Hey everyone. It's Sauce. And today we are having a good old
fashioned vent sesh. I obviously love backpacking
for so many reasons. There are a lot of things
about backpacking that just flat out suck, and I think it's important
to be realistic about those things. Backpacking isn't all sunshine
and rainbows and gorgeous views and clean pit toilets. A lot of the time it's just the opposite. My internet friend, Mac, @Enviromac on Instagram suggested this as a video
and as soon as I heard it, I was
inspired. There are so many things about backpacking
that suck, and over the years I've encountered
quite a few of them. Like, there are so many things that suck about backpacking
that I realized this needed to be a series because I couldn't
fit it all into one video. So stay tuned and subscribe
so you don't miss the slug fest. My goal for the series is to commiserate
with fellow backpackers about all the shitty parts of backpacking
prep newcomers for the things that might make them
want to quit
. Here's some insights on what has kept me going on
some of my absolute worst days on trail. One of the most common responses
to this was how much filtering water sucks,
and I honestly have to agree once you've been doing it for a while,
it gets really old really fast. I can remember quite a few days
where on the CD2 turn I'd be like,
I just want to filter right now. In the United States,
we sacrifice the conveniences of clean running water
for beautiful vistas in the backcountry. And while I th
ink
that mindset shift of realizing we are lucky to typically have
clean water is helpful, it doesn't always make filtering water
suck any less. So that isn't super convincing. These are some of the other things
that have helped me over the years. One taking good care of my filter, trying
to backfill ash in every single town. And even better, if I back flush
it between towns and avoiding murky, disgusting water sources will also help
a lot with this sleeping with my filter every night. If temper
atures are going to get low
so that it doesn't freeze. The only thing that is more demoralizing
than filtering your water all the time is filtering your water, unsure if it's actually doing anything
because you're pretty sure your water filter froze two nights
ago. Use aqua tabs. This video isn't even sponsored, but
I've been talking about them a lot lately. And if you are truly dead
sick of filtering, treating your water instead, give me a quicker and easier way
and kind of just give you a litt
le treat. Is that mental burden
for a couple of liters? The last mile before camp sucks. While most miles are 5280 feet long,
the last mile before camp on a backpacking
trip is in fact much, much longer. It defies the laws of physics,
but it's true. And anyone who has slogged through
a truly miserable last mile before camp I think can vouch for me. The best methods that I've come up for, for dealing with the last mile
before a camp blues are one. Listen to your favorite music or podcast. I like
to reserve an emergency playlist, especially for this situation,
so it's not songs that I get tired of. It's songs that I'm really excited to hear
and haven't maybe in a while to ban yourself
from checking your mileage. This is difficult in motivation
for self-discipline at times like these is not always high, but it is essential. The more you check, the longer
the mile gets. I promise it's just not worth it.
Three. Find a buddy. If there are people around, ask someone
to share in the misery wit
h you. Chances are they are dealing with it too. And they won't mind having some company
for the last 20 or 30 minutes before they get to camp. Not being able to sleep
without hiking sucks. Sleeping while backpacking is harder for some people than others and harder
on certain days than others. Getting enough good sleep is objectively very sucky
and can make for a miserable trip. But some ways that I have found
to help asleep while backpacking are fun. Having a dialed in sleep system
that's comfo
rtable to me. I've upgraded from a phone powered
to a boil pad for this exact reason to hiking more will usually wear me out
more and lead to better sleep. Three Listening to white noise
or some kind of music that I can actually fall asleep to. So how can a journal the noises that
might make you anxious and keep you up. Just make sure it's not drowning out
too much for your safety reasons. I like to pack melatonin or Benadryl
to help push me over the edge into sleepiness
when I am feeling kind o
f desperate and I'm not afraid to take an afternoon nap from time to time
if that's all that I can do. I did do a video about solo backpacking that goes a little bit more in depth
and then tricks to help you fall asleep. So be sure to check that out
if you haven't already. Bugs particularly any bugs that bite
while backpacking suck. I'm talking flies, mosquitos, ticks
all of the above. Mosquitoes are definitely the ones
that I have the most experience with, and those bloodsuckers will make
you q
uestion all of your life choices. You hit a macharia at the right
time of day during peak snowmelt. You may never want to go back
hiking again. And I get it. It sucks. Here's what I do to not make bugs not suck because I don't think that's possible,
but to make them suck less. First, I treat my clothes with permethrin. This is practically a requirement for me
in the summers in Colorado, and it does make a difference. And it deters ticks too. I always carry bug spray and apply it
liberally. I lik
e to carry picaridin because it's
less toxic in my gear the way DEET does. I carry a bug hand that what I have is less than an ounce
and it keeps bugs from flying in my face, which is definitely like the luckiest part
of hiking through bug areas. I put on rain gear if I am that desperate. It's a great defense against bugs
and usually they're getting really bad. They got dust, so it's a little bit cooler and you can
kind of bare hiking in rain pants still. I camp away from the homes of bugs. I tr
y to avoid marshy areas and maybe
look for a little bit of wind flow through my campsite. If you've checked local fire restrictions
and you can start a fire in the area and that's also great to keep bugs away. Being filthy
and not being able to shower sucks. Being a disgusting, filthy human being is the price we pay
for uninterrupted days in the backcountry. And while that price is fairly low
to some it's higher for others. And after days at a time,
it can really start to suck. I've personally g
one long enough
without showers on backpacking trips to get this prickly feeling on my back
that I think is from the sweat in my pack. And I hope that's not just me that
experiences that, but that really sucks. Even discussing for days at a time and
the smell that comes with that is not fun. But there are ways I have learned to
mitigate and deal with it over the years. First, I always bring baby wipes. They are a godsend
and I rarely go on a trip without them. I pack enough so that I can use the
m
to go to the bathroom, but also give myself a little baby wipes
bath. At the end of every day.
Three baths and creek laundry. Sometimes a good rinse can be a life changing experience,
but just make sure you're following L.A. principles. So maybe I don't personally use soap,
but if you're finding it especially hard to deal, you can always
pack out some soap and a little eyedropper and do a more proper backcountry
shower in laundry. Just remember that you have to take even biodegradable soap
at
least 200 feet away from water sources, because even biodegradable soap
can disrupt those fragile backcountry ecosystems. Hand sanitizer, keeping your hands
clean can be a huge lift off the mental energy you're feeling
when you just feel absolutely disgusting, like to try and rinse my hand and creeks
and then afterwards put hands entities around them
to just feel a little bit cleaner. Cooking food usually objectively sucks. It should tell you something that freeze dried meals
are basically a lux
ury for thru hikers. We usually subsist on things
like ramen bombs, which is literally a concoction of deep fried noodles
and instant mashed potatoes. And you can really only eat so many bars. Well, hiking food is far from the luxuries
we can obtain in town or the food that we can cook
for ourselves at home. There are few ways that you can make
backpacking food suck a little less. I like to pick out spices. They're super light and can add some much needed zest
to a bag of tired, newer pesticides
. I personally like to pack out
chili flakes. I also like to pack out fresh vegetables. Many things will last
for at least a day or two out of town. Packing a bag of spinach,
some baby carrots or even a fresh apple can be a big game changer. Just having some fresh food can add
some much needed nutrients to a very drab food bag. I like to try new things
while backpacking. I'll try and kind of ask my three
hiking friends at the grocery store or backpacking friends what it is
they're packing for th
eir meals. And sometimes I feel inspired
by some of the things they're bringing in because it's something
I haven't had before and it sounds good. Try and look around and try and change
it up from what you usually pack out. I love packing out town
leftovers packed out. Pizza and sub sandwiches are basically
five star meals on backpacking trips. And you can do this on weekend
trips to finally. You could try dehydrating your own food. I haven't done this personally,
but I think dehydrating your ow
n food could help you concoct things that maybe
taste a little bit better to you, that have a little bit more nutrients
than the stuff that we buy at the store and could add a little bit more variety
to your backpacking diet in the next installment of the series,
I'm going to talk about how much the weather can suck
while backpacking, and there will be much more completing
with a positive spin after that. So be sure to subscribe
so you don't miss it, but also like to end on a positive note
that
has helped me through many sucky moments. While backpacking, I read this on a
backpacker radio podcast from Klebsiella. He talks about a quote that I believe
he learned while on a meditation retreat, and that was everything is temporary. I have found myself returning
to that quote in many, many sucky moments, long times and cold mornings
and shi afternoons. I remind myself this is just temporary
and it really does help sometimes the idea that this simply won't last
forever is enough to get you t
hrough. If you have any additional tips or questions
or just want to talk about how much backpacking
sucks in the comments, please do. Thanks for watching. I.
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