour gummies on the trail for some reason). It’s crazy how much space food takes up! And we are always trying to cut back and streamline what we bring. Which is extremely difficult for a chronic over-packer like myself.

Personally, these technical issues are the difficulties I face when it comes to backpacking – but this is not the case for everyone as Dan just reminded me. I asked him what that most difficult aspect was for him and he responded by saying it is overcoming his fears (heights). I can’t say I’ve ever felt afraid on a trip, but you can find yourself on narrow paths and bridges which are not for everyone!

Ultimately, hiking and/or backpacking is not going to be for everyone. But hopefully, you have gained more insight as to why I love it and what it takes to get started.

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” - John Muir