Stories of your first solo backcountry camping experience?

I thought I would add to my JMT post above:

I've been camping (often)alone for a couple of decades. Last Summer's JMT trip was my longest solo walk.
I'm still pissed off at that guy on late night radio who was talking so authoritatively and with so much certainty and conviction about how organized, fiendish and dangerous bigfoot is. After a few minutes of that kind of talk, I was Wide Awake, my eyes were as big as saucers. Took me an eternity to settle down and go back to sleep.

It's funny now, but it wasn't funny at Oh-dark-Thirty.
 
Well, I just came back from my first solo overnighter. Rather than start a new thread about it, I'll just elaborate here.

My previous experience with camping: I went out once. That's all. Once in my whole life at 25 years old. It was backcountry and it was with my family. Not as high a number as I'd like.
I went to Harriman State Park in New York. The weather was great all day and all night. Here's what I learned:
- Pack light. Oh boy, you really don't appreciate this until you've actually done it, overpacking and hiking far, climbing mountains, in thin-soled shoes.
- Be conservative with the length of your hiking route. I planned to go about 2.5 times the distance I actually went. Even then, I got too tired to continue to my original destination and found someone else's leftover camp.
- Vibram FiveFingers will slow you down a lot. But I do not regret wearing them at all. They got wet easily, but they also dried easily. My feet were comfortable unless I stepped on rocks, so I slowed down and looked everywhere I stepped. The slower pace helped me be aware of everything, something I could never manage to do before--I always missed trail markers and got lost or ran into some snakes or got spider webs stuck in my face.
- I do not know how to use a knife other than in the kitchen. I'm ashamed to be among you in this forum. I couldn't shave feathersticks for the life of me--always made them too thick, or completely cut off the shavings--and I was having trouble going through a 5ish-inch diameter log with my 5" blade and a sore shoulder.
- I do not know how to start a fire. The first day when I'd taken my time to gather and organize all the wood, I could not get the Firesteel or even matches to light the fatwood. Eventually some of the found wood got generous with me and gave me a good fire. The next morning, I could not get anything started. I have never had any success with my Firesteel Gob Spark Armageddon. Again, I'm ashamed to be among you, but I also know to practice this before heading out into serious territory next time.
- Stay for more than one night. I feel like I didn't really get to be out there at all--hungry? No problem, going back to civilization soon. No water? Meh, I'll buy a bottle before I hop on the bus. Not next time.
- Find a camp site and shelter early.
- A fire in the night is not necessary. Then again, I was out by 7pm. I was tired and my body was sore.
- I don't need to carry five knives!
- Everything out there is pretty amazing!

All in all, I had a great time, and my only friends at the camp were a bunch of curious chipmunks and a red-tailed hawk who, I'm sure, was hunting those little critters.
 
No shame at all in not knowing how to do something you've never been taught to do and never done before. Find a mentor, a hiking partner. Someone who has some dirt time and go on a multi-day hike with them. Ask them to dump out your pack in the living room floor days ahead of departure and give you a critique. Tell you what to leave and what is missing and weigh the total for you. We all started somewhere. Some of us had Fathers and Grandfathers as mentors. Some of us had the Scouts. And some of us learned the really hard way, school of hard knocks.

Glad you had a good time overall and still want to get back out there! I've cold-camped more than once (no fire) and it is OK. Sometimes you have no choice. Sometimes, as you found, you are just too tuckered to do anything but set your shelter, shake out your bag and crash. Morning is a great time to stoke up on calories.
 
Heh, in one night you learned more than a week's worth of reading forums. Keep camping!
 
Great thread

My first solos (forest bivvies when I was about 11 - 12) were entirely pleasant and so uneventful - but then again they were all in the UK - the wolves and ghosties and prowling paedophiles are rather more retiring there :D
 
ThriftyJoe said:
I've been backpacking with friends and family a bunch of times, and solo a bunch of times. My first solo trip was in my early twenties. It was just like going with a friend, but I had to entertain myself more. I don't remember being afraid of anything at all. One of my friends told me when I got back that it was very dangerous to go alone. I thought that was silly.
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I noticed that, too. Maybe it was just a feeling of pride or overconfidence or looking forward to accomplishing something. I know it isn't dangerous like being in a minefield, but I will admit it is "very dangerous" when you consider how much easier life in civilization is, but it's hard to appreciate that if you've never been out of it alone. I've lived in a big city, NYC, my whole life and after my first hike and my first overnighter I was absolutely baffled by how dark it could get at night out there and how little you realize the flat, grippy, stable concrete you walk on is so flat, grippy, and stable.

ThriftyJoe said:
My only really essential piece of "survival" gear is my Bushnell Backtrack shirt pocket size GPS. Many years of experience have made me humble about how quickly I can get turned around at any distance from my camp in deep woods (going down to the stream to fill my water bag, for instance), so that mini GPS is ALWAYS in my pocket if I leave camp. I know this is BladeForums, but I consider that GPS to be more important to have on my person than my knife. I figure getting lost and hypothermic or dehydrated is my only likely real world risk. I always set a waypoint at my vehicle before I start, and then one at my camp. Very comforting to have a (nearly) surefire way to navigate back to your vehicle if you get turned around. (I always carry a map and compass too, BTW)
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I'm gonna need to find one of those machines. I'm having a hard time choosing.
 
IMHO, being out there alone isn't as dangerous as some might imagine. I can see that a person who has seldom been out of sight or earshot of another person might think so though.

The same for the feeling of loss of "entertainment". For most of us who have a bit of experience in the outdoors, just being there and seeing the world around us is entertainment enough.

Also, the advent of affordable GPS is great. Unless one fails to develop orientiering skills by being so dependent on the electronic wayfinding. A GPS can fail, and what then, if you were depending on it to show you the way out? Pull out the maps? Good luck with that if you haven't been using them all along, or aren't familiar with the area you are traveling.
 
My first overnight solo was when i was 13,earning scout skill marks,we where getting marks for different skills,so i decided to combine couple of them,silence(24 hours without talking)hiking(50km with shortest possible stops)reconnaissance (making detailed plan of area)and solitude(spending 24 hours alone),our camp was in mountain,really desolated area,and staying solo wasn't problem,i started before sun and hiked whole morning trough some rugged terrain,until i got to site where i supposed to sketch map,next was shelter for the night and fire,and longest night in my life, don't think that i closed my eyes for a second,scared but still feeling like some ancient hero...
long story short,i got my marks and girls too ;)
now i go solo to avoid them :D
 
Wish I would have seen your thread before went out.
as you now are painfully aware......ounce's make pounds and real boots protect your feet and reduce fatigue
my tips for your next 2 to 3 day solo

1 pot with a frypan lid, 1 cup, 1bowl, 1 tablespoon keep your cookset and spices to 1lb total
folding saw with a 7 to 10in blade. 4 to 8 oz and will make fire building and wood gathering many times easier
1 fixed blade and a folder or sak. total weight keep to a 1 to 1.5lbs
An extensive fire kit. Ferro rod and striker, waterproof matches in a safe, minibic and good tinder and firestarters. Lots of threads here on firestarting and accelerants.
Make it easy for yourself to make a fire, it can be depressing hiding in your tent
Hopefully you have a headlamp, if not get one, a 30$ petz tikka are great

I bring very little spare clothes , a set of costco(good and cheap) synthetic long underwear and uppers,
1 pair boxers and spare socks. That is it, with a rainjacket and pants, light toque and gloves and the base and mid layers I wear is plenty. Too many people pack 5 to 10 lbs of bulky cloths they never wear. If its cold I will bring a compactable down vest for sitting and sleeping.

Could go on and on but really look at your gear and if it is a maybe for use just leave it. Try to aim for a 20 to 25 pound pack before water weight. I carry a 2.5 litre bladder and a l litre steel klean bottle. 30 to 35lb all loaded and maybe 40 with a fishing rod/kit(2.5lb) and extra food. That could be for 5 days.

Get a good pair of supportive light hiking BOOTS not trail runners. Your just starting out and it takes a long time to build the muscles and tendons in your feet and ankles. Bring the 5 toes for after you drop pack and camp.
Should not be afraid of stepping on rocks hiking, bruise your arches and all the views and majestic views fade to staring at your feet and wanting it to end.

Hiking poles, they will take 40% of the stress off your legs and back. With my knee I could not overnight hike without them.
 
Thanks for the advice. (Thanks for the advice about socializing my dog, too--I'll send you an e-mail or PM later about that! Don't wanna fill up WS&S with too much dog stuff.)

To be honest, my feet were the least of my concerns. I wore real boots out recently and they did not do me too well. I don't know what it is, it might be my feet, it might be the way I walk, but those toe-shoes and the 40-lb pack made me less tired than in real boots and a 20-lb pack. Those Vibrams worked well for me immediately right out of the store. Stepping on rocks in the Vibrams were easier for me than with sturdy hiking boots because I can at least curl my feet around them and go with the contour of the ground and the rocks. With hiking boots, however, you step on a rock and it's like you're on a seesaw, struggling to find your balance while all your weight comes down on that point on the rock (painful!). That's my experience so far, at least.

The only real concern for me with them is protection--I prefer control and flexibility over support and rigidity, but support and rigidity from all that tough material and extra cushion is where protection come from unfortunately so it's a tough tradeoff.

I am definitely bringing less clothing next time... I'm trying to find a way to leave out the tent altogether too since it's so bulky and heavy, but I still like the protection it gives me against animals and weather.

In place of hiking poles, I opt for a sturdy, slightly curved fallen branch I find along the way. I found one that served me very well both days. Helped me walk, saved me from a few slips. :thumbup:
 
uyotg

How many miles have you logged in your heavier boots to break them in
When I buy a pair of boots I will wear them around the house as for a week or so and first couple times with damp wool socks, then daily dog walks for another 2 weeks before I will even consider wearing them on trail
I only buy full leather hiking boots but even synthetics need break in time

I still say get 2 good poles, on downhills you can palm the top of your poles on steep step downs, using two hiking poles after a little practice and you are flying up and down the mountain

Did you bring badger, if not for shame. When I got my lab spot 12 years ago my solo trips became longer and more frequent. Nothing like a good dog in the bush, even little guys make great alarms and the companionship is indescribable to someone who has never spent 3 weeks hiking alone with a dog.
 
Brad "the butcher";10190362 said:
uyotg

How many miles have you logged in your heavier boots to break them in
When I buy a pair of boots I will wear them around the house as for a week or so and first couple times with damp wool socks, then daily dog walks for another 2 weeks before I will even consider wearing them on trail
I only buy full leather hiking boots but even synthetics need break in time

I still say get 2 good poles, on downhills you can palm the top of your poles on steep step downs, using two hiking poles after a little practice and you are flying up and down the mountain

Did you bring badger, if not for shame. When I got my lab spot 12 years ago my solo trips became longer and more frequent. Nothing like a good dog in the bush, even little guys make great alarms and the companionship is indescribable to someone who has never spent 3 weeks hiking alone with a dog.
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Hey Brad,
Not sure really... I wore them all the time for a few months as my go-to shoes. They still hurt me, and every shoe hurts me, but it's not just the shoe... I have flat feet. I also have very wide feet. The soft stretch fabric used in Vibrams doesn't put so much pressure on my feet as other shoes meant to conform to normal foot shapes. Well, that's my theory at least... all I have are empirical anecdotes about the one pair of shoes that my feet have never felt pain in, but it's very consistent-these shoes don't hurt, every other shoe does.
I was just about to write up another thread about that, but I'm not quite sure which subforum to put it in. I'm not sure "coping with foot problems" is a wilderness survival skill :p but it might be an interesting discussion... I'll think about it.
Out of curiosity, what are the damp wool socks for?

I believe you about the poles! When my wife and I first started out hiking, all these people much older than us would zoom by with their trekking poles. We still can't keep up with them. However, they are the people who hike often for exercise, while I'm just out there to get away from the noise and people of New York City.

Nope, I didn't bring Badger out that first time. He was still young and growing and hadn't completed his lyme disease vaccinations yet. I also admit I didn't know what to expect and didn't want to be alone should he get injured. Even though it's only been a couple months since then, he's matured a lot suddenly and has had some experience hiking, so I'm definitely bringing him next time. I think he'd make a great hiking pal.
 
most of hiking has been solo, I spent three years as a backcountry ranger in the Bob Marshall Wilderness- 10 days on with 4 off, typically beginning of May to end of September, kind of nice to get paid to hike (albeit not too damn much pay :D)

I did have one rather freaky incident (well actually quite few more than one :)). I was dropped off at the trailhead for the start of my hitch, same gentleman was going to pick me up same location 10 days later. A couple of days went by and I never saw another soul, odd but not unheard of. Couple more days- no one. Now I was getting a wee bit concerned, so I started hitting the "hot" spots- outfitter camps, popular spots on the river- still no one. A full ten days without seeing a soul and I was starting to freak out. When I hiked out I almost expected not to be picked up (nuclear holocaust maybe??). The guy was there waiting at the appointed time/place. He asked me how my hitch was and then I related how totally weird it was that I couldn't find a soul for ten days. He shot me a weird look and said you didn't know the woods were shut down due to extreme fire danger? Hmmmm well that would throughly explain things; you'd think maybe someone would want to tell the ranger responsible for insuring that folks weren't supposed to be in there, that there was an order in effect that shut the National Forest down :)
 
My first solo trip was when I was 12 to 13 years old. Spent a week fishing, hiking, camping, along the shore of Lake Tohopekaliga in Central Florida. I was already an experienced camper by then. We are talking around 1958.
Gear would not have been more than a bit of canvas, blanket, candle, fishing gear, compass, hand drawn map, my .38 S&W, small knife and hatchet, basic cooking gear. I don't remember any problems, and can still close my eyes and picture it all.
 
uyotg

the damp socks help mold leather boots to your feet much quicker. My grandpa wore cowboy boots and said that the old school(his) way was to fill them with water, pour it out and walk them dry.

Foot issues are hand in hand with the wilderness and outdoors imop, how else do you get there?

Go see a podiatrist and get some good arch supports, my brother and dad had flat feet like yourself and had to put arch supports in their shoes. Before my bro got properly diagnosed with flat feet at 16 they thought he was developing scoliosis of the spine but it was just from his goofy gait from sore feet. BTW the both of them walk like they are 400lbs not 190, the floor shakes and if you are in the basement you can tell where they are walking upstairs.

At the very least get some "super feet" arch supports from a retailer for around 30$. Good supportive foam with a 3/4 plastic arch. Easily the best off the rack insoles I have found. Mtwarden was just talking well about them recently in a thread.
 
mtwarden said:
most of hiking has been solo, I spent three years as a backcountry ranger in the Bob Marshall Wilderness- 10 days on with 4 off, typically beginning of May to end of September, kind of nice to get paid to hike (albeit not too damn much pay :D)

I did have one rather freaky incident (well actually quite few more than one :)). I was dropped off at the trailhead for the start of my hitch, same gentleman was going to pick me up same location 10 days later. A couple of days went by and I never saw another soul, odd but not unheard of. Couple more days- no one. Now I was getting a wee bit concerned, so I started hitting the "hot" spots- outfitter camps, popular spots on the river- still no one. A full ten days without seeing a soul and I was starting to freak out. When I hiked out I almost expected not to be picked up (nuclear holocaust maybe??). The guy was there waiting at the appointed time/place. He asked me how my hitch was and then I related how totally weird it was that I couldn't find a soul for ten days. He shot me a weird look and said you didn't know the woods were shut down due to extreme fire danger? Hmmmm well that would throughly explain things; you'd think maybe someone would want to tell the ranger responsible for insuring that folks weren't supposed to be in there, that there was an order in effect that shut the National Forest down :)
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That must've been the most incredibly surreal experience you've ever had. I imagine it being pretty cool actually, but hard to instill the feeling in others just by telling the story. But with the amount of zombie fans on the board, I don't imagine many people here don't want to go through what you did :p

Brad "the butcher";10193458 said:
uyotg

the damp socks help mold leather boots to your feet much quicker. My grandpa wore cowboy boots and said that the old school(his) way was to fill them with water, pour it out and walk them dry.

Foot issues are hand in hand with the wilderness and outdoors imop, how else do you get there?

Go see a podiatrist and get some good arch supports, my brother and dad had flat feet like yourself and had to put arch supports in their shoes. Before my bro got properly diagnosed with flat feet at 16 they thought he was developing scoliosis of the spine but it was just from his goofy gait from sore feet. BTW the both of them walk like they are 400lbs not 190, the floor shakes and if you are in the basement you can tell where they are walking upstairs.

At the very least get some "super feet" arch supports from a retailer for around 30$. Good supportive foam with a 3/4 plastic arch. Easily the best off the rack insoles I have found. Mtwarden was just talking well about them recently in a thread.
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That's what I suspected... like the way it's easier to tool and distress leather when it's wet.

Yep, I went to see a doctor just yesterday. I'm going to get arch supports and see how they work. It's funny hearing that they're the ones who walk loud, though, since I'm the quietest walker in the house and the only one with flat feet :cool: thanks for the tip, I'll try those Super Feet

Mannlicher said:
My first solo trip was when I was 12 to 13 years old. Spent a week fishing, hiking, camping, along the shore of Lake Tohopekaliga in Central Florida. I was already an experienced camper by then. We are talking around 1958.
Gear would not have been more than a bit of canvas, blanket, candle, fishing gear, compass, hand drawn map, my .38 S&W, small knife and hatchet, basic cooking gear. I don't remember any problems, and can still close my eyes and picture it all.
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I like it. Most people here have been out so much that they can't remember their first time. You remember it more than five decades later. Now I don't think you can even get a gun at 12 years old!
 
I'd give the Vibrams a chance personally. There is starting to be a swelling of support (from some very high profile doctors/trainers/coaches) for running/hiking like nature intended- it's takes some strengthening and toughening of the feet (as well as just practice), but those that have stuck it out say they will never go back.
 
mtwarden said:
I'd give the Vibrams a chance personally. There is starting to be a swelling of support (from some very high profile doctors/trainers/coaches) for running/hiking like nature intended- it's takes some strengthening and toughening of the feet (as well as just practice), but those that have stuck it out say they will never go back.
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First person on the board to somewhat agree with me on the Vibrams :) I was lucky that I did not need that strengthening period
I will also not hide that I do think they look kind of goofy, though
 
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