Years ago, just before the hot Summer months came, a friend and I went cycled up to the Baldy region of San Bernardino in California. We had backpacks with us because we wanted to take in some hiking as well. We stopped off at a “ranger station” near a creek to fill our canteens and figure out which area was the best for a nice day hike.

The first thing the man in charge asked us was if we planned to stay on the path or if we planned to be more adventurous and do our own thing. We thought we were in for a lecture but he said he just wanted to be sure because if we were not back after a certain amount of time he would know something was up. We told him not to worry. We were staying on the path – and we did. In retrospect, that was very kind of him. He was looking out for a couple of naïve girls who probably had no idea what we were doing.

Looking back, we think it might have been our backpacks. Not only were they silly looking – with flowers and bedazzled – but we were really ill-equipped for a nice long day hike. We didn’t have enough food or water, our compass was shoddy, and while it was a warm day our shorts and tank tops were probably not going to save us from insect bites and rashes. It was not until later that we learned how to dress and pack better.

Over on the next page, we have a great video showing newbies like we were how to pack for a good day hike.

Some of it may seem like over-packing but not really. We always think about what might have happened if we got lost on that mountain. Having some of the supplies listed would have not just been handy but a life saver!

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