If the time has come for you to get into nature, the time has come for you to get prepared for it. You want to be comfortable. You want to be safe. And, of course, you want to have a great time! The following 10 hacks will help to ensure your adventure goes swimmingly!

Garbage Bags and Baggies

Garbage bags and sandwich baggies are affordable, reusable, and surprisingly useful when it comes to venturing into the backwoods.

Aside from packing your garbage, a garbage bag can be used to line your backpack and keep your items protected from rain and water exposure. Baggies can be used to hold your snacks, utensils, first-aid items, and protect your non-waterproof items.

Duct Tape, Duct Tape, Duct Tape!

Duct tape has been around for over 80 years and there’s no question why: The stuff comes in handy for just about anything! If your tent is torn, patch it up. If your water bottle has a leak, patch it up. If you’ve got a gnarly blister inhabiting the underside of your foot, patch it up!

Duct tape rolls are heavy and can take a up a decent amount of space. Fortunately, pocket-sized duct-tape is available for purchase!

First Aid Ready

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a seasoned hiker or a newbie. Things can go sideways in terms of injury and illness when you least expect it. That’s why its oh-so-important to come prepared with some semblance of a first-aid kit!

You can purchase a pre-made kit or you can assemble one yourself. Band-Aids, Neosporin, medical tape, butterfly bandages, safety pins, and tweezers can all come in handy. Benadryl and Tylenol are useful if you find yourself in a painful or allergy-related situation.

Quick and Easy Meals

Staying nourished is important when you’re out burning off thousands of calories in the wilderness. Meals and snacks can easily be prepped ahead of time!

Beef jerky, trail mix, granola bars, and dried fruit are all good, higher-calorie snack options. If you’d like something a little fancier at mealtime, consider preparing your own freezer bag meals ahead of time to be later cooked at camp!

Stay Warm and Dry

Weather is generally known to have a mind of its own. One moment it could be blazing hot while the next could be pouring rain. It’s a wise idea to be prepared for any weather situation.

Stay warm and dry by using a waterproofing spray to waterproof any items you suspect may be exposed to water. Waterproof your shoes, backpack, and rain jacket. Dress in layers to stay warm enough or cool enough for the weather situation. Invest in moisture-wicking clothing and avoid cotton items at all costs!

Take Care of the Ticks

While ticks do, in fact, serve a biological purpose on this planet, they are far from pleasant for those unfortunate hikers who encounter them on their own bodies.

Ticks are a vector for diseases galore. If you’ve found one embedded in your skin, its critical to remove them properly and right away! A tick key or the tweezers from the afore-mentioned first-aid kit can be effective for removal.

Keep Your Shoes Warm

If you’re venturing through a land where the temperature drops substantially at night, you may risk waking up to cold or frozen shoes which is not at all enjoyable! Consider placing the shoes beneath your sleeping bag or wrapping them in an item of clothing to protect them from the cold.

Don’t Forget the T.P!

You just can’t live without it!

Unfortunately, though, a bulky roll of toilet paper can take up quite a lot of space within your pack. To save space, either fold enough of the paper to hold you over through your adventure or remove the cardboard tube from the roll!

Carry a Plant Field Guide

Field guides are useful for a couple reasons.

First, if food runs short, they are useful to help you identify edible plants. In addition, the guide will help you identify the plants that can harm you such as poison ivy, poison oak, and sumac.

Fend Off Pesky Mosquitos

If you happen to run short on insect repellant, don’t panic! The leaves of the Elderberry plant are known to keep the mosquitos away. Locate the plant, crush the leaves, and rub them on the exposed areas of your skin!