You won't find me anywhere near a beach this spring break. I won't be partying until the break of dawn in a loud, smoky nightclub, surrounded by hundreds of screaming and drunken college students.\n In fact, if all goes as planned, you won't see me at all.\n I should be miles away from the parties, waking up at daybreak instead of passing out then from exhaustion. There won't be billboards, traffic jams, concrete, street lights, telephones, people or the annoyances of the work week.\n Such is the simple joy of backpacking.\n I have gone backpacking for the past three years during break, and my senior year won't be much different. The complete isolation from the rest of the world allows me to be reflective and meditative, evaporating mundane concerns such as whether I'll ever have enough money and allowing me to examine relationships with family, friends, religion and nature. These moments usually trickle out as embers flutter out of a crackling fire into the night, when the wind seems to speak and the overhead arc of sky hangs like a portrait of bright stars and foggy mists.\n But backpacking isn't just about singing "Kum Ba Yah" in the backwoods.\n Remember, you have to get there first.
From car camping to the real deal\n Even though I barely scraped a Star rank out of Boy Scouts, I still managed to become an expert at car camping. Basically, you park your car by the concrete block two inches from your campsite. You drag your heavy cooler to the picnic table, pitch a ridiculously large tent, break out the lawn chairs and hot dogs, and remain idle the rest of the day.\n Backpacking is a rigorous enterprise, as well as expensive. You must carry everything -- food, water, clothes, tents, sleeping bags and mats -- across long distances, and nothing will magically await you at the end of the hike. It's not a big deal to lug your gear in many 10-yard trips from your SUV, but carrying everything you need all at once for a long time is more difficult than you initially realize. It involves endurance and careful planning.\n For the car camper, the first venture into backpacking needs to be small: don't have eyes to hike the Appalachian Trail right away. For my first stab, we planned a weekend trip to the Charles Dean Wilderness in the nearby Hoosier National Forest. Three days is more than enough. If possible, bring along a friend who has backpacked before and who will steer you in the right direction.\n Map out the journey in advance. Estimate the total backpacking path based on how much time you have, how far you can walk in a day and the difficulty of the terrain. For the first time, always underestimate your stamina. You won't have any fun if you're rushing from dawn till dusk to keep up with a strenuous schedule; it's better to have extra time to enjoy the sights. Once you determine your plans, leave a copy on your car dashboard in case people need to find you in an emergency.\n Like anything, backpacking is a hobby of trial and error, so your first experience will probably be less than ideal. On my first trip, I got lost and brought too many clothes and not enough food. But don't be intimidated. Backpacking is to car camping as Godiva is to Nestle: there is simply no comparison. Backpacking lets you enjoy the outdoors away from the overcrowded campgrounds, filled with legions of RVs and the dirty, garbage-strewn scenery.
Planning the adventure: the gear\n A sturdy, comfortable pack is the most important piece of equipment you'll need. Retailers make backpacks for men and women of all different heights. You must try the pack on before you buy it to make sure it fits perfectly; don't buy one online unless you already know your size. Put some weight in the bag and walk around the store. Testing your backpack thoroughly before you hit the trails will save you from enduring miles of sore shoulders.\n Backpacks come with either internal or external frames. External are most popular for clipping and attaching jackets and canteens, and I find them easier to adjust, but internal frames can be less bulky and more streamlined. Try both to find your preference.\n As for the rest of the gear, backpackers need to consider every item by its weight and practicality. A loaded cooler won't make it 50 feet, nor will a 30-pound tent. Tents are generally pricey, so you need to decide the number of backpacking buddies to figure out the tent size and weight. If you're going solo, select the lightest and most compact tent available. A group of four can afford a roomier tent, because its weight can be spread across more backpacks. For example, one can carry the tent itself, another the poles, another the rain fly and tarp.\n The sleeping bag also needs to be light and compact. Big, bulky bags are awkward to roll and carry. The ones made of water-resistant, parachute-like material work better than cloth ones, as they keep you warm and dry and weigh about four pounds. \n The cooking stove needs to be small: a good idea is to have a stove and lantern that can burn from the same fuel source.\n The biggest lure of backpacking is, ironically, overpacking. The impulse is to shove as much stuff into the pack as you think might be useful, especially spare clothes. The fact of the matter is that out in the wilderness, laundry facilities are rare. So no one will be smelling like a meadow of roses, unless you happen to encounter such a meadow on the hike. Backpackers never need more than two changes of clothes, and one warm fleece or sweater is enough. Anything more is dead weight.\n Also, keep entertainment items to a minimum. Card decks and small paperbacks are light and make a good diversion. I carry a small travel Scrabble game, one that folds up and has indentations to keep the tiles from scattering. But don't overdo the gadgets. Keep in mind that the joy of backpacking is to unlock your mind and soak up the sounds of nature, which is difficult with headphones covering your ears the whole time.
When do we eat? Dining by flashlights\n I've determined backpacking releases special enzymes that heighten taste buds and make all food taste delicious. While freeze-dried chicken stew sounds nasty in most contexts, the creamy glop is the most appetizing meal on earth after a five-hour trek through mud. Reverting to carnivorous beasts, backpackers rapidly devour any food in front of them. \n Bringing tons of food is essential, but it shouldn't be able to spoil, get crushed in your pack or take up much room. Hot dogs and buns will not be edible after getting smashed at the bottom of the backpack. Freeze-dried food works best. You can get any meal from turkey tetrazzini to lasagna in an individual pouch, and with a little hot water, the meal can feed two people. The pouches are about $8 each and come in different sizes. For more money, you can buy pouches that literally cook themselves after you pull a string.\n For snacks and smaller meals, avoid anything messy. Oranges make a nice breakfast with a biodegradable packaging. Granola and Snickers bars make good energy boosters. You don't want to bring things such as Handisnacks that come with plastic wrappers: every piece of garbage is one more thing you must carry until the end of your trip.\n A large supply of water is critical when backpacking; finding sources of water should be planned out when mapping your route. Because water is heavy, carrying a full supply is not an option: Try walking around the house with four two-liter bottles to see what I mean. And drinking water directly from a lake or stream is not a good idea either: untreated water contains bacteria that could end your adventure in the doctor's office.\n Purification tablets will make the water safe to drink but will leave an unpleasant mineral aftertaste. The only way to go is a water filter pump. Although they cost about $60, they can turn the murkiest lake water into a refreshment rivaling Evian. Camping near a lake or river affords backpackers endless liquid resources for tea, oatmeal and any freeze-dried goodie.
The diamond's in the roughing it\n Backpacking is not the most relaxing way to spend a vacation. And after you add up the cost of food and equipment, it's not exactly a bargain either.\n But I keep doing it every year. \n The challenge of surviving in the outdoors is a hypnosis for many people. Every backpacker has a different reason, but for me, it's the incredible feeling of accomplishment. It's relying on yourself and your own abilities. It's escaping problems, worries and fears. It's exploring nature and realizing the physical beauty of the Earth. It's enjoying the companionship of family and friends.\n But mostly, it's about having fun.
