After a great deal of research and carefully consideration you have finally decided that it’s time to try backpacking. You have bought the latest backpacking trail guides and plotted your destination at the ultimate get-away location. But before you take off here are a few common sense tips that will keep you safe and help you along during your journey.

First and foremost, carefully and thoroughly plan your trips before you leave home. This step cannot be emphasized enough! Study maps and other sources of information to prepare for any physical or geographical roadblocks. Careful planning will help you achieve and maintain a healthy and positive attitude about the trip itself.

Next, determine what type of gear you will need to backpack. Beware of the “light gear” merchandise, as it may not always be the best purchasing option. Typically, you will also want to avoid any gear that is “all-in-one” as it may be bulky. Gear that is too large may become a safety concern as it makes people more at risk to falling down while too-small gear may compromise personal security. Give each piece of gear careful consideration and select something that feels safe and comfortable to you. More experienced backpackers generally progress to lighter and more efficient gear.

Once you have finished planning and purchasing items for your trip, the next step is to communicate them to friends and family members. It is highly recommended to print out a daily itinerary that includes a timetable with the corresponding destination and give a copy to friends and family. Include a topographical map with the itinerary and take note on how much time you will spend at each location and when you are planning on returning home. This is an essential tool because it could be your link to survival if you run into trouble in a remote area.

After planning and communicating your backpacking trip you are ready to hit the trails. The first rule of thumb is to listen to your “sixth sense”, know when to turn around and go back. Questionable, dangerous, or even deadly situations can arise if you continually challenge your “sixth sense”. Listening to your body is just as important. Keep hydrated by drinking a lot of fluids and eating on a regular basis. While hiking trails, many backpackers forget to stop and replenish their bodies. Dehydration is a real threat that many backpackers experience. Backpackers need to maintain energy levels high by drinking plenty of water and snacking frequently. Another threat for backpackers is hypothermia and hyperthermia. Hypothermia occurs when the body’s temperature drops below normal and hyperthermia occurs when the body’s temperature is higher than normal and your body can’t cool down. It is essential to learn how to dress before your body becomes chilled and undress before you overheat.

Finally, always carry a compass and know how to read a map. The map is the ultimate tool in preparation and a compass will aid in travel direction. If a situation arises where you become disoriented on the trail, the map will allow you to re-focus and continue onward. Preparation is the best tool to prevent this situation from occurring. By taking into consideration the above tips, backpacking can be a very rewarding passage. Remember, careful trip planning is the key to backpacking along with familiarizing yourself with the area. As always, be aware of the limits of your body and maintain your energy levels. Most importantly, let family and friends know of your where about at all times.

Do you ever feel like you know just enough about Travel to be dangerous? Let’s see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from Travel experts.

It is useful to be able to compare room rates at a number of hostels in your preferred destination. Backpacking can be a wonderful experience. Book a room in a hostel today, so that you aren’t roomless on your arrival.

People from all walks of life and every corner of the world stay in hostels. Backpacker Hostels are very affordable. Expand your horizons - Taking excursions away from your original plan is part of what makes backpacking fun.

Sometimes the most important aspects of a subject are not immediately obvious. Keep reading to get the complete picture.

Safeguard your important documents and money - Get one of those thin money belts that fit inside your clothes. That way you can carry your passport and money with you at all times. Tip of the day - Always carry your student or youth card because you may be able to get a discount. Many hostels offer a wide range of activities - from city tours to white water-rafting.

Travel in comfort - Bring a pillow with you for those long bus journeys. Almost all hostels offer lockers, either free of charge or for hire so that people staying in dormitories can lock up their valuables. During the daytime, there is usually a lockout time from early morning to late afternoon when the rooms are being cleaned.

Planning that seems so trivial at home can become complicated when you are in a strange place. Today, many hostels are not unlike budget hotels where the only significant difference is the price. Many hostels provide access for wheelchair users, and specially adapted rooms are becoming more common. Many hostels in the country are so quiet you can hear your heart beat.

So now you know a little bit about Travel. Even if you don’t know everything, you’ve done something worthwhile: you’ve expanded your knowledge.

I was in the Weminuche Wilderness Area when the snow came. It was my second day out of Silverton, where the locals told me it rains or snows every day in August. I made a note to myself to do some research next time. Then I made a note to myself to find the trail. I was lost again.

Lightweight Backpacking

I came to the San Juan Mountains in Colorado to try my new gear. I used a tarp shelter, and a light down sleeping bag. The first rainy night I stayed dry. A good start, but now above the trees, I was lost in rolling tundra, unable to find the trail under several inches of snow. I had my ultralight rainsuit on, though, and I was fine.

It was beautiful, with mountains appearing all around at every break in the weather. Eventually I found myself on the map. The sun came out, and there were white mountain tops rising out of the green forests everywhere. Mountain goats played on the cliffs with me.

The fourth morning, I was on my way up Mount Eolus. In Colorado you can go up 14,000-foot mountains without climbing gear. They call them “walk-ups,” but some require more than hiking. The “catwalk” on Eolus, for example, is easy, but only if it’s easy for you to walk a three-foot-wide edge, with a drop to your death on either side. I made it to the top.

Sunlight Peak, a couple hours later, required a leap across a thousand foot drop to reach the summit. At least it was an easy jump. Chased off by a thunderstorm, I didn’t get to go up nearby Windom Peak.

There were no roads, but the next day I found the Silverton-Durango line, and flagged down the train to Silverton. I bought food and headed out for three more days of rainy hiking. Lightning chased me at 13,000 feet, I slept in an old ghost town building, climbed three more “fourteeners,” and I’d do it all again in a second. Backpacking in Colorado is spectacular, and going lightweight made it even more so.

Why Ultralight Backpacking?

I carried my backpack easily up mountains, with better balance. One day I hiked 22 miles and bagged three fourteeners. I went 110 miles in seven days, without one blister. That’s what running shoes and a 12 to 16 pound packweight does for you.

Staying dry was as much technique as it was good equipment. It rained every day, and I was under a tarp, in a one-pound sleeping bag, but I stayed dry and warm. I found lightweight backpacking to be safer than hiking with a heavy load, contrary to what many say.

This first lightweight backpacking trip was years ago. When I remember running up those mountains, I know I’ll never go back to a heavy load.