So, this week I have a four day trip to one of my favorite National Parks, Capitol Reef. It is located in South-Central Utah near the town of Torrey. I am lucky to have so many great places like Capitol Reef located within a few hours of where I live. To get ready, my group had a quick meeting to give us the heads up on things like the weather. A high of 40 F., and I won't say the low, so it's going to be cold.
A few months ago many of this same group had the opportunity to summit a local mountain while reviewing Leave No Trace principles. There were a few things that I forgot to do that made that trip a bit less than enjoyable for me, and I want to pass on some tips that I threw out the window because I was a spaz.
1. Don't just break in your boots, break in your feet.
What I mean to say by this is take a few hikes to re-introduce your feet to your boots, especially if it has been a while since your last trip. Failing to do this you will pull a lazy me and get some nice blisters.
2. Get the right clothing.
This one I did right, but one of my buddies missed. He wore jeans. Now don't get me wrong, I love jeans, just not for backpacking trips. When he got to the snow fields toward the peak, those pants got wet and stayed wet. He was not a happy camper.
3. The right weight of pack.
I thought that because I left my tent behind I would be OK weight wise. Nope. A good part of my gear that was brought, "Just in case," turned out to be just extra weight and more stuff to move around to get what I wanted. I was with a group, and didn't need to bring all the stuff that I am used to bringing when I am by myself. I could have moved faster with less weight as well.
I hope that these tips help you on your next trip to where ever you go.
-Ranger
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