View Full Version : if i knew then what i know now
i'm teaching a backpacking workshop on the 22nd of July. i'll be covering basics like: gear, food and site selection, LNT ethics, trails in Georgia and North Carolina, etc. folks are invited to bring their gear for shakedowns as well. i'm sure there is all kinds of stuff that i'm not thinking about though, so what would you have liked to have known when you started backpacking. you know, all those things that made you think, man, i wish someone had told me that before.
bigcranky
07-02-2006, 11:01
General,
I think the biggest thing that I see in beginners' packs is too much clothing. I know I started out that way -- a change of clothes for every day, just like at home. For warm weather hiking, all that's really needed is a set of hiking clothes and a set of camp clothes (and some hikers dispense with the camp clothes). That and a lightweight warm layer and a rain shell should do it.
Wolf - 23000
07-02-2006, 13:40
General,
I think the biggest thing that I see in beginners' packs is too much clothing. I know I started out that way -- a change of clothes for every day, just like at home. For warm weather hiking, all that's really needed is a set of hiking clothes and a set of camp clothes (and some hikers dispense with the camp clothes). That and a lightweight warm layer and a rain shell should do it.
General, I started off the same way myself but times have change. While hiking southbound from Hot Springs, NC - Springer Mt., GA many of the northbound thru-hikers were complaining they were freezing.
Wolf
Just Jeff
07-02-2006, 14:12
You don't need the gadgets.
If you don't use it every day, leave it behind (unless it's first-aid, survival gear, etc).
hikerjohnd
07-02-2006, 14:18
I wish I had had a scale from day one. I would have really reconsidered a lot of choices along the way if I had thought about the weight of each item and then all of them as a whole. Also - I'd spend a bit of time on the ten essentials and how they can be included without significant weight addition.
I wish I had had a scale from day one. I would have really reconsidered a lot of choices along the way if I had thought about the weight of each item and then all of them as a whole. Also - I'd spend a bit of time on the ten essentials and how they can be included without significant weight addition.
absolutely. makes a big difference when the scales say it's heavy, even if you knew something was too heavy.
Programbo
07-02-2006, 19:07
I agree to a point...But a lot of people seem to be fixated on weight of things and total weight...But then they go and buy a pack simply because it is several pounds lighter than another but they miss the point that the heavier pack is better designed to carry and transfer the weight and distribute it over the bodies natural center of gravity allowing you to walk in a more natural manner...Therefore the weight actually feels lighter in the heavier pack and you end up conserving more energy because of your walking motion
hikerjohnd
07-02-2006, 19:21
... but they miss the point that the heavier pack is better designed to carry and transfer the weight and distribute it over the bodies natural center of gravity allowing you to walk in a more natural manner...Therefore the weight actually feels lighter in the heavier pack and you end up conserving more energy because of your walking motion
Well, I agree there are advantages to some suspension systems in heavier packs, but if you reduce your total pack weight from say 50 pounds (not unreasonable for a very beginner) to something in the 10-20 pound range (where I am now), then a fancy suspension system is overkill. I know from experience that dropping the weight made even my GG Ozone too much pack for a long weekend.
Wolf - 23000
07-02-2006, 19:39
Well, I agree there are advantages to some suspension systems in heavier packs, but if you reduce your total pack weight from say 50 pounds (not unreasonable for a very beginner) to something in the 10-20 pound range (where I am now), then a fancy suspension system is overkill. I know from experience that dropping the weight made even my GG Ozone too much pack for a long weekend.
hikerjohnd,
Both you and Programbo do have very valid points but not everyone wants to go light or ultra-light. When ever you buy a backpack, the suspension system is a good indicated on the amount of weight a hiker wants to carry. A pack with a good suspension system is good for hikers who don’t mind carrying extra weight. A lower suspension system is going to encourage a hiker to travel with less. It all depends on how much the hiker wants to carry and doing it.
<O:p</O:p
Wolf
Amigi'sLastStand
07-02-2006, 20:17
Talk about the importance of good footwear and physical conditioning. Also, the importance of listening to your own body, and hiking your own hike.
Alligator
07-02-2006, 20:58
6. Cans are heavy.
5. Keep your kitchen small.
4. Fleece is warm, but these days it's heavy.
3. You really can be comfortable under a tarp.
2. Remember to eat and drink regularly throughout the day. Take breaks.
1. Boots aren't all that necessary and trail runners are a great opportunity to avoid many foot problems. I personally feel that it's a better route to try trail runners first. If you must switch to boots, you have only spent $50-80 vs. spending $100-200 first. Plus, I feel that more people who have tried both are more comfortable in trail runners.
fiddlehead
07-02-2006, 21:32
One of the most important things i learned about successful backpacking was : Everything has a place in your pack. ALWAYS put things back in their place. Then you'll always be able to find things fast. Sometimes that's very important.
sliderule
07-02-2006, 22:49
If you don't use it every day, leave it behind (unless it's first-aid, survival gear, etc).
Could you provide some examples of "survival gear?" I don't know that I have ever carried anything that would be considered as such.
Amigi'sLastStand
07-02-2006, 22:54
Could you provide some examples of "survival gear?" I don't know that I have ever carried anything that would be considered as such.
Compass, knife, rope, duct tape, fire source, water carrier, map, signal device, needle and thread ... mp3 player, camera, vodka, air mattress, pillow...
i'm sure there is all kinds of stuff that i'm not thinking about though, so what would you have liked to have known when you started backpacking. you know, all those things that made you think, man, i wish someone had told me that before.
1) I'm glad I was introduced to maps from the start. It's a cool way to way to bring another dimension into the outdoor experience, as well as the added safety potential.
2) I wish I knew more about the relationship between my clothing, my itinerary, and my weather conditions. This has been an ongoing learning experience for me and one that I have had little guidance on.
3) Take long, solid, deep breaths just as you hit that steep pull BEFORE you get winded.
4) Your water will freeze to the point of no return if you don't protect it during an extra cold night.
5) Hypothermia is the biggest threat to your life while backpacking. (Climate specific)
Amigi'sLastStand
07-03-2006, 00:57
5) Hypothermia is the biggest threat to your life while backpacking. (Climate specific)
And conversely, heat stroke in the warmer climes
Just Jeff
07-03-2006, 03:19
Could you provide some examples of "survival gear?" I don't know that I have ever carried anything that would be considered as such.
What Amigi said. Basically the Ten Essentials (or 14 or whatever we're up to now). Just b/c you don't use your first aid kit every day doesn't mean you should leave it behind. Or an emergency tarp if you plan to stay in shelters every night.
But if you already have a headlamp and a photon, then the lightstick becomes a gadget. The propane lantern at Walmart is a gadget for most solo trips. If all you make is one-pot meals, then the nesting cookset becomes at least half-gadget!
Just b/c it's sold in the camping aisle doesn't mean you need it in your pack - that's the point I was trying to make.
SGT Rock
07-03-2006, 04:52
I agree to a point...But a lot of people seem to be fixated on weight of things and total weight...But then they go and buy a pack simply because it is several pounds lighter than another but they miss the point that the heavier pack is better designed to carry and transfer the weight and distribute it over the bodies natural center of gravity allowing you to walk in a more natural manner...Therefore the weight actually feels lighter in the heavier pack and you end up conserving more energy because of your walking motion
One reason I always tell people that are trying to go light weight to switch their pack last.
If you are dropping from 50 pounds to 30 pounds, 30 pounds still carries great in a 5-6 pound pack, but 30 pounds might not feel so good in a 1 pound pack.
A) Moleskin and headnets are two of man's greatest inventions.
B) All backpacking trips need not be an athletic endeavor, even if you are a young stud.
C) A bit of knowledge about natural history along the Trail can add a wonderfull dimension to any trip, and is not the purvue of little old ladies.
D) The shoulder seasons are a great time to backpack.
E) An in and out trip can be as good as loop trip. Trails look different in each direction.
F) A deer's snort in the woods sounds like a bear's. Related point: a rustle in the woods at nightalways sounds like it is being made by "the next size up" of animal.
G) You don't need expensive stuff. Thatr guy who cut off his leg to free himself from a boulder used a knock off Leatherman, not a real one. There was a time I felt I needed name-brand stuff, but I was wrong.
H) Camping off Trail is not only OK, its great. Most hikers cant bring themselves to walk 100 feet into the woods. Following a stream off trail can give you assurance that you wont get lost.
I) A book and a pair of birding binoculars don't weigh anything. For other people, there should be other objects that don't weigh anything.
if i knew then what i know now .....
I would have triple-crowned before my 25 birthday, which happens to also be before I got married. Would have gotten set up with more treks around the world concerning educational explorations. Could kick my butt for not taking every opportunity to hike and explore every island while stationed in Hawaii, I did do a good bit, but not near enough.
Hiking can be the cheapest fun one can do. Me and a friend got the el-cheapo flight offered to gamblers to Las Vegas several years ago, rented a car at the airport, made a stop at Sam's Club for a large cooler, ice, food, charcoal and beer drove to Zion NP put up a tent in the Campground then took our backpacks thru the Narrows for a couple days. Then to Bryce Canyon NP then around thru Glen Canyon to The Grand Canyon NP (south) then back to the Vegas for a cheap buffet before heading to the Airport for return. We spent 18 days, 2 weeks would have been enough, and spent under 400 bucks each for everything: flight, car, food, fees into NP's, camp sites for the times we had to pay and fuel. One of the best vacations I've had. The Vegas angle also makes for cheap flights and car rentals to the Sierra Nevada Mtns, Yosemite and the PCT in the area.
gsingjane
07-04-2006, 06:56
I would have liked to realize that I wasn't going to hike myself into shape in a week. This probably is so obvious it didn't need to be said, except for some reason I didn't know it or (more likely) was denying it to myself. Hiking, espeically in the heat of the summer, got hugely easier and more enjoyable after I lost 25 lbs. and became very conscientious about working out.
Other than that, I second the idea about re-packing your pack in the same order every day so you always know where things are, and if you are travelling with other people and sharing gear, also to have the same people carry the same things every day.
Jane in CT
Nightwalker
07-04-2006, 08:53
I wish I had had a scale from day one. I would have really reconsidered a lot of choices along the way if I had thought about the weight of each item and then all of them as a whole. Also - I'd spend a bit of time on the ten essentials and how they can be included without significant weight addition.
I think that, for me, the scale goes hand-in-hand with the backpacking gear weight calculator (http://www.chrisibbeson.com/pages/GearWeightCalculator.html). It was recommended to me some time ago, and it has really helped lower my overall pack weight.
StarLyte
07-04-2006, 09:12
I'd like to invite any and all of you to the PA Ruck the last weekend in January to experience a REAL pack tuckerization by Mara "Stitches".
http://www.artofthetrail.com/paruck.html
Marsha
"StarLyte"
SawnieRobertson
07-04-2006, 13:25
At the 1998 Gathering, I attended three workshops that completely turned me around about how much one has to carry. Warren Doyle, yes--Warren, convinced me that my comfort on the trail is totally dependent on how much "comfort" I am willing to relinquish in my pack. Wolf (hi! Wolf) taught me to carry a basket when I go into resupply, buying only as much as felt okay in that basket. He also emphasized minding the ratio of calories to weight as I chose what to buy. Finally, Amazon made the point that one must still carry what is needed for health/safety and such. The spring before I had left Springer with at least 80 pounds on my back, which really sucked when I stumbled and went rolling down the side of the mountain.-- Blushing Kinnickinic
SGT Rock
07-04-2006, 13:31
Actually, as much as some people want to knock him, Warren appears to have a lot to teach us. I wish we could all just get along LOL :D
slingblade
07-05-2006, 22:42
I would have liked to have known about all the trouble we would get into in 2000 that first day in Georgia.
Lots of great stuff here in this forum to pull from. My perspective is from somewhat of a newcomer to backpacking, although I've enjoyed the outdoors all my life. Reducing total weight of my pack has brought much more enjoyment from hiking, especially as I get older and I'm not participating in sports or working out as I used to. Here are some thoughts in that regard:
1- the optimal weight of a pack (total weight balanced with things you like to have along with you for whatever reason) is inversely related to age;
2- total weight, regardless of how the pack suspension helps it feel on your back and shoulders, makes a difference, exponentially so when you're talking about inclines on the AT;
3- don't try so hard (gear) to protect from getting wet and instead minimize the effect of getting wet by wearing clothes that do not soak up water and turn it into weight. Getting wet when you're hiking can be quite refreshing!
4- the one thing I still have trouble with is bringing too much food. I never eat as much as I think I will, except maybe at breakfast;
5- well, actually, I have another trouble area which is to say that beer is damn heavy!! :o
minimize the effect of getting wet by wearing clothes that do not soak up water and turn it into weight
Include shoes with #3.
I would have liked to have known about all the trouble we would get into in 2000 that first day in Georgia.
i'm gonna, um, go get some water. you know, down at the spring. don't you need some, um, water too?
and thus it began. thousands of miles of debauchery. i think i'm gonna go get some, um, water right now.
slingblade
07-07-2006, 10:52
Just dont fall in General. That can produce a lingering pain.
well general I would not change a thing!now i appreciate hiking alot more,like growing for me everytime i go! i seem to see clearer,ky
The thing I didn't realize when I first started hiking was about the weight of packages. now I take all food out of the package, premake my meals at home and just cary enough to feed me. Only bring the cooking equipment you need for your menu. Always change your underwear at night, you spend all day sweating in it, it will be uncomfortable and cold to sleep in. And the best peice of advise I got from my scoutmaster, when you get home from a trip the first thing you should do is unpack into three piles, things you used alot (more than 5 times), things you used occasionally (once or twice), and things you didn't use. Next time don't bring the stuff you didn't use (except firstaid and survival gear), pack the stuff you used often and reevaluate every item from the "used occasionally pile" if you do this everytime you'll be amazed how quick you lose pack weight.
LIhikers
07-07-2006, 11:36
I guess I'm a bit slow, but it took me a while to figure out that I should carry nail clippers on any hike over a week long. You might want to mention that so your students don't wind up having holes in the toes of all their socks.
hikerjohnd
07-07-2006, 13:32
I think that, for me, the scale goes hand-in-hand with the backpacking gear weight calculator (http://www.chrisibbeson.com/pages/GearWeightCalculator.html). It was recommended to me some time ago, and it has really helped lower my overall pack weight.
Agreed! I made an excel sheet - seeing it on paper really gives you the opportunity to cut weight up front and makes some decisions to cut items easier (do I need the 8 ounce book and the 1 ounce MP3 player???) I tried to do something similar on paper, but the rate at which I made changes to the layout and the gear made it a nightmare.