When you start planning a 4 day backpacking trip you begin by choosing a destination and calculating mileage. Then you start to make careful lists of all the things you could possibly need to take. You must keep in mind the at times you’ll be a 2 day hike away from any source of Advil or Oreos.

The amount of stuff you’ll need is staggering, considering you have to carry it all on your back. And all that stuff takes up a lot of space, not to mention it’s all just plain heavy! You start to make justifications for leaving things behind: “Do I really need that extra pair of jeans?” “Is it really necessary to carry all that rain gear in the middle of July?” (and my favorite) “I could totally go four days without a toothbrush!”

Some things are negotiable. Some things, like a camera, are as important as your sleeping bag and clean water. Personally, I’d consider giving up all my extra socks to cram in a good book, and have been know to take a knitting project on a hike.

You have to be concerned about every ounce that goes into your pack. And perhaps more important, every ounce that goes into your 9 year old’s pack. Because if you get this wrong, at some point, your going to be carrying his pack and maybe even him!

So here we go. Today we start our hike into the Uinta back country. Along the way, we’ll get to see the Timothy Lakes, Bluebell Pass and 25 miles of high mountain wilderness. No knitting this time, but I do have the camera and did manage to fit my book in.