When I was 12, I was published in Chicken Soup for the Girl’s Soul with a story called “Do Girls Belong?” It was all about how, as the only female in the local Scouts Canada troop, I couldn’t pee in the woods. Somehow, over the last 20 years of camping and adventures, I’d still never needed to correct this statement.

Let me tell ya — I can now pee in the woods without any hesitation.

Every year for the last five years, I’ve spent three weekends camping just outside race car tracks over the midwest, as I follow the IndyCar series in the U.S. to the races nearest my hometown of Windsor, Ont. — Indianapolis, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin. But this year, of course, I could not. Not only was the Canada-U.S. border closed to non-essential travel, but IndyCar races were run without fans in the stands, for the safety of everyone as the COVID-19 pandemic ran on.

Faced with uncommonly open weekends and an urge to do something — anything — outside of my living room/home office, I jumped at a passing suggestion from my cousin: “We should try a multi-day hiking trip.”

The short comment turned into a nine-year plan to hike Ontario’s Bruce Trail before we both turned 40. We figured this 900-kilometre feat would take a few weekends each year … despite having very little hiking experience, and zero multi-day hiking experience.

How hard could it be?

We quickly filled Amazon carts and Canadian Tire baskets with lightweight tents and sleeping bags, purchased hammocks (for which I’m now getting a ton of targeted ads) and Merino wool socks. My first COVID-19 foray into a non-grocery store was to get a pair of hiking boots, which are now the most expensive shoes I own. Enamored with the new gear and the idea of hiking for days through the woods, we were eager to get on the trail.

Amongst all the purchasing was a whole lot of planning. We watched YouTube video after YouTube video on how to pack your backpack, what to bring, what to wear, where to stay and how to eat on the trail. I joined four Bruce Trail Facebook groups, purchased digital and print versions of maps, downloaded an app (yep, there’s an app for that), and booked a Friday off work.

In hindsight, I should have booked the Monday off too, because I was exhausted that work day!

After too many kilometres and bug bites to count, I’ve been solidly bitten by the multi-day hike bug. If you’ve been thinking about backpacking before the warm weather runs out, here’s what I learned in my adventures.

What to put in the backpack