Hiking to the river or a scenic tributary and spending the night inside the canyon are magical experiences. If you’re lucky, you may feel completely in sync with nature, as though you’ve stumbled across your very own private Eden. But chances are, you won’t be alone. Nearly 40,000 people camp in Grand Canyon’s backcountry each year. In an effort to keep this wilderness as wild as possible, the park has instituted a permit system limiting the number and location of campsites.

If you want to spend the night in the canyon, you’ll need to apply for a backcountry permit. Keep your permit in a visible location, such as attached to the outside of your trip leader’s pack. In camp, the permit must be in plain view, such as attached to a tent, so that patrolling backcountry rangers can check it.

The same safety issues that concern day hikers are magnified for backpackers, and careful preparation is a must. Most canyon backpackers train for a trip, acclimating to elevation, distance, terrain, and load with aerobic conditioning, strength training, and endurance work. Attitude is as important as physical condition: being able to focus and concentrate, setting and achieving goals, and keeping a positive outlook.

Planning requires attention to detail, from packing enough of the right kind of food to researching water availability along your route. Good maps and trail guides can help you locate routes and water sources. The online bulletin board managed by Grand Canyon Hikers and Backpackers Association (www.gchba.org) is another helpful resource.

Aside from clothing, personal items, a tent (optional in summer), and a sleeping bag and pad, things to pack include: water, a filtration system, iodine tablets, electrolyte replacement, backpacking stove (though in the summer, you may wish to pack foods that don’t require cooking), hand sanitizer, animal-proof food storage containers, matches, a pocketknife, a flashlight or headlamp, sun protection, a first aid kit (including blister treatment), extra socks, a signaling device (mirror and/or whistle), a repair kit (duct tape, safety pins, needle and thread), and 20–30 feet of nylon rope. You’ll also need to deal with sanitation: Bring a trowel for digging a cathole and zip-top bags for carrying out used toilet paper.