Building Confidence in the Backcountry
Being in the backcountry can be a bit sketchy at first, especially if you haven’t been in the outdoors much (or at all). But with proper preparation, and going at a pace you feel comfortable (but also a bit challenged), you can build up your confidence in no time and start enjoying all the wonders that the outdoors have to offer.
Building Confidence - Day Hikes & Backcountry Exploring
I really don’t recommend jumping into a moderate or hard hike at the get go. It’s likely you’ll be very underprepared and be unable to walk from the soreness the next day. The better route I would say to go is to start small and build up from there.
Join local hiking groups (Facebook tends to have lots of these for each local area). Ones that are especially focused on newer hikers or even just if you haven’t been out in a long time and want to take it easy.
See if you can find local guides who offer day hikes. Learning from a knowledgeable guide is a fantastic way to increase your own knowledge, and build your confidence when going out.
Research the area you will be going into. Google Earth, Avenza, and OnX Backcountry are excellent resources to use. Having an idea of the terrain and grade will greatly help you prepare for your excursion. It is also very important to carry some sort of MAP or GPS with you when going out.
Essentials you should always have with you
In my opinion there is a few items you should ALWAYS have with you regardless of how long, or hard, the hike is. I have what’s called a “ditty bag” in my backpack that never leaves it. It contains my emergency kit, plus other essentials.
Not pictured to the left, but also always carry some water purification tablets.
Building Confidence - Overnight Hikes
So now that you’ve decided you love hiking, seeing the backcountry, and being in nature, that you want to start doing overnights. I will say for most this is the most challenging thing to build up confidence in. Night time has the effect of making every noise you hear very big, scary, and creepy.
The good news is though that it does get better with each night you spend. Whether you do it alone, or with a friend (or more) these steps can greatly help with building confidence.
Start with camping in your backyard (or a friends backyard). This is, to me, the ideal way to start because you can a) practice setting up your gear in a comfortable environment, b) be close to home if a piece of gear fails, or you simply aren’t quite ready for overnights yet.
Once you’ve done a few backyard camp-outs, it’s time to progress to the next step. Find a local park with (either free or paid) campsites that you can easily get to. Ideally ones that aren’t to far away from home but far enough to give you more of an outdoor experience sleeping in your tent.
Do this until you feel confident enough to join a backcountry guiding group for an overnight trip! Going with a group for your first few times makes the experience a lot less intimidating, and you can ask the guide for help/advice if needed. Once you’ve done one (or more) guided overnights and you feel confident, you can start going on your own. There isn’t any rush however, do as many guided (or with friends) trips as you want before trying solo.
Always
remember to carry bear spray, and keep it in an easy (and quick) place to grab. Having it somewhere in your pack, or in a hard to reach place is not what you want to do. I keep mine attached to my hip belt loop when my pack is on, and when my pack is off, I carry it with me everywhere. It is never out of reach.
Trust your instincts
Trust your instincts, and especially your gut. If something does not feel right listen to that. Whether it is a campsite, trail head, etc. There is a difference between being nervous/excited to go on a hike, and having a deep down in your gut bad feeling about something.
There is also a few other things you can do to help keep yourself safe when out exploring.
Invest in a SOS device
I have owned Garmin products for years, and I heavily recommend them. Especially any of their InReach with SOS devices. They do require a subscription but I believe it is 100% worth it. It also has tracking features, weather updates, GPS/MAP, 2-way messaging and etc. It gives a great peace of mind when out in the backcountry.
(The one I have here is a older model that isn’t available anymore, there is better and newer options now)
Triangle Method
I recommend the Triangle Method for any areas. See image on the left for ideal guidelines on how to do it. It is especially important for any areas with high bear activity, as doing the triangle method greatly reduces the risk of a bear coming into your sleeping area looking for food.
One thing that often gets overlooked is that ANYTHING that smells needs to go into your bear canister, bear bag, etc. Animals have amazing noses and can smell many things we can’t. So toiletries, food, etc should be safely kept away from the sleeping area.
“Lock” your tent
While this isn’t completely fool proof, it absolutely does give you a bit of security and time. I use a high quality carabiner to hold my tent zippers together on both openings of my tent.
And finally…
Carry a personal protection item of some kind (other than the bear spray). I carry a couple things that in many situations would be of great help and deterrent.
So in short, to build confidence you do have to get out there. It is likely going to be challenging, and you will likely have a few failed attempts. But the key is to keep going, keep trying, and keep learning.
