[G-man]

nice analogy and nice use of the word expedient. oh, and nice advise. generally a nice post. nice.




nice.

 

[Mikko]

You should check out the forums at whiteblaze.net and backpacker.com. But be careful or you start buying too expensive gear that you don't really need...

I have spent a lot of time in the wilderness and good warm clothes are the most important thing. Keep your feet dry and comfortable. Use synthetic materials and layer them. Don't carry too much things.

It's best to go out for one night and get some experience, then go out for 2-3 nights, etc...

Good luck and have fun!

 

[cash68]

Also:

Craigslist. Lots of yuppies buy expensive gear, never use it, then unload it for cheap. I bought a backpacking backpack that was originally $400 for $60.

 

[ingwe]

Great suggestions above. I recommend looking into a hydration bladder in your pack instead of water bottles.

Also, your feet are everything. Get the best shoes you can afford and make darn certain they fit you properly. Break them in before your multi-day/week hike. See a podiatrist about orthopedic inserts.

Hike with gaiters (REI has the lightweight "desert" kind that will keep the rocks out.

Wear sock liners along with your regular socks.

I'm seriously considering investing in custom hiking boots. A couple years ago, at the Grand Canyon, while hiking down to the bottom (Phantom Ranch) from the rim, I injured my left big toe. My boots weren't long enough and hiking down-slope for six hours destroyed the nerves at the tip of my big toe.

 

[mow_the_hawk]

A saying that me and some people I hike with is "Cotton is rotten." Buy synthetic clothes. Go to campmor.com. They usually offer great things and aren't very expensive, like EMS imo. Also,as said in other posts, bring as little water as possible. Go an some training hikes and determine how much water you generally drink. Water is very heavy. In addition to finding good shoes, good socks are important. I personally prefer smartwool. Also get a abckpack that suits your space needs and fits your body well. Nothing is as bad as going into the wilderness and walking with a pack tat doesn't fit you. If you are going in summer, I recommend bringing a pair of comfortable shoes such as sandals. I like to wear flipflops after a long hike.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Hmm, as a dayhiker, I can't speak to much of the wilderness camping related stuff. However, I will certainly reiterate that your shoes and socks are of utmost importance. When I first got started hiking last summer, I knew no better, and was doing 10+ mile hikes with 3000ft of elevation gain in my sneaker and regular cotton socks. It wasn't until I went for a 16 mile day that my feet really started complaining, and the last mile back to my car was pretty miserable.

Other than that I'd just say, if you don't need it, don't bring it. You don't need to be any more weighed down than necessary. Make sure your backpack has a good waist belt to keep the weight from killing your shoulders. And always have more water than you think you might need.

At least where you'll be you won't have to worry about the effects of altitude sickness and whatnot.

 

[Zarathustra19]

First of all, this discussion is providing me with a great wealth of knowledge that I can't seem to find anywhere else on the internet. Whiteblaze.net is a pretty good resource, but its meant more specifically for thru-hikers, which I'm not yet.

There's a lot of great advice here guys, I appreciate it, nothing helps more than experience, and there seems to be a good deal of it here. Keep it coming!

 

[Zarathustra19]

Hey guys, two things that came to mind while I was reading on whiteblaze. I have some pretty comfortable hiking boots, but I'm thinking I need some arch support. What kind of insoles do you guys recommend, or is there another solution? And also, we've talked a little about food, but lets get some other opinions on the kinds of food you take along on long distance hikes. I was thinking some single serving cans of spam might be a good idea for a weekend or week long trip, they aren't that heavy and they're packed with calories. Opinions?

 

[Aimless1]

Weight will KILL you when back packing. Cans of spam for a weekend hike? You can probably get by.

Case in point. I hiked the 100 mile wilderness section of the AT when it was still farily remote. 10 mile hike from the road head to the river. My partner ditched fully half of what he had packed by the time we reached the river. Lesson learned. Weight kills.

Soup mixes, trail mixes, freeze dried food and casseroles that only require water are the norm. Canned foods are a huge no no for long distance hiking.

BTW, day hiking boots will NOT hold up to backpacking. Not sturdy enough to handle the additional weight of the pack nor rugged trail conditions.

Have you been to EMS or the backpacking store of your choice yet?

 

[mr_baseball_08]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zarathustra19 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey guys, two things that came to mind while I was reading on whiteblaze. I have some pretty comfortable hiking boots, but I'm thinking I need some arch support. What kind of insoles do you guys recommend, or is there another solution? And also, we've talked a little about food, but lets get some other opinions on the kinds of food you take along on long distance hikes. I was thinking some single serving cans of spam might be a good idea for a weekend or week long trip, they aren't that heavy and they're packed with calories. Opinions?

I think Spam is a pretty terrible idea. It's LOADED with salt and we all know how bad that is when water can be hard to come by. Same goes for potato chips.

Granola bars, and trail mix are both good. Like I said before you can buy meals that you need only to add water to. These are your best bet as they take up very little space and weigh very little to boot. Don't expect the best taste in the world but after hiking for 4 miles, trust me, you won't really care. Beef jerky is nice to have out there for a source of protein but once again it really takes water away from you, so make sure you'll have lots of water before you try something like that.

Depending on how long you'll be out there and if you have access, then fishing for dinner is a great idea.

 

[xnothingpoetic]

Damn, nice thread! I always wanted to do something like this.

Thanks for those who posted tips, websites, and general knowledge on this topic.

Hopefully there is something I can do in the Illinois area.

Also if you don't mind, what is the general conscious on going alone?

I can't really say I know anyone who would want to do this, or is physically able, or has time to.

 

[Aimless1]

Always better to hike/backpack with a partner. Common sense and veteran's wisdom attest to this. Just look at the guy who had to saw his arm off when caught alone hiking in the rocks and it's real obvious why you should have a partner at all times.

That being said, I have been ruffed grouse hunting on a solitary basis for what seems like forever. Just like the guy who sawed his arm off to survive, I'm just cocky enough to to into the wilderness alone. I have to admit that just because I've come back without incident after every trip doesn't make it right, just means I've been lucky. Unless you have a great deal of wilderness experience, please don't consider going it alone. Even if you do, please reconsider and go with a partner.

 

[mr_baseball_08]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xnothingpoetic /img/forum/go_quote.gif Damn, nice thread! I always wanted to do something like this. Thanks for those who posted tips, websites, and general knowledge on this topic. Hopefully there is something I can do in the Illinois area. Also if you don't mind, what is the general conscious on going alone? I can't really say I know anyone who would want to do this, or is physically able, or has time to.

I would strongly suggest against it, just for safety reasons alone.

 

[Zarathustra19]

Aimless, no I haven't been able to get to a backpacking store as of right now. The proposed trip is at least a year off, barring any other situations which might arise to postpone it, so I think for my training hikes and overnighters, these boots will suit well, at least for the time being (as a student I don't have much cash to put into this at the moment).

Xnothingpoetic - like everyone's said, partners are a good idea. From what I understand about the AT, however, it would be possible to meet up with some fellow hikers and sort of group with them. I plan on finding someone to go with, though, since I find myself in the same situation as you (none of my friends are really hikers) but I'd rather not go it alone and meet up with people i don't know. usually with the AT, though, you have planning time beforehand to find other people who'd be interested in going.

 

[mercbuggy]

I am jealous as I too would like to do some of the Appalachian trail. I enjoy lightweight backpacking in the UK and there are some useful resources that I come back to time and time again:

BackpackingLight.com -- Home Page

I think it is worth paying for their subscription to get full access to reviews, articles and gearlists. If you are planning on trailing for multi-day stretches then weight is absolutely critical. Planning and selecting your gear/food/water balance needs practice to get it just right for longer trips. I would suggest going on some shorter walks to test out what is essential and what turn out to be 'luxury' items. Of course the shorter trips are also for building trail stamina and practicing navigation, using gear under different conditions.

Footwear....over here in the UK we still swear by good quality boots although there is some movement towards trail style lightweight footwear. The choice is very condition dependent but fit and breaking in of footwear is required either way.

The other site I like is:

OUTDOORSmagic - the total online Outdoors action resource

Good luck.