Following are a few things that I have found helpful in our backpacking adventures. I  give credit to the many hikers and resources I consulted in learning what I know now.

• When packing your food, divide each day’s food into separate Zip Lock bags.  This will ration your food for you ensuring your don’t run out, and makes sure you are eating enough as well.  You will not have all of your food strewn out over the ground looking for that package of trailmix you so desperately want from the bottom of your pack.
• Hikers are one of the demographics that keep Zip Lock in business.  Take extras.  Double bag your food (who likes eating soggy bagels?).  Double bag your garbage.  Put your camp socks in a bag.  Keep your fire-starting material in a zip lock.  etc etc etc  After a long day, dryness is synonymous with happiness.
• Take two changes of clothes.  One for hiking one for camp.  You don’t get all that dirty at the campsite, and you don’t sweat all that much.  One pair of camp clothing is fine even for eight-nine days.  One pair of hiking clothes is fine as well.  Everyone stinks and sweats when they hike.  If you have a really bright, dry, windy day, you may be able to quit early, and wash your hiking clothes for the next day.  Don’t do this unless you know for sure they will be dry for the next day, though…
• Leave your cotton at home.  Cotton has been dubbed as ‘killer cotton’ on hiking trails.  That means no cotton shirts, sweatshirts, pants, socks, or even underwear.  Cotton is fine to keep  you cool around home on a hot day, but there you have dry things to change into.  On a hike, you can start to shiver even if the temperature is 20 degrees Celsius.  Cotton will not keep you warm if it is wet.  Stick to other fabrics like polyester (it’s no longer as scratchy as your dad’s suit used to be), wool, fleece, and quick dry materials.  The number one killer in the wilderness is not starvation.  It’s hypothermia.  People have died in the middle of summer because they couldn’t warm up.
• Take a toque (knit hat), and gloves.  I take these even in July and August.  You won’t regret you did.  Nights have a funny way of getting cold.