The trend these days is to spend more and more time indoors. That’s where all the adventure is, right? Well, if people can spend more time exploring and adventuring in nature, they generally do better in life, perform better during tasks, and work better in groups. Their life skills tend to improve, as well as strategy and problem-solving. A ripple effect takes place, spreading outward to affect characteristics that were not directly influenced by a trip.
Sometimes, we don’t even think about the adventurous life:
- In the outdoors, everything is real – nothing is virtual.
- Youth learn to work together with others & deepen their knowledge of themselves.
- Experiencing the power of the wilderness with children will deeply enhance your relationship with them.
- If you are with kids who have not seen wilderness, a simple trip to the ocean or see the Milky Way for the first time can be very powerful.
Must-Have Gear for Wilderness Travel & Adventure
- Food: A young guy can eat 3000 to 5500 calories per day, and roughly that’s 15 to 20 pounds of food for ten days.
- Water bottles
- Water purification method: If there are natural springs within the 100 Mile Wilderness that you can drink from directly, that is fine. However, sometimes it is necessary to filter water from streams or ponds.
- Pack: This is a big bag that can hold supplies for up to 10 days. I recommend one with a 75-liter capacity / 4,500 in.2Capacity, although some ultra-light backpackers may opt for a smaller one.
- Pack liner: Expect rain, so keep your pack contents dry. A garbage bag is a good option if you have a tight budget.
- Tent: Tents that are poorly constructed can be very costly. To reduce your pack weight, you can bring as many as you want and as big as you need. My experience has shown that a freestanding tent is the best option. This is because if you are in an empty shelter, you can set it up on the platform to keep the bugs out.
- A ground barrier for the tent: Think of plastic as painters use but thicker (4mil) and often black. You must extend the tent’s perimeter by at least 8-12 inches. Once you have set up your tent, place it under it for drying.
- Sleeping bag: Design options are endless. Make sure to consider the time of year you will be trekking. Consider a bag with a built-in moisture barrier.
- Headlamp: It is small and bright. It is small and bright.
- Batteries
- Hiking boots: These should be worn, not packed. Surprise, they should be waterproof!
- Crocs: Crocs are the best option for backpackers to use in the 100 Mile Wilderness. They are easy to transport. They can be used as camp shoes to dry your feet and protect your toes. You can also cross streams and rivers with ease to keep your boots dry.
- Stove for cooking
- Pot: This is used for cooking food.
- Multi-purpose knife/pocket knife: A pocket knife is a must-have item to keep with you. You can read about some good everyday carry knives here. Read about different types of pocket knives.
- Spoon: You can leave the fork at home. The spoon works fine.
- Matches and lighter
- Small bag or waterproof box: For matches, lighter, phone (if you must).
- First aid kit: It should contain a painkiller and an anti-inflammatory (Ibuprofen hits both), as well as an antibacterial cream, bandages, and a wound disinfectant. Pay attention to the leeches in the water.
- Biodegradable Soap
- Toiletries
- Small towel
- Maps to cover your route
- The bug head net: It is mandatory for summer hiking the 100 Mile Wilderness. Without it, you’ll be miserable.
Read About: Pocket Knife Laws in the US
Tips to Help You During Your Wilderness Travel & Adventure
Make sure you have the right gear:
Clothes, sleeping bags or tents, as well as the cooking kit, should be brought. The ideal weight is 30 pounds. However, most people start at 45-50 pounds. This includes food and water.
Make sure you have enough water and food:
Your daily food intake should be between 3000 and 5000 calories, packed into 1.5 to 2 pounds. Avoid processed foods, which can deprive you of energy. Instead, choose high-protein and moderate carbs. Keep at least 2 liters of water with you.
Get your head in it:
Be mentally ready to carry that much weight over rivers and mountains.
Assess yourself and the level of any companions:
This section of the trail is not for the inexperienced or weak. You should ask yourself, “Am I experienced enough to hike several miles’ wilderness?” If not, plan to make up the difference
Know your limits:
You can’t expect to be helped by anyone because of the isolation. Because outside help is scarce, it’s important to assume that you will be the only one responsible for traversing the 100 Mile Wilderness.
Establish personal meaning:
It is difficult to hike several Mile Wilderness. If the bogs, swamps, and mountains are causing you to give up, make sure you have a reason to keep going.
Make realistic hiking plans:
You can surely complete this trial in two or three days if you combine your mental toughness with god-like strides. But you are wrong. You are wrong. No matter how strong your physical abilities are, the trail will slow down if the water level is high in the swamps.
Be physically fit:
This trail can be compared to running the Boston Marathon. It is best to train before you attempt it, not after. Failure to train is the beginning of failure. To increase endurance, you can ramp up to shorter trips if necessary.
Plan your route:
Plan to cover at most 12 miles per day for 8-10 consecutive days.
Be prepared for bad weather:
Maine is not the best place to make a winter trip, but you can expect to be wet from rain, sweat, and crossing rivers. Exposure can be deadly, so make sure you have the right gear and a schedule.
Break in your gear:
Brand new boots are not recommended for hiking. Hot spots can form on your feet from new boots, which can lead to blisters. Blisters can cause blisters in the wrong places, which can delay the hike by a few days. Before backpacking, it is important to test all equipment.
Water Treatment Options:
You should be aware that there are no droughts, and you need to protect yourself from Wilderness Acquired Diarrhea (WAD), which can be very dangerous. You can only drink water that has been properly treated.
Boiling:
It’s simple and straightforward, but it takes time, fuel, and energy. The Center for Disease Control (CDC), however, still recommends this method for purifying water. Heat water in a pot until bubbles form. Wait for 1 to 3 minutes, depending on your altitude. Cool off, then drink.
Chemical Treatments:
A Chlorine dioxide tablet is one type of treatment. It claims to kill viruses and bacteria in just 15 minutes, Giardia protozoa within 30 minutes, and Cryptosporidium protozoa within 4 hours.
Ultra Violent Pens:
These high-tech devices, which are immersed in water and emit ultraviolet light to kill bacteria, viruses, and protozoans, are one of the most recent innovations in water purification. According to commercial products, water purification takes less than a minute. You should always have backup batteries in case you decide to use this option.
Another tip:
You will often be using chemicals or boiling water to get water from a stream or pond. Here are some tips to keep bugs, leaves, and dirt out of your water if you have a screen.
To screen water entering the bottle from a flowing stream, place a handkerchief over the top of the lid. If you are in deeper water, such as a pond or lake, flip the bottle upside-down so that the mouthpiece plane is parallel to the surface. Place the bottle in water until the air is trapped inside. Then, turn the bottle upside down under the water. The air will escape, and the water in the middle of the water column will fill it, avoiding any floaters.
How Much Food to Bring in the 100 Mile Wilderness
You’ll want to eat for energy and good health. Keep in mind that you’re packing food for ten days, around 1.5 to 2 pounds per day, so count on 15 to 20 pounds.
Packing it in:
Where will you put this food? In your pack, nearest to the middle as possible while ensuring it’s above the other large items. Also, don’t be that person who chooses to carry cans, and an hour into the trek complains and falls off the pace.
Lightweight, High Calorie, and Tasty:
Pull yourself together and count on the typical backpacker’s diet of dehydrated camping meals. They are lightweight, healthy, and are ‘great’ for the trail. Just don’t expect them to taste like filet mignon. Their ‘greatness’ derives from being high-calorie and lightweight – not tasteful. When taste is important, chocolate is an ideal dessert. Why Chocolate
Priorities and Formulas:
Chocolate follows a ‘protocol of priorities’ – helpful to remember in sequence when selecting your entire menu of foods:
1) High calories, 2) Lightweight, and 3) Tasty as you can find or afford
Also, regarding calories, a good rule of thumb is to source calories from protein over carbs and carbs over fat. It’s also better not to have more than one-third of overall calories derived from fat (that’s why they put “calories from fat” on the label).
Finally, when picking your daily meals, remember to try and exceed 100 calories per ounce of food weight. These freeze-dried meals are expensive and tend to be high in sodium, but they can go a long way towards lifting morale on a day when the 100 Mile Wilderness beats you down.
