11 Essential Packing Tips for Your First Backpacking Trip (2024)

I’d consider myself a pretty experienced backpacker—last summer, I spent more than three months backpacking 1,000 miles. But it was only two years before that I went on my first backpacking trip. It was 10 miles one way, I didn’t prepare properly, and I hadn't really hiked before. I could barely lift my pack, it was so heavy, and my sleeping pad swayed precariously every time I took a step.

Despite being wildly unprepared, this trip started me on the path toward some incredible outdoor experiences. But I do wish I had known a little about packing before I took my first trip.

To help you get started on the right foot, I asked a couple of experts for their best packing tips for beginner backpackers. Here’s what they (and I) want you to know.

1. Start with the 10 essentials.

Navigation, sun protection, insulation, lighting, first aid, fire, tools, food, water, and shelter make up the standard list of The 10 Essentials, which was created by The Mountaineers, a Seattle-based organization for outdoor adventurers.

“As long as you have these—they’re 10 categories of items that you should have with you—you’re going to be pretty well prepared,” Lindsay McIntosh, an REI Outdoor School backpacking instructor in Portland, Oregon, tells SELF. REI gives a good break down of the importance of each item here.

The major pieces you’ll need while backpacking fall into these categories, like a sleeping bag (insulation), a headlamp (lighting), and a tent or tarp (shelter). Of course, you’ll also need a pack to put everything in.

With water, you may pack all of your own clean water (if it’s a short trip or there aren’t any water sources where you’re going) or you may need to purify your own water from a backcountry source. If you’re looking for a filter, McIntosh recommends the MSR SweetWater Microfilter or the Sawyer Squeeze, both of which are lightweight. Marina Fleming, program director at Women’s Wilderness, prefers a chemical purifier called Aquamira.

2. And make sure to consider the 11th essential (according to me): hygiene.

It's not covered in the 10 essentials, but you do have to consider it when you pack. McIntosh suggests carrying biodegradable soap, though she’s quick to point out you should always be at least 100 feet away from any water source—you should never wash your body or your clothes in a river or lake. You can also bring a little bottle of hand sanitizer.

When it comes to backcountry bathroom tactics, make sure you’re familiar with leave-no-trace principles. Bring an appropriate amount of toilet paper (no need to bring the whole roll.) Depending on the area you’re in, you’ll probably have to either bury toilet paper or bring it back with you (known as packing it out). If you’re just peeing, a popular option for women backpackers is to bring a “pee rag”—usually a bandana or half of a quick-drying cloth. You use it to wipe with and then hang it off your pack to dry in the sun. Some women might choose to use a urination device (basically a funnel). And make sure you have a good trowel for digging holes to go number two—even if you think you’ll have access to a toilet or won’t need to go. It’s no fun to get stuck with your pants down and nothing to dig a hole with. I like the The Deuce.

Last but not least, menstruating. Your method of managing your period can be the same as at home. If you’re using tampons or pads, you will need to pack them out, so be sure to bring an extra plastic, sealable bag to put used items.

Keep all of your bathroom necessities—toilet paper, trowel, hand sanitizer—in a single bag that you can grab quick when nature calls.

3. Save money on gear by borrowing, repurposing, or renting it.

Cost can be a big barrier for people to start backpacking, but that doesn’t need to be the case, Fleming says. She recommends repurposing things you already have at home instead of investing in specialized items right off the bat—a nifty folding lightweight spork seems legit, but a spoon you already have will suffice. If you have friends who backpack, see if they’d be open to letting you borrow some of their gear.

Otherwise, look into renting gear, at least until you decide backpacking is something you want to continue doing. REI offers gear rentals for bigger-ticket items like backpacks, sleeping pads, sleeping bags, and tents. You can also check with your local outdoor retailer to see if they offer a similar program. But do be sure to ask how things work, and practice setting up camp at home before you hit the trail. I rented gear for my first backpacking trip and didn’t realize the sleeping pad I had actually inflated until I was rolling it up to go home.

4. If you’d like to buy your gear, focus on getting the lightest possible versions of the big items.

Backpacks, tents, and sleeping bags are all big things that are necessary, so it’s key to find ones that are lightweight.

For packs, Fleming suggests looking at Deuter and Osprey models like the AirContact 70 or the Talon 44. I backpacked for three months last year using the ULA Circuit and loved it. But packs are personal, and it comes down to the right pack that fits you and your needs. It’s definitely worth going into an outdoor retailer and trying on packs to make sure you find one that’s comfortable on your body.

When it comes to a tent, McIntosh likes the REI Quarterdome 2. “It gives you a nice amount of space but is really quite light,” she says. Fleming has had luck with the Big Agnes Copper Spur 2. On my trip last year, I opted for a super compact one-person tent, the NEMO Hornet 1.

Sleeping bags can surprisingly get very expensive. Generally speaking, prices go up as both the temperature limit and weight decrease. A bag made with synthetic fill is usually less expensive but will take up more room in your pack. McIntosh recommends the REI Lyra for an inexpensive synthetic option. For down, she likes the REI Joule. I started with a Teton synthetic bag and later invested in an Enlightened Equipment quilt that was lighter and took up less space in my pack.

Most importantly, make sure you’re getting a bag that is warm enough for the conditions you’ll be in. There’s often a “comfort rating” and a “lower-limit rating” on bags, the latter of which refers to the lowest temp that a warm sleeper would be comfortable with—so not necessarily you. A good rule is to use a bag that can handle a temperature that is at least 10 degrees lower than what the lowest temp while you're backpacking will be.

And it’s also important to note that when it comes to big brands (like REI and Osprey) and common styles, you can often find them lightly used on eBay, CraigsList, or at used gear stores.

5. Decide what kind of experience you want beforehand—and then pack specifically for that.

Do you want do spend all day hiking and get deep into the backcountry, or do you plan to walk a few miles and spend the rest of the day lounging at camp? The former hiker might want to bring less (since they won’t have time for extra entertainment items anyway), where the latter hiker might want to pack a good book or a more elaborate meal.

Either way, start small. That goes for both what you put in your pack and the length of your first trip. Try to keep the amount of stuff in your backpack to a minimum (beyond items from the 10 necessary categories), and then take a one-night trip and see if you miss anything.

And remember, figuring out how to pack just right is a process. “There’s a huge learning curve to figuring out what you do and don’t need,” McIntosh says.

6. Remember that just because you have extra space doesn’t mean you should pack more.

In my experience, people have a tendency to keep adding to their packs until they’re completely full—so try to stick to the necessities and make note of what you wish you had for next time and adjust accordingly.

Even if you want a more luxurious packing trip and want to bring lots of extras, keep this in mind: A heavier backpack is more challenging to hike with. “Your backpack should never weigh more than 40 percent of your body weight,” Fleming says. “If you’re going more than that you’re really running the risk of hurting yourself.”

Ultimately, how much weight feels “worth it” for you will be a personal decision. And while I recommend starting light and adding stuff that you miss, I should also say that I’ve never met a first-time backpacker who didn’t bring way too much heavy gear with them. I myself brought three books and an extra fuel canister I didn’t need on my first trip.

7. Adjust your gear for the area you’re backpacking in.

Going into bear country? You might need bear spray and a bear canister, or a bag you can hang out of a bear’s reach—many parks even require these items. Will you be walking through miles of desert? You may need more bottles to fill with water for dry stretches. If you know you’ll be doing river crossings, you may decide to bring sturdy sandals so you don't get your boots wet.

Researching the terrain, wildlife, and regulations can go a long way to keeping you safe and comfortable. Check the website of whatever park or trail system your visiting to get all the information you need so that you can adjust your gear accordingly.

8. Strategically lay out your gear before you pack it.

It sounds so simple, but it’s actually a really helpful strategy to make sure you’re packing everything you need but not too much that you don’t.

Put all of your gear on the floor and separate it into three categories: need, really want, and bonus items. “That can help you make the decision on what to bring based on how big and heavy that “need” pile is already feeling,” McIntosh says. The other categories may start to feel less and less important when you realize how much you’ll already be carrying.

9. Organize your stuff in a way that makes sense to you.

Some people organize their clothing into separate bags based on what its purpose is (i.e. sleeping, layering) and others bury it loose in with their sleeping bag. “It’s up to preference,” McIntosh says. But it’s probably not a bad idea to put any loose odds and ends in a bag so you can easily find them in your pack when you need them. For example, I have a Ziploc bag for electronics where I keep things like a personal locator beacon, headlamp, and charger for my phone. Also, it’s a good idea to bring an extra bag (even just a plastic bag, doesn’t need to be fancy) to put anything that gets wet so that the rest of your stuff stays dry.

10. Follow the ABCs of backpacking.

Fleming recommends following these guidelines when it’s time to start packing:

A - Accessibility: Place items you’ll need to access while hiking—like snacks, lunch, your first aid kit, and a rain jacket—in hip belt pockets or toward the top of your pack.

B - Balance: Try to have your pack evenly distributed on both the sides and front and back. That means if you’re carrying a liter of water in a side pocket—which weighs 2.2 pounds—you’ll want to make sure you even out your other side pocket with something that weighs similarly, or you could start feeling the pack tug uncomfortably to the heavier side.

C - Compression: Backpacking isn’t the time to neatly fold your clothes. Roll your things up tightly so that they take up as little space as possible, and consider using a compression or stuff sack for things like clothes (and of course, your sleeping bag).

D - Dry: Most backpacks aren’t waterproof, and you’ll want to keep your essential items, if not all of your items, dry. Fleming recommends trash compactor bags—just open one up inside your backpack and then pack everything inside it as normal.

E - Everything inside: Don’t let stuff hang off your pack. This can throw off your balance and also cause you to get caught on branches you pass, not to mention it’s an easy way to lose things.

Also, pack the heaviest items in the middle—it's a good way to keep your pack balanced and distribute the weight across your core and back. “What you want to be putting at the bottom of the pack is lighter, fluffier stuff that you don’t want quick access to. So things like your sleeping bag, and your extra layers for when you’re at camp,” McIntosh says. Once you’ve stuffed that inside, put medium- to heavy items like your tent, water bladder, cooking gear, and food (that you won’t be eating while you hike) on top of the lightweight items. And then place any leftover light items, or items you need quick access to, at the top.

11. Do at least one packing practice run.

It takes a while to learn how to efficiently packing your pack and using your gear. “Don’t do it for the first time at 10 P.M. the night before your trip. Practice packing your backpack a couple of times,” McIntosh recommends.

If you get on the trail and something doesn’t feel right, be prepared to adjust. There’s no award for making it an extra mile with a pot sticking into your back. Stop and move items around until it feels good. And then? Go have some fun.