So, I’ve really started to make some large changes to my life after many years of being a degenerate and all my money going on smoking weed and doing other drugs with friends etc.
It all started when I got diagnosed with ADHD, got medicated, since stopped as the cons were worse than the pros now I’m on a good track, re-trained as a software developer and have been in my first role a year and I’m late 30’s now.
Weed was the last thing to quit and it’s been almost a month and I’m finally able to do all the things I could never afford. Bought a nice watch and booked a session for a sleeve tattoo I’ve always wanted.
I still need something to focus on to keep me happy and I love being out in nature and just milling about, but I’m a city kid, north UK, so really don’t know anything about surviving outside; but I want to go out for weekends and see the stars and just explore and be self sufficient.
It all just seems so overwhelming and I have no clue where to start. I’ve been watching YouTube videos and still it seems so overwhelming. My plan is to start purchasing everything you would need with a view to start from April next year but I honestly don’t know where to begin. What do I buy, which tents should I be looking at, how do I learn about water supplies I can drink from, what about cooking; can I make bacon and eggs for instance, what sleeping bags, cookers, backpacks, shoes, etc.
The list goes on and on and I guess I’m just looking for good resources to consume over the next 10 months to make sure I can go out and be safe, considerate, and not a burden on anybody else.
Thanks for any tips you can provide.
Edit: I have a lot of comments here to reply to, but I’m pretty sleepy right now so will reply to you all tomorrow. Thanks.
I think you are talking about wilderness backpacking, as opposed to regular backpacking.
Backpacking means you are generally on trails and bringing everything you need, including food. You don’t need survival skills to backpack, but some basic ability to navigate with a map and compass is really good to know.
Wilderness backpacking is like regular backpacking but is more survivalist and you generally don’t use established trails. This is more hardcore and can include having to get food while you are in the wilderness by fishing or hunting.
Start off hiking.
Gear is a big topic of debate. Understand whatever you buy will probably not be what you will need and you will probably replace or upgrade gear a lot as you find out. I don’t think anything I have in my pack now was with me for my first trip.
Bivy vs tent vs hammock comes down to what suits you and the environment you are going to, can’t hang a hammock if there aren’t enough trees.
Alcohol stove vs fuel stove vs cooking over fire all depends on your convenience desire and if there are fire restrictions. Hell, you can even go no-cook meals if you are indifferent to the comfort a hot meal on a cold day can bring.
Passive vs manual water filtration is a matter of personal preference. Water purification tabs are light as fuck, but the taste is not pleasant. If you have a good filtration system the source of the water need only be unpolluted, like a lake or stream. You can boil water, but that isn’t a perfect system and there is still a lot of junk and flavors that you probably don’t want. Pump filters are faster, but gravity filters require less energy and you can use them while on the move.
Shoes should be hiking shoes or boots, ones with ankle support can be really nice in topography where you will be changing elevations a lot.
Backpack should be an appropriately sized backpacking pack with a frame. You can go frameless if you are ultralight, but ultralight people are neurotic and derrainged. You want one that fits you and is big enough for the trip but not oversized.
Food is pretty personal. You really could only take highly perishable foods like unpreserved meat for a day if you are in temps above safe storage temps. So don’t think you can take a steak for day 4 when it is 25C out. If it doesn’t need refrigeration or is a preserved product, you can choose what you want. Some people will eat nothing but trail mix, some people will take nothing but dehydrated camping food, what you take will be up to you. If you are looking to cook whatever you want, then overlanding type camping or car camping is what you should be looking at.
Definitely understand that the temps that a sleeping bag are rated for are not accurate. Whatever the lowest temperature they say it is good for is almost barely survivable in reality. If A bag is rated for 7C, it probably is livable at 13C with layers on. Bags are case by case so you will have to try out a bag to know at what temperature you can comfortably sleep in them.
You should start with reading forums and communities to see what other people are doing. There are checklists you can reference to wrap your head around everything you might need and then you can figure out what you want. Definitely start with an overnight trip to work some kinks out of your setup and then go for more days as you gain confidence in your setup.
Ah yes… deranged ultralight hikers :D This reminds me of one thing to add: try to ensure your fully packed backpack doesn’t weigh more than 30Kg; that should be enough for do a 4-day hike with at least one other person. For an overnighter, you’re still going to have to carry a lot of the same stuff except less food and toilet paper. But if planning to do longer hikes, there’s no harm in over packing for a single night a few times to get the feel of what you’re comfortable having vs how much it weighs.
One other thing: I trail run, so I’ll be in and out in four hours on trails where others are planning to stay one or more nights. Sometimes I get looks of disbelief from people with the full 30kg packs on as I run past them on the trail — but no, I’m not crazy enough to have that little on my back AND be planning to stay the night. Conversely, the reason I’ve got all that stuff on my back at all is because accidents happen.
I’ve had more than one time where I’ve been on a run and encountered a group that neglected to bring along a first aid kit, or a group that ran out of water. Always good to pack for slightly more than you’re expecting, just in case you need to help someone else out, or survive an extra night while others come looking for you.
30kg is pretty heavy. 20kg is reasonable for a 5 night IMO.
That being said, my pack is about 15kg for 5 nights with 10C nights and the luxury of a camp chair, 7kg dry. I don’t see the sanity available with 10kg wet, those people need help.