5 things no one tells you about backpacking
Ready to get your nature on?
A background tune for reading this newsletter:
Hiking, camping and backpacking are some of the most rewarding travel experiences, but they also come with steep learning curves and buy-ins. If you’re curious about trekking into the wild and wondering if it’s as glamorous as your Instagram feed makes it look (spoiler alert: it’s not!), read up on the five things no one tells you about backpacking:
The dark is scary.
I’ve been camping and backpacking for years now, and the dark hasn’t gotten any less scary. Every single noise at night is a bear until the sun comes up. While it’s part of the thrill to get a little spooked and gain some grave appreciation for the outdoors, it’s also important to make sure you’re safe from wildlife and know how to properly hide your smelly stuff from bears, cats, and curiously loud squirrels.
Bathroom stuff is... hard.
Pooping in a six inch hole sounds like a manageable challenge until you, well, can’t poop. Pack a small zip lock bag of prunes to help keep yourself regular, take advantage of any and all trailside privies, and don’t forget some wet wipes to stay squeaky clean. And when it comes to periods, menstrual cups and period undies are your new best friends.
How much water to drink.
Enough that your pee doesn’t smell like Campbell’s chicken soup but not enough that you run out before the next water source/small babbling brook.
Weight matters.
Comfort is key, but it’s also cumulative. I recommend weighing your items on the scale as you pack, keeping your luxury items few and far between (including but not limited to: paperback books, decks of cards, desserts, etc.), and triple-checking with your hiking companions to make sure you’re not repeat-packing essential items like backpacking stoves, poop shovels, etc.
Plan your post-hike meal.
Nothing is more important, and life-changing as your first back-in-civilization meal. While your cravings may change throughout the hike, it helps to research the options waiting on the other end of the trailhead to avoid any bad backwoods restaurant experiences.
Mara
Good Trip Contributing Editor
Local’s Corner
Denise Gutiérrez has been contributing to Mexico City’s thriving cultural scene for over 16 years as the singer of indie pop band Hello Seahorse! and her newer duo project MexFutura. You’ll fall in love with her music and her tips for Mexico City (one of Good Trip’s favorite cities!)
The song she has on repeat:
“Sana Sana” by Nathy Peluso (Argentina). Last year I heard about her and started listening to her music. I believe she brings an interesting woman’s approach to Trap and Pop music. She feels very true as an artist. Plus she makes music in Spanish — I can relate to that since I’m mostly a Spanish speaker.
Her favorite local spot within a 15 minute walk of her apartment:
Pali Pali, a Mexican vegan food place that serves everything from “esquites” (corn in a broth with mayonnaise and cheese) to good old fashion “gorditas de chicharrón” (corn dough with vegan pork meat filling) and “huauzontles en caldillo” (Mexican leafy vegetable which is usually made into hamburger size patties with red broth, bean and rice on the side). Makes my mouth water. :)
Her favorite local-to-Mexico City snack or food she can't get enough of:
A good old fashioned tortilla fresh from the comal (pan) with a sprinkle of salt, a slice of avocado and some salsa on top. You just can't find anything like it. Corn tortilla is a basic in our nutrition.
I already mentioned “esquites” which is easily found at night in the corner of a park or outside an Oxxo (convenience store) and is just an amazing and delicious snack.
Tamales are a must (also made from corn).
Chilaquiles for breakfast (also corn tortillas).
I mean come on! We make creativity our second name, corn and corn tortillas is our speciality.
The book people check out to get a feel for Mexico City:
“El vampiro de la colonia Roma” (1979) by Luis Zapata
Mexico City is one enormous city made out of small cities. It all depends on how you live it, and where.
Her ideal day in Mexico City (during non-COVID times):
Breakfast at a local spot; since I’m vegan I’ll usually go to a vegan restaurant or a vegan friendly place and order chilaquiles rojos. After many cups of Mexican or local coffee, I would walk through the Bosque de Chapultepec, have a nice silent morning walk, enjoying the fresh air and the sound of birds, then head to a museum in the downtown area (Juarez, Reforma, centro) or go all the way south to the UNAM (National University of Mexico) and go into their museums or even listen to a classical concert in the Sala Nezahualcoyotl.
After my day is over I would definitely like to have a night drink and some supper. Maybe go back to the south center area of the city where I live and try a restaurant for dinner. But lately I am more of a home person. A lot of people here prefer to buy some good Mexican beers, stick them in the cooler and enjoy their “azoteas” or rooftop. Lately people are taking advantage of their rooftops and balconies and turning them into nice green areas. This has been going on since before the pandemic and I believe it’s something that's gonna last.
Where she wants to travel next, post-COVID:
Definitely Japan. I’ve already been there twice and I can’t get enough. Japan is very different from Mexico, and as a Mexican there you can notice it in the simplest things like the city’s noise, or, the lack of noise. I appreciate those things a lot. Mexico City is very noisy.
The place she’s traveled to that she’d like to go back to:
I just answered that :) But aside from Japan I would definitely go back to Colombia, Canada and Scotland. Three very different countries and cultures. Colombia feels like a second home to me (culture wise and friends I have there); Canada, especially the Yukon, has the most amazing winter sceneries and the most beautiful aurora borealis; Scotland, specifically Edinburgh and it’s story-like vibe and architecture.
Good Trip Tip
As the world is opening up and we’re venturing increasingly farther from our houses, remember to pack your own lightweight reusable water bottle. Good for the planet and your wallet 💪, and extra helpful while stores have unpredictable hours and temporary closures.
A Note from Good Trip Founder Brandy:
I aim for Good Trip and this newsletter to be a mini escape that arrives in your inboxes — something light and fun during a time where we haven’t had much of that lately. Sometimes it’s hard to keep the “real world” out though, especially during a week like this with the tragic shootings in Atlanta and Boulder and the high increase in COVID-19 deaths in Brazil (where I live now).
I’d like to keep Good Trip a place to have a few minutes rest from the heaviness of the world, but travel itself can be political, and full of issues such as discrimination while traveling, feeling safe as an LGBTQ-identifying traveler, and more. We’re in the early stages of Good Trip and figuring out the right balance, so if there’s anything you’d like to see us doing or covering, please let me know. My inbox and comments sections are open.
Absolutely loved this week's email, Good Tip team! These new tunes are perfect for my Sunday coffee, and the interview segment with the artist was fantastic. Keep it up :)