Backcountry Camping at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

As we drove to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, news images of the injured face and head of the 16 year only boy pulled from his hammock by a bear in the Great Smoky Mountains National park June 6, 2015 replayed themselves in my head like an unshakable song. If they boy's father hadn't jumped the bear, hadn't given it a few good punches, the 16 year old might not be alive today. Typically I sleep well on backpacking trips. I wondered if I would get any sleep on this trip, or if night noises and passing shadows would magically transform into bears.

Smoky Mountains 2015 Backpacking Menu & Food Prep List

One of the most important parts of a backpacking trip take place before the actual trip. We're talking food prep and menu planning. To prepare for our 4-day, 3-night trip in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I packed enough food for a week, or so it felt. My prediction, we'll eat all the snacks and breakfast food, but a number of the dry meals will be left untouched. It's just not convenient to fire up the camp stove in the middle of a hike. Especially if it's too hot, too rainy, or there's just not a good spot alongside the trail to throw down and do some cooking.