A Tent Away from Home

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Think about what you need access to while you pack. Place your poncho at the top of your pack, or strap it to the outside, ready for use at a moment's notice. Think comfort. Put soft items next to your back. Fifteen minutes of the camp stove or flashlight digging into your kidneys every other step will be about all a body can stand. And make sure the kids do the same. Waterproofed and well-wrapped items like sneakers or ground sheets belong in the basement of your pack. No worries then as you lay it on damp ground during rest stops. The top or outside pouches should hold amenities to meet your immediate needs: map and compass, snack mix, Swiss army knife, canteen, bird book, binoculars, Band-Aids, moleskin, and extra shoe laces.

The Clothes Make The Hike

Now that you're packed, what to wear? Loose, layered clothing that ventilates will keep you both warm and dry when hiking. Excessive perspiring can cause dehydration or cool you down too quickly in rapidly falling temperatures. Shorts, cotton Tshirts or fishnet underwear that wick perspiration away from your skin may seem little to start hiking in, but as you pump up and your body radiator reaches its boiling point, you will be glad you did not overdress. Avoid sweat shirts because they tend to stay damp and clammy. Wool shirts that you can unbutton as you warm up are among the best pieces of warm clothing. A bandanna and hat cover two major heat highways: your neck and head. Remove one or both as you climb for major changes in comfort. Pants, like shorts, should be loose-fitting. Avoid jeans—they cling, often cut off circulation and once wet, never seem to dry out! Lastly, an enjoyable jaunt depends upon quick clothing changes. During rest breaks, make it a habit to slip on a shirt so your muscles won't cool and stiffen. If you want, put on a sweater over your shirt. There's really only one rule for clothing: ventilation is the key to staying warm and dry.

Boots can be your best friend on the trip if you choose them properly. Of course they should be comfortable, but a pair of puffy high-top sneakers will never provide the level of support required for miles of treacherous terrain. Your boots should be as light and strong as possible, with a reinforced toe if you plan to do any kind of rock navigating. A reinforced arch is an absolute must: it will greatly reduce the amount of fatigue on your feet over the course of a few days. Designate one set of trail boots for the duration. It might be tempting to take a few pairs but then you will be burdened with lugging twice as many soggy, very heavy boots back to the car. Your boots will get wet and stay that way. It's great if you can manage to air them at night, or trade wet boots for sneakers or dry camp moccasins at day's end, but on the trail, accept it.

How to Get There ...From Anywhere

With the clothing and climate shields packed away, it's time to prepare your itinerary. Your family's safety depends to a large degree on how well you map the hike. For this purpose, the best maps are topographic. These are printed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Elevation contours, trails, logging roads, lean-tos, towns, campsites, timberlines, rock faces, fire towers, and creek-crossings are all clearly delineated on these charts. If you do not know where you would like to trek, write the USGS for a map index for the state you want to look over and a guide to reading topographical maps. Both are free and the area grid maps themselves are inexpensive.

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