Getting Started....

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bladestunner

Joined
Jan 26, 2007
Messages
19
Hello all,

I have never went backpacking in the backcountry, but since checking out this forum I am very interested in doing so. I would just like to know where to get started. I have bought some things to get me started. (ie leatherman wave, gerber folder, mess kit, mp1 purification tabs, flint and striker, rain poncho, 1L nalgene water bottle, cotton balls soaked in PJ, and a few other things.) I'm still lookin to buy a tent, a sleeping bag, thermarest sleeping pad, and a backpack to put it all in. I'm about 5'9" and am a light weight at about 145lbs. The last time that I went camping that I can remember is when I was about 15 yrs old with my best bud and his family. Lot of the threads on this forum had reminded of what a blast it was then. I know that the best place to start out is in the backyard -- to test gear and such. Now lets just pretend that I did all that. :D

Some of the things that I would like to know is:

When backpacking, where would I go to do it? Do I go to my local state park? Is it ok to start fires just anywhere? I've looked up camping in google and see all these camp grounds that charge for the camp site by day. Do I need to pay a fee first before trotting their grounds? Sorry if I sound naive -- its because I am. This is all new to me. I have tons more questions, but it kinda slipped my mind at the moment. Will get back to you guys when I remember them.

Oh by the way I just moved here from Connecticut with my wife. So I don't have any friends here. Wish I did, it might've made things easier. :)

So if any experienced backpackers would please enlighten me. You all had to start somewhere right?

Thanks
 
Welcome to our addiction!
You may want to check outdoors equipment stores, such as REI, Adventure 16, or local outfitters for advice (you don't need to pay their sometimes high prices for all your gear, but support them with a purchase of some sort if they help you out). Offices or Ranger stations for state and local forests can provide information on campsites and backcountry sites, trails and difficulty, and fees.
You should probably make a couple of "shakedown" outings to developed or semi-primitive campsites to check out your gear before venturing too far into the backcountry.
Where do you live? I'm sure there are some locals here who can provide some advice.
 
bladestunner said:
Oh by the way I just moved here from Connecticut with my wife.
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Doh! I meant to say I moved to Connecticut with my wife. :)

Most of my items I have bought were online. And others are from my local Army surplus store. I'll look into contacting a Ranger @ my local state park. Thanks for the advice.
 
The most important thing to take with you is the right clothing. Can't really say what you need because I'm not familiar with your climate but think layers. Also, if you do a google search you can sometimes find local groups. I did this today by typing "hiking oregon forums" etc.
 
The best way to jump start your education on backpacking is to read the book, The Complete Walker IV by Colin Fletcher & Chip Rawlins. They cover all aspects of hiking/backpacking. It's a great way to start.

BB
 
BigBelly said:
The best way to jump start your education on backpacking is to read the book, The Complete Walker IV by Colin Fletcher & Chip Rawlins. They cover all aspects of hiking/backpacking. It's a great way to start.

BB
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While this is my favorite hiking/backpacking author (I have six of his books.), the product information in this book is over fifteen years old and, thus, largely obsolete. The general information and approach is excellent.
 
Here is a great book that will teach you more with less reading. It is less gear intensive than Colin Fletcher's books. I worked in a large "outdoor" shop for years and used this book to help a lot of newbies. It is all useful with no fluff plus a lot of old secrets.
http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Mikes-Really-Cool-Backpackin/dp/1560449128

As far as places to go backpacking; check out the Appalachian Trail. It goes through CT for 50 miles. You can camp along the "AT". Also check out the Long Trail in VT and Adirondac State Park in NY.
Start small and you will get comfortable fast. You can probably find a few miles of the AT in CT that are easy hiking and access with pehaps some lean-tos to camp in over a weekend.
 
Nice to see another Connecticut member on here. I dfon't see many folks on these type of boards from my parts. Where abouts in the state are you at?
 
The links that Thomas Linton provided are really good - gives you places to go as well as brands of gear you can trust. My best advice is buy the best quality gear you can possibly afford. If you buy second-rate gear, you'll just end up replacing it with better gear at some point in the future once you've realized its just not up to the task.

Some wilderness areas for backpacking do not permit open fires - others do but only in designated areas. And there are probably a few that still don't regulate in any way how and where you can camp. Usually the more popular a place is, the more regulated it is - even requiring reservations (months in advance) of backcountry campsites. But before you head out into the backcountry, take your gear and do some car-camping in a local state park campground.

Since open fires are not always allowed, besides a tent, sleeping bag and backpack, you'll also need a camp stove. I recommend MSR Whisperlite International. They're bomb-proof, field-maintainable and will run on a wide range of fuels. Also, if you spend more than a day or two in the backcountry, you're gonna get tired of drinking chemically-treated water (and, where fires aren't permitted, you don't want to carry enough fuel to boil your water). Get a water filter - I recommend an MSR Mini-Works filter - it's bomb-proof, field-maintainable and screws right onto your 1L Nalgene bottle.

If you don't have one already get a goretex (or similar breathable laminate) shell jacket as well as a fleece jacket. When buying clothes, choose synthetics over cotton. Nylon, polyester, polypropylene - cotton gets wet, stays wet, and promotes hypothermia. Wool is great but its heavy - backpackers generally limit wool items to socks and hats (possibly scarves). On the trail you should wear polypropylene liner socks (for wicking) and wool hiking socks.

Campmor.com and SierraTradingPost.com are great places to get good deals on backpacking gear - but, remember, buy the best you can afford. $250 may seem like a lot to spend on a backpack - but consider the Gregory Shasta I bought ten years ago (http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/s...6&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1) is still going strong and not a single stitch has failed - and it has seen plenty of abuse both on the trail and in the airports. Buy quality now - you'll save money in the long run.
 
I know your questions aren't so much centered on gear as where to go, but hopefully these gear tips will help you get a start. These are things that work for me, and I wasted a lot of money and time before things came together. So I hope this will help give you a jump start! Though they are similar, camping and backpacking require vastly different gear. You don't have to have all the new expensive gear, but having the right basic stuff and following a few guidelines will keep your pack simple and light, and your trip more enjoyable.

Think light! small things add wieght fast.
Take items with more than one use And get the lightest possible gear you can find, as long as it it durable. I would personally dispense with all the extra fire equipment. I go with just a lighter and a backpup. We can't have open fires where I live, So I got a small peak 1 canister stove. it weighs like 3 ounces, and won't dirty my pot or pack with soot. If i was to need a survival fire, I would use a hand drill, ice lens, or something else, and make tinder with what I had at hand.

I have had trouble with mess kits, so I bought a GSR bugaboo 1 liter pot for 30 bucks. my stove, extra lighter, plastic spork, and bandana go inside it to save weight. for a knife, I just use whatever EDC knife I carry.

For clothing, avoid cotton and use wool or synthetics. The more warmth for weight, and the more compressible, the better!

Water filters are worth their weight in gold for convenience and safety. MSR and kadadyn carry good ones for a good price.

Tents or shelters should be as light as possible for the season they are being used for, with good ventilation. Just use google and do some comparing. The more surface area of the tent the rainfly covers, the better. also, stay away from fiberglass poles! Aluminum are the best. I have a Kelty teton tent. It is only three season, and somewhat fragile, but for my curent uses it is awesome. When I get more hardcore, I will get a hardcore tent, but the Kelty cost me 90 bucks and weighs only about three pounds!

Sleeping bag choices largely personal preferance, but again, lighter is better. Mummies offer the most warmth for bulk. Synthetics are best for wet climates, but don't compress small, and are usually heavier. I prefer down, but again, that is just my personal preference. Good brands are marmot, north face, slumberjack, lafuma, and mountain hard wear. Though coleman makes good camping gear at a good price, I stay away from most of their gear for backpacking, as it is bulky and heavy.

Good foods to take are dehydrated foods like ramen, lipton soup, and other things that only need boiling water to make them into meals. Backpaker's pantry makes full meals that cost about 4 to 8 bucks for two people, and you only need to add hot water to the envelope and let it sit. They ususally don't taste too bad either. I use these, plus carry staples like flour, rice, dehydrated milk, eggs, and potatoes, spices, jerky and salami, dried beans and veggies, and cheese. You can do a lot with staples!

a mini mag with an led mod or a headlamp are great for lights, and a first aid kit, compass, map, sunscreen, mug, toothbrush, and length of cord for various things are all handy as well.

Internal frame packs are the most efficient and comfortable, but externals are cheaper and work just fine. For a couple days or weekend for three seasons, aim for a capacity of 3500-4000 cubic inches. Fror longer trips or cold weather, 4500-6000. Again, kelty makes some good packs for a good price. I would personally stay away from lower pack brands like jansport, camp trails, and nebo because they are heavy, uncomfortable, and won't last long. pay a bit more, and your durability will increase exponentially!

compression sacks for sleeping bags and clothes are extemely great. Some people don't advocate them on the grounds that they might damage the loft and insulation of your equipment, but they can compress an entire pack's worth of gear into the size of a soccer ball. Just personal choice, but I find them indispensible.

I pack using the NOLS system as follows:

My sleeping bag (instuff sack or compression sack if using a heavier bag) gois into the bottom of the pack first.
Then, I tuck and wrap my tent rainfly around the sleeping bag.
My clothes all go into another compression sack, which is then placed on top of the tent fly My tent is then stuffed and kind of folded around the clothing bundle to keep it from shifting and protect from rain. My fuel canisters, cookset with stove, water filter, and other loose items go on top and beside the clothes. I keep all my food in a large stuff sack from my tent or sleeping bag, and this bundle goes on top. I always hang this food sack well away from my camp with a length of paracord. Even if there are no dangerous animals, at least small critters won't gnaw through my tent to get at my food!
Then, I draw the rest of my tent up around this stuff and close the top. The top and side pockets contain tent poles, stakes, tp, map, compass, trinkets, camera, and other stuff. I like this system because it keeps your wet-sensitive gear dry, eliminating the need for a pack rain cover (which I would take if i was expecting prolonged, wet, nasty conditions).

As for places to go. The ranger station should have maps and literature regarding open fire rules (be SURE about these), trails, and advice. Basically though, find a place you can hike, and go! Some areas require you to purchase a backcountry permit, but unless you happen to stop at a campground, you can camp wherever you want. Do this far enough off the trail not to interfere with others' experience though. Here the rule is 100 feet. Basically, get familiar with the regulations of national parks and wilderness areas, learn the trails, and stay of private land.

Well, I hope my over detailed typing rant was of some use to you, and if so, thank you for taking the time to read it.
Whew!

www.trailspace.com is an excellent place to compare and buy gear. I HIGHLY reccomend it.

Also, check out the pepsi can and penny alcohol stoves on google for some good reading. I have used both of these, and they are great in good weather. Cheapest stoves money can buy!
 
I pack the same way as Jamesh descriped, sleeping bag, clothes, food. I like to put my sleeping bag in a garbage bag first then compression bag. Clothes are always in a dry bag for me.

NO snacks in teh tent. One time my buddy had some granola bar before bed, and a racoon chewed through the tent and licked his face while he was sleeping.
 
sherlockbonez said:
. . . NO snacks in teh tent. One time my buddy had some granola bar before bed, and a racoon chewed through the tent and licked his face while he was sleeping.
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We had a kid take candy into his tent, which drew a visit from a black-and-white. :eek: He had to ride home in the back of the truck - with his tent (now with extra "ventilation."), sleeping bag, and all other gear. :barf: :(
 
sherlockbonez said:
LOL, hope he didn't get sprayed too bad, poor kid!
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As best we could reconstruct it, the kid felt a nudge and, half asleep, swung at the critter. This drew a MAXIMUM, pointblank response -- confined to a one-person tent. Very bad. The screams woke up the entire Troop and neighboring campers.

Young Master Bantum never took food into his tent again, and he lectured others to the same effect for years thereafter.
 
I'm hoping to get into some backpacking this spring/summer and this thread was very helpful to me. Thanks!
 
Thomas Linton said:
While this is my favorite hiking/backpacking author (I have six of his books.), the product information in this book is over fifteen years old and, thus, largely obsolete. The general information and approach is excellent.
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No, this is the newer addition published in 2002. It has been updated. The reason that Collin asked Chip Rawlins to be co-author was also to get a younger view on the subject. He has a lot of experieince in the Northwest.

BB
 
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