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Up to this point I’ve discussed the importance of selecting a goal for your next backcountry trip, as well as how to determine whether or not it’s a SMART goal. In this installment, I provide an overview of a basic 7-step decision-making process that will enable you to appropriately plan for and execute a longer…
Gathering information is the second step in the decision-making process, and one of the most important phases of the backcountry trip planning process. Without accurate information you can’t make informed decisions, which then erodes confidence in the overall plan. Gathering information can also be one of the most enjoyable steps to planning out your trip…
At this point in planning your next backcountry trip, you should’ve already performed the lion’s share of research for your adventure. In the example for this series of backcountry planning articles, we’re going to thru-hike the Tahoe Rim Trail. So, this research would’ve included asking and answering all of your questions regarding extended backpacking adventures…
So far in this series of backcountry trip planning articles we’ve established a goal for our adventure (which is to thru-hike the Tahoe Rim Trail), put it to the SMART goals test, and used the decision-making process to guide our research. We’ve gathered relevant information, evaluated it, and hopefully have chosen the best option(s) for…
Congratulations! You’re about to embark on the backcountry trip you’ve been planning for months or possibly years. Keep in mind that, for better or worse, you’re about to go on a roller coaster ride. Getting off of that ride can be very challenging depending on the circumstances, so it’s usually best just to see the…
In this final installment of my 8-part series of articles about planning your next backcountry trip, I’ll share with you my thoughts on returning home from a backcountry adventure. Undoubtedly, the first thing you’ll want to do is jump in the shower to wash off that trail grime. Then, you’ll probably want to eat a…
Presented here is a short black and white comic I created about an overnight backpacking trip I took into Desolation Wilderness with a former girlfriend back in 2012. Although our relationship did not last and the backpacking trip was only two days, the experience was rewarding. One of the reasons I enjoyed the trip was…
In 2011, one of my Lake Tahoe friends and I resupplied two of his friends who were thru-hiking the John Muir Trail (JMT). They needed one last food drop to get them through the Whitney Portal, which is the southern terminus of the JMT. Our plan was simple, but our execution of it was not….