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Any one else in South Korea? I'm planning to do a thru hike (NOBO) in 2007, but I'll be in South Korea until December. Do you think this might be cutting it close for planning?
South Korea is a great place for doing day/weekend hikes - there are even several nice mountain trails starting just a short walk from my apartment. Anyhow, if anyone else is here and would like to do a 3 day hike in Jirisan (or something else) please let me know.
Blue Jay
05-30-2006, 12:26
I'm planning to do a thru hike (NOBO) in 2007, but I'll be in South Korea until December. Do you think this might be cutting it close for planning?
Not at all, most plans are thrown out after the first 5 miles anyway. Don't worry, you'll have the time of your life.
Thanks, that's also what I thought. I just keep reading about all these people that say they spend months (or even years) planning. I'm an organized person, and I can't imagine spending much more than a few days to research/buy/order gear, another few days to plan and prepare mail drops, and a few weekends to experiment and do mini-hikes. I already have 2/3 of the big items (pack and sleeping bag) so I just need a tent, clothing, cooking gear, etc. (I think my current tent is too heavy.)
Another thing I was wondering... Except for adding water and mixing things, I've never really cooked while hiking before. On the other hand, I've never hiked more than two weeks before. After a month or two, do most people really start to crave a hot meal or hot coffee? I'm quite sure I don't want to use a stove for breakfast or lunch, but I'm not sure about dinner. Do most people who don't take a stove regret this choice? Is there any reason why this is a really bad idea?
Njord, I was stationed at Camp Humphreys (Air Force) back in the early 90's, which is near Pyongtaek. My wife is from Taegu. Now that is a great area for hiking. I bet it has changed a lot!
icemanat95
05-31-2006, 10:04
The exercise of planning a thru-hike, is really just an exercise in planning. The plan produced thereby is essentially an uneducated guess. As you hike, you'll develop a better understanding of how long it will take you to cover the distances between legs of your hike and be able to better plan what you'll need, when.
December is plenty of time to begin this process.
South Korea strikes me as an interesting place to hike. What's scary is that just across the DMZ is an absolute wasteland.
Blue Jay
05-31-2006, 10:11
Another thing I was wondering... Except for adding water and mixing things, I've never really cooked while hiking before. On the other hand, I've never hiked more than two weeks before. After a month or two, do most people really start to crave a hot meal or hot coffee? I'm quite sure I don't want to use a stove for breakfast or lunch, but I'm not sure about dinner. Do most people who don't take a stove regret this choice? Is there any reason why this is a really bad idea?
Much of that is personal preference, although I do believe most people use small alcohol stoves. Again you will find out quite quickly if you want one or not. I never looked, but I seem to remember that there are some designs for soda can stoves on this site. Part of an empty can weighs almost nothing and you'll have it if you change your mind.
Njord, I was stationed at Camp Humphreys (Air Force) back in the early 90's, which is near Pyongtaek. My wife is from Taegu. Now that is a great area for hiking. I bet it has changed a lot!
Yeah, from what I hear everything in Korea has changed a lot since the early 90's. Pyeongtaek is in Gyeonggi-do, not that far from Seoul, and I am on the opposite end of the peninsula so I haven't been anywhere near there yet. Daegu/Taegu is not too far from me, but I'm probably better off going to Jirisan for a few weekend hikes. Gyeongju is fairly close to Daegu and has loads of interesting tourist stuff to see and good hiking. You ever visit? I see loads of soldiers here at the foreigner pub, but they all seem to be here for 6 months or sometimes even less. How long were you in Korea?
South Korea strikes me as an interesting place to hike. What's scary is that just across the DMZ is an absolute wasteland.
It is an interesting place to hike. The country is 70% mountains and there are well-marked paths on almost all of them. You can walk past Buddhist temples, waterfalls, etc. The problem is that it is way overcrowded. South Korea has 50 million people in an area smaller than Kentucky. And Koreans love to hike.
I was out walking on a local mountain (nothing special about it) and ran into several school field trips and countless other Korean hikers. I probably saw a thousand or two on the day. It thins out a bit up on the ridge line where there are some big falls. (parents don't like to take their children there) Still, you are always within sight of at least two or three hikers. The major national parks are worse. I've heard of people actually getting in line to hike up a mountain. Camping is only allowed at shelters and official tent-sites. The shelters are huge, some with room for 300 people. The tent sites are even bigger with up several thousand each. Despite this, you have to reserve spots a month ahead of time for the high seasons and weekends.
The only way I've found to beat the traffic is to hike an unpopular mountain on an off day around sunset. (Koreans like to watch the sunrise, but not the sunset for some reason.) Still, I normally see two or three other hikers.
Hikers here also have the tradition of screaming at the top of their lungs from the top of mountains. Do many people do this in the US? I've never seen it, but then I haven't hiked many mountains with a big crowd at the top. It would be a rather nice tradition if there weren't so many people doing it.
Still, Korea is a very nice place to hike.
Much of that is personal preference, although I do believe most people use small alcohol stoves. Again you will find out quite quickly if you want one or not. I never looked, but I seem to remember that there are some designs for soda can stoves on this site. Part of an empty can weighs almost nothing and you'll have it if you change your mind.
That sounds like good advice. I read about the soda can stoves. Should be fun to experiment with if nothing else.
The only problem with this method is that it will require more flexibility with my mail drops. (I won't be able to buy the hot dinners in bulk ahead of time.) But I will have to make some changes in any case, so I guess it isn't a big loss.
Actually, the most important thing I need to research is trail nutrition. I figure that will play a huge role in general comfort/health on the trail. The good thing is that I can probably work out most of it from the comfort of my computer here in Korea :)
I'm quite sure I don't want to use a stove for breakfast or lunch, but I'm not sure about dinner. Do most people who don't take a stove regret this choice? Is there any reason why this is a really bad idea?
Most people do bring a stove of some kind when on a long hike. It makes a lot of sense.
Hikers are sometimes annoyed by other hikers who do not carry a stove of their own then turn around and try to borrow their fellow hikers stove.
Also, if you get cold you can always heat up a cup of hot water to warm yourself up and stave off hypothermia.
I have never overnighted without a stove.
Panzer
I was in Korea 92-94. Do you know where Camp Walker is in Taegu? There is a mountain next to the compound we called "MOC Hill". It had a Korean comm tower on the lower peak and a cleared, leveled spot at the top where we set up our mobile comm equipment.
FYI, I always carry a stove. I have an alcohol stove and a canister stove. I'm mostly using the alcohol stove now. I use it for morning coffee, afternoon tea and dinner. I eat a cold breakfast and cold lunch. I haven't thru-hiked but have done a few sections.
Njord. Ramien is the perfect trail food. I always carry some. My wife gets it at the local Korean market.
Amigi'sLastStand
06-01-2006, 02:45
I planned it and winged it all over the world. Never Korea though. IMHO, spend a month at it, no more. Do good research about gear, plan MDs as best you can ( keep it REAL flexible ), and most of all, speak to ppl/read this site. Sooner or later youll come up with a question that you cant get an answer to. Just ask the boneheads:) around here. We'll give ya ten answers, agrue about who's right for a couple months and when ya get back, you can get your answer.
My only question to you is, why NOBO?
Spcshiznit
06-20-2006, 01:59
I was stationed at Camp Red Cloud back in 2000. That was one crazy year, and I miss going to Seoul on the weekends.
Shadow Walking
06-21-2006, 18:32
Must be nice to leasurely hike in Korea. Was there from 88-91 up in Tongduchon (Camp Casey).
Got my hiking done there more in the forced march variety.
Good luck and enjoy.
Shadow Walking, I was in Casey in 99-00. Y2K was something else there. While everyone else was worried about technology failing I just laughed. Some of these people still pee in a bucket. Had a great time in Korea. Was infantry so I got to see a lot of mountains and the DMZ. Njord, they still playing Britney Speers over the load speaker on the DMZ?
Shadow Walking
06-22-2006, 09:34
LOL....I just remember the N. Koreans calling out our unit and some people's names over the loud speaker as we were patroling/ambushing in the DMZ. Talk about annoying.
I have to admit that I really enjoyed alot of the landscape in Korea. Very beautiful. I just hated when we had to crawl up the side of a mountain rather than take a spur up.