Beginner backpacking?
leannamvaughan
Posts: 44 Member
Hey everyone! I love hiking and camping, and my goal is to do a backpacking trip this summer, but I really know nothing about it. I would love Any advice to get started!
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Hmm... there is a whole lot to know. Can I suggest seeking out your local Sierra Club chapter and asking if they have a beginning backpackers course?
What gear do you have? Where do you plan to go? Are you going with someone experienced?0 -
+1 on the Sierra Club. I know the Angeles Chapter (Los Angeles/Orange County) has at least two beginner backpacker courses. And I believe they are free. Otherwise, outdoor retailers like REI also offer them...for a rather hefty fee, but at least the knowledge is there.0
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Those are great thoughts thanks! I found a class over at REI for free here!
I am in Montana in the Rockies, and could very well be going alone my first trip. I am a pretty experienced hiker and camper and have done both alone here many times. I have a good pack from REI, first aid kits, flashlight, I can plan and pack good meals to cook, and like to cook on an open fire. I have some good outdoor clothes and boots. I do need a good sleeping bag, the one I have is huge
I'm considering doing an overnight out and back trip out on a trail I have been up a few times (probably only about 10 or 15 miles in though) to kinda get a feel before doing some longer stints.0 -
leannamvaughan wrote: »Those are great thoughts thanks! I found a class over at REI for free here!
I am in Montana in the Rockies, and could very well be going alone my first trip. I am a pretty experienced hiker and camper and have done both alone here many times. I have a good pack from REI, first aid kits, flashlight, I can plan and pack good meals to cook, and like to cook on an open fire. I have some good outdoor clothes and boots. I do need a good sleeping bag, the one I have is huge
I'm considering doing an overnight out and back trip out on a trail I have been up a few times (probably only about 10 or 15 miles in though) to kinda get a feel before doing some longer stints.
Sounds like you'll be well-prepared. I would also add to the list: bear defense, and food storage (e.g. a bear canister, or a method of hanging your food from the trees). And I guess that since you might be going alone, a bear bell couldn't hurt, to let them know that you're around and keep them away. Also, a tonne of extra warm clothes (and a good rain jacket) because of how much the weather can just change all of a sudden!
Doing an overnight trip on a well-known trail is a great idea to give you a kind of safety net to begin with. Backpacking really is the combination of hiking and camping, so you should be fine. The biggest change might be that you're not used to hiking with so much weight in your pack - I would absolutely recommend using hiking poles, to help you distribute the load a bit (and to help keep balanced during any river crossings, etc.) Also, don't feel bad if you can't cover the same distance that you usually would when hiking - carrying a heavy pack can slow you down quite a bit until you get used to it.
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leannamvaughan wrote: »Those are great thoughts thanks! I found a class over at REI for free here!
I am in Montana in the Rockies, and could very well be going alone my first trip. I am a pretty experienced hiker and camper and have done both alone here many times. I have a good pack from REI, first aid kits, flashlight, I can plan and pack good meals to cook, and like to cook on an open fire. I have some good outdoor clothes and boots. I do need a good sleeping bag, the one I have is huge
I'm considering doing an overnight out and back trip out on a trail I have been up a few times (probably only about 10 or 15 miles in though) to kinda get a feel before doing some longer stints.
I would really caution you against going alone on your first trip. Nothing wrong with backpacking solo, I just wouldn't do it on your very first trip when you are still getting used to your gear and how the whole backpacking thing works. Also, do you know how to use a map and compass? I would never backpack solo without wilderness navigation skills. People have died out there.
Also, many places will not allow open fires; be sure to check this for whatever route you want to take. I don't know about Montana, but in the CA Sierra you need a wilderness permit to go almost anywhere worth backpacking to. Make sure you know whether or not you need a permit (and whether you need to carry a bear-resistant food storage can), and if so, how to get one. If you need a permit it will tell you what the fire restrictions are. For example, in CA, no fires allowed over 10,000 feet in most places.
Last, plan to carry a backpacking stove and fuel even if you plan to cook on open flame. If it rains, or if you have trouble cooking on a fire, the stove is your backup, and, depending on the length of your trip, could be lifesaving.1 -
Have never backpacked before, but would it be beneficial to do a few "test" runs. For example, pack what you intend to take, or build up to it, on some shorter hikes to get used to the weight?0
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You really do not want to cook over an open fire, it turns your pots black and you get suet all over everything.
Caution is also given for cubes solid fuel stoves as some of the are suety also.0 -
I would really caution you against going alone on your first trip. Nothing wrong with backpacking solo, I just wouldn't do it on your very first trip when you are still getting used to your gear and how the whole backpacking thing works. Also, do you know how to use a map and compass? I would never backpack solo without wilderness navigation skills. People have died out there.
Also, many places will not allow open fires; be sure to check this for whatever route you want to take. I don't know about Montana, but in the CA Sierra you need a wilderness permit to go almost anywhere worth backpacking to. Make sure you know whether or not you need a permit (and whether you need to carry a bear-resistant food storage can), and if so, how to get one. If you need a permit it will tell you what the fire restrictions are. For example, in CA, no fires allowed over 10,000 feet in most places.
Last, plan to carry a backpacking stove and fuel even if you plan to cook on open flame. If it rains, or if you have trouble cooking on a fire, the stove is your backup, and, depending on the length of your trip, could be lifesaving.
All of this is great advice. ^^^
I've been backpacking for 24 years (and counting). There is A LOT you can learn from backpacking with an experienced person even if you've been an outdoors-person your whole life. And the whole safety factor comes into play especially in bear country.0 -
Awesome advice. I want to do a family backpacking trip as a reward for my weight loss this past year. Ive lost 130 so far and still have to lose another 65. My family are experienced backpackers and I hike and camp a lot but until I lost this weight I couldn't go in very far or over very rough ground but I want to do EVERYTHING with my kids I never could before so they don't end up in the situation I am in.0
