Wilderness backpacking stay healthy · Wilderness backpacking Health care
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Wilderness backpacking Health care
Wilderness backpacking Health care
Take care of your feet: they're what's getting you home. If you start feeling "hot spots" on them, take care of them quickly before they develop into blisters. Moleskin offers the best protection, but if you don't have that, adhesive bandages or even tape will help protect these spots from friction.
Protect your exposed skin as well. You don't need to be sunbathing to need sunscreen. You'll be sweating, so apply waterproof "sport" sun lotion to anything that's going to be in the sun. A light-colored hat with a brim reduces the UV exposure further, and is essential if you have thin hair.
Mosquitoes, flies, and other insects can carry various unpleasant diseases; they can also be detrimental to your mental health. Mosquitoes in particular are most common around water (where they breed), in the evening twilight, and in heavy woods that resemble twilight. Liberal application of DEET-based insect repellent is your first, best line of defense. But even this won't stop them from swarming around you and in your face; a head net (best worn over a hat with a brim) provides a small DMZ that may help with your peace of mind, and is small and light enough to be packed "just in case".
You don't want to go overboard with medical supplies, but some first-aid gear is a worthwhile precaution. If you're lucky, it'll be the one thing you brought that you didn't "need", but if you're not, you'll definitely regret leaving the essentials behind. Adhesive bandages, moleskin, disinfectant, and aspirin/Ibuprofin are the bare essentials. As makeshift bandages (and dozens of other uses) hankies are worth the extra ounce in your pack.
Even if there are maintained outhouses along the trail (again: don't assume there will be), you shouldn't count on them having toilet paper; bring a partial roll from home. If you're unsure about the availability of facilities, bring a garden trowel so you can dig and then cover your own single-dump latrine (well off the trail and far away from any water supplies).
See also: Altitude sickness.
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Wilderness backpacking Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.