Backpacking Guide for Beginners
Backpacking is the ultimate adventure — with everything you need to survive on your back, you step into the wilderness, far away from civilization, and allow yourself to totally and fully disconnect.
But honestly, as someone who does a 10-step skincare routine every night, grew up in a city, and was terrified of pooping in the woods…I actually cannot believe that I’m sitting here writing a blog about backpacking.
Now, the reason that little old me is writing this is because I truly believe that if I can do this, you can do it.
If you love the outdoors and have always wanted to try backpacking, but maybe aren’t sure where to start…then keep reading! This blog post will equip you with nearly everything you need to know to go on your first backpacking trip, including a beginner’s gear guide and trail recommendations. I’ll also talk about some rookie mistakes I made during my first backpacking season so that YOU can be a super expert and avoid them!
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Build up your confidence
Can you hike? Have you ever been camping? Okay…now combine the two. That’s basically backpacking! When I first started, I tried not to overthink whether or not I could do it. Instead, I focused on making sure I had the right gear and that knew how to use it and prepared by hitting some local trails. And then bam, suddenly I’m on my first backpacking trip and it felt like a natural extension of what I already knew how to do as opposed to this big, intimidating NEW thing.
Mentally, I’m encouraging you to get hyped about it. If you’re online doing research on how to start backpacking, you’re already taking a step in the right direction – so don’t doubt your own abilities.
Read here: My very first backpacking experience to one of Colorado’s most famous hot springs!
Plan a trip with new backpacking friends
One of my most unforgettable backpacking trips with a couple of amazing humans! We all ranged in backpacking experience but had a great time overall. One of us cried, one of us forgot hiking boots and hiked all 30 miles in sandals, one of us brought pink Starburst that saved everyone’s lives, and another got her period mid-trip. A story for another post.
Going with people who already have experience backpacking really helped me jumpstart my own backpacking knowledge. You could absolutely do your research and go alone, but it made me feel so much more comfortable and safe and I just learned so much. Not to mention, your gear weight matters, and anything that you can share or split with your backpacking partners will make things that much lighter for the group overall (i.e., sharing a tent, cookware, toiletries, etc.) Plus, in my opinion it’s a lot more fun to suffer the lows and celebrate the highs together!
Some excellent groups around Colorado include Women Who Hike and the Colorado Hiking Girls where you can meet some likeminded backpacking companions, but you can also book a guided trip to meet new friends and build your backpacking skills.
Because I feel committed to get you guys out there, I have plans underway to host a backpacking for beginners group trip to Rocky Mountain National Park in 2025!
Learn about Leave No Trace
Everyone recreating in the outdoors should familiarize themselves with LNT, which is a framework of 7 Principles that empower us to minimize our impact on the outdoors. They include the following: plan ahead & prepare, travel & camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife, and be considerate of others. You can read more about them on the LNT website here – and spread the good word, sis!
Don’t make the same mistakes I did
While making mistakes is part of learning something new, there are some that you could also just…avoid. These are the things I did wrong when I first started backpacking so that you can be on the lookout!
Mistake #1: First off, I didn’t pack my backpack correctly. Because there is a right and a wrong way! You can go to an REI store and get fitted with a backpack and learn how to pack it properly, which I did but then forgot and proceeded to pack it incorrectly for the entire season…
So, make sure you practice and study the proper way to organize your gear for optimal comfort and balance. You can find numerous YouTube videos and guides online, such as REI’s guide and video, and keep refreshing your memory until it becomes second nature.
My backpack (on the far right) is not packed correctly in this photo :) You can almost see how the top is pulling on my shoulders. Oops! Don’t be me!
Mistake #2: I didn’t practice backpacking on any of my local trails with a full pack. It’s strongly advised to pack your backpack as though you’re going on your trip, weigh it to make sure it isn’t too heavy, make some adjustments, and then take it on a little hike. Maybe some incline. Try to mimic the environment of the route you’re taking for your first trip (i.e., don’t just walk around your neighborhood in a pack when the trip you’re doing is 10 miles long with 4,000 feet of elevation gain!)
Mistake #3: I overpacked. Are you surprised?! I’m not.
You honestly do not need a change of clothes for every day, nor do you need the same amount of toiletries that you’d normally use at home. You can decide what feels like a luxury item versus a necessity to you (for example, some people bring a Kindle, I bring my camera). Over time, I’ve accepted that being kind of smelly and dirty is part of the experience, and as a result my pack has lightened substantially.
Mistake #4: For my first backpacking trip, I brought the biggest bear canister imaginable. It was the Journey 11.5 liter Bear Vault that can technically fit enough food for a 7-day trek, and I brought it just for myself, one person, for one night. This can technically go under Mistake #3 but it needed its own space because bear cans are so heavy and bulky (2 lbs, 8 oz) and I just didn’t know how to consolidate or pack my backpacking meals efficiently and brought way too many toiletries.
Related note, but make sure you aren’t bringing a bunch of 2-person backpacking meals – those take up a lot of space, and I couldn’t finish some of them (and then you have to carry out your unfinished, cooked food = even more weight).
The various sizes of bear canisters available. The one on the far right? Yup…that’s what I brought on my first trip for one night, just for me. Now, I’d bring the one on the far left for the same kind of trip.
Mistake #5: I bought pretty much all of my gear brand new. You absolutely don’t need to do that! There is so much gently used gear on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, used gear outlets and more but I was extremely eager to make the most of my brand-new REI Co-op membership, I went straight to the Denver Flagship store the minute I spontaneously committed to a backpacking trip with someone I had just met. I had a tent and sleeping pad already from when we’d go camping but otherwise yeah…my wallet was crying. And here I thought hiking was like…free?
Time to gear up
Backpacks taking in the views.
I’ll never forget the concerned look in the eyes of the REI employee who fitted me with my first pack. “When is your trip?” he asked, as I fumbled with the straps and pockets and commented that I’d like to try a certain brand/color because I “thought it was cuter.” My trip was in 3 days, I said. His face permanently settled into a worried, skeptical expression as he commenced running around the store and handing me things I didn’t even know I needed.
Without further ado, here's a list of gear that you’ll need on a one-nighter, which you can adjust as needed based on your own trip (although I recommend your first one be a short trip so that you can refine this list!)
Basic Essentials
Optional
Camera Gear — I usually stick with bringing just one lens due to how heavy this stuff makes my pack unless I’m feeling ballsy. Which normally, I am not.
Kindle – I just started using a Kindle this past year and it’s such a gamechanger, especially once it gets dark but you aren’t ready to sleep quite yet. Plus the battery lasts forever, so it’s great for future longer treks.
Ear Plugs – only if you’re backpacking with a group and they’re willing to wake you up if there’s an emergency. For me, I like sleeping with ear plugs because otherwise every sound I hear is a bear or a murderer. Plus sometimes my friends snore.
Bug Net – if you foresee there being a lot of mosquitos and flies on your trail, which lately in Colorado there has been tons.
Kula Cloth — a reusable, antimicrobial pee cloth! I have yet to get one of these, but my friends swear by it.
Sleep
Ultralight Backpacking Tent — although it’s a 2-person tent, I find it to be quite perfect for one person especially if I want to keep my change of clothes, camera equipment and other extra things inside the tent. It’s also super easy and fast to set up.
Pillow — I love this lightweight, packable inflatable pillow from Sea to Summit.
Sleeping Pad — you want something that’s insulated and comes with a pump sack for easy and quick inflation.
Sleeping Bag — get a WARM sleeping bag, especially if you’re planning to backpack in higher elevations like Colorado I’ve slept in freezing cold temps with the Magma 15 and it has always done an amazing job keeping me cozy and warm.
Cooking
The way you set up your cookware, I’ve learned, is SUPER personal. It seems like more and more experienced backpackers simply go out there with an MSR PocketRocket stove and an ultralight pot. When I first started, though, I found it easier and less intimidating to use the following system:
Jetboil Flash Cooking System — it’s so compact and boils 1L of water within about 3 minutes, which you can pour into your dehydrated backpacking meal bag and then use the mug for tea or coffee. However, mine no longer ignites by itself nor should you rely on the self-igniter anyway, so bring a lighter just in case.
Jetpower Fuel — it fits nicely inside the cooking system so you save on space! It’s also compatible with the MSR PocketRocket if you decide to use that system (as are most of these little fuel canisters).
Spork — something really simple and light.
Food
This should be adjusted based on the nature of your own trip and your caloric needs, but for the one-night backpacking trip I did, I needed one lunch, one dinner, snacks, and then one breakfast for the next day. We had breakfast before the hike began, and then had lunch on our drive home the next day after we finished. Also, we had time to stop and cook our backpacking lunch for this particular hike – if you don’t, consider packing something simple like tortilla, salami and cheese or tuna with crackers and bread plus lots of snacks and call it lunch. Easier to eat on the go and no cleanup necessary.
Backpacker's Pantry Granola with Milk and Organic Blueberries
Ahi Tuna Jerky Strip – omg! This stuff is so good.
Other snacks for a one-nighter can be things like dried mangoes, nuts, chocolate, and tangerines. Always bring more snacks than you think you’ll need since you are burning a lot of calories, and remember that salt and sugar are your friends on these kinds of trips!
Toiletries
I have mentioned this earlier, but toiletries are my luxury item. And while I can totally poop into a hole in the ground like a wild animal and not blink an eye at this point, I can’t skip my skincare routine. Yes, I do go off into the woods where my canister was hidden under a log to balance a little mirror on a tree stump and accomplish said routine, and I do this in the evening and first thing in the morning. It’s also something that soothes me and makes me feel more relaxed before getting cozy in my tent at night – which, if you are nervous about sleeping in a tent in the backcountry, there’s something about replicating aspects of your bedtime routine that can be very mentally calming.
Here's what I typically bring:
Contact solution and contact case
Eye drops
Deodorant
Sunscreen
Unscented wipes for face and body
Moisturizer
Hydrating serum
Eye cream
Chapstick
Toilet paper
After every backpacking trip, take note of what you did or did not use. For example, I initially thought I would need a fancy UV water purifier (NOT recommended by the REI guy actually) but found that my simple and light water filter system was enough (WAS recommended by REI guy). And then I was like, okay I do not need a daytime moisturizer AND a night cream, nor do I need body wipes AND face wipes…my GOD.
Wearing the right clothes
This will depend on the season and your backpacking environment, but there are some basic essentials that you’ll need to bring. When backpacking in Colorado at any time of year, you want to have clothing for all seasons and all types of weather. It gets cold in the mountains even in the summer.
Two sets of socks
Two pairs of underwear
Two pairs of leggings, one for hiking and one for layering at night or changing into the next day if needed
Long sleeved shirt
Beanie, usually worn a night when the temperatures drop
Hat for sun protection, like a baseball cap or bucket hat, whatever suits your fancy
Fleece
Puffy coat
Raincoat
Sports bra
Tank top
Teva sandals
Hiking boots
What trails should you do?
While I wouldn’t consider this a beginner trail, the Four Pass Loop in Colorado was the dreamiest and most incredible route I’ve ever done.
My first backpacking hike was to Conundrum Hot Springs (18 miles total, 2,400 ft elevation gain), which I thought was super challenging for my first time but then thought it was easy when I did it again the following year. For a beginner, I would recommend looking for trails without too much elevation gain (in case you haven’t fine-tuned your pack), plenty of water sources, and relatively close to civilization in case of an emergency.
If you live in Colorado, the following are great beginner backpacking routes / areas to get your feet wet (but not literally, cause you’ll have your waterproof boots on):
Lost Creek Wilderness
Seven Bridges Trail in North Cheyenne Cañon
Buffalo Peaks Wilderness
Golden Gate Canyon State Park
Go forth!
I hope this blog post was helpful as you plan your first backpacking adventure! Feel free to connect with me on Instagram @dashaslens if you have questions or drop me a note in the comments 😊
