A backpacking checklist is usually about the “stuff.” Good equipment is nice to have, but even with the best gear you can get into trouble in the wilderness. You might have matches and the latest fire starters, but still not be able to get that fire going. It takes more than good gear to assure a safe and enjoyable trip. Towards that end, then, this is a list of skills you should have or learn.
1. Navigation. Contrary to what many novices think, a compass doesn’t tell you where you are. For that matter, a map doesn’t either, if you don’t know how to use it. Practice close to home if you can’t yet use both of these easily. Do the same with your GPS unit.
2. Staying warm. There are tricks to staying warm. Shed layers as you get warm, for example, so you don’t have sweat to chill you later. Use wind-blocking shell clothing, and wear a hat. Eating fatty foods before sleeping can keep you warmer.
3. Pitching a tent. Pitch your tent or tarp wrong and the rain will come in or the wind will tear the seams. They need to be pitched tight, and you should be able to do it in a few minutes. Practice in the yard.
4. Cooking over a fire. Making soup over a small fire is not as easy as it seems. Cover the pan, block the wind, and keep the fire small and concentrated. Time yourself when you practice. You don’t have to rush normally, but speed can be important in some situations, and it’s always possible your stove will break.
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It’s a good thing they taught us all of that in Girl Scouts! I could read a map and navigate fairly well by age 12, cook over a fire and light one with damp wood and two matches by age 15. No one should be without these skills, backpacking or not – they’re fairly simple, and you never know when disaster will strike, as emphasized recently by the news headlines.
Great backpacking tip: Bring hard candies with you (in a sealed metal container, so that animals can’t find them). A handful of Creme Savers, Jolly Ranchers or the like will provide calories and energy for emergency situations, and having something to suck on will keep your mouth from going dry if you run out of water!