Backpacking Basics: Navigation, First Aid and Leave No Trace Ethics

I have chosen to limit the number of topics to: Navigation, First Aid, and the Leave No Trace principles.

You can find further information about the basics on the site navigation bar, under tabs such as Gear and Beginners.

Beginning with navigation, an important thing to note is that you do not need to be a navigation expert to go backpacking.

It is important, however, to become familiar with the fundamentals of a map and eventually with a compass.

Unless you want to get into off-trail/cross-country travel right away don't bog yourself down with the details of navigation. Map and compass skills can take years to master, but learning the fundamentals can be done fairly quickly. Go to the Map and Compass Primer.

GPS navigation is a different skill all together and should only be taken on once the fundamentals of map/compass reading are thoroughly understood.

The GPS is an excellent tool for hiking off-trail, but it is still an electronic device that can fail you in a number of ways and it is not a substitute for the map and compass.

To learn some fundamentals of GPS navigation for backpacking, go to the GPS Basics page.

Wilderness First Aid is a great skill to have as a backpacker.

There are many schools and companies that offer classes in Wilderness First Aid, but having these skills is not manditory for Backpacking.

If you have no training or just want to brush up on the fundamentals, check out the page on Wilderness First Aid.

The idea is about minimum impact.

When visiting protected areas it is important to do your part to protect them.

The best way to do this is to follow the principles of the Leave No Trace ethic as closely as possible.

Read about these principles and where to get more information here.

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