The Backpacker’s Ten: Strategic Wilderness Foundations

A Comprehensive Beginner-Level Course in Smart, Safe Backpacking This beginner-friendly course is the clearest way to learn and apply The Backpacker’s Ten framework on its own. You’ll build a strategic approach to backpacking that doesn’t depend on perfect weather, lucky guesses, or copying someone else’s gear list. If you want more stories and planning tools after this, the Backpacker’s Ten book and Planning Toolkit are there as optional companions—not prerequisites. Through short lessons, quizzes, scenario-based challenges, and guided reflections, you’ll practice making real decisions before you’re miles from the trailhead. Each module walks you through one pillar at a time so you can connect big-picture strategy to specific choices: what to pack, where to camp, when to turn around, and how to keep small problems from becoming trip-enders. Whether you’re gearing up for your first overnight or tightening up a system that’s already seen some miles, this course is built to turn uncertainty into deliberate action. Work through it at your own pace, take notes, and adapt the ideas to your terrain, climate, and comfort level. By the end, you’ll have a personal framework you can carry into every future trip. My personal guarantee: If you go through the course, do the worksheets, and don’t feel more prepared for your next trip, email me within 30 days and I’ll refund you.