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Dougoly
3
May 30, 2018
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How do you make the jump from day hiking to backcountry? Things like trail etiquette, where to stop and camp, first time dos and don'ts?
May 30, 2018
Cardamomtea
588
May 30, 2018
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DougolyWell I just wrote a long & awesome post and touched some random part of the screen and now it's all gone. Love Massdrop, just not the way they do these comments..!
I don't have time to rewrite it, but basically I wrote:
- Research & know Leave No Trace - Research & know 10 Essentials - Know where you are going & call the governing body to clarify rules/etiquette if you are unsure - Don't go out & buy a bunch of stuff in a hurry. - Do try and backpack with other people to try their stoves, water filtration etc to see what YOUR favorite is before spending $ - You don't NEED a stove, they just allow you to have tastier food. - You don't NEED a water purifier if you have access to potable water. (E.g. I did a two night backpack in Theodore Roosevelt National Park & dispersed camped near the car campground, with a hill between us. Before my 17 mile hike I stocked up on water, and once again after my hike before bed.) - Start small & find a place that has backpack sites 1/4 mi to 1/2 mile in so you can easily bail in the middle of the night if things go south. - Take a class for extra confidence or if you have no friends that backpack. - Get out there. You learn so much from the experience. Just start small and go in areas where the consequences to screwing up are inconsequential. If you're really unsure, you can even "backpack" at a car camping campground: park & pay for your site, go on a hike with your loaded pack, return to site & set up camp. No cheating with food, water, camp chairs etc. Very safe way to check that you're ready :-)
May 30, 2018
DougolyThe list from @Cardamomtea is great! My biggest suggestion is to go with someone that has done it before and has some experience as your first time out.
I went 2-3 times on weekend outings with rented gear and a buddy that knew the ropes, felt confident enough and solo hiked the Appalachian Trail after that (with a ton of planning). I think having those experiences with someone that had done it before was key though, especially for my confidence (and maybe more importantly to make sure I really enjoyed it before becoming too invested monetarily or time wise!)
May 30, 2018
donnahikes
16
May 31, 2018
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DougolyAwesome input from Cardamomtea and livingspeedbump. One more thing I would recommend is to go to the website for the park or forest you will be hiking in, look at some hikes on maps, and for your first back-country overnight, start small or make sure it can be broken into small chunks--some locations only allow you to camp in very specific spots so, if you choose a 15-20 mi hike with no allowed camping along the way you have to do the whole thing in one go, which may be fine but, by finding a hike that has camping along the route, it's one less thing to worry about. Choose a few options and then pop into or call your local wilderness information center (WIC) if you plan to hike in a national park, or your local ranger station if you're near a national forest and tell them what you want to do. You'll be lucky if you get the old ranger who's on the job because they love it and you're willing to listen. If you get a helpful ranger, get their name and use them as a resource because they will be the biggest help with your questions on hikes and where to camp. Happy trails and hope you love it--it can be addictive! : )
May 31, 2018
SAnCLT
62
Jan 5, 2019
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DougolyAs an add on many National Parks have free camping, but some do require a permit...I highly recommend as a place to start. Also REI does great classes on most everything and they are oftentimes free as well.
Jan 5, 2019
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