Backpacks with shoe compartment? The Tula Explore is a completely new design by Baby Tula, with superior versatility and comfort. We first got our hands on the Explore for testing last year and we were super impressed with it; in fact, after a long-term reliability test it might start to creep up this list! Out of the box, it is stylish, has super soft and durable fabric, and feels very well-constructed yet lightweight and flexible enough to stuff into a big diaper bag. We tried it out in all of its 5 positions: rear-facing front-carry for infant, baby, and toddler, forward-facing front-carry for toddler, and back-carry for baby and toddler. Adjusting between the three rear-facing front-carry options was easy, simply reconfiguring the upper and lower parts of the “Explore panel”. The lower panel is in the seating area and adjusts using snaps – infants begin with the narrowest panel setting, and you make it wider as your baby gets bigger. The upper panel adjusts between short and tall positions depending on your baby’s height and head/neck control. The Explore instruction manual is here, and of course also included with the carrier and we strongly encourage you to read when you receive it. All of this adjustment is necessary to make it possible to support babies as small as 7 pounds and up to 45 pounds (the same range as the LilleBaby and Ergobaby 360).

Because you have to carry and fit it all into your pack, backpacking gear has to be lightweight and compact. That’s why, with a few exceptions, it’s not practical to simply repurpose car camping gear. Remember, too, that you’ll be splitting up gear like tents and pots and stoves when you hike with a friend. The following are essential items you’ll need for any backpacking trip: Tent: Plan to share because a two-person tent weighs less and is more economical than two one-person tents. Bring a tent rated for three seasons (spring, summer and fall) rather than a four-season tent because you’re not ready for mountaineering just yet. Learn more by reading How to Choose a Backpacking Tent. You can also check out our guide to the best backpacking tents. Read additional details on https://www.backpackultra.com/best-range-backpacks-and-review-guide/.

Don’t hike in winter conditions unless you have experience doing so. Every year I see dozens of preventable hiker deaths in the winter. Hikers attempt a trail that’s straightforward in the summer, but in the winter becomes a mountaineering exercise. Don’t push yourself past your limits. Build your strength and distance in a gradual way. Stay hydrated and fed, even if you aren’t hungry or thirsty. Heed signs and warnings. Sometimes they seem very basic and aimed at beginners, but they’re there for a reason. Stay on the trail, avoid shortcuts, and always know where you are and where you’re going. Check out my “hiking for beginners” post to make sure you haven’t missed anything important. Leave your hiking plans with a friend or family member, along with a time that you will be back by. If you’re not back by that time, let them know that they should call 911 and alert the authorities of your situation. Usually this is as simple as forwarding a link to a hike web page in an email. Worth the 2 minutes it takes. Practice camping overnight with your emergency gear in your backyard (or a nearby park). Learn some primitive skills to help you survive in the outdoors. You can watch videos on Youtube, or even attend classes all over the country. I’ve gone to the Tom Brown Tracker school and it was pretty awesome. And even though I know primitive survival skills, I still bring all of the emergency gear that I mentioned earlier. It’s better to have as many options as possible.

Reducing backpack weight tip : Ultralight tent footprint/ groundcloth. Footprints and ground cloths act as a protective barrier in between the ground and the floor of your tent. They also prevent any water from seeping in from the ground through your tent floor. Use a painters tarp instead of buying the manufacturer’s footprint. You can find painter’s tarp at any hardware store. 2-3 mm thick is perfect. Cut it out to match the outline of your tent floor… and then cut off an inch border to make it slightly smaller than your tent floor. Trekking poles, not tent poles. Two trekking poles (plus your guylines) is all you need to keep your tarp supported. Many tarp systems only require one pole. See ultralight trekking poles. See extra details on https://www.backpackultra.com/.