| When ? |
- Most backpackers are 3-seasoned, which means their season starts
in April/May and ends in October/November in Northern Hemisphere.
Generally, I would suggest beginners to plan their trips in Summer,
because of the longer day and warmer temperature. Once you get a
sense of what it is going on, then plan your trips in Early Spring
and Fall.
- Winter, in fact, is the best season for backpacking trip. However,
general public perceive winter camping is dangerous and cumbersome.
Each
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| Winter Hut |
season has its pros and cons.
- Spring provides us awesome views of blooming flowers. Most of the
time you will still find snow in mid-elevation. Camping on these
patches of snow is the best. It is easier to clean up, and it
leaves no trace. However, depending on where you go, Spring also
brings a lot of unwanted bugs.
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- Summer provides us longer daylight, which in turn gives us more
time to explore and make longer distance if we have to. You can
jump into a lake or sun bathe on a beach. However, it is crowded
everywhere you go. Besdies, it always comes with the price of
sunburns and mosquito bites.
- Fall (Autumn) gives us cooler temparture and less crowded campsites. It also
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| Bear Print |
gives us a good view of changing colours. Maples turn red and Aspens
turn yellow. However, beware of bears in the backcountry. Fall will
be their final days for meals before they hibernate.
- Winter gives us a completely different look of the nature. It
usually brings you incredible pictures. The tradeoff is that you need
to haul a lot more gear to keep you warm.
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| Where ? |
- Your hiking party's experience and ability will determine where you should
go. The things that you should consider will be the distances you will
travel, elevation gain/drop, and most importantly Safety. Your trip should
not involve any serious injury risks, unless your party are very
skilled.
- Plan your route that will involve some fun such as dunking into a lake
or playing Olympics games on a beach. You should also consider what
your party wants. Some people will go for nature views, some will go for
a peak summit, and others may settle with a nap under a tree.
- Choosing the terrain will also be very important. A lot of ups and downs will
frustrate most beginners with a heavy backpack. It will be too boring if
there are no views to enjoy along the trail. Consider a trail that passes
through different types of terrain such as rainforest, meadows or rock fields.
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| Rain Cloud is coming |
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| How to Start ? |
- Go to a local bookstore and grab a hiking book. Nowadays, most hiking
books will give the entire trip plan and difficulty ratings.
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| Peak Summit |
This should give you an overall idea of what you want to start
with.
- Also consider to join a local outdoors club. Meet with people and shared
their experiences. You will always find some nice surprises. You'll never know
until you try it.
- Here are some of my tips.
- An average person can walk 2 - 2.5km/hour with a heavy pack. This
should give you a general idea of how long it will take to complete
a certain distance.
- Always add at least 30 minutes rest time per 2 hours of
hiking in your travel plan.
- Don't carry more than 1/3 of your own body weight. Overloading
yourself will only bring tortures to your feet and shoulders.
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Back to How To →
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