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Originally Posted by Zarathustra19 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Thats actually very helpful. I've never made a really long walk before, so I don't really know what to expect. Your advice is very valuable. Especially the socks part, I would never have thought of that.
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How many days are you planning for your trip? And how many miles were you planning on doing?
Over spring break I did my first "real hike." 5 miles into camp on day one. 2 miles back towards car on day two. And 3 miles back to the car on the final day. And the whole 3 miles back was in pouring rain. Trust me, it was a bitch.
Here are a few things I learned.
1) Absolutely practice building a fire before you go out in the woods. Personally I knew how to do it, but I hadn't really practiced and it showed when we got out there. Basically you want to start with small green twigs surrounded by branches about the diameter of your finger.. It helps if you build everything into a teepee like structure getting larger diameter sticks as you move outward. Get this burning (I recommend taking cotton balls, liberally coated with vaseline - throw a bunch of these into a Ziploc bag for easy fire starting; another solution is wrapping toilet paper around sticks and using it like a torch) and keep adding bigger sticks. Eventually you'll get to where you can burn logs. Oh yeah, while I'm thinking about it, gather lots and lots of firewood BEFORE you start trying to build a fire. You don't want to be rushing around trying to find sticks mid-fire starting.
2) I highly recommend water purification tablets. Sure you can boil water to make it drinking safe but in my experience, it's a lengthy drawn out process that takes more effort that it's worth. It also helps to plan your trip so you'll always be near a running water source such as a spring. Also keep several (I'd say 3-5) water bottles on hand. You'll be surprised how much you drink during/after a day of hiking. If you're already sure you're going to get serious about hiking on a regular basis you could also just invest in a water purification system with a pump. Very useful and lightweight but not cost effective if this is a one time thing.
3) Pack lightly. Dress in layers and don't take along extra clothes. Socks and underwear are the only things I would have more than one of. Also if you really want to pack lightly, take a max of 3 or 4 pairs and wash them when you can.
4) I recommend buying MRE's off Ebay. They're a complete meal and each one packs about 2000 calories, so these make great dinners. (feel free to IM if you want specific recommendations on which ones taste best).
5) Absolutely carry a compass and learn of the basics of how it works. If you'll have maps available, chart out your hike and check your compass bearing every 15 minutes to make sure you're going in the right direction.
6) A knife or multi-tool is a great help. A hand axe isn't necessary. If you need to chop logs or branches, just place them lengthwise over the fire and they'll burn into separate pieces.
7) I strongly recommend water proof boots over tennis shoes. After hiking 3 miles in a downpour my friends who had tennis shoes would agree.
8) Buy a poncho. It will keep you and your gear dry if you happen to find yourself in the elements. Don't get the cheap $0.87 one either; splurge and get the one for $4 bucks. Trust me, this comes from experience, you don't want to make the same mistakes I've made/seen others make.
9) Pack lightly. This means as few bottles of water as possible. No cans of soup. Buy dried meals that you can add water to. It's also not a bad idea to invest in one of those small pots that fold up nicely and hold utensils and other things inside them. These are very useful. I feel like carrying a decent spoon, fork, knife is useful. Eating with your hands isn't sanitary or cool.
10) Take toilet paper. It's not that heavy and has other uses than well.... (such as helping to light fires as I said earlier; it's also brightly colored which helps in an emergency situation given there isn't snow on the ground).
11) Buy some bungee ball straps. These are lightweight and have millions of uses. Not to mention it's like $5 for a 10 pack. Great for strapping gear to your pack, wrapping things up, etc...
11) Take a lighter AND matches. Also don't forget your first aid kit. $15 could be the difference between having a great hike to tell your kids about and getting an infection and never living to tell about it. Carry bug spray as well.
12) Read and learn as much as possible. There's a great book I recommend reading before you go and even taking with you. The "SAS Survival Handbook" by John Lofty Wiseman. Great book!
13) Don't forget your toothbrush
There is probably more things I can't think of right now because it's 2 AM. But I'll check back in soon and give a few more pointers. Let me know if this helps..
