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Backpacking Blog

One of the best ways to immerse yourself into the great outdoors is with a backpacking trip. It’s one of the few remaining ways to truly disconnect from our hectic modern world.

Learning to survive with only what you carry on your back brings about personal growth. You can slow down and connect with nature.

In this backpacking blog, we cover everything you should pack for a trip, our backpacking gear suggestions, and ultimate guides. 

What To Pack For A Backpacking Trip:

Your first backpacking trip can be intimidating. But every time you go, you will improve your skills and learn what works best for you. There is no single “perfect” backpacking setup because we are all different.

But using our guides, you can be well-prepared for a good time. In this backpacking blog, we include tips for beginners, the ultimate packing checklist, and some tasty backpacking meals.

Jake and Emily posing with their hands up in front of Copper Lake

Our Backpacking Gear Suggestions:

Having the right gear for a backpacking trip can be a game-changer. But the “right gear” might be different for each of us.

Emily sleeps cold so she chose a much warmer sleeping bag. But Jake sleeps warmer, so his sleeping bag is smaller and more lightweight.

A good framework for choosing backpacking gear is to consider this Venn Diagram.

A Venn Diagram that categorizes backpacking gear as: affordable, lightweight, or comfortable.
Pick Two

Find the right balance that fits your budget and priorities.

Like most people, when we started backpacking we wanted cheap gear just to get started. We were comfortable with a basic budget tent, but it was not very lightweight.

As we became more experienced backpackers, we began to see the benefits of investing in lightweight gear. Having lightweight gear can “save” your back and allow you enjoy the trail more.

But often lightweight gear is more expensive and compromises on comfort.

We have a few pieces of gear we suggest that highly improved our backpacking experience.

Jake and I personally have the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL3 for our lightweight tent. It is an amazing lightweight tent loaded with great features. It was our dream tent for many years before we finally felt ready to justify the cost. It’s quite expensive (around $500), but for us, it’s a worthy investment that significantly lightens our load on the trail.

Refer back to our beginner’s guide for backpacking to figure out your own priorities. And use these guides below to choose the best gear for you.

Our Favorite Backpacking Locations:

Over the years, Jake and I have been to some epic backpacking locations. In our backpacking blog, we cover everything you need to know about hiking to all of these beautiful places.