As the title says, one of my friends wants to go on a backpacking trip with me. Usually I like to be very spontaneous and sorta “rough it”, which would definitely not be good for the guy. I planned out a nice flat-ish 30 km route for us where we can watch the sunrise and the sunset from an overlook. What are some things that I should do in order to make his first trip a little better?
Shoes or boots … ask them before the trip what kind of footwear they have and if they’ve tested them out yet.
I’ve gone rough camping lots with my family … we’re Indigenous in northern Ontario and one of the worst things when you get out there is bad footwear. I’ve also traveled to Europe and gone on lots of walking tours. I once took a trip with brand new shoes that I thought were a great idea and never wore them much before the trip … bad idea as I discovered I didn’t like the shoes during the trip.
Ask them about footwear and if they have new gear, tell them to try their stuff out first before heading out.
Also toilet paper … always remind everyone about toilet paper.
Also extra socks, rain poncho for when you discover your waterproofing sucks.