Astrid

Will it fit?

March 24, 2023 by Astrid Leave a Comment

Remember that TV series Will it Blend? On the show, they took the most random things and put them in this souped up blender to see if it would…blend (duh). Well, I’m doing that today, but instead of a blender, I have a 40 liter backpack that I’m trying to pack with *a lot* of stuff.

This weekend, I’m headed to Royse City, Texas for the Intermediate level course with Texas Survival School. This morning I took some time to pull out my gear for packing.

Now, this blog post is a bit more serendipitous than the others I’ve done so far, because I sort of challenged myself to see if I could fit *all the things* I’ll be taking with me. What prompted this?

Back in the year-that-shall-not-be-named (*cough*2020*cough*), I took a solo trip to Shenandoah to hike a section of the AT.

At the time, the only two packs I had were my 75 liter Osprey, and my 40 liter Vaude. I knew I didn’t want to haul around my 75 liter pack, so I ventured to pack everything I would need in the 40 liter Vaude. (Remember my “17 Essential Items” post where I said that anything smaller than 45 liters would be difficult to pack the standard amount of gear? This was when I formed that opinion.)

So, there I was, packing the standard amount of stuff (basically, everything I have in my “17 Essential Items” post, minus a sleeping bag, plus a sleeping bag liner and a hammock)… Full disclosure, that backpacking trip to Shenandoah was kind of my re-introduction back to the trail, because I had been on a fairly lengthy break after my first baby was born in 2017. In February 2020, I’d had my second baby, but with all the madness, uncertainty, and soul-crushing isolation that came with COVID, I was in a fairly fragile mental state. Post-partum hormones are hard. Post-partum hormones plus life in the time of COVID: harder. I was never formally diagnosed, but I suspect I was on the fringes of post-partum depression during that time. Life was tough (as it was for many)…and sadly, memories of my second child as a baby are fuzzy, because I was in such a fog at that time.

…ALL THAT TO SAY…I was a bit out of practice with packing, so I was pretty optimistic about packing a 40 liter pack with so much gear.

Well, I did it! I got all my gear into the 40 liter pack….but there was cussing. And sweating. And my fingers hurt from all the shoving and straining. And I took a step back and realized that the point of that hiking trip was to get out of my fog and relax. And if packing my bag each day was going to be such a challenge, that was kind of defeating the purpose. So I bought my 45+10 liter deuter pack and never looked back.

But here we are. I have once more decided to make my 40 liter Vaude earn its closet space as more than a day pack.

Texas Survival School provides a list of gear you should bring to their courses. There’s the baseline required gear, then the optional gear. Within the required gear, they suggest bringing two to three changes of clothes. The first thing I did was pull out the clothes I would wear, as well as choose my extra clothes. I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m all for wearing the same thing each day you’re out there (again, with the exception of undies). If anything, I bring one spare set of clothing, just in case. (Call me the smelly kid all you want; clothes can add a lot of weight.) And also, after my experience at Dinosaur Valley, I’m bringing two extra pairs of socks. (Read that blog if you don’t know why that’s significant.)

I packed the extra clothes into the compression sack, then referred to the “Required Gear” list to get that all arranged. Here’s what that looks like.

This is all still pretty tame and would *easily* fit into my 40 liter pack with room to spare. But I’m not done yet.

In addition to this required gear, there are a few things on the “optional list” I’m going to bring. Here’s what all that looks like.

^{Added the tent, sleeping bag, food, JetBoil, snacks, IFAK, potty kit, and camp chair.}

With the tent and camp chair added to the mix, I was starting to get a little nervous about whether I’d be able to make it work with the 40 liter pack. But, I also knew I still wasn’t finished.

After checking things off the required and optional lists, I knew there were yet a few more items I wanted to bring. Here’s the final picture of *all the things*.

^{Added the sleeping pad, folding knife, toiletries, emergency kit, hand warmers, water filter, and trekking poles.}

That’s a lot of stuff. And I know what you’re thinking…

“Hiker Chick, isn’t the point of the survival class learning how to survive in the backcountry *without* all this gear?”

Yes; you’re absolutely right. My goal is to eventually take and pass the “knife only” class TSS offers, so at some point, I’m gonna hafta try this out without all the extras. That being said, I’m still framing what I’m learning around if a normal hike goes bad. What stuff would I have with me? For example, I will *always* bring my emergency kit and my water filter. I will *always* bring my toiletries, because not brushing my teeth isn’t an option. I will *always* bring my folding knife in addition to my full tang knife (two is one, one is none). See where I’m going?

Of course, the exception to the *always* is the knife only class, but I’m still working my way up.

So, let’s answer the original question: Will *all the things* fit into a 40 liter pack?

A few concessions: my tent and camp chair were not going to fit into the bag. I knew that from the get-go, so I didn’t even try. But I did have some extra gear straps that I used to lash both of these to the bottom of my pack (we’ll see if those gear loops hold; pretty sure they’re only intended for trekking poles 🤔). Everything else fit inside the cavity snuggly. I actually prefer this, though, because when I get to the course location, I can detatch my tent first, put it up, then get the optional stuff out of the bag. After that, I’ll repack it with only the “required gear”, if needed. Obviously I wasn’t going to pack the clothes I’ll wear, or my knives. I’ll be wearing all that. My first aid kit will attach to the hip belt when I put on the pack, so that’s why it’s still sitting there.

This was a fun challenge. I admit I was getting nervous when I saw *all the things* laid out. But since I’ve been getting lots of packing practice lately, it ended up being easy, peasy.

What do you think? Did I miss anything? Are you curious about a specific piece of gear I’m bringing? Let’s talk in the comments below, or you can email me at Astrid@IndieAuthorAstrid.com.

What’s the first thing you should do after a backpacking trip?

March 21, 2023 by Astrid Leave a Comment

When you get home after a backpacking trip, what’s the first thing you should do?

Hot shower?

Drink your favorite beverage? (Mine’s an Old Fashioned. What’s yours?)

A nap?

These are all good things to do after a backpacking trip (and all things I have done upon returning home), but these are not the *first* thing you should do.

The first thing you should do when you get home is unpack.

“But, Hiker Chick, I’m tired. I’ve been carrying 30 pounds on my back for X days and I’m sick of messing with my gear. I just want to leave it in the garage and deal with it later.”

Totally fair. After all, though backpacking is fun, it’s also hard work.

However, you know that gear we talked about in the “17 Essential Items” post? All the gear that, in the aggregate, added up to $$$$.

If you want that gear to last, please consider what I’m about to explain.

Moisture is the enemy of your backpacking gear. If your tent (or sleeping bag or sleeping pad) was damp when you packed it up, and you left it in the bag for days after your trip, there’s a strong likelihood the tent will grow mold or mildew, which will ruin it. As far as I know, there’s no easy way to remedy that.

So, even though you don’t want to, when you get home, take everything out of your bag. Once you grab a hold of your tent, pull it out of its sack, and take it to the backyard, or some other well ventilated area, and open it up. Hang up the footprint, the tent, and the rainfly separately. Allow them to get completely dry. You can also take note of any repairs that need to be made to your tent or other gear.

Did you use a water reservoir (i.e. Camelbak with a hose, or similar dromedary)? Those need to be emptied and hung up where they can finish drying, both inside and out.

Did you use a water filter while on the trail? Take the filter out of its housing, rinse it off, and set it aside to dry.

Did you use a mess kit or other utensils on the trail? Put your mug(s), spoon(s), bowl(s), fork(s), etc., next to the kitchen sink so they’ll be cleaned.

Did you use a JetBoil or other backpacking stove? Take out the fuel canister and measure how much fuel is left in it to determine if you’ll need to take an extra one on the next trip.

During this process, I usually do a full strip down in the laundry room. I remove the clothes I’m wearing and leave them in a pile next to the washing machine. I’ll also dump the extra clothes that I brought in the compression sack on top of that pile, as well as the compression sack. Why do I do this? It’s how I mitigate the possibility that any tiny bugs or allergens I picked up on the trail get tracked all over my house.

Unpack your sleeping bag(s) and the compression sacks they were stored in. Those also need to be in or near the laundry room, ready to be put in the washing machine next.

After that’s done, it’s all downhill (i.e. easy, not tragic) to get the rest of your gear put away. I have several plastic totes that I have labeled for specific categories of things, so putting gear away is a cinch; I don’t really have to think much about it anymore.

This bin holds my JetBoil, extra fuel, mess kits, and any hygeine items I take on the trail (i.e. toothbrush/toothpaste, hand sanitizer, etc.).
The “Comfort/Misc” box holds camp chairs and day packs, and the “Sleep Systems” box holds sleeping bags, sleeping pads, sleeping bag liners, hammock and suspension, etc.
The “10 Essentials” box holds the items listed on the side. Note that there are only seven of the ten listed. That’s because the other three (knife, extra food, extra clothes) I keep elsewhere.

Once this is all finished, you’ll be steps ahead with being ready for your next backpacking trip. And then you can go take a hot shower, enjoy that adult beverage, and lay down for a nap.

Is there anything I forgot? Leave a comment below or shoot me an email at Astrid@IndieAuthorAstrid.com.

First time backpacking in Dinosaur Valley

March 18, 2023 by Astrid Leave a Comment

This week was my kiddo’s first official spring break. A couple of weeks ago, I decided that I wanted to take her on her first backpacking trip. With support from my hubs, we got her outfitted with appropriate gear and I decided to find a site.

Now, I could go anywhere. My needs are pretty simple when it comes to backpacking, especially this time of year (meaning, I will be much more hesitant to go backpacking in Texas between the months of May and September; if you’ve ever done it, you know why). So I wanted to find a place that would be appealing to my 5YO.

When I ran the query on the TXPW website, looking for a primitive site available on the dates we wanted, I was really glad that Dinosaur Valley popped up as having one primitive site available. Trails for me. Dinosaurs for her. Score!

The drive to the park was very nice. We navigated through small towns on country roads and it reminded me of the region of Texas I grew up in. We saw lots of green fields and bluebonnets along the way. This is a great time of year for roadtripping in Texas.

The weather could have been better. It was overcast and cool; about 57 degrees with the looks of rain hanging in the clouds overhead. But at least it wasn’t hot.

Thanks to the popularity of the park, in combination with it being spring break for many, the line to get into the park was long. The sign indicated the park was at capacity and people were turning around. Good thing we had a reservation.

We went inside to get checked in and were greeted by the park staff and gave them our information.

The woman who’d greeted us first asked, “I just want to make sure you’re aware that you’ll be crossing the river.”

So, I’d seen the map and noted that the trail to our site crossed a river-like body of water on the map. Most of the time these “rivers” are barely running creeks that are easily passable on foot. But she’d said it with such gravitas that I was tempted to ask if we were gonna have to ford it like the end of the Oregon Trail. Ultimately I responded that, yes we knew we’d be crossing the river, though now I was excessively curious about what awaited us.

Then she asked if we knew how far we’d be hiking. I admit that question kinda irked me…mostly because the way she asked it. (Tone and body language make a big difference, y’all.) Like, she took one look at me and my girl and decided maybe we didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into. Though I hadn’t measured exactly, looking at the map, I could estimate the distance to our site was barely over a mile. Nothing to be stressed about. So again, I answered yes.

We got our parking tag and left, then drove on to the parking lot at the trailhead for the primitive sites.

After parking, we got straight to work putting on insect repellant, then put on our packs and wasted no time hitting the trail.

Before we knew it, we were at the “river”. It was about shin-high in some places and there were plenty of foot-sized rocks arranged to be a natural “bridge”. While it wasn’t exactly the Mississippi, I quickly observed that the placement of the skipping rocks and the volume of people trying to get across without slipping and falling in would pose a challenge for us.

Regardless, we pressed forward. My 5YO was in front of me so I could see what she was doing and we got off to a slow start. And watching her, I quickly realized that stepping on the rocks to get across was not going to be fast.

In theory, it seems simple, but when you step on a slightly-slippery rock that starts shifting under your foot, while you are constantly trying to maintain your center of gravity while wearing a full pack that is pulling you backwards…let’s just say I had to quickly re-evaluate how we were going to get across if we wanted to get across a) dry, and b) with all our teeth in the same place (call me vain, but I like my teeth where they are).

So, I told my girl to stop and I took off her pack. Then she proceeded to bound across those rocks like a mountain goat. She even had a trail of people following behind her, watching where she stepped. She made her Momma proud.

But I was still kinda stuck. I was wearing my pack, which was about 30 pounds total, and holding her pack which was about 12 pounds. (We were both loaded down with enough water to last us through lunch the next day, for both drinking and preparing our backpacking meals; water = weight.) I made a few half-hearted attempts at continuing while holding her pack in my arms, but once again, plans go out the window when you can’t find a stable surface for your feet.

I was standing next to a wide, flat rock that was not fully submerged and dropped her pack onto it. The people standing behind me looked at me like I was crazy, so I told them I was going to come back for it.

Then I slowly, SLOWLY went across the rocks, oscillating between cussing and praying, until I made it to the other side where my girl was waiting. I took off my pack and set it next to her and told her to not move from that spot and not to speak to anyone. I wasn’t going to be able to watch her and I needed her to be as safe as possible.

I went back and retrieved her pack from the rock I’d left it on, strapped it on my back, then once more went rock to rock to get to the other side.

After that business was done, we both put our packs back on and quickly forgot about that slightly stressful start to her first backpacking trip.

Let me tell you, watching her hoofing it up the trail with her full pack on, climbing over rocks and jumping over tree stumps and roots made me so proud. And the trail was all uphill. Our site was on the top of the ridge we were climbing, so anyone who has hiked uphill wearing a full pack knows how much that can suck.

At about the halfway point, she was struggling and told me she didn’t want to carry the pack anymore, but we practiced some affirming words and I told her I would bet money that she was the only kid doing what she was doing in that park (meaning, a 5YO girl wearing a full pack, hiking to her campsite. There were plenty of families there car-camping, but I didn’t see any other small children like her on the trail with packs on). She seemed buoyed by that.

The trail itself was well marked, with the exception of two places where the trail was labeled “Cedar Ridge” instead of “Rocky Ridge”, which confused me for a few moments because the main trail that ran the perimeter of the park was called the “Cedar Breaks” trail. I need to give TXPW some feedback on that. But I looked at the map with my 5YO and showed her where we were going and how we knew which direction to turn, etc. There was a scenic overlook on the way to our site where I took a picture of her.

Then we made it to our campsite, and we were both relieved. I was excited to pitch our tent and get settled.

The site itself was large. And the sites were spaced far enough apart that we had a lot of room to ourselves. The site could accommodate up to 8 people, and I could see that being a possibility, with several options for a place to set up a tent.

After surveying the site for a good place to put our tent, I decided on a patch of land under the canopy of a grouping of cedar trees. The trees looked healthy and intact, so I wasn’t worried about any widow makers falling on us in the middle of the night. And I liked the protection the trees would offer from wind and other elements.

So we got to work setting up the tent first. My girl was beyond excited to be able to pound the stakes into the ground. But, we quickly learned that this part of the site had lots of small rocks hidden in the soil where we were trying to put the stakes. Annoying. I was wasting too much time trying to put in the first stake, repositioning it after hitting a rock, trying to dig the rock out so I could continue, only to hit more rocks. I looked over at her and her stake was already in the ground. She was using a flat, fist-sized rock as a make-shift mallet and was not getting discouraged when she hit rocks. She just hit the stake harder. Haha.

Anyway, we finally got the tent put up, and I taught her how to inflate her sleeping pad using the bag it came with. She did that like a pro.

Then we walked over to the other side of the site and set up our little “cooking” area. We shared a bag of mac and cheese, and finished it with s’mores (we roasted the marshmallows using the flame from the JetBoil).

Potty time was an adventure because the most suitable place to go potty was on the other side of a “field” of cacti. Lots and lots of prickly pears. I was glad that on the trail, we talked about cactus and what happens if you touch it. She correctly answered “it’ll poke you and it’ll hurt.” Right answer.

So she navigated the cacti with caution and we were both able to do our business at the end of the night before laying down in our tent.

We still had a decent signal so we did a What’sApp call with her dad and my other babies, then she asked to watch a camping “biveo” (that’s how she says “video”), which meant she wanted to watch an episode of Corporal’s Corner on YouTube. She loves watching his videos. And I do, too; they are very educational.

It didn’t get super cold that first night; maybe the upper 40s, but we were both toasty inside our sleeping bags and our REI Half Dome 2+ tent.

The next day, we were ready to explore the park. So I packed her REI Tarn 40 with day pack things (I’ll write a separate blog post on what should go in a day pack soon), adjusted the straps so it would fit me, then hit the trail.

We made it back to the river, and once again started across the rocks to get back to the other side. My girl made it across mostly fine, but ended up slipping and sitting in the water, so her hiney got wet, and her feet ended up in water deeper than her ankles, so all the waterproofing-on-boots in the world doesn’t matter if your whole foot is submerged.

I had about as much success. I was almost to the other side, when I stepped on a rock that was more slippery than it looked and my foot slid off and I also ended up in ankle deep water. Dammit. And I had only packed one extra pair of wool socks that were back at the camp site. Double dammit.

Forging on, we got to the trailhead and I knew trudging around all day with wet feet inside wet boots was a recipe for disaster, so we loaded into the car and drove into Glen Rose, making a stop at Tractor Supply Company where I bought a package of wool socks. We put them on and I put our boots in the floor board and blasted the heater onto them to try to get them as dry as possible during the drive.

We made it back into the park, left our car at the trailhead, and continued on with our exploration. We walked through the Monarch Trail and stepped into the park store. I bought a sticker and a few t-shirts for the fam. We sat at the nearby tables to eat our lunch, but my daughter kept getting distracted by the siren song of a Kona Ice truck parked in the nearby parking lot. I told her if she ate everything I gave her, she could have a snow cone. (Which I didn’t understand. It was in the mid-fifties, windy, and overcast. The idea of eating a snow cone was not appealing to me in that weather. But she’s a kid and I’m a grumpy adult. C’est la vie. 😆)

She got her snow cone, and we walked on to a nearby playground with picnic tables so she could finish it, then play for a few minutes. Finally, I told her we needed to go so we could find the dinosaur footprints.

We followed the trail and found the first set of footprints on the other side of the river. This part of the river was much more passable; the skipping rocks there were large and much more stable, so I had no fear of us slipping off into the water.

I wanted to find the next set of tracks so we got on the trail and started toward the Blue Hole. We found it, but since we would not be going for a swim there, we were not able to see the tracks. So we took a snack break and continued on. We found the “ballroom” tracks and got a picture.

Lots of people were here, taking off their shoes and wading in the water to go out onto the tracks. But I was the grumpy mom who wouldn’t let her kid go. Once again, it was in the fifties and there was no sun out. If there had at least been sun, I would have been more inclined to say yes.

After seeing the tracks and deciding we were ready to head back to the camp site, we stopped one more time at the dinosaur models in the field next to the park store and snapped a picture (seen at the top), then returned to the trailhead via the Monarch Trail.

Eventually, we were back at the river, but I was not about to mess with balancing my way across slippery, shifting rocks. So we took off our boots and socks, tied them together and slung them over our shoulders. We rolled up our pants and walked across, then put our socks and boots back on. Done. No stress.

Back at the campsite, we had dinner and played Statues in the Park for a while, which was really fun and funny; my little one has such a great imagination. By this time of the day, the sun had come out and the temperature warmed up quite a bit. All was well until we were winding down, getting ready for bed, then headed out to do our last potty of the day. My 5YO wanted to take a shortcut, and I didn’t really try to stop her, though I told her I didn’t want her to do that. We found our way to our tree and the next thing I knew, she was doubled over in pain, saying that her leg was hurting.

Poor little miss had a close encounter with a cactus. 😨 We limped back to the camp site and I spent the next hour pulling a million (maybe not a million, but it seemed like it) tiny cactus prickles out of her leg after trying to remove as many as I could from her pants with some tent repair tape I had.

Ultimately, I got most of them out using my fingertips (the tweezers I had in my IFAK were worthless. Note to self: replace those with Tweezerman tweezers) and had her change pants since the ones stuck in her pants were burrowed into the fabric pretty good.

She asked to watch another camping video, so another episode of Corporal Shawn Kelly bushcrafting lulled her to sleep, and I quickly followed.

The wind picked up that night and it rained, but we stayed warm and dry in our tent. The next morning, we woke up to a temperature drop and misting. After packing up the gear we could while staying dry inside our tent, we got out and had breakfast, then worked together to shake off as much water as we could from the rain fly before rolling the tent up and putting it away. Then we hit the trail and headed back home.

^{This silly miss at the end of the trail.}

Bottom line, Dinosaur Valley was a great destination for a young, first-time backpacker. There are plenty of trails to explore and lots of amenities to hold a kid’s interest. And the primitive campsites are spacious, with plenty of room for multiple tents. A few takeaways I’m passing on to you:

Pack extra socks. If I had known the river situation was what it was, I would have packed more socks, for sure, but also…

To cross the river, just remove your boots and socks and roll up your pants. This eliminates the stress of stepping on a slippery, shifting rock that your foot will slide off of, sending you into the shallow drink. Especially when you’re carrying a full pack.

Make sure you know what to do when someone runs into a cactus, because it’s just kind of inevitable (especially in Texas). Luckily, I had recently taken a wilderness first aid course and this was discussed, so I’m really glad it was fresh on my mind, otherwise I might have been a ball of anxiety trying to figure out how best to address it.

Allow your littles to explore and encounter nature the way they want to (within reason). Point out all the interesting things they don’t normally get to see every day and allow them to interact with them. Wildflowers. Ancient oak trees. Rocks the size of cars. Give them the opportunity to experience wonder and awe. This will help foster a more genuine appreciation and interest in going on another backpacking trip. After all, backpacking is both relaxing and hard work at the same time. Carrying all your gear is a workout for sure, but being immersed in nature and allowing yourself a break from the rat race is what makes it all worth it.

Tarn vs Fox: Which pack won?

March 16, 2023 by Astrid Leave a Comment

My 5YO daughter and I were preparing to take a short backpacking trip during her spring break. This being her first time camping like this, I wanted to get her outfitted properly.

When looking for a pack that could fit her, both the REI Tarn 40 and deuter Fox 40 came highly recommended. So, I bought one of each–the Tarn from REI, and the Fox from Amazon (because my local REI didn’t have them in stock). Having no intention of keeping both of them, as soon as I had them side-by-side, I did a thorough compare and contrast.

Both packs were built very well. I tested all the buckles and all the straps. The buckles felt secure and the straps both loosened and cinched smoothly.

I practiced repositioning the shoulder straps. (The Tarn was easier to adjust than the Fox). Both adjusted to a max torso length of 19 inches (by my measurement).

The Tarn weighs 2 lbs, 10 oz. The Fox weighs 2 lbs, 12 oz.

After packing each bag, the Tarn weighed in at 11 pounds, and the Fox was 11.2 pounds. So, the math says her gear weighed just under 8.5 pounds.

The deuter pack comes with a lifetime warranty. If the bag is ever damaged, you can send it off to them and they’ll fix it, free of charge (except for the cost of shipping, I suppose). REI has an excellent return policy. You have up to one year to return something and get a full refund. So, I guess if something were to happen to the bag after a year, you’re left *literally* holding the bag.

The Fox had a bottom flap (like most packs have) so you can access things in the bottom without having to unpack your whole bag. The Tarn didn’t have this feature, but it does have bottom straps where you could strap a sleeping pad or a tent if you wanted.

I love the emergency tid-bits deuter prints on the bottom of the brain. The Tarn has the 10 Essentials. Both good information. (As an aside, Osprey puts Leave No Trace rules inside their packs.)

The Tarn has a bunch of gear loops on the front that could come in handy. And both the Fox and Tarn had the standard front and side webbing pockets. And both packs were roughly the same price.

I have a deuter pack and I love it, so I admit I started out partial to the deuter pack. But ultimately, the REI Tarn 40 was the winner by a nose.

What helped me make the decision was the placement of the side cinch straps on the deuter. The straps are on the outside of the webbing, which means if there’s a bottle in that pocket, you can’t really cinch it all the way.

To contrast, on my deuter pack (see left image), there are cinch straps in the same place, but they are under the webbing. Meaning, I could cinch it down all the way, and still have full capacity of that side webbing/pocket.

Maybe there’s an intentional reason for that particular design on the Fox, but I’m not sure what it is. It was annoying when I was packing the bag and went to put a bottle there after cinching everything down. 🤔 I had to get a little creative and I made it work, but I’d rather things be easy; I don’t particularly want to circumvent the design of a piece of gear.

So again, a tough race. I’m certain either pack would be a great investment. But this little one also really loved the color of the Tarn. And I gotta agree. I love both green and blue, but that indigo blue is pretty dreamy.

The next blog post will report back on how the this little miss did on her first backpacking trip at Dinosaur Valley. Stay tuned!

Should I Hike Alone?

March 9, 2023 by Astrid Leave a Comment

^{Picture from my solo hike in Shenandoah}

There was a post in a private forum I’m in where a woman explained that she really wanted to start hiking alone, but indicated that some places make her feel uncomfortable. She said she was looking for “tips and suggestions”, but it was unclear to me where her discomfort was focused. That being said, this is a great topic to discuss because hiking alone can be such a fulfilling experience. So I’m going to share my response to her, which will be slightly edited to remove some of the parts that were directed specifically toward the original poster.

I’ve been on numerous “short” solo hikes in state parks and nature reserves. I’ve also hiked up Mount Katahdin alone, as well as a section of the AT in Shenandoah (despite my mom’s repeated attempts to get me to not go; haha. Moms.).

I’ve never felt unsafe or that anyone was a threat to me on any of these hikes. Mostly, I was worried about a part of the trail being too technical and Murphy having his day (this is especially true when I was at Katahdin. I’m not great with heights and there were a few places I had to suck it up big time on my way up.)

My high comfort level on these hikes was due to past self-defense training I’d done, in combination with some basic survival knowledge.

Pivoting back to the original post, it would help to know what her greatest concern was. But let’s focus on you, the reader. What prevents you from going on solo hikes or taking solo hiking trips? To me, there are two obvious hang-ups, but maybe there’s something else I’m not considering.

Hang-up number 1: Being attacked by a psycho on the trail.

Hang-up number 2: Getting lost on the trail.

The discussion regarding either looks a bit different, so I’ll try to hit the high notes:

If you’re worried about being attacked, I’d re-evaluate the place you’re considering for a solo hiking trip. If it’s the least bit sketchy, I’d recommend finding somewhere else. As I mentioned above, my solo hikes are usually in places that were well maintained and freqented by other hikers. I was never ALONE, alone. Though I went alone, I would see other hikers on the trail. (With the exception of one private land reserve outside of Burnet, TX. I was basically alone out there. But I digress.) To give you some comfort, find a self defense course in your local community (I’m partial to Israeli self defense/fighting, because I trained in it for a few years and I loved it). Learn some basic ways to stop an attack. Carry a knife and learn how to use it. Carry mace if you couldn’t imagine stabbing someone, even if they were attacking you.

If you’re worried about getting lost or running into a survival situation, I’d strongly recommend taking a basic survival course (this is where I will direct you to read my blog post about Texas Survival School). There you’ll learn about strategies to keep from getting lost (biggest one being advance planning and preparation and truly knowing where you’re going by studying the map of the area where you’ll be) or what to do if you get lost. Buy a water filter (I love my Katadyn filter and even take it on day hikes). Learn how to use a compass. Get a tarp and learn how to turn it into a shelter. Buy a bivvy bag. Learn how to start and maintain a fire for warmth. There’s more I could say, but I’d just be droning on…so instead, I’ll direct you to read my blog post about what goes in an emergency kit.

Bottom line, putting lots of “tools” in your toolbelt (and when I say “tools”, I’m mostly referring to knowledge), will give you a ton of confidence to hit the trail solo.

So, you tell me, if it’s not the two variables above that are keeping you from hitting the trail solo, tell me what is, and let’s talk about it.

Email me at Astrid@IndieAuthorAstrid.com for the fastest response.

Until next time…

Texas Survival School: A Testimonial

March 9, 2023 by Astrid 2 Comments

At the end of January 2023, I drove up to Allen, TX and spent the weekend learning some basic survival skills from Texas Survival School.

Bottom line up front: If you are interested in doing a hands-on, basic survival course and live in TX (or are able/willing to come to TX for a weekend), I highly recommend the Texas Survival School. https://www.texassurvivalschool.com/

I didn’t really know what to expect going out there; I know what the website said we were gonna do, but I went just hoping to learn new things and work on my ability to build fires because I would suck as a caveman; I’d be the designated forager. I’d taken a survival skills class years ago through REI, but it wasn’t as hands-on as I would have liked, and only lasted a few hours, so I was eager to see what TSS would do differently.

It was a fairly large class, which was kind of a surprise because the weather was pretty bad. I’m actually glad it was cold and wet, though, because it sort of puts you in a survival mindset. Never are you in survival mode when it’s sunny and 75 (I mean, unless you’re being chased by a guy wearing a mask, flailing around a chainsaw; that could happen…but also not quite the same survival I’m trying to prepare for). And it was good practice to build a fire in damp conditions.

The instructors (Ray, Cintronn, and Eric) were great; they were very approachable. I wasn’t intimidated at all. Two of the three were ex-military; one was an Army Ranger and the other was retired from the Navy. The location wasn’t as primitive as I was hoping. It was at Lake Lavon outside of Allen, TX. (To get there, I was driving past the kinds of houses fancy Dallas people live in. Not my world, in other words.) But, they told us the location was intentional because some people who take that class have never been camping before, so it was intended to ease them into the life, and not scare them off, which makes sense to me. They told us that the rest of the classes get progressively more primitive.

It was a very family friendly environment; they allow you to bring your under-18 kid for free so he or she can learn, as well. They also allow you to retake the class as many times as you want, at no extra cost. They do that because there’s so much material covered in such a short amount of time, it can be difficult to really take it all in.

But, yes; highly recommend it. I’ll be out there again this weekend to get WFA/CPR certified. And! I’ll be taking the Intermediate Survival class at the end of this month and I cannot wait to practice what I learned in the first class, and also learn more new stuff.

Here’s a highlight reel from the class that I took:

What you need in an “Emergency Kit”.

March 8, 2023 by Astrid Leave a Comment

Read that. ☝ Now read it again.

This is why you need an emergency kit. Because you never know when an easy walk in the woods could turn into a 💩-show. (Sound that one out. Hint: it’s an alliteration. 😉)

In my essential gear post, I gave a high-level list of what should go in an emergency kit. But now, let’s get into the nitty gritty.

(Please note that this list includes affiliate links, so if you click the link and choose to purchase something as a result, I will get a very small commission. If it makes you feel any better, I have three kids and a dog and it turns out they all have stomachs and need to eat, so you’d be helping me feed them. 😄)

A Bivvy Bag – When you use a bivvy bag, you basically look like a giant foil-wrapped potato. That’s the best way to describe a bivvy bag. It’s a thin, reflective material that does a great job at keeping your body heat contained inside the bag. So if you find yourself stranded on the trail and on the verge of hypothermia, just pull your bivvy bag from your emergency kit and get inside. Instant warmth. Even better is how compact a bivvy bag is; when rolled up in it’s packaging, it’s about the size of my fist. So it doesn’t take up a lot of space, making it perfect to take on day hikes.
- Here’s the one I have. https://amzn.to/3mH5tQw
- I have used mine and can attest to how well it works. Definitely get one of these.
Waterproof matches – You’ve got to have an easy way to start a fire. Even better is to have matches that won’t be extinguished easily by water.
- These matches (https://amzn.to/3ZRGqbD) are kind of the gold standard waterproof matches. I’ve watched someone light one of these, dip it in water, pull it out of the water, shake it a little bit, and watch the fire come back. Nuts!
- You could also bring a lighter, and that’s not a bad option, but I would recommend redundancy with fire sources, because if one fails (and your lighter could fail if you drop it and it cracks, leaking out all the fuel), you need to have a backup. As the Navy SEALs say: Two is one. One is none.
Signalling mirror – If you get lost, but are too far away for anyone to hear your voice or whistle (to be discussed soon), having a signalling mirror is another way to get the attention of someone who could help.
- This is the mirror I have: https://a.co/d/fpbWoqA
- It’s super lightweight and simple. Just take some time to learn how to signal an SOS with the mirror.
- If you have the money and are uber concerned about getting lost, you could invest in a personal locator beacon. https://amzn.to/3J49tBQ
  - I don’t personally have one of these, but have considered getting one, since I’ll be leading a group on a backpacking trip this summer.
Compass – A compass won’t do you much good if you don’t know how to use it, so find a local map and compass navigation course and take it. Take the time to learn why this is a critical piece of your emergency kit.
- I have this compass: https://amzn.to/3l14A4G
- This is also a highly recommended option: https://amzn.to/3Lb2AS2
  - I plan to upgrade to one of these soon. This model allows you to “sight” with more precision.
Tinder – Trying to get a fire started with matches alone isn’t impossible, per se, but it’s pretty difficult. So you need to keep tinder in your emergency kit as well.
- A good DIY option for tinder is to take dryer lint and tear it into pieces, then roll it into small balls using petroleum jelly, and store the balls in a ziplock bag. The petroleum jelly acts like an accelerant that allows the lint to burn for a prolonged amount of time while trying to build a fire. But there are also lots of pre-made options for tinder.
- I read an article written by ALONE contestant Mark D’Ambrosio where he recommended these: https://amzn.to/3mCDr8G
  - I tried them out the first chance I had, and they worked so well! And fire-starting has historically been my weakest skill.
- Here’s another type of pre-made tinder: https://amzn.to/3IZVltv
Whistle – Why a whistle? If you are lost, or maybe injured, and need to get the attention of someone–anyone–within earshot, blowing a whistle is a great way to draw attention to yourself. Blow in blasts of three, which is sort of the universal distress signal. Any whistle will do, but I’ve heard it’s best to avoid the kind with the ball inside because, in below freezing environments, frozen saliva will cause the ball to get stuck to the inside of the whistle, rendering it useless.
- Here’s an example of a whistle similar to what I have: https://amzn.to/3T3eNdf
Ferro rod – This is yet another redundant fire starter. I’ve tried several ferro rods, but I’ve found this one to be the best one: https://amzn.to/41Yk0Hl
- I was able to get a lot of sparks with this one, even though I was a beginner with the ferro rod. After scraping off the black paint on the exterior, the rod will work even better.
A small ditty bag to contain it all – Nothing fancy needed here. Just a small bag (https://amzn.to/41UNhCR) that will hold all of these things (with the exception of the compass and whistle; those should be kept within reach at all times). The ditty bag should be stored in an exterior pocket on your bag for easy access.

That’s it for my suggestions for an emergency kit. Did I forget anything? Do you have any lingering questions about any of these items? Let me know! Shoot me an email at Astrid@IndieAuthorAstrid.com.

Until next time…

17 Essential Items for a Beginner Backpacker

March 5, 2023 by Astrid Leave a Comment

When people are just diving into backpacking/hiking/backcountry camping, whatever you want to call “not car camping”, the biggest question is always: What do I need?

Yes, gear is kind of important with backpacking. Gear can also be expensive. You could get by with a minimal amount of gear, but really, that’s something you work up to, not start out with. (I personally have the goal of taking the “knife only” course offered by Texas Survival School, which is exactly what it sounds like. No gear, just a knife; survive five days in the backcountry. But I gotta pass the next two levels first.)

So here’s a list of what I would say is basic, must-have gear for a backpacking trip, with an emphasis on looking for used gear first, in order to save money. Let me also preface this by saying I am not a survival expert. My survival skills are somewhere between basic and intermediate; I’m actually in the process of getting more backwoods survival training. But I’m confident that this gear will allow you to enjoy your time on the trail, while also incorprating things that would come in handy in case of an emergency.

A 45 Liter (at least) Pack
- I’m very specific about the size, because anything smaller than 45 Liters will not fit all the gear you need and thus would be better suited for a day pack. And, as you’ll quickly learn, the gear you need for a one-night trip, versus a four-night trip is not drastically different. The only thing that will fluctuate is food and maybe clothes, depending upon the season.
- It’s important that your pack fits you properly. A poorly fitted pack makes for a tough backpacking experience. I know REI does pack fittings, and if you have a BSA facility in your area, it’s possible they could fit you, as well.
- In regards to pack brands, I have packs made by Vaude, Deuter, and Osprey, and I would recommend any of those. They are all different sizes, but they were also what I would call “investment gear”. Meaning, they cost a pretty penny…but they are all high quality and will last a long time.
- My Deuter pack is the women’s Aircontact Lite 45+10 model: https://amzn.to/3ZWMHTy
  - This has been a great pack and I have used it on weekend trips. I could even see this pack working for a longer trip–five to seven days–thanks to the expandable body.
- Amazon doesn’t carry my Osprey Volt 75 pack (I’ve had it for seven years, so it’s likely a phased out model), but here’s the closest I could find: https://amzn.to/3SNhIa5
  - Yes, the pack in the link above is 70 liters. It’s a monster. Mine is 75 liters. A pack this size would be needed if I was carrying gear not only for myself, but for someone else, too. In my case, probably for one or more of my kids. They are still small, so putting a proper pack on them wouldn’t be feasible at their ages, so I’d likely be carrying things for them, like their sleeping bag(s), food, as well as a larger tent to accomodate more than just me.
  - If you don’t anticipate needing to carry “communal” gear, you probably don’t need a pack this large. You could easily get away with a 65 liter pack, if you wanted something a little roomier.
- Finally, my Vaude pack is the 40 liter Brenta: https://amzn.to/3Yifh0g
  - But Hiker Chick, didn’t you *just* say ‘don’t get anything smaller than 45 liters?’ Yup. Sure did. This was the very first pack I bought and was specifically for a hut-to-hut hiking trip in New Hampshire, so I wasn’t carrying a tent. The model I have is older than the one Amazon is selling now, but I’ve had it for almost ten years and it still looks as good as it did the day I bought it from an REI Outlet sale. This has been a great pack for day hikes, as well as a pack I plan on using more now that I’m dipping my toe into more minimal backpacking. I’m still in the early stages, but I’m confident this pack is going to continue to be a work-horse.
- I already mentioned it above, but I’m gonna say it again: get yourself measured for a pack. It’s critical to use a pack that’s the proper size.
  - And also, once you know your size, I 100% encourage you to scour Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for packs that people are selling. It’s not uncommon that someone will buy a pack, use it once or twice and decide they don’t want it anymore, but can’t return it for whatever reason and are trying to offload it for less than what you’d pay for it brand new. As long as the bag isn’t trashed, getting a used bag is a great option to consider.
Water bottle
- I mean, this is kind of a “duh” item, but I’m still gonna put it here, because the size of the bottle or container is what’s important.
  - If you’re gonna use a bottle, go with at least 32 ounces. This a good size that can get you from the car to your backcountry site with some water left over.
    - I’m personally a fan of Nalgene bottles and I have several of them: https://amzn.to/3yfnHLk
      - Also, if you’re like me and usually end up drenching yourself when trying to drink out of these big-mouth bottles, you should invest in a few of these lids: https://amzn.to/3SYgV6b
  - I prefer to use a water reservoir that I can have tucked inside my bag with the hose draped over my shoulder for easy access. I find them significantly more convenient than trying to contort myself to reach around and grab a bottle from the side webbing of my pack. On the trail, I want things to be as easy as possible.
    - This one is basically the same as what I have, just a different color: https://amzn.to/3mxfT4M
      - I love that this one has the quick-release bite valve that I can easily remove to plug in my water filter to refill the pouch without having to dig it out of my pack. Easy!
A small tent
- Another “duh” item, but what I’m doing is building a checklist for you. And you can never be too confident that you’d remember something as obvious as a tent.
- When looking for a tent to take backpacking, you’ll want to be sure it’s a tent designed specifically for backpacking. Why? Because of weight. Just any ol’ tent ain’t gonna giterdone. I mean, it might fit in your pack, but it would be so heavy and cumbersome and possibly take up so much space you won’t have room for the rest of the things you’d need to bring. So, the keyword when looking for a tent is to make sure it’s “best use” is noted as backpacking.
- I have two backpacking tents: a two-person tent by REI and a one-person tent by Big Agnes. They are both great tents.
  - My one-person is a Big Agnes Manzanares tent, but it seems like they are no longer producing those, so this is the closest I could find on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EYh5Vo
    - I have zero complaints about my Big Agnes tent. These things are pricey for a reason.
  - My two-person tent is an REI Half Dome 2.5 tent that I’ve had for eight or nine years. It’s a durable tent, but I had to get the bungees replaced inside the tent poles because after sitting in storage unused for too long, they lost their elasticity, rendering them useless. Thankfully, REI was able to recommend a reputable company to send the tent poles to to have them repaired. I think it cost $30 to fix them.
  - Like backpacks, tents are another piece of gear that you could save money on by looking for a used one online. Once again, as long as the person selling it didn’t completely trash it, searching for a used tent before buying new is my recommendation.
Sleeping bag
- First things first: Comfort rating, vs. Survivability rating. This is important when looking for a sleeping bag that you might possibly be using in winter temperatures. I’ve only done winter camping in Texas, where night time temps can drop into the 30s, so my sleeping bag has a comfort rating of 20 degrees. That means I’ll be comfortably warm inside the sleeping bag at temperatures above 20. A bag with a “survivability rating” of 20 means that you won’t die in those temperatures, but you won’t necessarily be as warm as you’d like. You’d typically have to re-loft (i.e. fluff) your sleeping bag a few times throughout the night.
- Next: Are you a side sleeper or a back sleeper? If you’re a side sleeper, like me, stay away from mummy shaped bags. They are too constricting and won’t allow you to easily shift to your side. You’ll want to find a spoon-shaped bag. If you’re a back sleeper, however, mummy bags are perfect.
- After you check the two boxes above, make sure you find a sleeping bag designed for backpacking. Once more, this has to do with weight and how compact you can make it. It needs to be able to easily fit in the bottom of your pack and not weigh a lot (I would say a bag heavier than 3.5 pounds is too heavy for backpacking, but maybe you’re a body builder…).
- Sleeping bags are constructed differently for men and women. So, you might be a woman and have your eye on a bag designed for men for whatever reason, but traditionally, men’s sleeping bags are rated much differently than women, because men tend to sleep hot, while women tend to sleep cold. Also, women are shaped differently than men, so women’s sleeping bags are constructed to take that into consideration.
- The sad truth with sleeping bags is you often get what you pay for. My first sleeping bag was a good brand, but a “budget” option and when I bought it, I didn’t know the things I know now. I could never get warm in that sleeping bag without a sleeping bag liner. And even with the sleeping bag liner, it was iffy, at best. I’ve also known people recently who’ve bought high rated budget-friendly sleeping bags on Amazon and tried them, and couldn’t get warm at night.
- Here’s the sleeping bag I recently upgraded to: https://amzn.to/3mnh1rP
  - I got lucky and found this bag on REI’s Used Gear site. I gave it a test run very recently for winter camping and I can report it was a solid investment. The condensation in my tent was out of control and my hair and sleeping bag were soaked, but I was still warm and toasty inside the bag.
  - Since there are so many variables to consider with sleeping bags, I think it might be harder to find one on Craigslist, OfferUp, etc. But, there are lots of used gear sites out there that should have filtering capabilities to allow you to narrow down the options to what you need. So, going used is still viable for a new-to-you sleeping bag (obviously; that’s what I did).
Sleeping pad
- A good sleeping pad is critical for winter camping. Why? Because of conduction. What’s conduction? Conduction is a way to describe how heat transfers from one surface to another. So, if you decided to sleep directly on the ground (even in a good sleeping bag), the contact your body has with the ground would create heat conduction, and your body heat would transfer into the ground, and the cold temperature of the ground would transfer to your body. Make sense?
- Sleeping pads have an “R Rating” that tells you how well insulated the pad is. So pay attention to the R rating of the sleeping pad you’re interested in, especially if you aspire to do winter camping.
- I have the Exped DownMat XP 9, which has a fairly high R rating of 7.8; so this pad is insulated very well. My only complaint is the shape of the mat. I learned at a survival course that putting your sleeping pad inside your sleeping bag was a good solution for the problem of getting off center on the sleeping bag. I tried it when I first learned about it and my mind was blown. The only problem was that (at the time) it didn’t fit well inside my mummy shaped bag. Then I got my new, spoon-shaped sleeping bag and tried it that way. It was fine, but the thickness of the pad made the sleeping bag pretty snug. So this is just something I need to continue tweaking.
- The pad I have is no longer available, but here’s one on Amazon that’s comparable: https://amzn.to/3Jg3wDh
- The Nemo Switchback sleeping pad (https://amzn.to/3mmlieZ) is hugely popular, and I admit I’m curious about it. I think I might cough up the cash soon to get one and have it on hand for summer backpacking trips when my mega insulated pad isn’t as necessary.
Toiletries
- When you’re on the trail, you only need the basics. Toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, a comb/small brush, and a package of wet wipes if things get dire. You would be insane to schlep around anything beyond that on the trail. Why? Because of the weight.
- Put your toiletries in an odor proof sack (https://amzn.to/3ZHug4V). This is a good practice to deter wild animals from coming to check out your smelly stuff.
Headlamp
- Any headlamp will do. Just make sure it has a red light setting, so you don’t blind your buddies when you’re puttering around the campsite.
- This is the headlamp I have: https://amzn.to/3ZpCCi3
Emergency kit
- An emergency kit is a critical piece of gear that helps you check boxes off the Ten Essentials list. And quite a lot can go into one. The first survival class I ever took, we discussed what to put in an emergency kit, and I complied quickly. I take this with me even on day hikes. I’ll tackle the specific gear recommendations in another post, but here’s a high-level list of what I have in my emergency kit:
  - Bivvy bag, waterproof matches, signaling mirror, compass, tinder, a whistle (though the whistle should be attached to the outside of your pack, where you can quickly blow it), a ferro rod, and a small ditty bag to contain it all.
Water filter
- Some would argue this is not a must-have piece of gear for a beginner, but I disagree. I think everyone should have their own water filter and keep it with them on any hike they go on…because you just never know when something crazy might happen.
- I have the Katadyn Hiker Pro; have had it for years and I love it. It’s near the top as one of my favorite pieces of gear. https://amzn.to/41KvMFf
- There are lots of filtering options out there nowadays, including bottles that have a filter integrated into it. You can’t get much easier than just dipping your bottle into the water source, screwing on the lid, and drinking filtered water instantly. The Grayl bottle seems to be a relatively new option on the water filtering scene, and I admit I’m intrigued by it. I really like the concept and the design: https://amzn.to/3SO4WIo
  - My only hangup is along the lines of what I mentioned earlier, how it’s not exactly easy to reach bottles in the side-webbing of packs, which is why I tend to prefer a Camelbak hose.
- But before you buy just any filter, make sure you pay attention to what the filter can actually do. Meaning, is the filter powerful enough to kill both bacteria and viruses? Or just one or the other? That matters.
Potty kit
- The potty kit is an essential piece of gear to ensure you comply with Leave No Trace (LNT). No one wants to step off the trail to take care of business, only to stumble upon someone elses, if you know what I mean.
- The potty kit needs a small, lightweight trowel, a small bottle of hand sanitizer, a small roll of toilet paper (without the cardboard tube), and a paperbag with a ziplock baggie inside.
  - What’s the deal with the paper bag/baggie combo? So, again, to comply with LNT, you gotta pack out your trash. This includes your toilet paper (unless you drop a deuce, then you just bury it). I was taught that you can open the ziplock baggie, put the used tissue inside, then put the baggie inside the paperbag; the paperbag sort of acts as a “dignity shield” (I don’t know how else to describe it) so you don’t have to look at your nasty, used toilet tissue more than you absolutely have to. Then when you get home, just chuck the paper bag with the baggie in the trash and be done with it.
  - Ladies, the same concept applies to feminine products on the trail. You gotta pack out the used stuff. Don’t shoot the messenger.
First Aid Kit
- There are plenty of first aid kits out there that are ready made for backpacking, and honestly those will probably do you just fine (as long as you add a tourniquet to it; like, a proper combat tourniquet produced and sold by North American Rescue). But if you decide you would rather compile your own first aid kit, Clint Emerson’s book “The Rugged Life” includes a robust list of stuff he recommends for a first aid kit. And I trust his judgement, since he was a Navy corpsman and SEAL for twenty years.
  - Remember when you start buying stuff, your HSA/FSA funds can be used to buy first aid supplies.
Cutlery
- No need to elaborate on this. You need a spoon and/or fork in order to eat your backpacking meals. Any option will do; just remember weight matters.
A camp stove
- I. Love. My. JetBoil. I will shout from the rooftops what a great piece of gear this is. I have the Zip system, and I love it because all of its components nest inside the canister, which helps prevent you from having to dig and cuss while you dig, looking for the pieces you need to assemble your stove. After hiking for ten miles and you get to your camp, hungry can turn to hangry real fast. I know that’s not just me.
- Just get a JetBoil. https://amzn.to/3ZFcSxN
  - For the sake of trying, look for a used one first, but I suspect they are hard to find used because they are so awesome; I have a hard time envisioning why someone would give theirs up.
Mug (or cup)
- Kinda like cutlery, I don’t think I need to expound on this. If you’re like most American adults, you need a cup of something with caffeine in it first thing in the morning. So just make sure you have something that you can prepare your coffee/tea/matcha/whatever in.
- I have an old-school enamelware mug (https://amzn.to/3EZP5AM); it’s super light and inexpensive, but also non-insulated, so it burns the fingers, precious. (I hope you got the Gollum reference and you don’t think I’m just being weird.)
Extra clothes inside a compression sack
- I’m an advocate of staying in the same clothes for the duration of a trip (with the exception of underwear, because hygeine). However, I would recommend bringing just one set of spare clothes that you could change into in case you, I don’t know, face-planted in a mud puddle, or something.
- And also clothes to change into for sleep. Good base layers, like thermals to help with the cold nights.
- A compression sack (https://amzn.to/3EYidIy) will help keep it all contained, AND double as a pillow.
  - If you just end up stuffing your clothes into all the open space in your pack, that’s totally acceptable as well, as long as you’re okay with your used undies being *somewhere in there*.
Meals inside a dry sack
- If you’re food motivated like me, this might be the most important part of this list. Haha. I have tried lots of different backpacking meals, but my favorite are made by PackIt Gourmet. https://packitgourmet.com/
- Now that I’ve put that out there, you can also find a bazillion options on Amazon. But if I’m being honest, I’d recommend just hauling your hiney to your favorite outdoor store and putting your eyeballs on the wall of backpacking meals to see what you can find. You can read the labels and instructions and decide if you’re okay with what you’ll be putting in your body (I’m a label reader–it’s an old habit I never quit from my hardcore Paleo diet days–and some of those backpacking meals have ingredients that I would give a hard pass on *cough*canola oil*cough*).
  - Keep in mind these meals are high calorie. They are supposed to be, because all that walking/hiking burns a ton of calories and you need to replace them if you want to continue to feel like a normal functioning human.
  - You’ll need to do your own math on how many meals you need. It goes something like this:
    - A. How many days will I be backpacking?
    - B. How many meals do I usually eat in a day?
    - A x B = The number of backpacking meals you need, at a minimum.
      - I say “at a minimum” because I actually do recommend you bring one more than you calculate…just in case. Anything more than “one more” is too much. Remember that weight matters.
- I already mentioned the cup, so make sure you also bring your instant coffee, teabags, or matcha powder in order to have your morning brew.
- Snacks – Same formula above, except substitute the word “meals” for “snacks”.
- Keep all this in an odor proof sack. Again, wild animals have sensitive noses, and if they smell your food, they may come looking for it.
- Get yet *another* ordor proof sack for keeping trash in. After you eat your backpacking meals, obviously you’re not just gonna leave the package on the trail, nor will there likely be a trash can you can drop it into, so having another odor proof sack that functions as a trash bag will continue to contain the smell until you can dispose of its contents.
- Finally, you need to put your food inside of a dry sack that you’ll be able to hoist up in a bear hang, if necessary. This is the one I have: https://amzn.to/3muWi5D
A knife or multi-tool.
- Having a knife or at the very least a multi-tool can save you a ton of headaches on the trail, because you find yourself needing to cut things fairly often. The one I have (https://amzn.to/3kWPtZT) has stayed sharp for an eerily long time (I’ve had it since 2015 and have never had to sharpen it).

There it is! The list of what I personally recommend as essential gear to get you started on backpacking.

Drop me a note and let me know what you think. Maybe there’s something I forgot? Or maybe you have a gear hack that would be fun to share.

And if you have any questions about anything discussed above, shoot me an email at Astrid@IndieAuthorAstrid.com and I’ll quickly respond and help as much as I can.

Until next time…

Who is “Hiker Chick”?

February 16, 2023 by Astrid Leave a Comment

Some people read Persist and come away learning something new.

Sometimes it’s about Israeli self-defense.

Sometimes it’s about hiking.

Sometimes it’s about how an awkward human functions in social situations.

All of those things I have first-hand experience with.

But this blog is going to focus on hiking.

We’ll talk about gear and trip planning and various skills to keep yourself safe on the trail so can enjoy your outdoor adventures. As Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati said, “Verso L’Alto.” To the heights.

So this first post is just to set the stage, but I’m going to plan some content and get right back into it ASAP.

Mediocrity is easier…

March 17, 2022 by Astrid 1 Comment

…but it eventually becomes hell.

I should have joined the military. It would have been good for me. I needed someone to beat the “I can’t” out of me.

Growing up, I didn’t usually set my sights too high. It wasn’t until college that I conceived *the idea* of my dream career. (And I’m not talking about my love for writing.) But that dream career would have really taken me out of my comfort zone.

Looking back, it seems the moment *the idea* entered my consciousness, I quickly wrote it off because my head was full of “I can’t.”

Because I was a remarkable underachiever.

I never stood out and the times in the past when I tried to stand out, I only ended up embarrassing myself. I have lots of examples, but I’d rather not share *all* of my shame with the world.

But here’s the kicker…

About ten years later–I was done with college, had the accounting degree, was working in a small bookkeeping and tax firm doing (shocker!) bookkeeping and taxes and hating every minute of it–*the idea* came into my head again. I was miserable enough in that job that I thought, “I have nothing to lose; might as well try.”

So I did.

And a few months later, I was shocked to learn that it actually had been a possibility. At that point, the only thing that stood in my way from making further progress toward that job was my physical fitness–or lack thereof. (In case you are wondering why fitness would matter, it was a job in law enforcement.)

Because I was still a remarkable underachiever.

That was when I started doing CrossFit and HaganaH (yes, the second H is supposed to be capitalized) and I got into the best shape of my life. But also, by that point, I ended up changing jobs and was doing something I actually enjoyed using my accounting degree. So, I let *the idea* go.

But still…I can’t help but remember idiot-me in college that was full of so much “I can’t” that I didn’t even try. And further still, I often still struggle with “I can’t”.

The other day, I went for a run and took my four year-old daughter with me so she could ride her balance bike alongside me. She’s still trying to get used to it, but toward the end when we were almost home, she was so frustrated. “I’m not good at anything” and “I’ll never be able to do it” came out of her mouth. And I felt like I was looking into a mirror. Her clear, crystal blue eyes were full of so much sadness and all I wanted was to take all thoughts of “I can’t” out of her head, because my greatest fear is for her (or any of my children) to repeat the same mistakes I made growing up. I want them to believe they can do great things. I don’t want them to settle for mediocrity, simply because it’s easier. It might be easier at the time, but eventually it becomes hell.

All this to say….if you have a voice in your head saying “I can’t”, please find someone who will disagree with that voice until they are blue in the face. And listen to them. Surround yourself with people who are aiming high with dignity and integrity. Don’t be smarmy. There are plenty of people who aim high and succeed, but are smarmy about it. (I mean, look at the shit on Netflix (or Apple TV, etc). How damaged are we as a society that we can’t be entertained without sex scenes or excessive profanity? Where’s the storytelling?)

Mediocrity is easier, but it eventually becomes hell.

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What you need in an “Emergency Kit”.

17 Essential Items for a Beginner Backpacker

Who is “Hiker Chick”?

Mediocrity is easier…

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