Top Backpacking Mistakes

Taking Youtubers opinions as fact.

At least we know why the questions.

If there is something you don’t agree with, you are free to comment. That way, we can all benefit.

OK, I’ll play.

Why five?  Seems like you picked a number and then made the video.

Permits?  Really?  I wouldn’t list that near the top, not because it isn’t important, but I just haven’t met that many people who don’t know about permits.  You might as well list “don’t get into a car crash on the way to the trailhead…”

And you didn’t mention three key issues that beginners often screw up:

Don’t get lost

Don’t get dehydrated

Don’t get hypothermic

Agree, the video just picked 5 arbitrary things, several of which are nowhere near my top 5.

1] I would replace taking an electronic device with giving several people detailed map/route of your intended destination and expected time of return.

2] Taking gear appropriate to the location/weather expected.  Research route ahead of time to know likelihood of the type of conditions you will face.  NWS point forecast for the area including wind, temp and precip forecast.  Does the route have abundant water sources?  If not carry extra storage capacity. etc…

3] Take Map/Compass and thoroughly understand route including natural handrails and other key geographic features to keep you on route whether you have electronics or not.  This would be the number 1 reason most get lost.  No sense of where they are unless they are on a trail.

4] If you are wearing footwear that needs to be broken in, you are wearing the wrong footwear.  Trail Runners for most backpacking.

I thought your video was good. I would re-title it “My top 5 backpacking mistakes” because it was clear to me that these are some memorable mistakes you have made personally.

Unless your mistake kills, injures or otherwise causes some kind of harm to you or the wilderness, I don’t think it’s possible to make an actual “mistake.” It’s good to get out there even if you get cold and wet, or otherwise have a bad thing happen that cuts your trip short or makes it a painful learning experience. You get a story to tell all your friends at the very least. I’ve done a lot of trips like that and they end up being some of my fondest memories. I’m sure your experience with the boots in the Himalayas falls into that category for you.

Thank you all for the honest feedback! This was meant as a general overview from our experience. The hydration and orientaion I’d say fall into the Contingency Planning. The idea is to make this videos sharp enough to be of value for current and aspiring adventurers alike.

I appreciated the quick pace. Even old folks like me can handle information a lot faster than 100 wpm. My son, now 19, listened to his pre-recorded multi-variable Calculus lectures at 2x speed. My 14-year-old daughter listens to her Stanford lectures at 2.25x speed.

I thought the strongest of the 5 was the last: to bring less stuff, but I’d debate the “don’t forget the first aid kit” advice. I’d rather be rendered aid by someone who knew first aid / medicine really well than by a newbie who’d just bought the biggest first aid kit they could find at REI. Knowledge and skills weigh nothing and always beat having more gear.

Carrying unnecessary gear.

Yes, some newbies have gear that is too heavy but that is a budget problem for the most part. But experienced backpackers MUST ask newbies if they can see their gear to help them lighten their load. I’ve been guilty of avoiding this necessary gear check myself. Later in the hike I find items that were totally unnecessary like a heavy propane bottle instead of the proper butane canister, and carried to 9,500 ft. no less.