There really is not a correct way to pack a backpack. However, if you are going to be hiking off-trail, over rough terrain or on snow there are a few tips that can prevent a lot of problems.

• As a general rule you might want to pack heavier items a little lower in your bag to bring down your center of gravity. This can help prevent falls from an unbalanced pack.
• Sleeping bag. Most hiking packs have an area at the bottom of the bag for your sleeping bag. It’s a good idea to keep your sleeping bag separated from heavier gear because compressing some bags can cause damage resulting in warmth.
• Clothes Next. Just make sure you have a few items that can be easily accessed if the weather changes. Hat, gloves, and rain gear should be stashed in an outside pocket where you can grab them if things get rough.
• Shelter – Some bags have enough room in the sleeping bag compartment to stash a small tent or tarp. If your pack has a separate compartment try to stuff your tent under the sleeping bag. The last thing you want to do in a rainstorm is unpack your whole bag just to get to your tent. Tent poles can be strapped to the outside of the bag. (Tip – Some tents or tarp systems can be made to work with your walking sticks, thus freeing up space)
• Food – Store in spill proof waterproof materials. Can be placed throughout the bag
• Cooking Fuels – Store any fuel upright and as far away as possible from your food. If you have pockets outside your bag this would be a good place for fuel.
• Personal Items – Outside pockets are great for things like rain gear, water filters, water bottles, snacks,sunscreen, insect repellant, and your camera.

Train Your Feet for the Hike:
Don’t underestimate the importance of conditioning your feet for hiking with a heavy pack. Before setting out, start taking short hikes gradually increasing the weight in your pack until it is fully loaded.

The Right fit:
Your boots or hiking shoes are probably the most important part of keeping your feet feeling good. When trying on boots for the first time, make sure that you are wearing the same socks that you will be wearing out on the trail. A good fit is essential and should never be overlooked.

Break In Your Boots:
Don’t hit the trail with brand new boots. Wear them aroung the office, the store and around the house for a few days to make sure that they have time to stretch and soften up.

Hiking Socks:
Put Down the Cotton!  Moisture-wicking wool or synthetic hiking socks can help your feet stay cool and dry on the trail. Wearing the wrong socks can make things misearable and can increase your chances for getting blistters.

Manage those Blisters:
The moment you feel a blister coming to the surface, STOP! Now is the time to fix the problem. Check out our tips for preventing blisters.

Keep Them Clean:
Many hikers neglect their efeet. Take the time to massage, air out and wash your feet throughout the day. And don’t forget to trim those nail.

Rest:
Take it easy! If your feet feel tired or start to hurt, find a cool place to sit down and rest. When you stop for the night a cool pair of sandles can help keep your feet cool and aired out.

Brown Recluse Spider
Just like their name suggests, Recluse spiders are reclusive and are only a threat if bothered. They like to hide beneath rocks, woodpiles, dead leaves and bark. Recluse spiders are most active at night when they come out to hunt.

The Recluse Spider has a pale brown to reddish color, with long slender legs and is around ¼ in and ¾ in in length. They are also known as a violin spider, because of  its violin shape markings.

While bites are extremely rare, if bitten the venom can cause organ damage, and sometimes even death.

Black Widow Spider

Black widow spiders are also highly venomous spiders that can be found in the western regions of the United States. They can be found beneath rocks, dead wood, dead leaves and bark and in thick undergrowth. You can easily identify this spider by its shiny black body and red hourglass marking under the belly.

The bite actually causes little pain when first attacked. Within the first hour, expect severe cramping in the abdomen and back, anxiety, headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and heavy sweating are common. It is actually very rare for a Black widow bite to cause death, but the symptoms are still nothing to take lightly. Watch where you are putting your hands, and try to wear thick gloves when picking up wood for a campfire.

Rattlesnakes

There are over 30 different types of Rattlesnakes in the United States.

Bites are serious and can cause swelling that moves up toward the heart, creating numbness, swollen lymph nodes, increased heart rate, blurred vision, headache, light-headedness, sweating and chills. Bites often occur when someone scares the snake, steps on it or provokes it.

If you come across a rattlesnake while out on the trail, keep your distance and allow the snake a good amount of room to move away. Keep your hands and feet away from any areas that you cannot see.

Scorpions

Scorpions can be found in the desert regions o the southwest United States: Arizona, New Mexico, California, Utah and Nevada.

There are a number of different types of scorpions, in fact experts say there are are around 2,000 different species of scorpions.  Of all the scorpions in the United States there is only one that you need to worry about, the Bark Scorpion.

The Arizona bark scorpion is the only scorpion capable of causing a deadly reaction in humans. They are about 1-3 inches in length and are actually one of the most commonly encountered house scorpions in the Southwest.

When hiking, make sure to shake out your boots and sleeping bags before use. It is not uncommon for a scorpion to take up residents in an empty boot outside your tent.

Heat Cramps

Heat related problems usually start with Heat Cramps. Thy are caused by a loss of salt due to sweating at high temperatures. Heat Cramps usually come on pretty quick and will usually affect your legs and arms first.

Treatment:

• Get out of the sun and move into the Shade or a cool place.
• Drink some water with a pinch of salt or a drink with electrolytes like Gatorade.
• To prevent heat cramps make sure you drink plenty of fluids throughout your day and add a small amount of salt to your diet.

Heat Exhaustion

Heat exhaustion is nothing to mess around with as it can quickly turn into a life threating condition. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include dizziness, nausea, fatigue, headaches, clammy skin, and a fast pulse. It can occur due to a reduction of body fluids and salts.

Prevention:

• Take breaks and try to stay as shaded as possible.
• Avoid extended periods of sun exposure.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing and hats.

Treatment:

• Get out of the sun and move into the Shade or a cool place.
• Rest in a shady area, don’t try to overdue it.
• Drink plenty of cool water.
• A cool rag or wet bandanna around your neck can help cool your blood.
• If you can find a stream or source of water, laying down in it or wading around can cool your body.

Stumble It!

Hiking Resources:

• Check out our Hiking and Backpacking Section

Photography Resources:

• Take stunning outdoor photographs with the Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black)
• Beginner’s Guide to Nature Photography
• Digital Nature Photography

Enter the tarp! A good tarp is both lighter and cheaper than the even the lightest of tents and has a number of advantages that make it much more attractive to a light backpacker.

Why Tarps make a good shelter for light hikers and backpackers.

• Tarps are great in the rain….. No one wants the hassle of setting up a tent in a rainstorm, and building a shelter out of natural materials can take hours. A good tarp can be put up in less than 60 seconds and can help you stay dry until the rain stops.
• A tarp is far lighter than any other type of backpacking shelter.
• Tarps are cheaper that tents.
• When combined with a hammock they make a great outdoor shelter.
• Tarps are a great backup plan, in case you can’t find natural materials to build a shelter with.

ANSWER:

I would advice checking out one of the National Trails. Although they are somewhat maintained, most of them are pretty remote and are very rarely used.

The National Trails are great for people who are looking for a real adventure. Some of the trails are thousands of miles long and are rarely used by ordinary hikers. It takes a real hardcore backpacker to complete some of these trails, and most of them have fewer than 100 people a year who attempt to make the end.

• Check out our list of the National Trails

Check out this video by Gregory on how to get the right pack for your body.

Here is another one from Backpacker Magazine

Directions:

1. Take US95 to State Route 157
2. Go Left on 157
3. About 3 Mile past 158 You will reach a hairpin turn where you will turn off to the right at Echo Dr.
4. Turn Left at the Mary Jane Falls Sign
5. The trailhead is located at the edge of the parking lot.

The Hike:

The trail Starts at a pretty easy pace as you stroll through some ponderosa and aspen pine trees .

The trail leads into a pretty large canyon with some awesome views. Once into the trail you will see two routes one that is blocked off, which is the old trail that leads to the big falls. The other is the main route which winds back and forth up the side of the mountain to the Mary Jane Falls.

When you reach the water fall you will have awesome views and possibly some snow up until the middle of May. There are a few small caves that you can climb up to and some other climbing areas if you have some experience.

Pictures:

The National Trails System Act created the National Trails System on October 2, 1968. This Act created a series of trails and connecting side trails.

The Following is a list of the 6 Major Trails.

The Pacific Crest Trail (also known as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail) is a long distance mountain hiking and horseback trail that goes from the United States border with Mexico to the border of Canada. The trail goes up through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington.

Most of the trail takes you through National Forest and other protected wilderness areas, while still being secluded enough to make an awesome place to get away from it all.

The Pacific Trail is 2,650 miles long and runs parallel to the Pacific Ocean by about 100-150 miles depending on where you are on the trail. The trail follows the highest parts of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Ranges, and also dips down to just about sea level when going through the Oregon Washington border.

The trail can take around 4 – 6 months to complete and on average only 180 people complete it each year. The trail goes through some of the most extreme wilderness in the USA.

The Lewis and Clark Trail - The Lewis and Clark Trail is around 3,700 miles and is the second longest of the National Scenic and Historic Trails.

The Lewis and Clark Trail begins in Hartford, Illinois and goes through the states of Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. The official trail headquarters is in Omaha, Nebraska.

The trail follows the Missouri and Columbia Rivers and is one of the few trails that allow bicycles.

Appalachian Trail – The Appalachian Trail or better known to hikers as The A.T., is probably one of the most popular and well known hiking trails in the United States. The trail is more than 2,000 miles long, and runs from Springer Mountain (in Georgia) to Mount Katahdin in Maine.

Most of The Appalachian Trail is surrounded by wilderness, but there are a few areas of the trail that go through or near towns and road. Most hikers like to send supplies to some of the towns that come close to the trail.

The trail runs through the following states: Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. An extension of the trail now goes into Canada, where it eventually meets the Atlantic Ocean.

Continental Divide Trail – The Continental Divide Trail is 3,100 miles long. It follows the Continental Divide along the Rocky Mountains between Canada and Mexico.

The trail runs through the following states; Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, and New Mexico. In Montana it crosses Triple Divide Peak, a place that separates the Hudson Bay, Atlantic Ocean, and Pacific Ocean drainage’s from one another.

The trail takes about six months to hike and it is to be noted that there are some areas that have not been completed and can only be traveled by bushwhacking or road walking.

Florida Trail – The Florida Trail is 1,400 miles long and runs between Miami, Florida and Naples. The trail runs along and near major highways throughout Florida.

North Country Trail: The North Country National Scenic Trail, is still being finished. When done, it will run a staggering 4,600 miles from Crown Point New York to Lake Sakakawea North Dakota.

The North Country Trail runs through New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota.
There are ten National Forest areas along the way, 57 state parks & state historic areas, 22 state game areas, 47 state forests, and 7 state water conservation districts.

More than 1,800 miles have been certified off-road and when completed it will be the longest off-road hiking trail in the United States.