how does one get into hiking?

P

peeintheshower

Joined
Jul 21, 2012
Messages
345
Im from New York and never really went hiking or camping and i am looking to get into it. i know there are alot of camp grounds in new york, but what do i need to get started? i hunt a lot, but i live in the city and never really went full blown camping.
 
Interesting question. For the self guided tour ,so to speak, read "the complete walker" by colin fletcher. finding somebody else to learn from could be hard. i was thinking how to answer you, and my experience was all gained when I was akid and wasn't paying attention to what I learned. Boy scouts played a big part and working seismic in the mountains played another big part.
 
which city? if nyc, then you're very close to harriman state park. go to campmor in rt 17 north in paramus, nj and pick up a trail map and talk to the employees there. there's also an rei nearby and they offer classes in beginner map & compass, beginner hiking, etc. any outdoor store in nyc should have these maps as well but i'm more familiar with campmor.

trail map #118 and #119...i believe it was $10 for both...it comes in packs covering different parts so get the maps for your hiking area. map #119 also covers the appalachian trail on this section of ny.

harriman_trail_map_01_zpsc956adba.jpg



look for spots marked with an 's' - it indicates where the shelters are.

harriman_trail_map_02_zps04e30f35.jpg



this particular one is very close to the parking lot and it looks like this.

harriman_shelter_zps036ea1af.jpg



there's another one just south-east of it...this one is called "tom jones" shelter.

tom_jones_shelter_zps7053e597.jpg



to get started, just day hike to those shelters to familiarize yourself to the area...you can stay overnight in them so you don't have to buy a tent/tarp and all that gear right away. a couple of the shelters don't have reliable water sources especially in the summer though.

if it is this area you're interested in, i can give you more tips on where to go since i always go there. as for gear lists, feel free to ask and i can list them.
 
Last edited:
Well in all honesty sir I take my pack, with all of my essencials, and my dog... Put them in the truck and drive until I see something I want to hike. I'm lucky enough to be living in an area now that has many beautiful areas to take advantage of.
 
Hi P in the shower, if you do not have a car you can take metro north to cold springs. There a a lot of trails you can hike,blue hill trail or break neck ridge. get out and enjoy and you can p in the woods!
 
thanks guys that was all pretty helpful. JV3, i do live in NYC, are trails clearly cut out and visible in the woods? i do not feel like getting lost now, lol. I guess i can start by planning a few day hikes, i have a car. I do not have much equipment other then a bunch of knives and a few good flashlights. the question is for staying over night what are the rules on trails regarding fire making and so on. how about bringing firearms?
 
My suggestion is that you hook up with a person who is already familiar with hiking in general and a local trail in particular. You might borrow or rent some basic equipment for the first trip or two to see if you like it. Plemty of folks are willimg to become a mentor.
 
Start by learning compass navigation, even if you are taking a GPS. Read a book and then take a course or test yourself in a very safe location. Read a basic survival guide - not the silly SHTF stuff but something that explains how to recognize hypothermia, etc. Take your cellphone in a waterproof bag in case of emergencies, but don't count on it to work. Don't wear cotton (google "cotton kills".) A merino T and underwear are great for hiking and daily wear. Stash some anti-diarrhoea meds and pain killers, a spare bootlace, about two feet of duct tape and some safety pins in your ruck sack. (If you do this you'll never need them, otherwise you will.)
 
"Cotton kills" is a much overstated fallacy. This synthetic generation would not exist today if this were an absolute truth.
 
The beauty of hiking is that it doesn't cost anything and doesn't take any specialized gear. It's all about getting out there. Wear some decent shoes, clothing that protects you from the elements, grab some water and go. Hiking around local parks is a great way to go, and you really don't have much chance of getting lost. Work your way up to longer hikes and more difficult trails over time.
 
I have to disagree here Codger, cotton kills may not apply where you live but I've used cotton, wool and synthetics extensively in cold weather, this is the environment where the "cotton kills" saying comes from. Under normal conditions cotton will not kill you but it's far less comfortable when doing sweaty stuff outdoors. Cotton takes a long time to dry, it does not transport moisture away from your skin well and its insulation value drops when wet. If you were exposed for long enough in the cold in a wet cotton gear the difference in heat loss could conceivably kill you. For low intensity exercise I like merino wool against the skin. For high intensity I want synthetics or even fishnet synthetics against my skin.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1045920-New-to-W-amp-SS-Advice
 
I agree that hypothermia kills, but cotton does not equal hypothermia. Getting wet and cold with no way to get dry and warm does. :)
 
JV3 said:
which city? if nyc, then you're very close to harriman state park. go to campmor in rt 17 north in paramus, nj and pick up a trail map and talk to the employees there. there's also an rei nearby and they offer classes in beginner map & compass, beginner hiking, etc. any outdoor store in nyc should have these maps as well but i'm more familiar with campmor.

trail map #118 and #119...i believe it was $10 for both...it comes in packs covering different parts so get the maps for your hiking area. map #119 also covers the appalachian trail on this section of ny.
Click to expand...

This... Campmor is an excellent source for all your needs.
 
It is the hypothermia that kills, but wearing cotton compared to something more suitable can be the cause of hypothermia. It's not the case in most situations, and unless people are going to be spending extended periods in pretty extreme conditions they will be OK with cotton, they should bring a change of clothes though. Most of the time cotton just means a less comfortable outing, since wet skin chafes easier.

Actually when the temperatures are above freezing the difference is mostly academic. That said try doing strenuous activity all day in the same clothes at -5C to -20C. You will appreciate the difference between cotton and wicking synthetics or wool that feels warm and dry despite being wet. You'll also appreciate having a windproof layer furthest out.

Once you get below -20C you should pretty much stop exerting yourself heavily. Besides moisture from sweating being a huge heat sink, your body (read: my body) can not warm up the air you breath fast enough. Your lungs get cold and you are out of it for a week or two. Ask me how I know. :D;)
 
Well, to keep it simple, find someplace cool to go that can only be reached oon.foot. Get some good footware. Put aforementioned footware on the trail to this place. The rest you pick up as you go along. Get hungry on the trail? Next time you'll bring food. Get thirsty? Next time you bring more water. Need something to carry the food and water? You get a pack. Start small and build up. And from someone who has spent many years outside ,quite often in jeans and a tshirt, cotton doesn't kill, being stupid kills.
 
peeintheshower said:
thanks guys that was all pretty helpful. JV3, i do live in NYC, are trails clearly cut out and visible in the woods? i do not feel like getting lost now, lol. I guess i can start by planning a few day hikes, i have a car. I do not have much equipment other then a bunch of knives and a few good flashlights. the question is for staying over night what are the rules on trails regarding fire making and so on. how about bringing firearms?
Click to expand...

yes, a lot of the harriman trails are well marked and cleared. the main thing is before walking towards the next trail marker, just look back and make sure you can see the previous marker.

you don't need much equipment - map & compass, water/snacks, and rain gear is good. write your cell phone # and a 3rd party emergency contact # on paper and put it on the dash of your car so it's visible from the outside is a good idea but don't write down that you're overnighting or how many hours you'll be gone on that paper though.

you can have fire on the shelters (most of them have chimneys or sometimes two!) and there's also a fire ring close-by. only use dead wood on the ground. i'm not sure on concealed carry laws in ny and i'm not allowed in nj anyway so i don't bring any firearms to avoid being hassled.

there's a lot of parking in harriman, some huge and some are just a small patch of dirt on the side of the road that can only fit maybe 10 cars. if you pick up the trail maps, i can point you to some trails that's good to start with.

here's one shelter/trail that's good to start with as it's both an easy hike and the visitor center is close-by so you can pick up brochures and talk to the people there regarding rules and stuff. also, on any given weekend this trail is packed with people so it'll be hard to get lost.

google-map "johnsontown rd, sloatsburg, ny" and it'll put you within a mile of the visitor center. the nearest cross street is "johnsontown rd" and "seven lakes drive". if you follow johnsontown rd it'll eventually reach a dead-end and you can park there (there's a circle there). the "white bar" trail will be pretty obvious from the parking lot and you can follow that towards the shelter. that stream is available year-round too.

it's about 1-2 hr hike towards the shelter depending on your speed and i have yet to be on that trail where no one was around (except when it's raining or thick snow on the ground) so it's a good place to start.

dutch_doctor_shelter_map_zpsc6c17c9a.jpg



how the "dutch doctor" shelter looks like:

dutch_doctor_shelter_zps4da80b62.jpg



jump right in :)
 
The AT (White blaze) in NY is nice. One down side to some NY trails is they can be over marked. A yellow trail that goes into a red then the red goes into a yellow red but there is also an orange however the orange runs along a yellow blue. Oh snap am I still on the yellow? LOL!
 
REI, campmor, other stores may also have a bulletin board with info on group hikes and clubs.
This is a great way to get into it and meet people in your area.
Search for hiking clubs in your area.
And be safe. Stay out of the newspaper.
 
PITS,

A member here has produced what I think are the best compass/map/navigation videos available. Go get a decent Brunton baseplate compass with adjustable declination, a topographic map of the area you are going to be hiking, and study these videos. Then go out and practice. Its good fun as well.

http://backyardbushman.com/?page_id=679
 
My thoughts, rather randomly....

1) Look for hiking clubs. I suspect both the Adirondack Mountain Club and Appalachian Mountain Club have local chapters in your area. Going on group hikes with others more experienced is a great way to learn the ropes.

2) Read. "The Backpacker's Handbook" by Chris Townsend and "The Complete Walker" by Colin Fletcher are great overviews. More oriented towards backpacking but the basics all apply to shorter hikes. I would trust their advice on clothing and such.

3) For the northeast, I strongly advise against cotton clothing and cotton socks, even in the summer. My suggestion, invest in a medium weight zip turtle neck polyester shirt for cool temps, a light synthetic t-shirt for warm weather, some nylon shorts and some wool or wool blend socks.

4) Practice map reading. For general hiking in the northeast, solid map reading skills are way more important than compass skills, imo. 99% of the time, you will be following maintained trails, at least at first.

5) Seek local hiking guides. They generally give the best overviews of hiking opportunities in the area you're interested in.

6) Seek local internet forums. Very common to find forums that focus on hiking in local regions. Good places to find more localized guidance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top