Table of Contents
Introduction: Time to Get Adventure Ready! 9
How to Use This Book 14
Chapter 1 Planning Your Backpacking Trip: An Overview 17
Defining Trip Parameters 19
Researching Likely Conditions 26
Creating Your Itinerary 28
Selecting Your Gear 32
Planning Your Food Resupply Strategy 34
Safety in the Backcountry 36
Preparing Yourself Physically and Mentally 39
The Final Check 39
Chapter 2 Gear Selection 41
Route Conditions 42
Weather 42
Resupply and Water Access Frequency 44
Evaluating, Choosing, and Testing Gear 44
Primary Gear 50
Tips for Lightweight Backcountry Travel 58
Chapter 3 Backcountry Safety 65
Weather-Related Risks 66
Snow and Water 70
Physical Preparedness and Injury 73
Human Interactions 74
Animal Interactions 76
Risk Factors Associated with Solo Backcountry Travel 78
Chapter 4 Navigation & Route Preparedness 81
Navigational Tools 82
The Beta Packet 87
Chapter 5 Crsating a Resilient Body 91
How Resilient Health Impacts Your Backpacking Trip 92
Optimizing Your Gut Health 93
Prioritizing Sleep 95
Minimizing Stress 97
Spending More Time Outside 102
Supplements and Herbs 103
Chapter 6 Performance Nutrition & Backcountry Meal Planning 107
Pre-Hike Nutrition 109
On-Trail Nutrition 115
Chapter 7 Physical Preparation 139
Features of a Well-Rounded Training Program 140
Building and Maintaining Your Training Plan 152
Chapter 8 Mental & Emotional Preparation 159
Strong Mind, Strong Body 160
Techniques to Prepare Mentally 167
Chapter 9 Reintegration 173
Common Mental Challenges of Reintegration 173
Common Physical Challenges of Reintegration 179
Strategies for Reintegration 181
Worksheets & Checklists 187
Additional Resources 197
Selected Sources 201
Index 203
