Beyond the Comfort Zone: What Backpacking Teaches Women About Strength, Courage, and Resilience

Sometimes, the greatest strength we discover isn't in the gym. It's in the moments when we decide to do something that scares us.

Yesterday, I packed my backpack, gathered my camping equipment, and headed outdoors for another night surrounded by nature here in Michigan.

Today is Halloween, a day traditionally associated with fear, darkness, and the unknown. And somehow, the timing of my little adventure feels appropriate.

Because one of the things I've learned through years of running, hiking, backpacking, and camping is that fear doesn't always mean we should turn around. Sometimes, it means we're about to discover something important about ourselves.

Spending a night outdoors might not sound particularly extraordinary to everyone. But when you're carrying what you need, setting up camp, navigating unfamiliar surroundings, and spending hours away from the usual comforts of home, you experience something that everyday routines don't always provide.

You learn to trust yourself. And I believe that's something more women deserve to experience.

The Strength We Sometimes Forget We Have

As women, we often spend so much of our lives taking care of responsibilities, meeting expectations, and making sure everything around us is running smoothly.

Somewhere along the way, we can begin to underestimate our own abilities. We tell ourselves we're not strong enough, experienced enough, adventurous enough, or brave enough. Maybe we're too old to start something new. Maybe we're worried about getting lost, being uncomfortable, or not being physically prepared.

But I've come to believe that many of these limitations exist more in our expectations than in our actual capabilities.I see this in fitness coaching, too.

A woman might walk into a gym convinced she cannot lift a certain weight, complete a challenging workout, or build the endurance to run her first race. Yet with preparation, consistency, and the opportunity to try, she often discovers she can do much more than she initially believed.

The outdoors offers a similar experience. When you carry your own backpack, find your campsite, pitch your tent, and manage the little challenges that come with being outside, you begin collecting evidence of your own capabilities. Not because everything goes perfectly, but because you learn that you can handle situations even when they don't.

Resilience Isn't About Being Fearless

One of the biggest misconceptions about resilience is that resilient people aren't afraid. They are. Resilience is not the absence of fear, discomfort, or uncertainty. It's our ability to adapt, respond, recover, and continue moving forward when circumstances challenge us.

Psychological research suggests that resilience is a dynamic process shaped by experience, coping skills, social support, and our perception of our ability to manage challenges. This is particularly relevant to outdoor adventures.

When you're backpacking, you may encounter unexpected weather, difficult terrain, physical fatigue, unfamiliar sounds at night, or equipment that doesn't work quite as expected. You have to make decisions, adjust your plans, and solve problems. And each manageable challenge can become an opportunity to build confidence.

Psychologists describe a related concept called self-efficacy, introduced by Albert Bandura. It refers to our belief in our ability to organize and carry out the actions needed to achieve a goal. One of the strongest ways to develop self-efficacy is through mastery experiences: actually doing something successfully, especially something we previously doubted we could accomplish.

That is one reason I find backpacking so meaningful. Every experience teaches me something new, whether it's about equipment, physical preparation, patience, or my own mindset. And those lessons don't stay in the forest. They come home with me.

Why Women Need Opportunities to Be Independent

I think there is something especially empowering about women learning to be comfortable doing things independently. Not because we should have to do everything alone, or because asking for help is a weakness. Quite the opposite. Independence is about having choices. It's about knowing that you can learn a new skill, plan an adventure, make decisions, and take responsibility for your own experience.

You don't necessarily need someone else to organize every detail or convince you that you're capable. And you don't need to wait until you feel completely confident. Confidence often develops through action, rather than before it. For women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond, this can be particularly meaningful. There is no age at which we need to stop exploring, challenging ourselves, or developing new skills.

In fact, maintaining physical strength, cardiovascular fitness, balance, and confidence becomes increasingly valuable as we age.

And adventure doesn't have to mean climbing a mountain or spending several nights deep in the wilderness. It might begin with your first solo hike on a familiar trail, learning to set up a tent, or spending one night at an established campground. The important thing isn't how impressive the adventure looks to someone else. It's what the experience means to you.

What Spending Time Outdoors Does for Our Well-Being

Beyond the emotional satisfaction of completing a challenge, spending time in nature may provide measurable benefits for physical and psychological health. Research on green-space exposure suggests associations with lower perceived stress, improved mood, and better psychological well-being.

Walking and hiking also provide opportunities for cardiovascular exercise, muscular endurance, and physical activity that feels purposeful rather than structured around a gym routine. Some studies suggest that spending time in natural environments may support attention restoration and reduce repetitive negative thinking, although the size and consistency of these effects vary.

For me, one of the greatest benefits is simply the opportunity to disconnect. When I'm outside, I'm paying attention to the terrain, the trees, the changing seasons, and the small details that are so easy to overlook. I'm moving my body, but I'm also giving my mind a different kind of space.

There's something incredibly satisfying about ending a day physically tired from an adventure you chose for yourself. And sometimes, that's exactly the reset we need.

Physical Strength Creates More Freedom

As a fitness and endurance coach, I see an important connection between physical preparation and personal independence. Strength training isn't only about changing how our bodies look. It's about what our bodies allow us to do.

When we strengthen our legs, hips, back, shoulders, and core, everyday physical tasks can become more manageable. For backpacking, those abilities matter. You need lower-body strength to climb hills, step over obstacles, and descend uneven terrain. You need core stability to manage the load of a backpack. You need cardiovascular endurance to keep moving over longer distances.

And perhaps most importantly, you need enough physical capacity that the experience becomes enjoyable rather than an overwhelming struggle.

Training gives us options.

The ability to hike farther, carry our equipment, explore a new trail, or recover from a demanding day is part of what functional fitness is all about.

I want women to see exercise as something that supports a bigger life, not simply something they do to burn calories. Because being fit enough to say yes to an adventure is a wonderful reason to train.

Getting Started: How to Become a Stronger, More Confident Backpacker

If you've ever considered backpacking but felt intimidated, I want you to know that you don't have to start with an ambitious wilderness expedition. Start small, prepare carefully, and build your experience over time. Here are some of the things I consider important.

1. Choose the Right Backpack and Equipment

Your equipment doesn't have to be the most expensive, but it does need to be functional, appropriate for the conditions, and comfortable.

Some essentials include:

• A properly fitted backpack: For an overnight trip, a pack around 40–60 liters may be appropriate, depending on your equipment and how compactly you pack. Fit matters more than the number of liters.

• A suitable tent or shelter: Choose one appropriate for the weather, with reliable rain protection and adequate ventilation.

• A sleeping bag and insulated sleeping pad: Pay attention to expected overnight temperatures. A sleeping pad's insulation is just as important as your sleeping bag for staying warm.

• Appropriate footwear: Comfortable trail shoes or hiking boots with adequate traction, tested before your trip.

• Layered clothing: Moisture-wicking base layers, insulating layers, and a windproof or waterproof outer layer.

• Navigation and emergency supplies: An offline map, compass or GPS, headlamp, first-aid kit, emergency communication plan, and other essentials appropriate to your route.

Michigan's fall weather can be unpredictable, and temperatures can drop considerably overnight.

Cold-weather camping requires particular attention to insulation, dry clothing, weather forecasts, and knowing when conditions are beyond your experience or equipment.

One important lesson: you don't need to carry everything you own. You need to carry what you actually need to be safe and comfortable.

2. Build Your Endurance Gradually

Backpacking is an endurance activity, especially when carrying additional weight over uneven terrain. Walking is an excellent starting point. Begin with regular walks and gradually introduce longer distances, hills, and trails. Once you're comfortable, add a backpack with a manageable amount of weight and slowly progress toward the load you expect to carry.

You might start with a 30–45-minute walk and eventually work toward longer outings of two or more hours. The goal isn't to increase distance, pack weight, and elevation all at once. Gradual progression allows your muscles, tendons, and cardiovascular system time to adapt.

If you already run or cycle, you may have a useful aerobic foundation. However, hiking with a loaded backpack creates different demands, particularly for the feet, calves, hips, and muscles involved in downhill walking. Specific practice still matters.

3. Strength Train for the Trail

You don't need a complicated gym routine to prepare for backpacking. A few fundamental exercises performed consistently can make a meaningful difference.

Step-ups: Build single-leg strength and prepare your legs for climbing hills and negotiating obstacles.

Squats: Strengthen the quadriceps, glutes, and other lower-body muscles involved in hiking.

Reverse lunges: Develop unilateral leg strength, balance, and control.

Romanian deadlifts: Strengthen the posterior chain, including the hamstrings and glutes.

Farmer's carries: Challenge grip strength, trunk stability, and the ability to manage external loads.

Rows: Strengthen the upper back and support the muscular endurance needed to carry a backpack.

Calf raises: Build calf strength and capacity for repeated uphill and downhill steps.

For most women, two or three strength sessions per week can be an excellent foundation, adjusted to their fitness level, recovery, and other activities. The goal is to become stronger for the activities you want to enjoy.

4. Fuel Your Body for the Adventure

One mistake I often see in endurance activities is underestimating how much energy the body needs.

Backpacking can involve several hours of walking while carrying additional weight, sometimes over challenging terrain. Your energy needs depend on factors such as body size, hiking speed, elevation, pack weight, duration, and weather. Carbohydrates are especially important because they provide readily available energy during prolonged physical activity.

For hikes lasting several hours, easy-to-carry carbohydrate sources can help maintain energy levels. Some practical options include dried fruit, bananas, granola bars, pretzels, trail mix, and sandwiches or wraps.

For prolonged moderate-to-vigorous hiking, approximately 30–60 grams of carbohydrate per hour can be a useful starting range, particularly when the effort is sustained. Easier hikes with frequent breaks may require less supplemental carbohydrate, especially when regular meals are included.

Trail mix and nuts are convenient sources of energy, but because they're relatively high in fat, they're not always the quickest way to obtain carbohydrate during harder efforts.

After hiking, a meal containing carbohydrates and protein supports glycogen replenishment and muscle recovery. And don't forget that adequate total food intake matters. A backpacking trip is not the time to deliberately restrict calories.

5. Hydration Matters, Even When It's Cold

Cooler weather can make us less aware of how much we're sweating. But fluid losses still occur through sweating and breathing, particularly during long hikes with a loaded pack.

Rather than relying on a fixed amount of water for everyone, consider your expected exertion, weather, personal sweat rate, and access to safe water sources. Drink regularly according to thirst and conditions, and avoid forcing excessive amounts of water.

For longer or sweatier outings, sodium from meals, salty snacks, or an electrolyte drink can help replace losses. If you're collecting water from natural sources, use an appropriate treatment method, such as a suitable filter and, when necessary, additional disinfection.

6. Practice Your Skills Before You Need Them

One of the best ways to reduce anxiety about backpacking is to become familiar with your equipment before your trip. Practice setting up your tent, adjusting your backpack, using your stove, navigating with offline maps, and packing everything efficiently.

Start with established campgrounds or familiar routes before progressing to more remote locations.Share your itinerary and expected return time with someone you trust. Check local camping regulations, trail conditions, and weather forecasts. Learn basic wilderness first aid, understand local wildlife precautions, and have a plan for emergencies.

Being independent doesn't mean taking unnecessary risks. True confidence comes from preparation, judgment, and knowing when to change your plans.

The Lessons We Bring Back Home

What I love most about backpacking is that the experience doesn't end when I pack up my tent and return home. The lessons follow me.

Patience when things don't happen as expected.

Problem-solving when circumstances change.

Confidence when something initially feels difficult.

The willingness to try again when I don't get everything right the first time.

These are the same qualities that help us navigate changes in our careers, relationships, health, fitness, and everyday lives. We don't become resilient because life is always easy. We develop resilience by learning how to respond when it isn't. And sometimes, a small adventure outdoors gives us the opportunity to practice exactly that.

A Halloween Reminder: Don't Let Fear Decide What You're Capable Of

As I reflect on yesterday's camping trip, especially on Halloween, I keep coming back to one thought. How many experiences do we miss because we assume we can't do them?

I've learned that we don't always have to wait.

We can prepare. We can learn. We can start small. And we can give ourselves permission to be beginners, even later in life. You don't have to become an ultrarunner, climb mountains, or sleep alone in the wilderness to prove your strength. But I hope you'll consider doing something that challenges the boundaries you've placed around yourself.

Maybe it's a hike. Maybe it's learning to camp. Maybe it's joining a strength-training class or signing up for your first race. Whatever it is, give yourself the opportunity to discover what you're capable of. Because sometimes, the most meaningful thing we carry home from an adventure isn't in our backpack.

It's the realization that we're stronger, more adaptable, and more capable than we thought.

Happy Halloween, and here's to many more adventures.

— Jen

Further Reading and Scientific References

• Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215.

• Southwick, S. M., et al. (2014). Resilience definitions, theory, and challenges: Interdisciplinary perspectives. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 5.

• Twohig-Bennett, C., & Jones, A. (2018). The health benefits of the great outdoors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of greenspace exposure and health outcomes. Environmental Research, 166, 628–637.

• Thomas, D. T., Erdman, K. A., & Burke, L. M. (2016). Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and athletic performance. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(3), 501–528.

• World Health Organization (2020). WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour.