One Night Wilderness: Portland. Douglas Lorain

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СКАЧАТЬ wilderness area, regulations generally require that you camp at least 100 feet from water. In places with long-established camps that are already heavily impacted, however, land managers usually prefer that you use the established site, even if it is technically too close to water, rather than trampling a new area.

      Do not build campfires. Although fires were once a staple of camping and backpacking, today few areas can sustain the negative impact of fires. In many wilderness areas and national parks, fires are now officially prohibited, especially at higher elevations. For cooking, use a lightweight stove (they are more reliable, easier to use, and cleaner than fires). For warmth, try wearing a sweater or going for an evening stroll.

      Finally, to have as little impact as possible, just throw water over yourself to remove the daily dirt and use biodegradable soap to clean your dishes well away from water sources. Backpackers should also leave at home any outdated attitudes about going out to “conquer” the wilderness.

Reintroducing Yourself to Backpacking

      For many of you, it has probably been several years since you went on an overnight hike, so before hitting the trails, take the time for a quick refresher course. You may be surprised to discover how many things have changed. For example, although hiking still remains wonderfully free of restrictions, the wilderness is now increasingly regulated. Places that you previously visited on the spur of the moment may now require permits—to park at the trailhead, to spend the night, or even to hike the trail at all. On the positive side, equipment has changed radically in the last couple of decades, becoming much lighter and more efficient.

      Step one for anyone contemplating a backpacking trip is to get into some kind of reasonable shape. Blisters while you hike and painfully sore muscles when you return are not badges of honor, they just hurt. Therefore, some simple, regular conditioning to get into reasonable aerobic shape, and strengthening key muscle groups (such as the calves, thighs, and shoulders) are crucial to having a good time.

      Step two is to gather together all the gear you’ll need. You remember, it’s that pile of musty stuff in the basement that you haven’t looked at in years, but which you haven’t had the heart to give away since you always told yourself you’d be using it again. Pull it all out, clean things up, and check for and repair any damage, such as seams that have torn out, places where mice have chewed through the shoulder straps, and instances where the tent seams are no longer waterproof. Make sure things still fit properly (no offense, but that hip belt might need to be let out some). Finally, decide if you have everything you need and if what you have might be significantly improved. I am not suggesting that you spend a fortune on new gear. It is not necessary and, especially for the first few trips (until you decide you want to do this regularly), it is probably unwise. However, for a few items, especially the bulkiest and heaviest ones, you might consider upgrading.

      With the extra load, backpacking usually requires better foot stability than dayhiking, so good boots are your first priority. For most trips, all you need are a sturdy pair of those new lightweight but still waterproof ones that are made partly of fabric and partly of leather. For longer and tougher outings, it is usually better to go with all-leather boots.

      Once you have taken care of the footwear, it’s time to turn to the rest of your body. Today’s hiking clothes feature all kinds of terrific, hi-tech, lightweight fabrics that keep you warm on cold days and cooler on hot ones, that magically wick moisture away from your skin, resist getting smelly, and even have built-in bug repellent. Buying everything new would be prohibitively expensive, so focus first on investing in a pair of the new, decadently cushy, wool-blend socks and one of those nifty new undershirts that wick sweat away and are very comfortable. Once you are convinced of the benefits of the new clothing, turn to buying hiking shirts and pants that are made of a thin but remarkably tough nylon-blend fabric that stops the wind and dries extremely quickly.

      As with clothing, almost every other piece of backpacking equipment has recently undergone design upgrades and changes in materials to make it noticeably lighter, stronger, and easier to use. Tents are now wonderfully light and easier to put up. Packs are better designed to fit your body. Sleeping pads are impressively cushy and comfortable. Sleeping bags fit better, last longer, and are much warmer. So if you are not satisfied with your current gear, head for the nearest sporting goods store, check out the product ratings in the hiking magazines, and do a little shopping. Your top priorities should be a comfortable pack and a lightweight tent.

      Also, be sure to obtain a water filter or other modern method of water purification. Unfortunately, you can no longer drink untreated water out of most backcountry creeks and lakes, even if they look clear and pure. Nasty microorganisms live there and, believe me, you really don’t want to ingest them.

      In the late 1980s and early 1990s outdoor equipment manufacturers had one of those “Well, duh!” sort of epiphanies when they noticed, apparently for the first time, that men and women are different. This belated discovery has dramatically improved life for female backpackers, who were previously forced to use smaller versions of equipment designed for men. But today, women have a wide array of clothing, sleeping bags, packs, and accessories that are specifically designed to fit their body shape and unique needs. So if it has been several years since those of you proudly sporting two “X” chromosomes have been backpacking, you might want to look into upgrading your equipment. The added comfort and utility of the new female-oriented gear may make the cost worthwhile.

Introducing Your Kids to Backpacking

      By the time I turned 12 years old, I had been going on dayhikes and family car-camping trips for well over half my life. Then, just as I was starting to get the hang of things, my father decided to up the ante and take me backpacking. Gallons of blood donated to thick clouds of mosquitoes turned that first trip into an unmitigated disaster, but youthful enthusiasm overrode good sense, and I was happily backpacking again the next weekend. Apparently, when you find the right mix of an active young mind and the wonders of nature, it is an irresistible (and a wonderful) combination.

      Even though it requires considerably more work and planning, few things in life are more gratifying or enjoyable than taking a kid backpacking. One big reason for this is that children have the unique capacity to renew your appreciation of the outdoors. No matter how commonplace and mundane things may be to you, everything is new and interesting to a child. The list of wonders includes all kinds of “little” things—mushrooms, old pine cones, tadpoles, fern fronds, discarded feathers—that adults no longer appreciate or even notice. In fact, it is downright humbling to see how much a child “notices,” and the feeling is only slightly reduced by the realization that children possess a natural height advantage when it comes to seeing things that are close to the ground.

      Although backpacking with a child may be fun for the adult, it is even better for the kid. Today, when American children spend, on average, more than 6 hours a day (!) staring at some kind of electronic screen, and where even summer “camp” is more likely to be a computer camp than one where a kid can actually get outdoors, it is vital that we reintroduce our children to nature. A growing body of evidence indicates that regular contact with the outdoors is a natural antidote for attention deficit disorder, depression, and obesity, and is generally crucial for a child’s overall mental and physical development. What better way to fill that need than to take them to a place where electronic screens simply aren’t an option, and where they can explore a world filled with newts and flowers, pine cones and toads, and countless other real-world wonders?

      To ensure that the backpacking experience is a great one (for both young and old), here are a few tips and guidelines to keep in mind:

       Despite everything you will read elsewhere (including in this introduction), when backpacking with young children, leave the teensy-ultralight-supposedly-for-two-people-but-only-if-they-are-on-their-honeymoon tent at home and pack along a nice roomy shelter.

       Don’t СКАЧАТЬ