I'm here to simplify it for you.

First, backpacking doesn’t have to be a sufferfest. It's entirely possible to enjoy your experience and be comfortable in the wild.

So let's get started:

Choosing Your Gear:

About Backpacks:

Your backpack is one of the main building blocks in backpacking, duh.

The most important elements of a backpack are fit, comfort, and durability. I’d rank getting a pack that fits YOU as priority number one. If you are comfortable on the trail, you will enjoy yourself quite a bit more than if your pack is causing you problems.

There are two ways to talk about size for a backpack; capacity (i.e. 55 liters, 65 liters, etc) and frame size (i.e. small, medium, large).

For capacity, I recommend a 50-65 liter pack. To me, that’s the sweet spot for almost everyone. Don’t make the mistake of buying the largest pack ever (like I did, my first pack was a whopping 135 liter monster). Bigger is not better.

For frame size, I recommend going into a store, such as REI or a local shop, and getting your torso measured. This is important because it’s not always super intuitive, you can be 6 foot 3, and need a medium pack because your torso is a certain length.

It’s common for backpack size to be different than what shirt size you wear.

Make sure you get your torso measured before you buy your first pack.

Here’s a video that breaks it all down.

About Your Sleep System (sleeping bags and sleeping pads):

Sleeping bags are many people’s favorite items. There’s nothing better than crawling into a great sleeping bag on a chilly night and sleeping soundly all night long.

Here’s how to make a good decision on what sleeping bag to purchase. Generally speaking, I recommend a down sleeping bag that’s rated to around 15 degrees F (this is a traditional 3-season sleeping bag). It’s meant to be appropriate Spring through Fall, but not be appropriate for winter conditions.

Down or Synthetic Sleeping Bag?

Let’s keep this simple: Down bags are more expensive than synthetic bags. They are significantly lighter and pack down MUCH smaller. The downside (hehe) is that if they get wet, they won’t keep you warm. Down feathers clump together when wet and lose their ability to insulate. So you’ll be cold in a down sleeping bag that is wet.

Synthetic bags, on the other hand, maintain the ability to keep you warm, even when wet. Synthetic bags are much cheaper but do not pack down well and are generally heavier.

Synthetic bags are solid options if budget is a big concern, or if the majority of your camping is car-based camping (and you don’t have to pack or carry your sleeping bag in a pack).

There’s more I could say on sleeping bags, which I do here in this video!

Sleeping Pads and Mattresses are the single most overlooked / underrated item for new backpackers. And it makes a bigger difference in your camp experience than anything else you buy.

Seriously, it’s not hyperbole. If you go top-o-the-line on anything, let it be your sleeping mattress.

A pad is just that, a lightweight foam material that insulates you from the ground. They are simple, durable, and lightweight (and they will never pop), so they have their place.

The biggest mistake I see new backpackers make is overlooking the importance of what they sleep upon. Most people buy the cheapest sleeping pad when they are getting gear for the first time. But sleeping pads are not made for utility and not comfort. Your sleep quality will be diminished.

I used a cheap sleeping pad for the first ten years of my camping life. When I switched to a sleeping mattress, it revolutionized my world! I’m not kidding. I had no idea I could sleep so well while camping.

Air mattresses insulate you from the cold ground far better than foam. You will be much warmer with the better insulation from the ground. The increase in softness will also keep your limbs from going numb in the middle of the night.

About Tents and Shelters:

This is about to get in-tents!

When you start shopping for tents, they can all look relatively equal. Price usually does a pretty good job of indicating the quality of materials used. Cheaper tents ($100-200 range) will be heavier, won’t pack down as small, and are more likely to break down with use. A common problem with cheap tents is not being resilient to water(aka leaky), having tent poles break, or getting rips in the fabric.

The biggest difference in price often correlates to weight. Ultralight tents are expensive but weigh less than three pounds (really nice ones are under two pounds). Mid-range tents generally weigh 4-6 pounds. Budget tents often weigh more than six pounds, which is very heavy!

Size: In general, most people will want to use a two-person tent. You can easily carry a two-person tent by yourself. If you are sleeping solo, you’ve got plenty of space inside the tent for all your gear. If you have two occupants, you can comfortably sleep shoulder to shoulder, but with no space inside the actual tent for your gear. Typically there will be room in the vestibule for gear (under the rain fly, but outside the tent).

You should get a one-person tent if: you are exclusively a solo hiker or are setting out to do a distance trail (such as the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail) and weight is a primary concern.

You should get a two-person tent if: You are a general backpacker. You might go by yourself or with a partner or a dog. This is the most common tent size to purchase.

You should get a three-person tent if: You are going backpacking with a parter + a child or dog.

Other options: Shelters can be as simple as a tarp from Home Depot that you string up between two trees. Tarp-style shelters are surprisingly effective, and are a great option for people who want an economical, lightweight shelter. These are best suited to ultralight hikers and thru-hikers (people hiking long distance trails).

Wanna see it in action? Here’s the Home Depot option.

About Stoves and Meal Prepping:

For new backpackers, don’t overthink this category. Keep it simple.

Small stoves that run off butane canisters hit all three important factors: small, cheap, and effective.

Stove/pot systems like JetBoil, are great too. They are super-efficient at, well, boiling water. This makes them excellent for people who primarily use dehyrated backpacking meals.

If you are going to spend a lot of time camping, I recommend a liquid fuel-based stove such as the Whisperlite. They can be cleaned and maintained in the field and reduce trash because you refill the fuel tank. These are generally a little bulkier, and can be a bit more intimidating to operate because you are using liquid fuel. Best suited for guides, not beginning backpackers.

POOP:

When you are out in nature, nature will call. So what do you do?

Some people just hold it until they return to their porcelain throne back home. Some people just poop right onto the ground, and then leave it (and the used toilet paper) behind, for the rest of the world to have to deal with. For the love of everything holy, please don’t do that.

• Get a trowel.

• Go two hundred feet from water, the trail, camp, and high traffic areas.

• Dig a cat-hole about 8 inches deep.

• Lower your pants to your thighs (not your ankles).

• Squat. Rest the back of your thighs on your ankles, like a catcher in baseball. Your pants are out of the way (if you lowered your pants to your thighs).

• Relax. Take in the views and do the doo’s.

• Fill in the cat-hole when you’re done, burying the used TP with the poop.

If you’ve still got questions, watch the handy video I made detailing EVERYTHING you could possibly want to know.

Okay, you’re practically an expert! Now go get out there!

The post Backpacking For Beginners appeared first on Hazeadventure.

The view from the Crack in the Wall

Although the access to Coyote Gulch is through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, the canyon is actually located in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Permits are required for all overnights and can be acquired at the BLM ranger station in Escalante, Utah.

A few miles east of Escalante lies Hole-in-the-Rock Road, a fifty-mile long road through Grand Staircase that leads to many wonderful treasures. From here, there are a few route options and trailheads for Coyote Gulch. Bear Foot Theory has some great resources on trailheads options.

A popular route option is known as the Crack in the Wall. To do this, park your vehicle at the Water Tanks trailhead, where you’ll begin and finish your trip.

To get here, drive south on Hole in the Rock Road for 36 miles. Turn east (left) on Forty Mile Ridge Road and drive seven miles. You’ll see large water tanks. This is the trailhead. From here, hike 4.5 miles across exposed desert following a 4×4 road (This road can be driven, but the sand is very deep. You’ll likely get stuck without a serious off-road vehicle.) At the end of the jeep track, you’ll see signage. From here you're following cairns across slickrock. At this point you should see signs of the cliff you’ll soon be descending via the Crack in the Wall. Across the canyon is the impressive Steven’s Arch.

The Crack in the Wall is a fun feature, a literal crack in the cliff that can be descended or ascended. It’s tricky, but in a playful, non-intimidating way. The “crack” is very narrow and cannot be squeezed through while wearing a pack. Bring about twenty feet of webbing or cordage to lower your gear down a cliff so you can freely move through the crack.

And now, my friends, you are in the spectacular canyon of Coyote Gulch. The from here is quite stunning, with a large monolith of rock, goosenecks in the canyon, and a the iconic Steven's Arch. It's one of my favorite areas in Utah.

The trail drops down a very sandy trail to the bottom of the Coyote Gulch. From here, there are sporadic trails along the sides of the canyon. But navigation requires mostly river hiking. Bring adequate footwear, as water, mud, and quicksand will be your new constant companion.

Turning left (upcanyon) will lead you through miles of variable beauty.

When I did it, I spent my first night camped under a beautiful alcove just above a great swimming hole. There are a dozen good campsites along the way. But this one was particularly great. The next morning, we spent our time leisurely sipping coffee and swimming in a pool with a gentle cascade. We benefited greatly from having three days to do about fifteen miles of hiking. It meant we could go at a very slow and pleasant pace, spending time at every great spot (and there are many).

Continuing up-canyon, you’ll pass several waterfalls, including a spring-fed waterfall that's feeding into the canyon. Most of the waterfalls are like my mom: short, but very pleasant.

Spring, summer, and fall are amazing here as it’s warm (even hot) and the water presents perfect opportunities to swim and cool off.

There are many treasures in Coyote Gulch. But the feature that makes this canyon so famous is the Jacob Hamblin Arch and the two massive alcoves that helped create this spectacular feature. Here, the canyon takes several dramatic 180 degree turns, carving deep alcoves into the cliffs. The canyon snakes back on itself and has eroded out the massive and beautiful arch. There are several campsites in this area, and they are all wonderful (although a bit overused).

The exit the canyon just down-canyon of Jacob Hamblin Arch. The exit is not your typical trail. The canyon walls mellow out, losing their verticality, and at one point create a slick-rock ramp that can be ascended and descended.

This is generally the trickiest and scariest part of the whole trip. The slope is about 45 degrees in pitch and can be a little intimidating. But people of reasonable fitness and comfort with heights and scrambling skills can hike in and out without using a rope. If you are really uncomfortable with several hundred feet of 45 degree rock, just go slowly and pick your way up carefully. Maybe bring a friend who can lend a hand.

From the top of the slope, it's just two miles across the bare desert following cairns to get back to your car at the Water Tanks.

Give each other high fives and hopefully you have a couple cold beers packed on ice at your car.

Logistics and notes:

• Seasons: The ideal seasons are spring and fall. Summers are quite hot, but it can be done (we hiked in August). This could in theory be done in winter, but I'm not sure I'd want to!

• Bring plenty of water, at least three liters. The desert is unforgiving, especially in summer. Bring a water filter. There is a perennial water source in Coyote Gulch which can be filtered. The water is quite silty. Relying on iodine or similar water treatment tabs means you'll be chewing lots of dirt.

• You will be constantly hiking in water. I like Chacos for a scenario like this. But it's a good idea to bring a pair of actual shoes too. My feet got a bit chewed up in my Chacos after miles of dealing with the mud and pebbles that kept finding their way under my footbed.

• Bring about 15 feet of webbing or rope to haul your pack in and out of Crack in the Wall. You cannot fit in the crack with your pack on.

• Poop. What do you do? Wag Bags, a.k.a. poop in a bag. You gotta carry that *ish out. Coyote Gulch has too much traffic to allow for digging catholes. It would NOT be a pretty place. Stop into the ranger station in Escalante and check in to secure your permit and get free Wag Bags.

• Hole in the Rock Road is a looooong dirt road that can be driven by most vehicles when the road is in good shape. But after storms, who knows? Flash floods may have caused damage or made the road significantly muddy. Four wheel drive and high clearance should do the trick in most cases.

• There are no fires allowed in Coyote Gulch

• There are no dogs allowed in Coyote Gulch.

• The ranger station is a great place to get road conditions and a local weather report. Call ahead at (435) 826-5499. This is where you’ll get your permits and Wag Bags.

The post Do It: Backpacking Coyote Gulch appeared first on Hazeadventure.