Backcountry 101: What Is It and What Do You Need to Know About It?
Before summer is over, I plan to go backcountry camping with my young twins.
I want to take them to the same lake I hiked to when my now-toddler was their age.
I’ve been front-country camping with them a few times already this year. Sleep was minimal, but waking up to starry skies, treetops swaying in aromatic breezes and glowing sunrises made each time memorable and worthwhile.
If we thought backpacking to the remote mountain lake with kiddo number one in a front carrier and everything else on our backs was a challenge, heading into the wild with three little ones is even more intimidating. We know that backcountry camping requires additional gear and different skills than front-country campgrounds. Even hiking on trails through the backcountry shouldn’t be tackled without necessary education, gear and supplies. It begs the question—when does the wild become wilderness?
Where are the Boundaries of Backcountry?
Is there an invisible line between front and backcountry? Is it a measure of effort, length of approach, wildness or just a mindset?
By definition, it’s a geographical term that envelopes several parameters: access, development and remoteness. By experience, it’s a beautiful place with its own set of responsibilities and dangers.
What many people don’t realize is that often, once you walk away from the road or parking lot, you are in the backcountry. Even maintained trails, popular outdoor recreation spots and provincial or national parks are considered the backcountry. Adventurers of all types need to be prepared for the seriousness of venturing into the backcountry—it isn’t the same as a stroll in a local urban park or a walk in your neighbourhood. Out here, you need to be able to provide for yourself, protect yourself, survive in emergency situations, contact someone without cell reception and navigate without relying on your phone.
Too often, people enter the backcountry unprepared, not fully understanding or knowing what they are embarking on. These adventures require preparation, gear and knowledge. Just because a trailhead is a short distance from a big city or close to your own backyard doesn’t mean it isn’t technical terrain where you could get lost, injured or even die.
BC Parks says the backcountry is an area more than a kilometre away from a highway or park road, isn’t vehicle accessible and has few to no facilities such as garbage cans and toilets. Seems simple enough, but if you search online, there are several qualifiers added to Miriam Webster’s definition of “remote, undeveloped area.”
Some insist that it is a place in the mountains or forest, that requires self-sufficiency, has no cellphone service, is not well maintained, includes elements of solitude, is unpopular, is difficult to access, can only be accessed by human power and/or is at least an hour away from medical services (which, let’s be real, is much of Canada).
Shake off all the excess criteria, though, and at its core, the difference between front and backcountry comes down to access, available amenities and proximity to civilization. In short: is help easily and readily available, or not?
Front-country camping is accessible by vehicle (perfect for quick getaways, people who are new to camping or trips with young ones), and may have toilets (pit or flush), showers and, sometimes, even electrical outlets.
Also called the bush, backwoods or outback, the backcountry is accessed by foot, water vessel or plane. Campsites may have any combination of tent pads, picnic tables, fire pits, a bear cache—or none of the above.
Because the backcountry is remote and less developed, it comes with its own set of necessities regarding safety precautions and appropriate behaviour, etiquette and outdoor ethics. If you’re planning on going into the backcountry, familiarize yourself with any required permits, Leave No Trace principles and wildlife and avalanche precautions.
Backcountry adventures (camping, skiing, hiking) require more skill, knowledge, gear and preparation than front-country recreation. When you’re out there, you can’t quickly trot back to your car for your first-aid kit or call 911 for help. If something goes wrong, you’ll need a SPOT or other communication device to connect with search-and-rescue since most backcountry areas—besides the tips of some hills and mountains—are out of cellphone range. If you have an iPhone, you might have Emergency SOS—make sure you know how to use it before leaving home.
So, what is the draw of a place with a leg-burning approach and little-to-no modern comforts at the mercy of nature? Travelling into the far-flung wilderness is attractive for many reasons. For me, the blend of a physically challenging journey through mind-quieting places, the solitude, the exploration, the self-sufficiency and the pristine environment is well-worth sleepless nights cuddling a baby (or two).
What draws you to the backcountry?
