Backpacking is one of many recreational activities that interest me. This activity caught my attention because a lot of very exciting experiences awaits here. This is a very good form of hobby since you could encounter the Mother Nature itself. Its goal is to explore and discover the wonders of the forests and mountain ranges. Camping and hiking are simultaneously done in this activity and sometimes it also involves the exploration of a certain city or urban places that are not yet familiar to us. Camping is an activity where the trail duration is long and needs more materials and equipments to be brought with.
There are also more people involve in this activity than hiking since the trail is too long. It is usually done in the riverbanks, Forest Mountains and other national parks. Hiking is a healthy activity that involves the exploration of steep sloped mountains and other high elevated places. The risks involved in this activity are much higher than that of camping. As I watch videos of hiking, I think that there are some places that hikers should be aware of. Safety is the main concern that should be considered in any other form of outdoor activity.
Preparation for the backpacking is one of the most important things to consider. It involves the careful packing of materials needed in the activity. Supplies such as food, water, medical paraphernalia, and other outdoor gears are included in the preparation. The right outfit for the recreation is also important since the conditions in the wilderness is not so similar to the human settlement areas. It would include the protective suits such as boots for feet, jacket and bonnets for freezing temperature conditions, gloves for protection of the hands, goggles for eye protection.
Food is another consideration in a successful backpacking. The proper kind and type of food should also be on the to-do-list activity. There are many other possible ways that a backpacker can prepare food. The food that could be brought along would depend on the location or the venue where backpacking would be done. Groceries and other restaurants are likely to occur in the venues and trails and backpackers could eat in these places. Minimize the foodstuff that can be brought could give a smooth voyage since the hassle of handling these stuffs are difficult.
After the preparation has ended, the next step is to take note of the exposure to possible dangers that the backpackers might encounter. They should inquire the local authorities or other official that take care of the area. Taking note of the possible extreme weather in the field would help the backpackers to know what they would bring. Wild animals should also be on the list since some of them could cause unpleasant or even fatal effect for the backpackers. And most important of all is the rough terrain or trail that they would track down.
Although there are some sophisticated gadgets such as the GPS or the global positioning system, the backpackers should know the correct path. Although there are many good places to go, I could say that European trails are the best. I admire those beautiful sceneries found in Europe through the postcards, internet sites, and the wonderful stories from my friends who had already been there. There are many places in Europe that I would want to explore and my top European choices are United Kingdom, Spain, France and Switzerland. They have the superb sceneries and places to boast off.
In United Kingdom, the West Highland Way is one on the top of my lists. It has about 150 kilometers of exciting trails. It would start from Glasgow and end in the footstep of the highest mountain in United Kingdom, Ben Navis. Meanwhile some of the most exciting mountain ranges could be found in France, the Alps Mountain range. The Verdon Canyon in the Southern Alps is the most amazing gorge in this country. It creates a weird but beautiful wilderness to the mountains which greatly amazed backpackers like me. Backpacking in Europe would reassure that you would learn more things and improvement to yourself through nature.
The one that captures my concern in the wilderness is the golden rule of the backpackers: “leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos” as respect for the places and Europe is one of the leading regions that obey this rule. One of the best explanations for the great experience in Europe is the accommodation that they are offering. I wonder how they manage to put establishments in these areas and how they treat the tourists there. Why is that European countries are very much concerned about their accommodation for the backpackers?