Everyone who backpacks now was a complete beginner once. We started with a 65-litre borrowed pack, a tent we'd never pitched, and a trail that turned out to be significantly harder than the app suggested. We made every classic mistake.
This guide is what we wish someone had told us before that first trip — covering gear, trail selection, safety, permits, and the mental side of spending multiple days in the backcountry for the first time.
What Backpacking Actually Is (and Isn't)
Backpacking is hiking with everything you need to sleep, eat, and survive overnight — all on your back. It's distinct from day hiking (no overnight component) and from expedition mountaineering (technical climbing skills required). Most people's first backpacking trip is 1–2 nights, 5–10 miles per day, on a maintained trail with established campsites.
What it isn't: miserable. The learning curve is real, but almost everyone who tries backpacking wants to go again. The ratio of discomfort to reward is better than it looks from the outside.
Choosing Your First Trail
The single most important decision for your first trip is picking an appropriate trail. Here's what to look for:
- Distance: 5–8 miles per day maximum. Most beginners with a loaded pack travel at 1.5–2 mph. A 10-mile day sounds manageable until you're doing it with 30 lbs on your back.
- Elevation gain: Under 1,500 ft per day to start. Sustained climbing with a heavy pack is exponentially harder than a day hike.
- Established campsites: Designated sites with bear boxes or clear bear hang options. You have enough to think about on your first trip without figuring out Leave No Trace camping from scratch.
- Cell signal or emergency access: Not essential, but good for peace of mind on your first outing.
- Permit requirement: Some of the most beautiful trails require permits. Start somewhere that doesn't, so logistics are simpler.
The Gear You Actually Need
You do not need to buy everything at once. For your first trip, the absolute essentials are:
- A fitting backpack (40–60L for most beginners)
- A sleeping bag rated to below the expected low temperature
- A sleeping pad (more important than most people realise — insulation from the ground)
- A lightweight shelter (tent or tarp)
- A water filter or purification tablets
- A navigation tool (phone with downloaded offline maps works fine)
- Layers for the expected weather, plus one layer warmer than you think you need
- Food for the trip plus one extra day's emergency supply
Before you buy anything, borrow what you can and rent what you can't borrow. REI has a gear rental program. Your first trip will teach you more about what you actually need than any gear list.
For a complete breakdown, see our full gear guide and our printable packing checklist. For food specifically, our trail nutrition guide covers what to eat and why — and Mysnapfuel is the brand we reach for when planning backcountry snacks.
Water: The Most Important Resource
In the backcountry, water sources require treatment before drinking. Giardia and other waterborne pathogens are real, invisible, and not worth the risk. Your options:
- Squeeze filter (Sawyer Squeeze): Lightweight, no chemicals, reliable. Our daily carry.
- UV pen (SteriPen): Fast, effective against viruses (filters don't always catch viruses), requires batteries.
- Chemical tablets (Aquatabs): Ultralight backup. Takes 30 minutes, leaves a faint taste.
Plan your water carries carefully before the trip. Know where every water source is and how far apart they are. Running out is dangerous; carrying too much is heavy. On most maintained trails, 2L between sources is sufficient.
Navigation Basics
Download the trail map to an offline app (AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Caltopo) before you lose cell service. Carry a printed map as backup — your phone battery will last longer than you think, but not forever. Learn to read trail markers and use a compass for the trip after your first one.
Leave No Trace
Seven principles that matter whether or not a ranger ever sees you:
- Plan ahead and prepare
- Travel and camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly (pack it in, pack it out — including human waste in many areas)
- Leave what you find
- Minimise campfire impacts (often prohibited; use a stove)
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
What the First Night Is Actually Like
Honest answer: the first night in a tent after your first day of backpacking is often uncomfortable. Your body isn't used to sleeping on the ground, your mind is more alert than at home, and every sound outside feels significant. This is normal. It gets dramatically better by night two, and most people sleep deeply by night three.
Our first night on the Lakes Trail in Sequoia, neither of us slept more than a few hours. By night two we were asleep before 9pm and didn't wake until sunrise. Your body adapts faster than you expect.
The Best First Backpacking Trips in the US
If you're looking for inspiration, here are trails from our own experience that are excellent for first-timers. They're all achievable with beginner fitness, don't require technical skills, and pay off immediately in scenery:
- Shi Shi Beach, Olympic National Park — 9 miles round trip, stunning coastal camp, relatively flat.
- Lakes Trail, Sequoia National Park — 13 miles, alpine lakes, established sites. A classic California Sierra introduction.
- The Narrows, Zion National Park — Unique slot canyon experience. Technically a wade, not a walk — unforgettable.
Save the Enchantments and international trips for after you've got a few nights under your belt. The permit lottery is intense enough without adding "first backpacking trip" pressure.