There is nothing terribly glamorous about backpacking. It’s an all out war on your body between high temperatures, low temperatures, paths with too much up, your knees screaming about too much down, too much weight on your back, too many hours spent walking. It’s hard work all the time. Once you’re done walking for the day it’s hiding or hanging your food, setting up the tent, finding water, lowering your food to make it then rehanging or hiding it. Not to mention there’s no hot shower at the end of the day or comfy couch to put your feet up on. And, if you’re a female the bathroom situation is always less than ideal and by no means an easy process.
Yet, when it’s all said and done, you miss it as if you were staying at a five star resort with a butler waiting on you hand and foot. (If you’re reading this and have never backpacked at this point you probably think I’m crazy). But there’s something about being in a world so withdrawn from our day to day norms that makes it very rewarding.
How do you know you’re suffering a backpacking hangover?
- You’re tempted to pull out your sleeping bag and sleep on the couch because it sounds comforting.
- You insist on using your camp silverware that’s a fork spoon and knife in one. (In theory this is actually really practical outside of camp life)
- You use your compost zero waste pour over coffee in the morning.
- You just might crave a mountain meal (key word here is might).
- You have to occasionally tell yourself that normal society showers daily and even though you can now withstand feeling/looking/smelling pretty gross, the rest of the world disagrees.
- You’ve decided your Instagram feed now sucks and question how many photos from your old trip is acceptable to post.
How to cure a backpacking hangover?
There’s only one answer: Plan your next adventure!
