Hiking front packs online store and hiking tricks. Dinner: Look for all-in-one meals such as packaged noodle or rice entrees. Boxed meals can be removed and placed in a plastic bag for easier packing. Lunches and snacks: Bring high-calorie, high-protein energy bars and trail mix to munch on during the day because backpacking burns a lot of metabolic fuel. Keep thing simple by making lunch a trailside affair with ample snacks and a longer rest. Other backpacking lunch options include bagels, jerky, dried fruit and nuts. Breakfast: This can range from a cooked entrée (pancakes anyone?) to hot oatmeal from a mix to two or three breakfast bars. You have to weigh the advantages of starting your day warmed up and fueled up versus hitting the trail earlier. If you can’t go without your caffeinated beverage, your simplest option is an instant coffee mix or tea bags.

Reducing backpack weight advice : Analyze everything. Do you really need it? Is there a lighter version of it? Can it be shaved or cut down? I spent months preparing my Appalachian Trail gear to keep it as light as possible. Even five months into the hike, I was still cutting off things that I was not using. Go primitive (or electronic-less). Goodbye cellphones, watches, iPods, kindles, GPS, chargers, etc. This is the trail. Enjoy the solitude. If you’re worried about safety – tell someone ahead of time where exactly you are going and when to expect your return. Razor blade for knife. Very rarely do I ever miss my knife and I certainly have never needed my knife. A razor blade can be great an ultralight alternative. Find more details on Custom Hiking Backpacks Online Store.

Navigation and maps might be the most important hiking essential. If you know where you are, you should know how to get home. If you’re lost, you’re in trouble. In this case I actually use several devices. GPS watch with track loaded. Dedicated backup GPS device with maps loaded. Smartphone app with offline maps (make sure you’re in airplane mode). Paper topographic maps. Guidebook or hike printout. Compass to navigate with paper. This is pretty straightforward. Use sunscreen and SPF protected clothing to avoid sunburn (and sun poisoning). I also carry a tarp and cord in my pack so I can erect a shade shelter if need be.

I (Ben) have been a professional full-time photographer for almost 16 years. In that time I developed a strong passion for hiking and backpacking. Like most landscape photographers carrying camera gear efficiently has always been a struggle and solving that problem involved dragging out my old sewing machine. Once I made a few camera bags I moved on to stuff sacks, dry bags and of course Backpacks. Boom! Hilltop Packs was born. See extra details on hilltoppacks.com.