Backpacking Info: Tips, Annotated Bibliographies, Backpacking Checklist, and More

Mountain men still exist, sort of. While backpacking in the Weminuche Wilderness of Colorado in 1994, we met five mountain men, replete with 1800s gear, clothing, and single shot long rifles. Here are photos and information gleaned from them regarding their unusual variation of our sport. (Go to the Johnson Creek section of this post.)

Here are dozens of backpacking tips I've accumulated from that masterful instructor called "experience" -- as well as tips sent to me by other visitors of this site:

    Tips about Gear 

Tips about Food 
    Tips about Techniques

Annotated Bibliography: Here are lists of my favorite books related to backpacking, with comments about each book included to assist you in choosing which books might be of interest or value to you.

How-To" Books (techniques)

Philosophical Books ( the "why", not the "how")

True Experience Books (actual backpacking adventures.)

Need a checklist of items to take while backpacking? Here is my list. I don't take every item on every trip, but this is my starting point to guarantee no necessities are overlooked, so customize this list to your own preferences.

For centuries, poets, authors, philosophers and conservationists have struggled to capture in mere words the spiritual essence and resplendent grandeur of trees and wilderness. The English teacher within me wishes to share these literary endeavors with you, so here are presented over a hundred excerpts from works by the world's greatest authors and thinkers as food for thought.

 I've worked on numerous volunteer trail projects over the years, all of which can be viewed here. I strongly encourage everyone to consider volunteering for such a project, and perhaps you'll get to have a supper of deer, elk, and. moose with the crew of the long-running PBS series "This Old House" as we did in '97! See my photo of Steve and Norm (Go to the end of this link's post.)

Wilderness is inspirational to me, and its sights, sounds, scents, and scenes have enkindled within me a need to express my thoughts, feelings, and backcountry experiences in original poetry.