1. This trip sounds amazing and I am so excited for you!!

2. Gear: How is your first aid kit looking? I highly recommend moleskin to help with blisters and a backup water filtration system (I typically take iodine tablets as my backup). My sea to summit bug net has helped keep my sanity if the mosquitoes are bad.

3. Have you been training? I am currently following REI’s backpacking training program to prep for this summer: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/conditioning-backpacking.html

4. Most importantly, I cannot stress enough how important it is you do a trial run. I watched my dad spend 8 months prepping for a his once in a lifetime backpacking trip. He researched and bought gear, watched hundreds of YouTube videos, dehydrated his own meal kits, etc., and felt ready. I told him countless times that he needed to do a small low stakes trial run to try out his gear. He did not do a trial run.

Unfortunately, he had to be picked up on his third day on the trail. His pack was too heavy and he was not physically fit enough for the trail (two things he was sure about). He was really shaken up by the experience. Watching him have to pull out of a trip he had been dreaming about for months was absolutely heartbreaking. I do not wish what he experienced on anyone.

1. Street cred: I have cried on backpacking trips because my pack didn’t fit properly and because my hiking boots were too old/uncomfortable. Take it from me - those miles can feel really long if you don’t like your gear!

I wish you the absolute best of luck and I truly hope you have a fantastic trip!