Backpacking mountain terrain will provide you with breathtaking scenery in addition to all of the fun you can have. When you lay out your backpack hiking trip use careful planning to take exactly what you'll need to be prepared for your exciting excursion.



The first thing to remember is that a backpack hiking trip is one without long stays in hotels with room service and porters to carry your bags. You will be responsible for carrying around your own backpacking mountain gear. While you want to have everything, you're limited to how much gear you can realistically carry.

Pack as light as possible without leaving out anything important. After all, you'd hate to be backpacking Europe in the rain and realize that you've left your waterproof jacket behind because you wanted to make room for your favorite book!

The items that you bring with you should be multi-functional. The more things you can do with one piece of clothing or a towel, the less items you'll have to bring and the more room you'll have for all the other gear you have to pack.

You need things that are practical and comfortable. Packing a suit or a formal dress really isn't necessary, and deodorant is far more practical than a bottle of expensive perfume. The rule of thumb is that if you can't wear something more than twice, don't bring it. If you've left anything vital behind, you can always buy what you need on your trip or do laundry from time to time.

Think about the type of terrain you'll be crossing. Backpacking Europe in the summer will require different gear than backpacking Europe in the winter or fall. Use your common sense. When you're choosing clothes to bring on your trip, take things that won't wrinkle easily.

Dark clothes work better than light-colored ones because the darker clothes will hide the dirt. Stock up on sample sizes of shampoo, soap, and toothpaste. If you run out, you can get more. Backpacking in Europe doesn't mean that you'll be hiking in some barren, uncivilized wilderness. They do have drugstores over there!

Things like prescription medications, aspirin (you're going to be achy at the end of the day), toilet paper, a water bottle, a watch and yes, even condoms (hey, you never know!) are all things that people tend to forget about.

Another item you might want to consider purchasing is a smaller backpack for shorter excursions. If you're stopping at a youth hostel for a day or two, you might not want to carry around all your gear for a brief night out on the town.

One other thing you might want to keep in mind is leaving room for souvenirs. You might have the option of shipping the souvenirs back, and if you do have that option available, take it.

Don't be the typical tourist and overburden yourself on your backpack hiking trip. Before you leave, take your gear out for a test hike. See how the weight feels on your back for a few miles and make any last minute adjustments before you leave.