Backpacking trips are a great way to get an excellent workout while also enjoying the beauty and peace of the natural world. But if you’re not careful and prepared, you could put your physical health in jeopardy while you’re out on the trail, especially if you weren’t prepared enough beforehand or don’t know how to protect your body while you’re out in the wild.
To help you avoid these kinds of situations, here are three ways to maintain your health while going on a backpacking trip.
Make Sure You’re In Good Physical Condition
The very first thing you should think about before leaving on a backpacking trip is if you’re in good enough physical condition to take on a task like this.
Backpacking, while it might not seem like something that’s very intense, can be extremely hard on your body. Especially if you’re not used to walking miles and miles each day and carrying a large pack on your back, you might find that backpacking is a workout in and of itself. So to avoid having to spend the next week recovering from your time in the wilderness and to keep from having to call park rangers to come and rescue you after you’ve gotten in over your head, make sure your body is ready to handle what you’ll be dishing out to it while backpacking.
Know How To Protect Yourself From The Wildlife
When you’re backpacking, you’re going to be off the beaten path. This means that you’ll be out of human territory and going directly into animal territory.
Depending on where you live, the animals that you may run into could be relatively innocuous. But on the off chance that you’ll be in the same vicinity as a bear, moose, mountain lion, poisonous snake, and other dangerous wildlife, it’s a good idea to know how to best protect yourself and your camp. In some instances, it might also be a good idea to bring a concealed carry weapon with you for added protection.
Plan For Getting Help If You Need It
If you’re out in the backcountry and you do wind up running into issues that you’re not equipped to deal with, you’re going to want to have a plan in place for getting the help you need.
In some backcountry areas, you may still have cell service. If this is the case, try to get a call out to 911 to get the necessary assistance. But if you can’t contact anyone immediately, you should have someone back home who knows where you were going and when you planned on being back. Then, if you don’t show up, they can send out a search party. If you have plans to go backpacking in the near future, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you keep yourself physically healthy, safe, and