New to Hiking/Camping

[masters2010]

I'm heading off to college in late August and before I left I really would like to get involved with some hiking and camping before I leave. I have some limited hiking experience but nothing really noteworthy.

How would you recommend getting into camping? I really don't know the first thing about it. Would it be best to go with an organized group for my first time?

Also, how would I get involved with hiking in the area? Are there any groups you know of that set up hiking trips?

Thanks,
Patrick

 

[billski]

Hello Patrick and welcome. While I don't often post in this group (you'll find me more in the skiing section), I happened to be trolling forums today and your post caught my eye. You're asking a really boatload of issues, so we need to narrow you down.

I'm not sure what you mean by "camping", but I'm going to assume that you want to backpack in somewhere, pitch a tent and make do on your own. If not, there are so many variations, including drive-in state park camping in organized areas, sleeping at lean-tos, sleeping in huts (a-la Mitzpah.)

My first suggestion is always to start with day hikes. It appears you have done some, I can't tell just how much or how complicated. You really have to be comfortable with your gear, especially your boots and food, but just as importantly, emergency gear. http://www.hikesafe.com/ This stuff is as essential for daytrips as it is for overnighters.

Where to go and what to do? Let me quote DOC: "Since there are as many hiking philosophies as hiking philosophers, our advice is: Hike your own hike. Some people hike for the views, some for the accomplishment, some for the company, some for the solitude, some to appreciate nature, and some just for the hiking itself. You’ll quickly discover your reasons for hiking and they will guide you to your own hiking style." http://www.dartmouth.edu/~doc/hiking/ So I think I'd have to hear more about your motivation before offering specific trail suggestions.

The equipment I have is an accumulation over many years. I started out in college, I had a pair of workboots, a really cheap backpack, a very heavy sleeping bag, jeans and a t-shirt. I've come to appreciate the importance of "stuff", and have, at one point or another, used almost all of it
http://www.hikesafe.com/index.php/planning_your_hike/gear_list/the_10_essentials

Assuming you have all the "stuff", we then need to understand how many days you want to be out, and how much effort you want to put into it (do you want a walk in the woods or a strenuous, long hike?) What kind of shape are you in? Be honest, it's critical.

"Camping" involves a lot of "stuff" you wouldn't have for daytrips
http://www.hikesafe.com/index.php/planning_your_hike/gear_list/full_gear_list
I would strongly advise, whatever gear you have, take it outside somewhere and "practice" with it. The last thing you need is to get 5 miles from the road and find missing pieces or hours spent trying to figure out how something works.

If you can go with a buddy, that is best. It's mostly a safety precaution, but for many it's also social. Suppose you break your leg and can't walk or fall very ill?

AMC has a lot of great guidebooks for beginner hikes http://www.outdoors.org/recreation/tripplanner/ , and some other bookstore collections "50 hikes in NH, VT, ME, MA, NY where ever..." are suitable.
For a first time, you want to pick some established, well-traveled routes. That's what these books are all about. If you go on a popular route, it's quite OK to go solo, since there will seemingly always be people passing you by.

www.hikenewengland.com has some good hikes and the price is right.

There are organized trips, most prominently the AMC trips. http://www.outdoors.org/recreation/tripplanner/ideas/index.cfm

Another suggestion, is to stay at a remote (hike-in) campsite, let's say, along the AT. http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/campsites/campsites-profile.cfm There are often lean-tos (but bring your tent in case they are full). That way, you are most likely in the company of experienced hikers, who you can spend the evening chatting with and seeking advice. I once caught a bad case of hypothermia after backpacking for days in 40-degree, pouring rain. The other hikers at the campsite (I think it was Kinsman Pond) kept an eye on me (and knew what advice to offer) - priceless.

The hands-down best book I ever read was when I started in the 1970's, a fellow named Ed Garvey, "Appalachian Hiker II". While I never aspired to be a through-hiker, I learned boatloads from his wisdom. About hiking, camping, trails, gear, nuts-and-bolts stuff, logistics, nature, geography. It was a veritable collection of all the issues, all in one place. I must have re-read the book six times. I still have it. While Ed is now departed, he wrote several other books later which are still in print. Anything Ed wrote is work reading.

 

[masters2010]

Wow, thank you for the comprehensive response, that information is very helpful.

To me, camping is exactly as you labeled it. I want "to backpack in somewhere, pitch a tent and make do on my own," as you put it. I really have no interest in a public campground.

My hiking experience is limited to the 7-10 hikes arranged through school and another few while with a smaller group of people in Dominica. My motivation to hike and camp is for the immersion in wilderness and to maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle. For that reason I want the hikes to be long, strenuous, and difficult but obviously something within my skill level. I am not in excellent shape but I am an avid gym goer and do participate in lots of sports and lead an active lifestyle.

Your advice of starting with day trips sounds like a good plan to follow. I live on a rural farm in Rhode Island with over 100 acres of woods so that would also be a good place to practice the actual camping aspect with no real danger.

I will pick up a couple of the books you recommend and just get started with some hiking. I would prefer to start with an organized trip so I will check out the AMC trips and try to arrange something through them. I'm sure I will have more questions soon enough but you covered everything very thoroughly.

Thanks,
Patrick

 

[billski]

here is a good one
http://trips.outdoors.org/index.cfm/method/Chapter_Trips.fullview/tripid/14542/preview/preview
I am sure there are many more like this.

Don't over-extend yourself first trip. Hiking pushes your body in ways different from working out in the gym. You should use day hikes as conditioning for backpacking. Blisters and sore muscle groups (the ones you thought were strong enough) will be problematic the first few days, so make sure you deal well with that. Work out the chinks in your regimen before you're doing overnighters - food, clothing, insect repellent strategy. Oh, and I can't underestimate making sure you know how to use your compass and practice it, even in an organized group setting. That's the best time to figure it out.

 

[catskills]

Spend as much time as possible in the woods. Experience, experience, experience.

One way to learn is to just start doing it on your own with small baby steps. Do some small hikes on your own with Topo maps and compass. Learn to use a sylvia compass with topo map while hiking. Get a book read it and just do it. Never ever just rely on GPS. GPS may fail and you still have to know how to use a compass.

Keep track of the Sun as you walk. Use an analog wrist watch hands and the Sun to find North, South, East , West.

Again do baby steps at first. I hate to say this but one of the best teachers is to get lost for a short time. You learn a lot when you get lost. Daniel Boone was asked was he ever lost. He said no. He then replied I may not have known where I was going for a few days but I was never lost.

Many hikers get into trouble getting a late start or starting a hike with bad weather that will hit in a few hours. I once met a couple hiking to a fire tower in the Adirondacaks as I was hiking out about 1 hour before night fall. I asked them where they were going. I told them it will take exactly one hour to continue to hike into the fire tower and another 2 hours to hike out. There is only 1 hour of day light left. I asked do you have any kind of flashlight. He said no they don't. They ignored me and continue to hike further into the woods. I told the forest ranger after I hike out. He just said oh well. No rain tonight and no moon. Looks like they will spend the night in the woods.

That said, after you get some experience for a day hike try Mount Monadnock

 

[masters2010]

Thanks for all the input. I've found a few hikes through AMC that I'm going to try to attend so hopefully that will be good to get my feet wet.

I have had previous compass experience but it is something that definitely needs some refreshening. I'll hopefully use an AMC hike to get confident with my gear as you recommended.

Regarding your recommendation of Mt. Monadnock: I actually hiked it just last month with my school. I really enjoyed it and might use the familiar terrain as an opportunity to gain experience in a smaller group.

Thanks once again,
Patrick

 

[OppositeGeorge]

billski's Garvey book still is applicable after all these years. Great recommendation.

On overextending yourself -- it's easy to fall into the trap of planning for more miles than you can comfortably do, especially when you get started. From your dayhiking you already know that trail walking is nowhere near the speed you can achieve on the sidewalk. Even worse when you're in hilly territory. Well, once you add a loaded pack to the mix (and possibly heavier boots) and things go even slower -- your footing is less sure, climbing is more work, you burn more calories and sweat more so you take more food, rest and water breaks. All this adds up to slower going than dayhiking.

So take it easy. Find a shelter/campsite one or two miles off the trailhead for your first overnight and use that trip as a shakedown cruise. And for a second trip, I wouldn't plan on more than 8 miles per day on the very outside -- and cut that in half if you're hiking the Whites. Slowly work your way up to your comfort level as you learn more. This prevents the situation of you hiking after dark/when tired or feeling you have to rush. If you put yourself in that kind of situation you're just asking for shit to go bad. And when shit goes bad out there it goes bad quick. You would much rather pull into camp far too early and feeling you could do another 5-10 miles than the opposite.

Oh, and carry a map and know how to use it -- they're light and can save your ass when all else goes babba-louie.

One other thing -- I don't recall if anybody else said this but trekking poles (yeah, I know, they're dorky) really help speed and footing, especially on downhills, and they really help your knees. Get a quality pair (Leki is a really good brand,) learn how to use them (it takes a couple days,) and you'll never regret it.

 

[billski]

billski's Garvey book still is applicable after all these years. Great recommendation.

I don't recall if anybody else said this but trekking poles .

Used books are a great way to add to your collection for real cheap. You can get Garvey's book at http://www.abebooks.com for $6 delivered. Best $6 investment you'll ever make. I have bought dozens of books via abebooks, which is a network of used booksellers worldwide.

OG - tell me more about poles, I've always stayed away from "more gear" - I guess the backpacker in me is always trying to make the load lighter (plus at my age, it's one more thing to lose!):dunce:. Are they just as helpful on day hikes and backpacking alike? Do they serve any secondary purpose that would make the argument more persuasive.

 

[OppositeGeorge]

About poles. Lemme keep this short for now (gotta run soon.) Come back with your questions and I'll re-respond.

I thought poles were for chumps until I started an AT section hike in 2003 (Bear Mtn, NY -> Baxter Peak) and had to take a week off by the time I got to Dalton MA due to bum knees. Yes, that's before you get to any real mountains! Ended up buying a pair of Leki Super Makkalus @ the Mountain Goat in Williamstown and that really straightened a bunch of stuff out for me.

I bring my pack weight down all the time but never consider dropping the poles. There are three major areas where they help.

First, they let you push on the flats and uphills, helping you keep your speed up and allowing your arms to do some of the work. If you're hiking for fitness this also increases calorie burn and upper body involvement. They also help you keep a good rhythm up.

Second, on the downhills and steep uphills, they're your outriggers. It's like getting 4WD -- they give you a lot more flexibility on where you put your center of mass in relation to your feet, which means you're more stable and have more fine control over your balance. This is especially helpful with a pack but even barebacking you feel the benefit.

Third, on the downhills and over small gaps/fords you can use them as crutches to swing your feet into air and ease the drops down major steps -- this is the most obvious source of knee relief, btw. Hell, you can just lean into them on downhills to slow you down. This ties in with number two, above. What this means is you can control your speed without resorting to leaning back, which is much better for your quads and knees. Or you can go for speed if conditions allow and be a lot more stable all the way down.

I think as a skier, Bill, you might get a feel for number two and three better if you think about how you use your poles on a steep mogul run. Trekking poles really take the same role -- you can use them to help direct your center of gravity and you can use them for support and you can use them for rhythm. Many's the time I've tackled a steep rugged downhill hiking trail at a good clip and thought, "Hey, this is just like a bump run." I'm just not nimble enough to do that without trekking poles -- I'd end up on my ass, or worse, with a broken wrist from trying to check a forward fall.

 

[billski]

OG - that's a good point about controlling downward momentum. When I was in my 20's, I used to run down the mountain, with my legs pounding straight down onto the rocks. severe pain set in after a few months of that. I had chipped up the inside of my kneecap. I had to learn how to flex my legs as I traveled down. Nowadays, I spend far too much time braking on the way down - it's very tiresome on the legs.

 

[OppositeGeorge]

Nowadays, I spend far too much time braking on the way down - it's very tiresome on the legs.

Yeah, if you think about it you're getting in the back seat, which along with its attendant kinematics is a major reason why fearful skiers tire quickly on steeps and ice while experts don't. Using trekking poles lets you get out of the back seat on steep hiking descents, and you don't get as tired.

 

[MichaelJ]

I've been away and am a little late to this thread but ...

Make sure to set up your tent, once you have one, at home first. Know exactly how it goes together, and even that you have all the pieces. Getting to your destination in the woods is no time to find you're missing a pole, or don't have a needed stake.

There are plenty of great flat-hike-in-then-camp options up in the Whites, if that's your destination. Flat Mountain Pond is about a 6 mile walk on an old railroad grade, then a lean-to, privy, and grassy lawn for a tent on the shore of a pond. You can also hike in from Wild River Road at the campground along the Wild River Trail for a few miles and stay at several designated camping options (Spruce Brook Shelter, Perkins Notch). Note that's a wilderness area so if not at a designated site you must be 200' off-trail. Head into the Zealand Valley and pitch a tent in there. Or along the river heading to the Hancocks. There are a lot of options, too many regrettably for me to list here, but I do recommend starting with a flat trip as if anything does go wrong, it's easier to deal with.