The hiking mega-thread

[Jamisjockey]

If'n we don't move out of here this year, I'd like to hike a portion of the Appalachain trail.  Nothing too ambitious, maybe a 2 or 3 day section.

[mgdavis]

Got out for a 14 mile day hike today on Green Mountain here in Kitsap.

The Brothers, Olympics.


Seattle. You can see the Space Needle standing by itself off to the left.


Rainier


North overlooking the Hood Canal


Reflecting pond

[sanglant]

If'n we don't move out of here this year, I'd like to hike a portion of the Appalachain trail.  Nothing too ambitious, maybe a 2 or 3 day section.

remember to carry, there have been too many people found dead in there already.

[BridgeRunner]

remember to carry, there have been too many people found dead in there already.

Nine people in thirty-five years seems to present a reasonable level of risk. 

[sanglant]

to me, it is enough to warrant the extra few pounds. better to have it and not need it, and all that jazz. being someone's wakeup call sucks.

[Jocassee]

to me, it is enough to warrant the extra few pounds. better to have it and not need it, and all that jazz. being someone's wakeup call sucks.

A lot of the App Trail is state park. Some is NF too. Know your trail. Of course if you don't care...

[S. Williamson]

I'd love to camping, hiking, etc. but my (admittedly few) experiences have been... less than enjoyable.

Most of what I've done has been "difficult-environment" Geocaching, meaning no more than a couple hours or so away from the car, but in below-freezing temperatures in the dead of night through swamps, dense forest, crossing large-ish lakes and streams without a decent boat, etc. and I've had a blast doing it...

but the only comparatively "real" camping experience I've had was when a friend and I tried to climb a mountain in CO in the middle of summer.  I only lasted about half an hour before I couldn't go any farther, and we set up camp.  That lasted until about 8pm (!) when it got so cold that I simply couldn't get any rest.  We ended up scrubbing the whole ordeal, me losing a friend in the process.

I can walk for miles with regular everyday clothing and shoes, with no special prep at all, on flat terrain.  I don't consume large amounts of liquid.  I'm decently strong, and can carry a good amount of weight for a long period of time.  I'm not afraid of heights, wild critters (if properly armed), darkness, or being lost.  Left to my own devices and with nothing more than a halfway-decent fixed blade knife, I can set up a decent shelter and probably not die.  I can read a map and use a compass to figure out where I am.  I know rudimentary first aid skills, how to signal for help, and so on.  

But I cannot hike on any kind of gradient, apparently, nor can I seem to keep warm in the middle of the summer.    I really, really want to, but it seems that I cannot.  Not without spending thousands of dollars on equipment and clothing, which I've never been able to afford.  I think, in the end, I'm not built for it.  The mind is intelligent and the spirit is willing, but there's too much flesh.  Maybe if I just tried to do it with no gear at all...

[BlueStarLizzard]

If'n we don't move out of here this year, I'd like to hike a portion of the Appalachain trail.  Nothing too ambitious, maybe a 2 or 3 day section.

highly recommend 3 ridges and loop it through mahur trail. the super fast can do the loop in a day. resonable pace with time to look around, 2 days 1 night. if you like to streach it out, do night one at bear creek shelter and night 2 at maupin fields. its AT from the main road (can't remember) btween 3 ridges and priest, to maupin, then flip back and head down mahur.

nice peaks with cool veiws and mahur has some real nice splashy in water spots complete with water falls.

[French G.]

remember to carry, there have been too many people found dead in there already.

You mean people don't? Shocking.

[BridgeRunner]

but the only comparatively "real" camping experience I've had was when a friend and I tried to climb a mountain in CO in the middle of summer.  I only lasted about half an hour before I couldn't go any farther, and we set up camp.  That lasted until about 8pm (!) when it got so cold that I simply couldn't get any rest.  We ended up scrubbing the whole ordeal, me losing a friend in the process.

But I cannot hike on any kind of gradient, apparently, nor can I seem to keep warm in the middle of the summer.    I really, really want to, but it seems that I cannot.  Not without spending thousands of dollars on equipment and clothing, which I've never been able to afford.

My first thought is that the problem was trying to do it with someone.  I'll get yelled at, I'm sure, about the safety issues involved (heck, I hike/backpack solo and unarmed), but I despise having my good time infringed upon by someone else's ambition or lack thereof.  Going solo makes these things so much more awesome, in my humble opinion.  I had one hiking partner that worked out for a while.  We did a LOT of hiking together--dayhiking and car-camping--when my first kiddo was smaller.  I had a kid on my back, and he's an old guy (mid-fifties  ), so our paces ended up pretty even.  But even then, I got annoyed at his constant insistence on trying to tell me what to do.  I'm perfectly happy to hike and camp alone. 

As for the climbing issue, that is about physical conditioning.  You have three choices: give up the thought of longer hiking trips, get yourself into decent shape, or be content to go reaaaallllyyyyy slow, whether solo or with a patient friend.  On my only real backpacking trip I had to take the longer uphills pretty slow.  I was out of shape and very overweight.  That would not be an issue for me now.  Build cardio endurance and strengthen quads and hamstrings. 

As for the cold issue, yeah that is about gear, but it really, really does not need to be that costly.  Go to Goodwill.  Find anything wool that costs under $5.  Pack a couple garbage packs in case of heavy rain.  You will never be cold again.  Overnights are only slightly more complicated. 

[BridgeRunner]

You mean people don't? Shocking.

If I decide I can fit in another pound or three, I'm spending it on extra clothes.  More likely to save my life.  Hypothermia is usually a greater threat than violent crime.

[S. Williamson]

If I decide I can fit in another pound or three, I'm spending it on extra clothes.  More likely to save my life.  Hypothermia is usually a greater threat than violent crime.

 

[BridgeRunner]

 

At least *I* won't put my eye out, kid.   

[Ron]

I can walk for miles with regular everyday clothing and shoes, with no special prep at all, on flat terrain.  I don't consume large amounts of liquid.

Just a thought here.

Staying properly hydrated is crucial to not only endurance but your bodies ability to regulate temperature.

"If you are thirsty it is too late" may not be entirely true but the concept of staying hydrated to ward off thirst is a good one to follow when backpacking.

Not consuming a lot of water while backpacking/hiking is not a virtue. You would be better off consuming a little too much water and having to get up in the middle of the night to pee than going to sleep mildly dehydrated.

This is doubly true at higher altitudes! If I know I'm going above 9000 feet I've been known to set my watches hydration alarm to beep every 20 minutes. I just take a little sip off my hydration bags tube, it helps me avoid stopping and chugging water because I'm thirsty.

As a flatlander I take precautions to make sure I'm enjoying myself while at higher altitude.

  

[Dannyboy]

So, does anyone have a good source for maps? 

[Racehorse]

or be content to go reaaaallllyyyyy slow, whether solo or with a patient friend.  On my only real backpacking trip I had to take the longer uphills pretty slow.

This is the key. Going up a steep hill with 50 lbs of gear on your back sucks after a few steps even if you're in decent shape. I got the proverbial "fat kids" in our scout troop to complete about a 10-mile round trip backpacking overnighter with some pretty significant uphill climbs by just being patient and encouraging them to keep going. I may have lied a few times and said "It's just past this hill," as well.   

But seriously, I've surprised myself at some of the hikes I've been able to do just by keeping myself moving, even if it's at a snail's pace.

As has already been mentioned, hydration is key. One of the hardest hikes I've ever done was when I was in the best shape of my life. I did fine on the way up to the peak (about 7,000 vertical feet in about 7 miles), but I ran out of water just before reaching the top. Even though it was all downhill after we reached the summit, I almost didn't make it out because I got dehydrated. You have to drink like a fish, especially if it's hot outside.

[Ron]

So, does anyone have a good source for maps? 

http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/

You can download 24K USGS topo quads in PDF form for free or order the maps to be sent to the house.

[mgdavis]

Not only is staying hydrated important, but I find that snacking along the way can help immensely also. I don't generally eat a large breakfast, so I start to bonk after three or four miles if I don't eat a powerbar or something along the way.

You've got to start somewhere to build up to the long hikes, so find something close and short or spend some time walking on the treadmill with a pack on. It's not that you can't hike up hills, it's that you can't hike up much of a hill yet.

And like others have said - just go slow and steady. If you keep plugging away you'll get there eventually.

[dm1333]

Not consuming a lot of water while backpacking/hiking is not a virtue. You would be better off consuming a little too much water and having to get up in the middle of the night to pee than going to sleep mildly dehydrated.

Last summer while hiking in the Trinity Alps in one day I drank a full 100 oz bladder, a 32 oz water bottle, and what ever extra I was able to drink when stopping at the last reliable spring that morning.  With temps over 100 degrees and plenty of ups and downs followed by a very steep downhill for the last two miles it was a tough hike.  I was mildly dehydrated when I hit the North Fork of the Trinity even with all that water.  Drink your water!

[mgdavis]

Gear -

The brown truck of happiness just dropped off a couple big boxes of odds 'n ends from Backcountry.com. 

Marmot Helium Membrain +15* down mummy bag: 2lbs 5oz of pure awesome. Included was a size XS stuff sack. It fits. The bag looks like it was vacuum packed after you pull it out of the stuff sack, then you can watch as it inflates itself. Can't wait to test it out while snowcaving in a couple weeks.

Thermarest Neoair: 6' long, 20" wide, 2.5" thick air mattress, 14oz. No more feeling sticks and stones through my thin closed cell pad.

Backcountry.com long-handled Ti spoon. Pretty much a 16 gram titanium MRE spoon. The bowl looks like it's shaped to handle soup better than an MRE spoon. Pure hiking swank/bling.
 

[sanglant]

just encase you didn't know, don't store your bag in that bag. i learned that one the hard way.

[BridgeRunner]

just encase you didn't know, don't store your bag in that bag. i learned that one the hard way.

Me too.  My kid has a very nice sleeping bag. 

[mgdavis]

I know, and I definitely don't want it to end up looking vacuum packed 100% of the time. It came with a big cotton storage bag also. My older Marmot synthetic bag lives in a GI duffel when I'm not using it.

[Ron]

My Marmot Helium 15 is the older 1/2 zip model.

It's my favorite bag.

[mgdavis]

It's unreal how light it is, and how small it packs down. I was at the local shop today, and there were 30* down bags that weighed more. 850-fill down is awesome. It was pricey, but I don't regret it at all.

I've got to say, I'm a little surprised at how snug it fits. I'm a pretty thin dude, and it's just about right on me. If I was much thicker I don't think I'd be able to spend a comfortable night in this bag.