How to Plan a Backpacking Trip From Start to Finish
Planning a backpacking trip really comes down to a few key stages. You start by picking a place that fits your skills and schedule, then you do your homework on what the trail and season will be like—things like where you'll find water. After that, it's all about permits, logistics, gear, and food. Getting this groundwork right is the secret to a safe trip you'll remember for all the right reasons.
Your First Steps in Trip Planning
The pull of a multi-day hike is hard to resist—those jagged peaks, quiet forests, and nights under the stars. But the difference between an amazing adventure and a miserable slog often boils down to the choices you make long before you even touch the trailhead.
The first part of planning is all about matching your big dream with a dose of reality. It’s a moment for honest self-assessment and smart research that lays the foundation for everything to come. This initial work helps you sidestep common mistakes, like picking a trail that’s way too hard or showing up just in time for the rainy season.
Choose a Location and Time of Year
Your first big decision: where to go? Maybe you're dreaming of alpine lakes, deep forests, or stark desert canyons. Your ideal scenery is a fantastic starting point, but you have to balance it with a few practical realities.
Be Honest About Your Fitness: How in shape are you, really? A 10-mile day with 3,000 feet of climbing is a completely different beast than a flat 10-mile walk in the park. If you're just starting out, look for trails with gentler climbs and more manageable daily mileage.
Look at Your Calendar: How many days do you actually have? Don’t forget to include the travel time to and from the trail. A three-day weekend might be perfect for a 15-20 mile loop, but it's not enough for a 40-mile trek from one end of a park to the other.
Match Scenery to the Season: The time of year changes everything. High mountain passes in the Rockies can be buried in snow well into July. On the flip side, a trip through a southern desert in August can be dangerously hot. You absolutely have to research the typical weather for where you want to go, when you want to go. For a place like Glacier, this is especially critical; our guide on planning your Glacier National Park adventure early shows just how much timing matters here.
A classic mistake is underestimating the "shoulder seasons"—spring and fall. A beautiful autumn hike can turn into a serious survival situation if an early snowstorm blows in. Always check the historical weather data and have a solid backup plan.
Dig Into the Trail Specifics
Once you've got a general area and a timeframe, it's time to zoom in on the details. Generic park websites give you a good overview, but for a safe trip, you need specifics. This is where you shift from dreaming to doing.
Start hunting for recent trip reports. Hiking forums, apps like AllTrails, and local outdoor club websites are goldmines for real-world intel from people who were just there.
Here’s what you should be looking for:
Water Availability: Are the creeks and springs on the map actually flowing? During dry years, reliable water sources can vanish, forcing you to carry a ton of extra weight or even cut your trip short.
Trail Conditions: Did a recent storm wash out a bridge or litter the trail with fallen trees? Are there sections that are notoriously overgrown or hard to follow? This kind of info rarely makes it to official park alerts right away.
Potential Hazards: Look for mentions of specific challenges. This could be anything from aggressive wildlife and swarms of bugs to sketchy river crossings or sections with high rockfall danger.
Campsite Details: Get a feel for the designated campsites. Are they totally exposed to the wind? Is there a good water source nearby? Do they fill up fast?
This deep-dive research does more than just prepare you—it builds your confidence. Knowing what to expect turns anxiety into excitement, letting you focus on enjoying the hike instead of worrying about what’s around the next bend. It’s the essential first chapter in your backpacking story.
Navigating Permits and Trailhead Logistics
Okay, so you've dreamed up the perfect route and have a good idea of when you want to go. Now for the less glamorous, but absolutely critical part of planning your backpacking trip: the red tape and the logistics of actually getting to the trail.
This is where many aspiring backpackers get bogged down. Permits, quotas, trailhead access—it can feel like a lot. But if you take it one step at a time, it’s completely manageable. Let’s break it down.
In most popular national parks and wilderness areas, you can't just wander into the backcountry and set up camp. Permits are required to protect these wild places from being loved to death and to make sure everyone has a good experience. Think of them as your golden ticket. Hiking without one can earn you a steep fine and an early end to your trip.
Cracking the Permit Code
First things first, you need to figure out which permit you need. This isn't a one-size-fits-all situation; the rules are incredibly specific to the park or forest you're visiting. Your absolute best resource is always the official website for that area.
You'll generally run into a few types of permits:
Wilderness/Backcountry Camping Permits: This is the big one. It’s your official permission to camp overnight in designated backcountry zones or at specific campsites.
Limited-Entry or Quota Permits: For the most sought-after trails, the park service limits how many people can be on them per day. Getting one of these usually involves a lottery system held months in advance. It's competitive.
Special Use Permits: Sometimes, specific activities require their own permit. Think technical climbing, canyoneering, or even just day-hiking certain iconic routes.
If there's one piece of advice I can give you, it's this: start your permit research early. For a place like Glacier National Park, the most popular routes are gone the very day they become available. Put the application date on your calendar and have a few backup itineraries ready to go.
This infographic can help you visualize how your fitness level, the time you have, and what you want to see can help narrow down your trail choices before you even dive into the permit hunt.
Once you align your abilities with a specific type of trail, figuring out the right permit becomes a whole lot easier.
Solving the Trailhead Transportation Puzzle
You’ve got your permits—congratulations! Now, how are you getting to the start of the trail and, just as importantly, how are you getting back from the end? This is a logistical detail that trips up a surprising number of people, especially if you're doing a point-to-point hike.
If you're hiking a loop that starts and ends at the same place, life is easy. You just park your car and go. But for pretty much any other route, you need a transportation plan.
The Two-Car Shuttle
This is the classic DIY solution if you're hiking with at least one other person. The system is simple: you take two cars to your finishing point, leave one there, and then everyone hops into the second car to drive to the starting trailhead. Voila! Your ride home is waiting for you when you finish.
The Good: It's cheap and gives you total control over your schedule.
The Bad: It adds a lot of extra driving before and after your hike and requires two drivers and two vehicles.
Booking a Shuttle Service
A far less stressful option, especially in areas around national parks, is to hire a local shuttle company. You can arrange for them to drop you off at your starting point or pick you up at the end. It's a fantastic way to take the transportation headache completely off your plate.
This is a game-changer in places with complex vehicle restrictions. For example, figuring out planning for Many Glacier access in 2025 is much simpler with professional help. Getting this locked in ahead of time means you won’t be left exhausted and stranded miles from your car.
Choosing Your Gear (Without Breaking Your Back)
Let's talk about the single most common mistake I see new backpackers make: overpacking. Your pack is your lifeline out there, but every single ounce counts. The difference between a joyful trek and a miserable slog often comes down to what you decided to carry.
The secret is learning to be ruthless. Don't think about what you might need for every far-fetched scenario. Instead, focus on what you will need for safety and reasonable comfort. Every item has to earn its spot.
Nail the "Big Three" First
The heaviest things in your pack will almost always be your shelter, your sleeping system, and the backpack itself. We call these the “Big Three,” and getting them right is the fastest way to drop serious weight.
Your Backpack: For most weekend to week-long trips, a pack in the 40-65 liter range is the sweet spot. But more important than volume is fit. An ill-fitting pack will make 25 pounds feel like 50. Get properly fitted and prioritize a comfortable suspension system over a million extra pockets.
Your Shelter: A modern backpacking tent is your best friend against Glacier’s notorious bugs and surprise rainstorms. When you compare options, look at the "packed weight" and try to keep it under four pounds for a two-person model.
Your Sleeping System: This is your sleeping bag and sleeping pad working together. Pick a bag rated for the coldest temperatures you realistically expect. And don't skimp on the pad—it's not just for comfort, it's for insulation. An R-value of 2-4 is perfect for most three-season adventures.
Investing in lightweight versions of the Big Three can feel like a big spend, but the payoff in comfort on the trail is enormous. If you're not ready to buy, renting is a brilliant way to try before you buy. Check out our new ultralight backpacking gear rentals to use top-tier equipment without the commitment.
Think in Layers, Not Bulk
Mountain weather can change in the blink of an eye. The key to staying comfortable is a versatile layering system, not a single bulky coat. And please, whatever you do, avoid cotton. It soaks up sweat and rain, loses all its warmth, and can become a serious liability.
Here’s the simple, proven system that works:
Base Layer: This is your next-to-skin layer (think long underwear). It should be merino wool or a synthetic fabric that wicks sweat away to keep you dry.
Mid Layer: Your insulation. This is typically a fleece jacket or a puffy jacket (filled with either down or a synthetic material).
Outer Layer (Shell): Your non-negotiable protection from the elements. A quality waterproof and windproof jacket and pants will save your trip when the weather turns.
A pro tip? Always pack a separate, dry set of clothes just for sleeping. Slipping into something clean and dry at the end of the day feels amazing, helps you stay warm, and keeps your sleeping bag from getting funky. Don't forget a warm hat, gloves, and at least one extra pair of hiking socks.
Your Safety and Navigation Kit
Beyond the big stuff, a few essentials are absolutely critical. Your smartphone is a great tool, but it should never be your only one.
Navigation: Bring a physical map of your route and a compass, and—this is the important part—know how to use them together. A GPS device or a phone with downloaded offline maps from an app like Gaia GPS is a fantastic primary, but batteries fail.
First-Aid: Don't just buy a pre-made kit; personalize it. Make sure it has plenty of blister care (like Moleskin), pain relievers, antiseptic wipes, bandages, and any personal medications you need.
Headlamp: You can't function in camp after dark without one. It’s a must-have for everything from cooking dinner to late-night bathroom runs. And always, always pack extra batteries.
Backpacking is a huge and growing community—people take about 45 million backpacking trips every year. The face of that community is changing, too. While two-thirds of backpackers are between 20-25years old, solo backpacking is on the rise, and over 80% of those solo travelers are women. It's an exciting time to be part of the adventure.
By focusing your energy on these core systems—the Big Three, smart layering, and essential safety gear—you’ll have a pack that’s both light and reliable. That thoughtful preparation is what turns a good plan into an unforgettable trip.
Planning Your Trail Menu and Resupply Stops
Out on the trail, food is way more than just a meal—it’s your fuel. Getting your food plan right is a classic backpacking puzzle: you have to balance calories, weight, and pure convenience. Let's get into how to build a smart food strategy that will keep you going strong without feeling like you're carrying a bag of rocks.
Forget that old "two pounds of food per person per day" advice you might have heard. It's a clumsy generalization that doesn’t really help. A much smarter way to think about it is in calories.
A tough day on the trail in Glacier—with a full pack and serious elevation gain—can torch anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 calories. Sometimes even more! You've got to put that energy back in. The best trail food is packed with carbs for quick fuel, protein to help your muscles recover, and healthy fats, which deliver the most calories for their weight.
Building Your Daily Meal Plan
Simplicity is everything when you're backpacking. When you're wiped out after a long day, the last thing you want is a complicated meal. My go-to trick? I pack each day's food into its own large zip-top bag. In the morning, I just grab that day's bag and I'm set.
Here’s what a typical day of eating on the trail often looks like:
Breakfast: You want something fast and filling to kickstart your morning. Instant oatmeal with a handful of nuts and dried fruit thrown in, or granola with powdered milk, are trail-tested classics for a reason.
Lunch & Snacks: Forget a formal lunch break. Most of us just graze throughout the day to keep energy levels from crashing. Think trail mix, energy bars, jerky, and those handy little nut butter packets. Tortillas packed with hard cheese and summer sausage are another great, durable option that feels like a real meal.
Dinner: This is your big recovery meal. Make it warm and satisfying. Freeze-dried or dehydrated meals are the undisputed kings of convenience—just add boiling water. Or, you can assemble your own lightweight dinners from things like instant mashed potatoes, couscous, or ramen noodles.
A crucial piece of advice: Never let the trail be your test kitchen. Always try out a new meal at home first. You need to know if you actually like it and how long it really takes to cook before you're relying on it in the backcountry.
Food Storage and Wildlife Safety
This is non-negotiable, especially in a place like Glacier National Park where you share the trails with bears. Storing your food properly protects you, other hikers, and the animals themselves. You have two main options here: a bear canister or a proper bear hang.
A bear canister is a heavy-duty, wildlife-proof container. They can feel bulky, but they are the most foolproof method and are often required in high-use areas. A bear bag involves hanging your food sack from a sturdy tree branch, well away from the trunk and high off the ground. This takes practice and finding the right tree isn't always a given.
Remember to store everything with a scent inside your canister or bag. That means all your food, your trash, and even toiletries like toothpaste and sunscreen. And a golden rule of backcountry camping: cook and eat your meals at least 100 yards downwind from where you plan to sleep.
Planning Resupplies for Longer Treks
If you're heading out for more than five to seven days, hauling all your food from the start just isn't realistic. That's where a resupply strategy becomes essential.
For many backpackers, planning resupply points is just part of the adventure. Here's a quick look at a sample meal plan that shows how you can pack in the calories without too much weight or fuss.
Sample 3-Day Backpacking Meal Plan
DayBreakfast (approx. 400-500 kcal)Lunch/Snacks (approx. 800-1000 kcal)Dinner (approx. 600-800 kcal)12 packets instant oatmeal with walnuts & raisins, instant coffee/tea2 granola bars, 1 bag trail mix, beef jerky, 1 tortilla with peanut butterFreeze-dried beef stroganoff, hot chocolate2Granola with powdered milk, instant coffee/teaHandful of dried mango, 1 protein bar, summer sausage & cheese on crackersInstant mashed potatoes with added olive oil and bacon bits32 breakfast bars, instant coffee/teaBag of mixed nuts & M&Ms, 1 fruit leather, 2 nut butter packetsRamen noodles with dehydrated vegetables and a foil packet of chicken
This is just a template, of course. The key is finding high-calorie, lightweight foods that you'll actually look forward to eating after a long day of hiking.
There are generally two ways to handle a resupply:
Mail Yourself Boxes: This is the most common method on long-distance trails. You pack up boxes with a few days' worth of food and supplies and mail them ahead to post offices or trail-friendly businesses (like a motel or outfitter) in towns along your route.
Buy in Trail Towns: This gives you more flexibility, but it can be risky. The stores in small trail towns often have a limited selection and higher prices. Do your research beforehand to see what's actually available.
A well-planned resupply not only lightens your load but also gives you a huge morale boost. Nothing beats fresh food and a short break in town before you hit the trail again.
Building Your Fitness and Backcountry Skills
The most expensive ultralight gear in the world won’t make a steep climb any easier if you haven't put in the work. When it comes down to it, your physical fitness and backcountry knowledge are your two most important assets on the trail. Getting them dialed in is a core part of planning any backpacking trip, ensuring you're strong enough to enjoy the views and savvy enough to handle whatever the mountains throw at you.
Physical readiness is about more than just walking a long way. It's about being able to do it day after day, carrying a heavy pack over uneven, challenging terrain. This calls for a balanced approach to training that builds endurance, strength, and pure grit.
Forging Trail-Ready Fitness
You don’t have to be a marathon runner to backpack in Glacier, but a solid fitness base will make your trip infinitely more enjoyable. Give yourself at least 6-8 weeks before your trip to really focus on getting in shape.
Build Your Engine (Cardio): This is all about stamina. Aim for 3-4 days a week of activities that get your heart pumping for 30 minutes or more. Running, cycling, swimming, or hitting the stair-climber are all great options to build your capacity for sustained effort.
Strengthen Your Chassis (Legs & Core): Your legs do the climbing, and your core keeps you from wobbling under the weight of your pack. Work in exercises like squats, lunges, and step-ups to build powerful leg muscles. For your core, planks and leg raises are perfect for developing the stability you'll need on tricky footing.
Do the Real Thing (Practice Hikes): This is non-negotiable. Find local trails with some elevation gain and start hiking with your backpack. Start light, maybe with 10-15 pounds, and gradually add weight until you're comfortably carrying your expected pack weight. This not only builds the right muscles but also breaks in your boots and helps you find any gear-related hot spots before you're miles from the trailhead.
A treadmill just won't cut it. Walking on the uneven ground of a real trail forces all your little stabilizer muscles to fire, perfectly mimicking backpacking conditions. This is the single best way to prevent injuries and build functional, trail-ready strength.
Mastering Essential Backcountry Skills
Physical strength gets you up the mountain, but backcountry skills are what get you home safely. Before you head into the wild, you need to be confident in a few key areas. Think of these skills as your safety net, turning potential emergencies into manageable situations.
It's no surprise that when backpackers choose their destinations, safety is a major consideration. In fact, 76% of travelers cite it as a primary factor in their decision-making, as noted in this breakdown of solo traveler statistics. Honing your skills is the ultimate way to take responsibility for your own safety on the trail.
Fundamental Navigation Techniques
Your phone's GPS is a fantastic tool, but it should never be your only plan. Batteries die, screens shatter, and satellite signals disappear in deep canyons or dense forest.
Learn to Read a Topo Map: Get comfortable with contour lines and how they show you the shape and steepness of the land. Practice identifying key features like ridges, valleys, peaks, and water sources on paper before you need to in the field.
Master the Compass: A compass is useless if you don't know how to use it. Practice taking a bearing from the map and following it. You should always be able to orient your map to your surroundings, so you know exactly where you are and which way you're headed.
Weather and Wildlife Awareness
Mountain weather is notoriously unpredictable. Learn to spot the signs—like the buildup of puffy cumulus clouds on a summer afternoon—that can signal an approaching storm. Always have a plan for what to do if you're caught in lightning or a sudden downpour.
Respect for wildlife is a cornerstone of safe and ethical backpacking, especially in grizzly country like Glacier. This means:
Proper Food Storage: Know how to use a bear canister or properly hang a bear bag. Practice at home first.
Making Noise: Talk, sing, or call out "hey bear!" as you hike, especially through dense brush or near loud streams, so you don't surprise an animal.
Knowing How to React: Understand the difference between a defensive encounter and a predatory one and what your response should be. Carry bear spray, know exactly where it is, and be confident you can deploy it in a split second.
By building up both your body and your brain, you're setting yourself up for a trip defined by confidence, not anxiety. This preparation transforms you from a simple visitor in the wilderness into a capable and self-reliant backpacker.
A Few Common Backpacking Questions
Even the most meticulously crafted plan comes with questions, especially when you're just starting out. It's totally normal to feel a little buried in the details. To help you out, we’ve put together answers to some of the questions we get asked all the time by first-time backpackers.
Getting these fundamentals dialed in will boost your confidence and let you focus on what really matters: the adventure ahead.
How Much Should My Backpack Weigh?
This is the million-dollar question, and the most honest answer is simply: as little as possible. There’s no single magic number, but a great target for a beginner on a 2-3 day trip is to keep your total pack weight under 30 pounds. If you can get it closer to 25 pounds, even better.
The number you really want to focus on is your base weight. That’s everything in your pack except for "consumables" like food, water, and fuel. A fantastic goal for your base weight is under 20 pounds. Hitting that number makes shouldering the weight of food and a couple of liters of water feel so much more manageable.
Remember, every pound feels heavier with each mile you climb. The secret to a lighter pack isn't skipping essentials; it's choosing lighter gear and being absolutely ruthless about packing only what you truly need.
How Far Should I Hike Each Day?
On your first few trips, it's always smarter to plan shorter days and finish feeling strong than to push for huge mileage and end up miserable or hurt. A solid starting point is to aim for 5-8 miles per day.
That might not sound like a huge distance, but you have to remember what you're up against out there.
Elevation Gain: A five-mile day with 2,500 feet of climbing is a world away from a flat eight-mile walk in the park.
Terrain: Scrambling over rocky, root-choked, or muddy trails will slow your pace considerably.
Pack Weight: Hiking with a full pack is just plain harder than cruising with a daypack.
After you have a few trips under your belt, you’ll get a real feel for your own trail pace and can start planning longer, more ambitious days.
What If I Have to Go to the Bathroom?
Everyone thinks it, but not everyone asks! Handling this properly is a cornerstone of being a responsible backcountry traveler and following Leave No Trace principles is non-negotiable.
When you just need to pee, find a spot at least 200 feet—that’s about 70 big steps—away from any water, trails, or campsites.
For solid waste, you'll need to dig a cathole. It’s a simple process:
First, walk at least 200 feet from water sources, trails, and campsites.
Use a lightweight trowel to dig a hole 6-8 inches deep and 4-6 inches wide.
Do your business in the hole you just dug.
When you’re done, fill the hole back in with the original dirt and disguise it with some leaves or pine needles.
Always pack out your used toilet paper in a sealed plastic bag. Do not bury it.
Mastering this is a fundamental backcountry skill. It's a sign of a hiker who respects the wild places they've come to enjoy.
Feeling like this is a lot to juggle? Let the experts at Glacier Hikes & Bikes take the planning off your plate. We lead guided backpacking adventures in Flathead National Forest where all the logistics are handled for you. All you need to do is show up and hike. Find your perfect guided trip at Glacier Hikes & Bikes.
