Life Lessons Learned While Backpacking

Getting out into nature can really help you with perspective. It also affords you the time to focus on the important things in life. Over the past ten years of backpacking (and generally just being outdoors), I have gathered some of my thoughts about life lessons that can be learned while on the trail. These don’t only apply to when you are backpacking, but I try to appreciate these thought in all realms of life. I hope that some of them might speak to you. However, if they don’t, I suggest you get on a trail yourself, and learn some lessons of your own….

1. Be thankful for and admire the beauty around you. It won’t always be there.

Here are just a snapshot (yes, pun intended) of some of the places I’ve been over the past few decades. All fairly local, and all beautiful!

 2. Everyone pitching in together gets the job done better and faster.

Yes, one person can do the job, but doing it together speeds up the process, and allows you to have fun while you do it.

3. Enjoy the small things, they make the big things better.

Sometimes the best things to bring on a backpacking trip are the small things that make the entire trip more tolerable and enjoyable.

4. When things go wrong, double check to make sure you’re following the right path. If not – correct it!

Sometimes things seem to all start going badly. It’s like quicksand. One thing starts it off, and then another unfortunate thing occurs. I’ve learned to take it as a sign that I need to re-evaluate where we are at, and what decisions we are making. One time that really comes to mind is when we were backpacking in the Wallowas. The trail didn’t seem right. It was getting dark. Rhys ended up falling in the creek (was safe, but very cold and wet), and we had a difficult time finding a place to camp. It turned out we weren’t even on the right trail, as we had veered off course. We took a deep breath, took a break (over night), and reframed everything in the morning.

5. A little planning goes a long way.

The final preparation for all of our backpacking trips begins at least 3-4 weeks in advance (planning of the route and potential camp sites begins before then). We dehydrate and vacuum-seal all of our own food, which can take a long time over many days. The dehydrators will run, non-stop for weeks on end, as we make all of the food preparations. The benefit, is that we are able to eat light-weight delicious meals (much better than store-bought, prepackaged foods), that we are already used to eating. Consuming the same foods we are already used to saves us from gastrointestinal issues that most people encounter when backpacking.

6. …..but be ready for spontaneous adventures.

Sometimes the best memories are made from side excursions. Sometimes a side trip hiking adventure while stopped at rest stop can lead to a mystical adventure looking for unicorns and fairies (found a “mystical” forest while traveling to the Redwoods). Other times, fun is best had when we take a break and enjoy climbing on rocks or playing “stay off the lava” games.

7. Celebration of the small steps is important for morale.

Celebrating small successes (with a victory dance) at each mile can make the time in between go faster even on the grumpiest of hikes. Sometimes we are shocked that the mile comes so quickly. It keeps spirits up to not only log the long miles, but to celebrate those small successes in between.

8. Slow and steady really does win the race.

How do you get a 3 year old to backpack almost 45 miles? We break it up into smaller hikes that we just repeat each day. We just focus on going 6-8 miles (sometimes less if steep terrain) each day. It is amazing what you can accomplish just one small section at a time.

9. Make sure to laugh.

Maybe it is something about the delirium of little sleep with lots of activity, but some of our family’s best memories of laughing together is when we are on the trail. Even when things seem to be stacked against us, we are able to sit back and laugh at the circumstances, and make the best with what we have. Maybe it is more about the time that we are able to spend together, away from the stressors of our normal life, but life on the trail always seem more happy. The kids get along better, and actually play together!

10. Be okay with changing plans, if that’s where you path takes you.

With plans of backpacking 60 miles of the Selway River, Cory and I were disheartened in 2005 when forest fires closed the roads to get to the trail head. Following advice from our shuttler, we decided to spend the first half of the trip backpacking East Moose Creek Trail, and then join up with the Selway River trail halfway through the trip. It could not have been a better choice! We actually enjoyed East Moose Creek twice as much as when we got to the Selway River (which we also thoroughly enjoyed). Cory, Taylor (13 at the time), and David (Cory’s brother) repeated the trip just a few years later, and we all have plans to go back again!

11. Don’t always listen to what the rest of the world says, you might be lead astray or live your life in unnecessary fear

I have an irrational (yet, I still think healthy) fear of bear attacks whenever we go backpacking. It seems to consume my every thought. Preparing for our Grand Teton backpacking trip last year, I had never seen so many bear warnings in books, signs, pamphlets, and by word of mouth. Even on the trail, there were signs throughout the trip warning everyone of bears. I spent a good portion of the hike feeling anxious around every corner. I had seen plenty of bear in the backcountry, but this time we were in Grizzly Country, and I was just a bit more paranoid. Not only did we never see a bear on that trip, but we never even saw any signs of bears in the area. I’ve never been on a backpacking trip where I never once saw signs of bears. No bedding places. No scratches on trees. No bear scat. Nothing. I spent the entire trip worrying about bear, when I could have enjoyed myself a little better. Wasted energy and emotions on something that didn’t even happen.

I hope by reading over the previous items, that you might be able to take a little bit of advice for life from my years on the trail. And as I said, if I am not convincing, try getting out on your own and learning your own lessons. It’s the best way to do it!