Before leaving for a mountain excursion it is necessary to prepare a well-organized trekking backpack. But what is the correct way to do it? To answer the question we take as the main reference what is reported by the CAI (Italian Alpine Club) and let’s see not only what to bring but also how to arrange it inside the backpack.
How to prepare your backpack for the mountains
What to Pack in Your Hiking Backpack for a Day Trip
Inside a hiking backpack there are objects that must always be present. Now we will see the main ones, considering the case of aday trip and taking it for granted that clothing “onion” already worn at the time of the excursion is correct: therefore breathable clothes, socks and especially mountain boots suitable.
Clothes
It is always good practice to have a backpack with you. fleece sweater or technician, to be worn already when leaving (if it is cold) or to carry in the backpack in case the temperature drops more than expected – so yes, even in summer it’s always better to have it on hand.
It is then necessary to have a windproof and waterproof jacket and, if your trousers are not rainproof, consider getting a rain jacket as well Waterproof cover for the legs.
It is always recommended to have at least one with you replacement of t-shirt and of socks and in case of a sunny day it is a good idea to bring a hat, sunglasses And sunscreen.
Food and water
Since there is no certainty that there are sources of drinking water along the route, it is always necessary to carry a canteenso as to never run out of water. Also with regards to the food it’s always better to bring something to eat (even if you plan to have lunch in a refuge) such as bars or dark chocolate.
Other items
To orient yourself it is essential to have a hiking topographic mapso you know where to go and which path to follow. It is advisable to also bring a torch, a whistle, handkerchiefsone compass (or a GPS system), telescopic mountain poles it’s a first aid kit.
Also consider bringing some with you bagslike those of the garbage: not only can they help you to separate objects in the backpack, but in case of heavy rain they can prevent them from getting wet!
How to arrange items in your mountain backpack
The following should be placed at the bottom of the backpack: clothes soft (e.g. down jacket, fleece sweaters, etc.) and any sleeping bagso as not to risk having hard objects bothering the lower back area. In the middle section of the backpacknear the back, should be placed heavier objects such as water bottle, food and any technical equipment. This is done both because it is a padded area and because by doing so we improve our center of gravity, especially in the case of challenging routes. If instead we find ourselves on easy pathsit is possible to move some of the heavy objects in the upper area, so as to promote an upright posture and a better distribution of the load on the spinal column, to the detriment of a more unbalanced centre of gravity.
In the area a medium weight” It is recommended to place the rest of theclothing – especially what we might need at any moment, such as a rain jacket, since this area is the easiest to access. Finally, in the upper or side pockets of the backpack – if present – you can put all those objects of small size that would otherwise be lost, such as glasses, compass, topographical maps, etc.
In general yes recommends not to “hang” objects outside of the backpack: this is to avoid getting caught, losing your balance or, simply, losing something along the way.
Attention: as also reported by the CAI, as far as possible, it would be better to have a backpack whose weight does not exceed 10% of our. For example, if a person weighs 80 kg, his backpack should not go beyond 8 kg in case of a day trip.
