Backpacking/Backcounty Camping

[NiteTiger]

Any of you guys into Backcountry camping?

My wife and I are just getting into it, after a chance link on a state park website.

We've got our eye on a very easy trail near us, a six-mile we'll do in one night, with provided shelters.

The next is 2 more 5'ish milers, with full pack, on easy to moderate trail difficulties, in one night.

If we're comfortable enough, we want to end the season with a three night 14 mile moderate to difficult in late summer/early fall.

So, if any of you guys are out there, I'd love to tap your brains :smile:

 

[WolfSpider]

my time in the army sort of took it out of me. only advice i have is KNOW where your going and plan for anything. med. food, the works. a 1 day trip can turn into a longer one. if you going out for one day plan for 2. be careful and safe. most of all ENJOY! if you want more advice than that pm or email myself or niki.

 

[b10narybud]

where u from?

this is something i've been wanting to do ALOT lately and just dont know where to go to get info or find out anything about. I love hiking and camping and all that. (i'm not your average...smoke pot and bring a rv teen)....i love the hardcore outdoors....

idk..let me know where your from,

or if you have any links or sights about finding others to hike with or places to hike at in your area, please let me know. I'm dying to find out!

 

[NiteTiger]

http://www.backpacking.net/

Is the only thing I've found really so far that has lots of good info. They strike me as a Bacountry ICMag

 

[zamalito]

I haven't done it for a few years but I would live with my plants during the summer and fall because my grows would be too far to drive to 3 times per week. I'd basically pack a bunch of drinking water, a multi fuel stove, dr bronners soap, a cooking pot, iodine, bandages, various prepackaged rice dishes, rope, a couple green military tarps that I'd use to fashion a tent , a fishing pole with a net for keeping the fish in the water, a gerber multiplier, a filleting knife, condiments some dogfood for my buddy oscar and a cell phone along with a ph pen, dolomitic lime, and fertilizer and I'd be fine easily for two weeks and up to four if necesary. Between the fish and the wild berries and greens I'd be happy as a clam and living better than I was at home. Most of the stuff I'd leav out there hidden underneath a camoflage net and leaves while I was gone. It took several trips to bring all that stuff out there but it was only about a very easy 5 mile hike. I saw an article in hi times where a guy built an underground shlter for living in and drying his herb. Unfortunately if have to drive my herb back manicured but wet which isn't recommended but I had a few tricks and a lot of luck and never got busted.

Has anyone ever done a long hike into the grand canyon? You'd think it's really crowded and it is, at the top but after the first mile everyone disappears and 5 or 6 miles into a trail there's noone else anywhere nearby. If I didn't have a wife I'd love to live in the grand canyon.

 

[mtnjohn]

man...i live for that kinda stuff...

backpacking , camping , hiking, mountain biking......love it
i am luck to live in an area that has a huge nat'l park and thousands of acres
of nat'l forest.....i mean hundreds of thousands of acres

it's a fine thing to get out ..stretch your ams and ....breathe in the air
mj

 

[Guest]

The great outdoors is the best. Its been awhile since Ive taken an extended camping trip but I take hikes weekly.
A couple years ago I went on a 3-day hike on the Appalachian Trail. We made it about 20 miles on the 2,000+ mile trail. It is an absolutely gorgeous hike. I would love to do it again but next time I will bring more weed and supplies.
I also love hiking through the Smokey Mountains in the winter especially. That fresh winter air at high altitudes. Ahhhhh. Refreshing and relaxing.

 

[Guest]

allow for plenty of chill time, you don't want to be hiking the whole time. the backcountry can hide lots of things you'd never find if just passing through. got a digital camera? i rarely hike without mine.

watch out for bears and cougars.

 

[mtnjohn]

^^^^^ yes....i agree.........to many peeps go out and try to do too much...and end up not seeing the forest for the trees

imho....we should stop and smell the flowers often

it's not only the "destination" ......for me at least....... it's the journey

mj

 

[Guest]

well said mj

i make it a point to solar as much as i can when hiking. usually end up snapping 50-100 pics of nearby flowers and bugs while we're getting high

 

[NuggyBuds]

Oh yeah that's the best place to burn a fat dubage.

Algonquin park is the only place I camp.
Nothing else comes close here is ontario. One of the best parks in the world.

 

[zamalito]

Though it wouldn't be a short walk the appalachian trail is within walking distance of my new place. The smokey and the blue ridge are both wonderful. I've gone hiking with people that like you said treat it as an aerobics class instead of a hike. I once went with this guy up old rag mountain. Every 5 minutes he was checking his watch/pedometer. The funny thing is the dumbass only brought a 20 oz bottle of water for a steep 12 mile hike (I think it was 12 miles. Its been a while). Its always a pet peeve of mine when people bring ridiculously small amounts of water and borrow the water I carried for the first 6 miles. .

 

[glock23]

lol yeah, that shows inexperience. IMO, it's best to carry more water than you ever expect to need. you could break a leg or worse out there...i tend to sweat a lot, so I carry as much as is practical...

 

[waydee]

I once read a rather excellent book about hiking the appalachian trail - looks like quite the challenge!

 

[NOKUY]

I def. love bein' out and away from it all. When I lived in town it was mandatory for me to get out in the woods at least once a week. But I live in the mtns. now so I sort of get that everyday.

When I hike tho it sort of has to have a point for me...I dont like to hike just to hike....and I hate tents....I mean HATE tents. Thats from many camping trips when living in Alaska, and having bears walk up on your tent (yes it happens more often than not) . It's no fukin' fun and makes me feel trapped, and i'm def. not scared of bears, except in that situation.(Ask any Alaskan if they like tent camping)

I generally sleep under the stars when a tent is the other option. (plus that way I can sleep in strange spots where you can't set up a tent)

If I have a fishing destination I'll take a long hike to it (I've trekked more than 10 miles 1 direction to a fishing spot)....more than 30 miles to a spot on ATVs before.

I like to venture out pretty far when I hunt, farther than most would like when it comes to recovering and hauling out the game.

I have wanted to get more into mountaineering. Ive climbed most of Colorados 14'ers, parts of Denali, parts of the Wrangells, and parts of the Chugach Range. Mountaineering takes lots of equipment, and time, both of which I don't have lots of right now.

Nitetiger you might find some additional info if you look into mountaineering stuff to.

also:
Backpacker magazine
Outside magazine
Outdoor Life Magazine (cheesy if ya ask me but some ok stuff)

there lots of others, but not coming to my stoned mind right now

 

[NiteTiger]

Hey all! I figured there had to be some backpackers out there

We are indeed planning overly cautiously. Like, for instance, the first hike, the six miler that has shelters. It is a 6 mile loop, with the farthest shelter being 3 miles down the trail. However, it has other shelters before that, at about 1 mile intervals. So we have plenty of options that let us see how we're doing, and take our time.

I figure it's better to be overly cautious and find out we could have gone farther with less stuff than to find out we can't get there and not have the stuff we need. That's also the reason for the series of short trips, things we could hike in an afternoon. We have to know we are up to the challenge before we end up miles away from everything and in trouble. And, no matter what my wife and I can do, we've got to pace ourselves to the kids' ability.

So, those hikes may be short for some, even the 14 miler, but I think it'll be a good test for us as a family to see how we are doing and if we are up to a longer hike. If we make the 14 miler with no significant problems, we'll probably end up doing some short off season overnights too.

And yes, when figuring my gear weight, I've included a few spare ounces for herb

Anyone else got some good long hikes in the south east?

 

[Guest]

I wouldn't think on a site such as this it would be hard to find quite a few people that love backpacking and the outdoors. Me included, I can't go a week without hiking through some redwoods or I think I'd lose it. Been doing it since I was young, I especially love to go backpacking in the Sierra's in search of fishing streams. I hope to do the same in places like Alaska, New Zealand, & Canada at some point.

Sounds like you know what your doing, it's always a good idea to take many short trips so you can gauge how far one can hike. GL, and have fun.


Thanks to this thread I think it maybe time to go take a hike, thanks Tiger

 

[Guest]

im a backpacking nut! i have to agree though, dont push yourself too hard too fast. i follow "the journey is the destination" mentality. i dont ever go where there are built shelters, i like to get out and away from any possible people i might run into.

i would suggest doing trails close to water in the summer. dehydration and being in the middle of nowhere dont go well together and its always fun to have a little water recreation when it comes time to chill.

 

[bongasaurus]

not so much into the over night thing myself. altough i do love goin out and just hiking through the bush

 

[NOKUY]

i would suggest doing trails close to water in the summer. dehydration and being in the middle of nowhere dont go well together and its always fun to have a little water recreation when it comes time to chill.

good advice H&L! Man, I gotta be around the water (colorado has about none).

keep in mind too that water = mosquitos and for some peeps thats enuf to turn them off of outdoor activities. Mosquitos don't like me too much tho...plus I eat loads and loads of garlic all the time...maybe thats why. "Noseeum's" tho ...those little fuckers are a pain in my ass.