Backpacking is probably one of the most physically and mentally exhausting activities I have ever participated in. And I love it.

What is it about backpacking that keeps me coming back? The long hikes during the day? The dehydrated meals? The yet to be determined destination of the next water source? The 50-plus pound pack on my back? Well, not quite. The long day of step after step is compensated with an uninterrupted night’s sleep under the stars. Each summit of each mountain offers a view shared with few other eyes. Every arrival at a creek or stream gives a fresh bottle of water and a refreshing splash in the face. Each day is new and different. You never know what can happen in the woods.

Above all, backpacking teaches several life lessons far more effectively than many other life experiences. It teaches you how to carry your weight -- literally and figuratively. While backpacking, you must carry everything you use. You learn what is a necessity and what is not, what you can dispose of, and how heavy of a load you are capable of carrying. Although few people are carrying actual heavy loads with them at all times, this metaphor is still applicable to life off the trail. In life, you must know your limits. You must know when to get rid of burdens and how to identify and keep that which is necessary. Backpacking enforces living off of yourself and your own capabilities.

Additionally, you must distribute your weight. Extra weight at the bottom of your pack will drag you down, excess in the middle will strain your back, and a top heavy pack will throw you off balance quickly and easily. Weight distribution within a pack is crucial, just like the distribution of your time and effort among various obligations. This lesson can keep you from overwhelming yourself in any one area or not putting forth enough in another. Even distribution optimizes efficiency and comfort, something important both on and off the trail. 

Finally, backpacking teaches you to appreciate your surroundings. When you cannot seem to find comfort in your aching legs or monstrous pack, the assurance of a campsite in the miles ahead, or a babbling stream running alongside the trail, work wonders. Trees play the role of silent guardians, companions that of a foundation. When everything you need must come from nature, the surrounding environment seems that much more difficult, yet that much more abundant. Each offering it presents is warmly welcomed. Backpackers learn the importance of small necessities in daily life, an eye-opener we often miss in everyday life.