• Be sure your boots fit well and are waterproofed. Invest in good socks, like Thorlo or SmartWool. Bring moleskin, compeed, and/or athletic tape for "hot spots" to prevent blisters.

• If you don’t exercise regularly, make sure to take walks several times a week of at least the same length as you’ll be hiking to prepare for the trip.

• Bring a pair of light socks to keep your feet warm in the sleeping bag.

• Bring a pair of light shoes for camp to give your feet a rest and also be more gentle on campsite. Running shoes, Tevas, or similar all work. Just remember the ground is uneven and rocky.

• Shorts are great for hiking, but be sure to have long pants for chilly evenings and mornings. Jeans are a poor choice as cotton takes a long time to dry when it’s wet, and wet cotton has no insulating value.

• Make sure to bring a warm hat, like a wool ski hat. We lose 50% or more of our body heat through our heads. Hats help us stay warm at night before we go to bed, while we’re sleeping, and in the morning.

• If you want to hike in cotton, that’s OK as long as it doesn’t get wet. Be sure to bring non-cotton clothes to change into for evening and in case of rain.

• A visor, ballcap, or other brimmed hat is excellent for both sunburn protection and for preventing headaches caused by glare, even with sunglasses.

• Sunglasses and sunscreen are a must in Colorado due to the brightness and intensity of the sun. Fried eyes are very painful.

• Backpacks: Make sure the backpack has a good padded hip belt. It also needs to have a good suspension system with strap adjustments. The weight of the pack needs to ride on your hips, not your shoulders. A good backpack will be at least 3,000 cu. in. External frame packs are good for heavier loads, keep the pack off your back for better ventilation, and have more compartments in which to keep things orderly. Also on a longer backpack, as supplies dwindle, the pack keeps its shape. Internal frame packs are good for hugging your body and staying with you for off-trail hiking or skiing. They tend to be harder to find things in. As supplies dwindle, the shape of the pack changes and may be harder to carry comfortably. NO DAYPACKS! They kill your shoulders, neck, and back. You should be able to fit everything inside your pack except a tent and ground pad.

• In packing your pack, put the heavier items towards the bottom and also the back. Heavy items on top or toward the outside of the pack will tend to make the pack pull you backwards. Also try to get the weight evenly distributed left and right so as not to list in one direction.

• Try to keep your pack as light as possible, probably no more than 30 pounds before food and group gear.

• Putting clothes and other like items in stuff sacks or plastic bags helps keep an organized pack. Keep items like raingear, water bottles, and light windbreaker handy in case you need them in a hurry.

• Thermarest type pads provide both insulation and some cushioning for sleeping. Crazy Creek type chairs are nice for sitting around camp, or a small butt pad of ensolite is also good. They provide insulation while sitting.

• When choosing food, try to repackage as much as possible into Ziploc type bags and nonglass bottles. Tupperware type containers also work well. Avoid using twist ties as they tend to get lost and become litter. The bottom line is to minimize the amount of garbage that needs to be packed out.

• A good alternative for personal hygiene is moist towlettes, such as Wet Ones. The antibacterial ones are a good choice. You can either bring the small package or put at least 5 per day in double ziploc bags. These towlettes provide an easy way to clean hands especially when water is not readily available. Good hygiene is especially important in the backcountry as germs spread among camping buddies quite easily.

• Cosmetics and perfumes attract animals. Leave your city mask at home and give yourself a chance to "let it all hang out."

• Bring toilet paper and several ziploc bags. There are places where toilet paper cannot be buried and/or where animals will dig it up. It’s better to put the toilet paper (and always tampons) in double or triple ziploc bags than have human toilet flowers "gracing" the forest. Think about "drip-drying" after urinating. Burning toilet paper has started several forest fires and is highly discouraged!

• Bring a light daypack or fanny pack for a hike in the morning and/or afternoon.

• If you bring a tent, make sure it has a waterproof rainfly. Nothing worse than a leaky tent at 2 am!

• Make sure to bring 1.5 to 2 liters of water with you. At least have one full container and one empty. The empty one can be filled from a creek either by a water filter or purification tablets for use when you head into an area with little or no water. When we lose around 2-5% of our water, our judgment starts to deteriorate. Awareness and alertness in the backcountry is a key to individual safety.

• A headlamp or flashlight with fresh batteries is a must for middle of the night "bladder calls."

• Couscous, rice, and other foods that absorb water are less hassle to cook than pasta.

• For women - Bring tampons in case the higher altitude makes start your period earlier.