Jacqueline's General Tips

• First and foremost, the absolutely bare-minimum essential items to be carried on any hike (daytime or overnight!):
  • Water (2L/person minimum)
  • Matches and lighter
  • Moleskin for blisters
  • A first-aid kit
  • Small flashlight
  • Rain gear... regardless of the forecast
  • Map, compass, and the knowledge of how to use them
  • A little more food than you intend to use
  • Whistle and light-weight "space blanket," just in case

• Secondly, the bare-minimum essential items for any overnight trip:
  • Method for purifying water (filter, tablets, or boiling)
  • Tent or small bivy, if not staying in a shelter
  • An appropriately rated sleeping bag
  • A Thermorest or similar item (essential for warmth, comfort's just a bonus)
  • Pack rain cover (cheap people, like me, can use a garbage bag)
  • Extra socks
  • Toilet trowel and, if desired, a small amount of toilet paper in a Ziplock
  • Though not absolutely essential, a cook kit and small stove make things cushy

• While not essential, a change of clothes and a light-weight pair of sandals make time spent in camp more enjoyable.

• A plastic grocery bag is great for carrying out trash. Once full, it's easy to tie to the outside of your bag (and an extra plastic grocery bag never hurts, in case you need to pack out garbage that someone else left behind!).

• Keep the essentials (matches, lighter, band-aids, maps, etc.) dry. Rather than buy a bunch of expensive little stuff-sacks, I use Zip-lock bags. Keep a few extra Zip-lock sandwich bags in your pack. Roll them up and wrap a few rubber bands around them. You'll find that both the bags and the rubber bands are quite useful on the trail.

• Twisty ties from food packages can be used to keep double zipper compartments on your backpack from opening while hiking.

• Carry a knife. Any knife is useful, but if you can afford a Swiss Army knife (a real one, not a cheap imitation), go for it. I find the can opener and scissors to be extremely useful.

• Chapstick and a handful of hard candy help to eliminate "cotton-mouth" while hiking.

• Pre-packaged pasta and rice are tasty, easy to fix, and much lighter than canned food when going out overnight.

• Folger's singles, packets of hot cocoa, and tea bags are a light-weight, soothing treat if you intend to carry a stove.

• I'll add more in the future. This is just a starting point... let me stress that a failure to plan on your part is no one's fault but your own (i.e. don't sue me... after all, you can't get blood from a turnip **smile**).

Tips from Readers:

• Submitted by Pittypatt, webmaster of Pittypat's World of Backpacking
  • There are many uses for bandannas. You can use them to help filter water that has a lot of silt. Getting it wet is a great way to cool your face in the heat of the day. Just be sure to reapply the sun screen. A great item to use to stop bleeding on the spur of the moment. How about having an extra one to just blow your nose. Like I said, there are so many uses for them.

• Submitted by Regina Rizzi
  • Hi, I'm Regina Rizzi, and I'm a big fan of Mountain Memoirs. Just wanted to let you know. Being a seasoned hiker of 290 miles, I am LOADED with great backpacking tips. Like "Don't go out hiking when it looks like rain; stay home and watch the Wide World of Sports instead." In all seriousness, here are some good tips:
    • On long hikes, take your boots and socks off when stopping more than 10 minutes. This gives your feet a chance to cool down and may keep blisters at bay. Dry your socks in the sun.
    • Keep your next day's hiking clothes in the bottom of your sleeping bag at night. That way you don't have cold clothes and you get to change where it's warm.
    • Get an early start. Eat an energy bar while you pack up your gear, and hit the trail long before everyone else! You'll see more of the wildlife, and you can stop and make breakfast when you come to a scenic place.
    • Handi-wipes (moist towelettes) work better than toilet paper, and they're anti-bacterial, too. (Don't forget to pack out paper waste!)
    • Always carry an 'extra' bottle of water in case you don't find that spring when you expect to.
    • In hot weather, stop to get water where you can, when you can.
    • Remember to keep drinking water, even on cold days.
    • Eat your heaviest meals first so you don't have to carry the weight around.
    • Carry some GORP in a bag under your water bottle so you can refuel as you hike.
    • To save on weight and space in your pack, carefully wrap several feet of duct tape (magical fix anything material) around your water bottles.
    • To help keep feet dry, wax your all-leather boots with beeswax or another product from a good outdoor sports store. There's even a teflon spray available that repels water!
    • Carrying along an aluminum pie tin with a hole through the center comes in handy. Slide it over the rope before you hand your food bag at night so the mice can't get into your food.
    • Hiking (especially in poor weather) can be mentally draining. Bring along extra-special treats for yourself to give your psyche a boost! (I personally like to bring Oreo cookies.)
    • Keep your map in a ziplock bag somewhere that you can reach it without taking off your pack. You'll be glad you did!
    • You can rehydrate your dinner veggies, rice, beans, and potatoes as you hike. This lowers the cooking time required, saving on fuel, too! At lunch, put your food and its water in your locking pot, or a spare wide-mouth bottle, or a zip-lock bag tied to your pack. By the time you finish making camp, your food will be nearly edible. Just make sure to heat your food to boiling! Note: Don't try this with pasta. It just gets gooey. Yuck.

• Submitted by Shawn Kimbro, webmaster of Shawn & Curt's Trail ZZone
  • When hiking in high weeds during the summer, a good way to avoid chiggers is to take an old tube sock and fill it with sulfur. (You can get sulfur at the drug store.) Then use the sock to dust around boots, pants and shirt cuffs, etc. It keeps the little buggers away (It really works!) and is also handy for covering up the smell of your buddies old hiking boots!
  • When hiking in bear infested terrain, sneak an open bag of Skittles into the back of your partner's pack. The bear will always go for him first.
  • Don't try to eat, hike uphill, and breathe at the same time.
  • Brighten a local park rangers day by hiding in a laurel thicket and jumping out with a loud guttural roar when they walk by. They love that!
    Okay Jacqueline, I'll stop now. I swear, the sulfur works for chiggers~~~!!!

• Submitted by Vincent G. Ferrari, webmaster of Bullwinkle's Corner
  • In warmer weather, a solid stick-type insect repellent is very useful. It's lightweight, won't spill, and a little rub goes a long way.
  • If you use an external-frame pack, take along a set of clevis pins just in case. If one of those pins breaks, your pack could be rendered all but useless.
  • Carry a small roll of duct tape. Duct tape fixes everything.
  • Carry a pen or pencil, and a small notepad. You never know when a note will be necessary to notify a fellow hiker who is behind you of something, to pass along or get a phone number of a hiker met along the way, or simply to keep a diary of your adventure in the wilderness.

• Submitted by Michael Karpie, webmaster of BKPKR's Homepage
  • Here's a refreshing taste treat (and a great way to disguise that yucky taste of powdered milk): Mix powdered milk 50/50 with Tang before you leave home. Mix a couple of spoonfuls with water during your trailside breaks. It's like a Creamsicle!

Here's where you come in!
If you have any tips you think should be listed here, by all means drop me a line... I'll be happy to add your great tips to this page! Mail tips to: Editor@MountainMemoirs.com, and be sure to mention that you're e-mailing a Trail Tip for the Strictly Smokies website. Thanks!



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