Good plans start with clear information.
Tips for Backpacking makes planning tools and guides for people preparing to spend their first night on the trail.
How we work
Our guides are desk-researched. We link to official land managers for rules and trail information, and to the original provider for specifications or price examples. We distinguish hypothetical examples from published facts and don’t claim field testing.
What our tools do
The planner totals the data you enter. It flags missing weights and prices so you can tell what the totals leave out. It doesn’t make decisions about weather, equipment suitability, route choice, or safety.
Illustration
The field card on the homepage is an original illustration of fictional terrain. It is not a route map. Guide artwork is original and conceptual.
Commercial relationships
This version contains no affiliate links or advertising. If that changes, we’ll disclose relevant relationships where readers encounter them.