Edible Plants

A great post containing a myriad of edible plants and explanations about them:
http://www.ecosalon.com/foraging-for-food/

This kind of information is always good to know if you're stuck in the wilderness and your food sources are beginning to run low.

Setup your tent first

One mistake I've seen a lot of novice backpackers make is to make dinner before setting up their tent at the end of a tough day of hiking. This is a bad idea for a couple of reasons:

1. After you've eaten dinner a lot of the blood that would normally be bringing oxygen to your brain is now going to your stomach to help digestion. If your tent is even the least bit complex to assemble this will make things much more difficult.


2. The later and darker it gets the more tired you'll feel and the harder it will be to see so you're likely to take less time in prepping your site and you may end up sleeping on twigs, small rocks, etc. that normally should be cleared from under your tent.

Typically the first thing I would recommend you do when you reach your camp site is begin clearing the ground where you plan to set up your tent. Once you've cleared out all the small pokey things you can set up your tent and I usually suggest unrolling your sleeping bag as well (this gives it time to fluff up). After all that is done, make yourself some food and know that when your done eating you can climb straight into bed.

Energy Foods

Being the type of person who is disinclined to consume sugary products I've had to find alternative energy foods to pack with me when Mountainbiking or Backpacking. My current top choice is the individual packs of Beef Jerky strips. I've found these provide tons of energy when I need it and don't cause a rebound effect that is typical with sugary energy boosters. The only downside is that these will cause you to consume more water so I also suggest carrying a small water filter. Nowadays these are typically the size of a dual action bicycle pump and will allow you to fill up your water pack as needed. These two things alone have provided me with the energy to make it through some pretty grueling 14 mile trails and still have enough energy to mow the lawn when I get home.