Backpacking Newbee !!

S

summit2g

Joined
Aug 19, 2011
Messages
467
Hello guys and gals,
Saying I am new to backpacking might be an understatement. I really want to get into backpacking and being out close to nature.
Being in the city is killing me. To much hustle and bustle for me now a days.
So the reason for this threads is, Where is a good place to start a backpacking trip for a newbee?
Eastern Sierras are preferable.

Thanks
Joe
 
I like the area around Convict Lake. I would contact the Chamber of Commerce in Bishop and see what they recommend.
 
I've done some camping at camp sites in Independence and Lone Pine but never camped out in the woods backpacking style. So I know how to make a fire and I pretty knife savy. All I will pretty much need is a small backpacking tent, sleeping bag and backpack.
Thanks


Dan57 said:
How much prior experience in the outdoors do you have?
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I like Whitney Portal. Its the trailhead to routes on Mt. Whitney and other peaks near by. It lies a few miles west of the town of Lone Pine. Highway 395 runs right through Lone Pine. The area is a very popular vacation spot in the Eastern Sierras. It is only 3-4 hours from the LA and Inland Empire so this where most East Side adventures start. From there you can hit Lake Isibella, Bishop, Mammoth Lakes and Bridgeport by driving just an hour or so. Lone Pine is also the location of an area called the "Movie Lot", a setting for a lot of famous hollywood westerns. There you can camp for free, primitive of course, out of your car or a backpack. The Portal itself has a trailhead camp and a camp for longer stays, it is usually very busy and spaces are reserved well in advance.
One of my favorite things to do is a short overnight trip out of the Portal to Lone Pine Lake. It is a classic small sierra tarn. The fishing is good, there are good tent sites, you dont need a permit for an overnight trip and its only about 3 or 4 miles out of the Portal. Meysan Lakes Trailis also a good choice. It is less crowded but the trail is steeper and the approach is a little bit longer than LP Lake. It also does not require a permit.
If you want toi backpack or overnight anywhere in the Whitney Wilderness you need a permit. It is available from the Forrest Service and you can get via mail or at the FS station in the town of Independance, just south of Lone Pine.
Another area I would recommend closer to home is the Angeles National Forrest, specifically the East Fork of the San Gabriel River. There is water, good camping for a beginning backpacker, low elevation and the terrain is flat. The only drawback is its urban proximity. Lying near the town of Azusa it is very, very busy. There is a lot of week end traffic, hikers, gold prospectors and a commercial bungee jumping co. operating in the canyon, so solitude is scarce when its busy.
The San Bernardino Forrest near Iydellwild has a section of the PCT trail running through it and good backpacking near Mt. San Jacinto. The area offers way more solitude and a more natural experience. However there is very little water available, that is a not good for backpacking but there are also good car camping locations. Google Boulder Basin Campground on Black Mountain, its near the Fuller Ridge's PCT trailhead or look for Garner Valley also close to Iydellwild and Lake Hemet. There is good fishing at the lake and several "Yellow Post" campsites that offer free camping in the area.

Good luck and have fun.

THX
Jay
 
Awesome Bro !
Thanks for all the great info.
Joe


Wagonmaster1969 said:
I like Whitney Portal. Its the trailhead to routes on Mt. Whitney and other peaks near by. It lies a few miles west of the town of Lone Pine. Highway 395 runs right through Lone Pine. The area is a very popular vacation spot in the Eastern Sierras. It is only 3-4 hours from the LA and Inland Empire so this where most East Side adventures start. From there you can hit Lake Isibella, Bishop, Mammoth Lakes and Bridgeport by driving just an hour or so. Lone Pine is also the location of an area called the "Movie Lot", a setting for a lot of famous hollywood westerns. There you can camp for free, primitive of course, out of your car or a backpack. The Portal itself has a trailhead camp and a camp for longer stays, it is usually very busy and spaces are reserved well in advance.
One of my favorite things to do is a short overnight trip out of the Portal to Lone Pine Lake. It is a classic small sierra tarn. The fishing is good, there are good tent sites, you dont need a permit for an overnight trip and its only about 3 or 4 miles out of the Portal. Meysan Lakes Trailis also a good choice. It is less crowded but the trail is steeper and the approach is a little bit longer than LP Lake. It also does not require a permit.
If you want toi backpack or overnight anywhere in the Whitney Wilderness you need a permit. It is available from the Forrest Service and you can get via mail or at the FS station in the town of Independance, just south of Lone Pine.
Another area I would recommend closer to home is the Angeles National Forrest, specifically the East Fork of the San Gabriel River. There is water, good camping for a beginning backpacker, low elevation and the terrain is flat. The only drawback is its urban proximity. Lying near the town of Azusa it is very, very busy. There is a lot of week end traffic, hikers, gold prospectors and a commercial bungee jumping co. operating in the canyon, so solitude is scarce when its busy.
The San Bernardino Forrest near Iydellwild has a section of the PCT trail running through it and good backpacking near Mt. San Jacinto. The area offers way more solitude and a more natural experience. However there is very little water available, that is a not good for backpacking but there are also good car camping locations. Google Boulder Basin Campground on Black Mountain, its near the Fuller Ridge's PCT trailhead or look for Garner Valley also close to Iydellwild and Lake Hemet. There is good fishing at the lake and several "Yellow Post" campsites that offer free camping in the area.

Good luck and have fun.

THX
Jay
Click to expand...
 
Check out mt gorgonio area. Lots of camping there and it's the tallest mt in southern ca. Mt San jacinto near idyllwild is very nice but they had a large fire there recently. Not sure what places got hit but I know they did evacuate the town for a while.
 
Bomp said:
Check out mt gorgonio area. Lots of camping there and it's the tallest mt in southern ca. Mt San jacinto near idyllwild is very nice but they had a large fire there recently. Not sure what places got hit but I know they did evacuate the town for a while.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the info. I appreciate it.
Joe
 
Thanks for the info. Its greatly appreciated.
Joe

ThriftyJoe said:
I'm a long way away, so I won't comment on specific best places in your area. Generally whenever I'm planning a trip, I look for ready access to water at least where I will be camping, if not along the way. Water is "liquid lead" and it has a huge impact on your pack weight, so it's much more comfortable if you only have to carry what you need during the day.

You didn't say what kind of physical shape you're in, but just starting out I would recommend no more than six miles per day. That's an easy hike if you're in reasonably decent shape, even with heavy beginner equipment. Be aware of elevation changes too. I use the Falcon Guides a lot. They are pretty good. Amazon's got 'em.

You didn't ask about equipment, so I won't go into detail. Just be aware that most beginning backpackers think they know what to get, and they walk into Big Five with credit card in hand and buy a bunch of big, expensive, heavy-as-hell stuff better suited for car camping. Folks who've been around a while know that lightweight and ultralight equipment is sometimes cheaper than old school heavy duty traditional equipment. Best item to throw money at? A 20 F or 0 F rated down sleeping bag. The lighter the better. That expensive very light sonofagun will save you a lot of suffering, both on the trail during the day carrying it, and getting a good night's sleep too.

Do watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5dzlnb9k8k
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You might want to try to find a local backpacking forum. They have a pretty good one here complete with a trail finder. You can input if you want go to a waterfall or lake, the elevation you want, the distance you want to hike and the difficulty and it'll spit out the trails that meet your criteria. Can't imagine they don't have something simliar down that way.
 
Awesome bro. Thanks for the info.
Joe

Shotgun said:
You might want to try to find a local backpacking forum. They have a pretty good one here complete with a trail finder. You can input if you want go to a waterfall or lake, the elevation you want, the distance you want to hike and the difficulty and it'll spit out the trails that meet your criteria. Can't imagine they don't have something simliar down that way.
Click to expand...
 
Shotgun said:
You might want to try to find a local backpacking forum. They have a pretty good one here complete with a trail finder. You can input if you want go to a waterfall or lake, the elevation you want, the distance you want to hike and the difficulty and it'll spit out the trails that meet your criteria. Can't imagine they don't have something simliar down that way.
Click to expand...

I 2nd this. There is also most likely a hiking club in your area. Go to your local REI, outdoor store, etc and ask then too about local hiking clubs/groups. You'll most likely find people with a lot of local knowledge and their enthusiasm will be infectious. If they are like any of the clubs around here, you'll find them happy for new members and helpful with gear choices. Probably even let you borrow equipment to see what works for you.
 
Awesome thanks for the tips and sorry for the late response.
Joe


Angus McGunnigle said:
I 2nd this. There is also most likely a hiking club in your area. Go to your local REI, outdoor store, etc and ask then too about local hiking clubs/groups. You'll most likely find people with a lot of local knowledge and their enthusiasm will be infectious. If they are like any of the clubs around here, you'll find them happy for new members and helpful with gear choices. Probably even let you borrow equipment to see what works for you.
Click to expand...
 
Do you have a back yard?
Pack up your back pack and walk into you yard and set up camp from your backpack only and sleep the night

This will give you real good practice and test if you know how to set up your equipment
You can also do this a local campsite
So when you go out 'backpacking' you know your gear works and no suprises

And plan your camp site with potable water
It will mean you only need to carry that day's drinking water, and you can use the evenings water and refill for the next day
It will save you a lot a weight

Wear comfortable boots
Any boots even work boots

Go easy on buying gear
You need very little

Most important enjoy yourself
 
Cool idea. I'll try it out.
Thanks
Joe

neeman said:
Do you have a back yard?
Pack up your back pack and walk into you yard and set up camp from your backpack only and sleep the night

This will give you real good practice and test if you know how to set up your equipment
You can also do this a local campsite
So when you go out 'backpacking' you know your gear works and no suprises

And plan your camp site with potable water
It will mean you only need to carry that day's drinking water, and you can use the evenings water and refill for the next day
It will save you a lot a weight

Wear comfortable boots
Any boots even work boots

Go easy on buying gear
You need very little

Most important enjoy yourself
Click to expand...
 
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