Beginner Backpacking Basics: How to Plan Your First Overnight Backpacking Trip
Your first backpacking trip can feel overwhelming, but with a little guidance, you’ll know exactly how to plan, pack, and enjoy your first night in the woods.
Starting out in the backcountry can feel… intimidating. Even planning a simple overnight backpacking trip as a beginner can make your head spin.
I struggled planning our first real overnight backpacking trip.
Sure, we’d car camped before, but walking a few miles away from the safety of our car into the woods felt daunting.
What if we forgot something!?
It’s not like we could just jump in the car and run to the store real quick.
Questions raced through my mind:
Where to park?
Where do we set up camp?
Do we need a permit?
How do we store our food?
How much food do we even need?
How far should we go?
Will we even make it? (Our first trip was with a 4 and 6 yr old and two large dogs!)
And what if we get attacked by something?! (In Michigan, the odds were pretty darn low. But still, what if?)
Here’s the thing: it’s okay to feel a little overwhelmed, but you can do this.
Wherever you live, your first backpacking options will vary, but with a little planning and a lot of grace, they can all be fun.
I’m going to break it down into some manageable steps that give you the confidence to actually get out there.
How to Plan Your First Backpacking Trip (Quick Overview)
If you’re brand new to backpacking, here’s the simple roadmap:
Now let’s break each step down so you can confidently plan your first overnight backpacking trip.
Each step will eventually link to deeper guides, but for now, baby steps. You’ve got this.
Step 1: Choose a Realistic Destination for Your First Backpacking Trip
I was so excited to get into the woods far away from people after we purchased our backpacking gear.
I couldn’t wait to strap on that pack and march the family into the forest. Hiking 10 miles and finding a hidden gem to set up our tent seemed like a great idea.
But…. then I realized that probably wasn’t the best idea for a first trip.
Even if you’re not trekking through the wilderness with kids and pups in tow, you don’t know how your body will respond to carrying your gear or sleeping on the ground. Do you really know how to spot the perfect dispersed camp site?
It is perfectly acceptable to start small and test the waters.
In fact, starting small is one of the smartest beginner backpacking tips you can follow.
Look for a route that checks three boxes:
Short daily mileage. For most beginners, 3–6 miles per day is reasonable.
Reliable water. Streams, lakes, or known water sources reduce how much weight you have to carry.
Clear regulations. National parks, state parks, and well-managed forests usually spell out permits, campsites, and food-storage rules on their websites.
If you’re hiking with kids or dogs, keep the first trip extremely simple.
Loop trails with established campsites are ideal because they remove most of the guesswork.
Step 2: Plan the Logistics of Your Backpacking Trip
Remember that long list of questions?
If you start by picking a trail with clear regulations, like National parks, state parks, or well-managed forest trails, all the logistics become so much easier.
Most of these places spell out the intimidating pieces early so they stop taking up mental space. And at the beginner stage, that’s just what you need.
A simple Google search of the park will easily help you find:
Parking: Search “trailhead parking” for your route. Many major trailheads have designated lots, fee boxes, or shuttle systems.
Permits: Check the land manager’s website (National Park Service, US Forest Service, state park system). Some require site reservations; some don’t.
Campsites: Decide whether you want an assigned site or dispersed camping. Assigned sites reduce decision fatigue and often come with privies. Bonus points for not digging a hole. Of course, sometimes this comes with a smell.
Food storage: If you’re in bear country, verify if they require canisters, bear boxes, or hangs. Again, many of the National and state park sites typically come with either a bear box or a designated hanging area. This makes it much easier for beginners to store your food until you become an expert at bear hangs.
And if the Google search is too much, call the park. There are always rangers that are happy to help. I have never called a park and had a ranger not give me more answers than I had questions.
Once these pieces are known, the entire trip becomes a little less scary.
Step 3: What to Pack for Your First Backpacking Trip
Most new backpackers overpack. Especially if you’re hiking with kids in tow.
Resist the urge to pack multiple outfits.
You don’t need them.
We are all dirty, stinky hiker trash out there.
Resist packing 20 lbs of food for a one night trip. You won’t starve…probably.
When planning what to pack for backpacking, focus on the essentials:
Shelter - your tent or hammock system
Sleep System - sleeping bag and sleeping pad (pillow optional)
Food - Aim for about 2 pounds of food per person per day.
Water Treatment - bottle/bladder with enough water for at least a half liter per hour and filtration system. Plan refill points so you’re not carrying all your water from the start. Water is heavy!
Layers - base, mid, outer layer, sleep clothing, extra socks
The 10 essentials - navigation, first aid, light, fire, insulation, and other survival basics every hiker should carry.
Pack lighter than you think. You don’t want your pack to weigh you down so much that your body aches so badly you never want to put a pack on again.
Remember, you have to get yourself back to the car the next day.
Keep your luxury items to one or two things.
I never camp without my chair. That one pound of weight to sit back and relax in comfort at the end of the day is so worth it to me.
Step 4: Follow the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace
This is so important in keeping our wild spaces wild as well as being safe on the trail.
So many people head into the backcountry unprepared and unaware of basic trail etiquette that is Leave No Trace.
Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impact
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Others
These principles protect the land, protect wildlife, and protect your access to hike in the future
I break down the 7 Leave No Trace principles in this detailed guide.
Step 5: Leave a Backpacking Trip Itinerary
Even the best planned and shortest trip can go bad. Always let someone know where you will be and when you will be back.
You don’t have to leave a step by step, minute by minute itinerary, but a simple I’ll be on this trail. I’m expecting to go about this far. I will be back on this day around this time could save your life if something happens out there.
This is a non-negotiable.
Just make sure you remember to tell the person you trusted with your plan that you made it out alive.
They get very mad when you forget and they think you’re dead.
Step 6: Expect Beginner Mistakes (and Learn from Them)
You will overpack something.
You will underpack something.
You will miss a turn, set up your tent on uneven ground, run out of patience, or discover that someone smuggled extra snacks.
That’s okay. That’s the learning curve.
You can read every book, post, and guide and still not get it exactly right and that’s fine.
Give yourself some grace and enjoy getting Joyfully Lost in the moment.
Final Thoughts on Planning Your First Backpacking Trip
The easiest way to start backpacking as a beginner is to start small.
Choose a short overnight backpacking trip on a well-regulated trail with designated campsites. Keep the mileage reasonable. Pack only what you truly need. Leave a simple itinerary.
That first trip doesn’t have to be epic.
It just has to get you out there.
Every experienced backpacker once stood at a trailhead wondering if they forgot something. The only difference between them and you is that they took the first step anyway.
Give yourself grace, learn as you go, and enjoy getting Joyfully Lost in the process.
Confidence in the backcountry isn’t built in a day. It’s built one small overnight at a time.