What to Expect on Your First Backpacking Trip

Backpacking can seem daunting at first glance. Carrying everything you need into the wilderness for several days. Walking with a pack on your back. Sleeping in a sometimes uncomfortable place, surrounded by unfamiliar noises and with what feels like little protection from the elements.

If it’s your first time backpacking, you probably have plenty of questions. But which questions should you ask?

This is by no means a comprehensive list of everything you might experience. Nor is it a guarantee that your trip will unfold in any particular way. Everyone is different. Every trail is different. People can have very different experiences on the exact same trail under the same circumstances.

Don’t let someone else’s experience decide what yours should be. Hike your hike.

What Do I Pack?

We covered this in What to Pack for a Backpacking Experience, and you can also find our general packing list here. For now, let’s cover the basics.

Pack what you need, and be thoughtful about the “what if” items. Some things you bring may not be strictly necessary for survival, but they may make a real difference in your comfort and enjoyment. The goal isn’t to carry as little as possible. It’s to carry what you need without weighing yourself down unnecessarily.

Your essential gear includes the big three: shelter, sleep system, and backpack. You’ll also need enough water and a way to collect and treat more along the way, food and a cook system, appropriate clothing, a light source, and basic hygiene supplies.

What else you need depends on how and where you’re hiking.

If you’re joining an Eremos guided backpacking experience, your guide carries shared safety equipment, including items such as a map, compass, and first-aid kit. You’ll still need to bring your own personal gear, food, water, and other items specified for the trip.

If you’re hiking independently or with friends, you’ll need to account for those shared safety needs yourself. Don’t assume someone else has brought what the group needs.

If you’re unsure what any of these items are or why you need them, don’t worry. We can walk you through the required and recommended gear before an Eremos trip. And if you’re planning your own trip, take the time to understand your equipment before heading out.

Will I Be Scared?

That’s a personal question, and I can’t answer it for you.

I’ve spent time in the wilderness with many people over the years and have seen a wide range of reactions, especially from first-time backpackers. Some settle in quickly. Others need more time to become comfortable with the unfamiliar surroundings.

In my experience, the second night can be harder than the first. The first day brings a mix of tiredness and adrenaline, and there’s plenty to keep your mind occupied as you figure things out and settle in for the night. By the second night, that initial busyness may have worn off. You have more room to think, and sometimes those thoughts turn toward the unfamiliar sounds and feelings of being out there.

That doesn’t mean you’ll be scared, or that your second night will be harder than your first. It’s simply something I’ve noticed and think is worth knowing.

You don’t have to pretend you’re comfortable when you aren’t. Being nervous doesn’t mean you’ve failed at backpacking. It’s a new experience, and you’re allowed to take it as it comes.

What’s It Like?

I can only speak for myself and share what others have told me about their experiences. For me, there’s no experience quite like sleeping in the backcountry.

The sounds, or the lack of them in many cases. The smells. The quiet just before darkness falls completely. The first rays of sunlight. The smell of coffee mixing with the smells of the mountain. The world slowly coming into view as the sun returns to its place in the sky.

These are the moments I remember.

Your experience may be different. You might love the quiet, or find it unsettling. You might sleep soundly, or spend half the night listening to every unfamiliar sound. You might find yourself looking forward to the next trip, or decide backpacking isn’t for you.

Whatever happens, pay attention. Remember the sights, the smells, the moments of discomfort, and the moments of unexpected peace. Give yourself room to experience the trip without deciding in advance what it should mean.

And remember that even when you’re hiking with a group, there will be moments when you retreat into your shelter and find yourself alone with your thoughts, and with God.

The Return

You won’t necessarily come home with the experience you expected. But you will have spent time outside your ordinary routines, carrying what you need, adapting to unfamiliar surroundings, and discovering what it feels like to live for a while at a different pace.

That experience can change you. It may reveal something about yourself, challenge an assumption, or simply leave you with a memory you return to for years. You may find a deeper connection with God in the wilderness. You may not. You may discover that backpacking is a place where you want to spend more time, or that it isn’t for you. That’s okay, too.

Don’t let expectations ruin the experience before it begins. Go in with an open mind and prepare as well as you can. You don’t need to force a lesson out of every moment or make your trip look like someone else’s.

God isn’t waiting for you only in the wilderness. He’s already there in the ordinary parts of your life, too. But sometimes, stepping away from our routines gives us enough room to slow down and listen to the God who has been there all along.

And when you return, take a little time to remember what you experienced. Not just what you liked or disliked, but what you noticed, what surprised you, and what you might carry home with you.

The trail doesn’t end when you leave the wilderness. In many ways, that’s where the return begins.