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View Full Version : Doing a section hike from Bear Mountain, NY to around Hawk Mountain, PA in June



Mike Mayen
01-02-2013, 19:29
I plan on doing this section of the trail in June, I am posting here so you guys can give me the most information possible about the hike! I am a moderately new backpacker who is 18 years old, I have gone on multiple 2 night trips with a friend so i have some experience and more importantly experience without a parent. I am doing this hike alone mostly because I want a more wilderness experience. I have acquired some very good gear over the past 2 years through buying and dedicating Christmas' to getting gear ( tarptent moment, steripen, mountain hardware lamina sleeping bag) Not that the nicest gear is important at all but i definitely spent time and money making sure I will have gear to last me this hike and a long time to come! I just have a few questions about packing food, water, staying at shelter/meeting people and some other questions!

- Would it be better for someone my age to set up a mail drop in the middle of the hike for food I need, or should I just plan on shopping at the local stores for the food?
- What kind of food do people bring on these long hikes? ( I usually bring cans and hot dogs on 2 night trips :P) I was thinking those rice paquets where all you do is boil them, any other ideas?
- How much water should i bring with me considering I have a Steri Pen? I was thinking 1 nalgene and 2 liter and a half soda bottles? I usually take a 750 ml water bottle and two 1 liter Gatorade bottles, but for this long of a hike and for june i may need more.
- Considering I am hiking south from new york in june, seems obscure but I live in PA and would rather put the burden on my parents to pick me up nearby our house rather than coordinate picking me up in NY. Am i going to meet people to hike with for awhile on the trail? I would love to meet up with hikers but it seems unlikely because of my section.
- I have a book that my dad had from early 2000s about the ny and nj trail sections, how accurate will this be shelter wise, and do most people plan what shelters they are staying at ahead of time?

Thanks for the help everyone! ill check this regularly and try to reply to everyone

FarmerChef
01-02-2013, 19:41
I see that this is your first post so let me be the first to say, welcome to Whiteblaze! :banana:

Now to answer your questions:

- Would it be better for someone my age to set up a mail drop in the middle of the hike for food I need, or should I just plan on shopping at the local stores for the food?

Up to you. Your age has little to do with it as compared to your experience. Either way is perfectly fine though you should be prepared for the limitations of a mail drop: namely that you must make it to the post office or place of business before they close (and that means you have to take into account week end closures as well) and, you may utterly despise what you packed yourself in the box by the time you get there. You can save some money with a mail drop but not if you aren't dehydrating and preparing meals yourself. At the end of the day, you are probably a bit better off just buying food as you go along. Get a good trail guide and it will tell you where to stop.

- What kind of food do people bring on these long hikes? ( I usually bring cans and hot dogs on 2 night trips :P) I was thinking those rice paquets where all you do is boil them, any other ideas?

You'll get all kinds of answers here. Check out the trail cooking forum for lots of ideas. A lot of people use Lipton sides (rice and pasta) or any of the other brand variants. Then they mix in items they enjoy like pepperoni, jerky, etc.

- How much water should i bring with me considering I have a Steri Pen? I was thinking 1 nalgene and 2 liter and a half soda bottles? I usually take a 750 ml water bottle and two 1 liter Gatorade bottles, but for this long of a hike and for june i may need more.

Leave the nalgene at home - heavy - unless you must have it for your Steri Pen. Those Gatorade bottles, especially wide mouth, are the bomb. I carry 2 liters in the high heat of summer but I could get away with one and a stop every now and then to refill. Again, check out the guides. They will tell you where water is and, more importantly, where it isn't. Northern PA becomes scarce for water from Lehigh Gap to the NJ border.

- Considering I am hiking south from new york in june, seems obscure but I live in PA and would rather put the burden on my parents to pick me up nearby our house rather than coordinate picking me up in NY. Am i going to meet people to hike with for awhile on the trail? I would love to meet up with hikers but it seems unlikely because of my section.

You'll find NOBO and SOBO section hikers and day hikers all year round. June will be a good time to see NOBOs and the SOBOs may not have made it quite that far south yet. Don't worry about it unless it's really important to you. You'll meet plenty of people on the trail.

- I have a book that my dad had from early 2000s about the ny and nj trail sections, how accurate will this be shelter wise, and do most people plan what shelters they are staying at ahead of time?

Get one of the two trail guides and a set of maps from the ATC (appalachiantrail.org or your local trail club/outfitter). They will give you the most current information you need to stay safe and enjoy your trip. Folks on the forums here are split between the Companion and the Guide. Either one will get the job done.

Finally, if you'd like, tell us your gear list and we'll help you with some of the items if you'd like. Sounds like you've invested quite a bit in gear already but maybe there are some spots some of the cumulative experience here can help you with.

hikerboy57
01-02-2013, 19:46
I plan on doing this section of the trail in June, I am posting here so you guys can give me the most information possible about the hike! I am a moderately new backpacker who is 18 years old, I have gone on multiple 2 night trips with a friend so i have some experience and more importantly experience without a parent. I am doing this hike alone mostly because I want a more wilderness experience. I have acquired some very good gear over the past 2 years through buying and dedicating Christmas' to getting gear ( tarptent moment, steripen, mountain hardware lamina sleeping bag) Not that the nicest gear is important at all but i definitely spent time and money making sure I will have gear to last me this hike and a long time to come! I just have a few questions about packing food, water, staying at shelter/meeting people and some other questions!

- Would it be better for someone my age to set up a mail drop in the middle of the hike for food I need, or should I just plan on shopping at the local stores for the food?
- What kind of food do people bring on these long hikes? ( I usually bring cans and hot dogs on 2 night trips :P) I was thinking those rice paquets where all you do is boil them, any other ideas?
- How much water should i bring with me considering I have a Steri Pen? I was thinking 1 nalgene and 2 liter and a half soda bottles? I usually take a 750 ml water bottle and two 1 liter Gatorade bottles, but for this long of a hike and for june i may need more.
- Considering I am hiking south from new york in june, seems obscure but I live in PA and would rather put the burden on my parents to pick me up nearby our house rather than coordinate picking me up in NY. Am i going to meet people to hike with for awhile on the trail? I would love to meet up with hikers but it seems unlikely because of my section.
- I have a book that my dad had from early 2000s about the ny and nj trail sections, how accurate will this be shelter wise, and do most people plan what shelters they are staying at ahead of time?

Thanks for the help everyone! ill check this regularly and try to reply to everyoneshelters are still in the same spots. you can resupply in towns, dont really have a need to do maildrops. as far as food, knorrs sides, instant mashed potatoes, packets of tuna or chicken, pasta, rice, couscous,stuff that has a short cook time so you dont have to carry as much fuel, mountain house and others offer freeze dried meals that yo just boil water.water can be unpredictable although june ny/nj shoud still have plenty of water available. 2 gatorade jugs should be enough
. that time of year is a bit buggy in ny/nj but youshould meet quite a few people on the trails.nobos will be hitting ny by then and plenty of day and section hikers about.
you should check out some of the articles on the home page regarding food and resupply. theres some great information there, and there are some great p[eople here to help you out.
welcome to whiteblaze

moldy
01-02-2013, 20:25
My opinion is you should skip the idea of mail drops and purchase all your food along the way. For your evening meal you should have something cooked or heated by hot boiling water, mac&cheese, pasta sides, noodles, instant rice or potatoes. You can add stuff like those flat packages of tuna or spam if you like. You should try cooking some of these things at home before you go on the trail. This kind of food is lighter to carry because it is dehydrated, you add the hot water. For breakfast see if you can stand those little packages of instant oat meal. If that is too much cooking, you can always get pop-tarts. For lunch I recommend snickers bars and some gorp. The good thing about this food is that you can find it at convenience stores and gas stations all along your route. You should carry only 3 days supply. Plan your resupply with a map or guide book. It only costs 10 bucks for a book that will list all the info you need for getting more food, don't leave home without it.
As far as carrying water, this is what I would do. I would start each day hiking with 2 full 20 oz coke bottles full of water and an empty half gallon milk jug(or any kind of empty container). Under normal water conditions in June in this area the 2 coke bottles will get you through as long as you have that steri-pen. If this is not a normal water year you will have to make adjustment. You may have to carry that extra container full or half full for part on the day. Another thing to do is to get "water smart" about where to find water. That guide will be helpfull. You will also need to be asking about where to find water of every NOBO hiker you meet. If you screw up and run out of water you need to be not bashful about asking for water from people you meet. Last Fall I was saved in PA by of all things a girl scout group of 8 year olds. As I went past I called out, "any body got any extra water?". They gave me 2 16oz bottles. Other than receiving a lecture by an 8 year old about how much water the human body needs (a lecture I deserved) and a promise to buy more girl scout cookies, I had enough water.
You will never be alone on the Appalachian Trail and will fall in with other hikers.

Mike Mayen
01-02-2013, 20:29
Gear List:
Clothes:
Hiking shorts/ Silk Underwear
Running Half tights
Running shorts 1.5 inch inseam (very short)
Tech shirt
Poncho
Hiking boots
2 pair hiking socks plus 2 pair dress socks (sock liners)
Cooking:
Msr pocket rocket plus fuel
Msr seagull pot* (really do not know if i need this, it is pretty heavy, but i have no other way of cooking my food! does anyone know of cheap options on pots? I was given this one for free)
Spork
Sleeping:
Tarptent Moment
Mountain Hardwear Lamina 20
Cabellas xpg bedroll* ( wish i had the Z lite, because i personally do not like the inflatable, but that is something i didnt pay for either so ill take it for what it is )
Pack:
EMS long trail 70L
Misc:
Lighter
Waterprook matches
bandanna
Steri pen
nalgene ( makes the steri penn use easier. Great for a quick drink)
2 one liter gatoraid bottles
Head flashlight
thats a rough list off the top of my head. Let me know any critiques please!

hikerboy57
01-02-2013, 20:57
june and july are bug season in the area you'll be hiking. you should consider a pair of long pants or convertibles, and definitely take deet. ticks abound in these areas. i definitely prefer tenting to using shelters this time of year because of bugs, mosquitoes black flies and ticks.most every site has nearby tenting adjacent to the shelters although harriman state park you're supposed to use the hselters unless theyre full. either way, watch out for the bugs. a tick is more dangerous than the bears

Thirsty DPD
01-02-2013, 21:55
june and july are bug season in the area you'll be hiking. you should consider a pair of long pants or convertibles, and definitely take deet. ticks abound in these areas. i definitely prefer tenting to using shelters this time of year because of bugs, mosquitoes black flies and ticks.most every site has nearby tenting adjacent to the shelters although harriman state park you're supposed to use the hselters unless theyre full. either way, watch out for the bugs. a tick is more dangerous than the bears

Mike,
I agree that your biggest problem will be bugs. We're in NEPA & hike daily, early spring through mid/late June, we usually have ticks hitchin' a ride everyday. Their not as much a problem July, Aug, early Sept., but cooler nights seem to bring them back out.

Ditto, no need for mail drops, & water shouldn't be a problem in June. My only gear suggestion, take a couple of bandanas. You'll be wipin' sweat so one's goin' end up gettin' bug dope on it, lots of uses for the other.

You're startin' out on the right foot, have a fun safe trip.

FarmerChef
01-02-2013, 22:03
Good list, Mike. Do you have weights for the items? Not that you'll necessarily change your shelter or sleep system but it's helpful to see what your base weight is and what you'll be wearing versus carrying. Here's a couple ideas for you to consider based on your preliminary list:

Waterproof matches - consider just carrying a second lighter or a small firesteel. Always a good idea to have two ways to make a fire but two lighters is about all you'll need.
Cabellas xpg bedroll - don't know how much that weighs (Cabellas was no help). A z-lite is not the ultimate in comfort but it's weight to price ration is a great value. Consider saving up the $35 or see if you can borrow one from someone.
EMS long trail 70L - could be a great pack but the size alone (70L) seems a bit big for what you're doing. You could probably do with 50L pack but don't sweat it. If it fits good and feels great, go with it. Only experience will help you figure out what you like and don't like in a pack.
MSR Seagull pot - free is good though this one is a bit heavy. There are some good DIY alternatives like a grease pot from wal mart and a pot gripper. Some folks cook in a soda can they've cut up. You can of course buy some expensive titanium (TI) cookware but it's not necessary. You can also explore freezer bag cooking (cooking in a freezer bag). Also consider making a cozy for your pot. You will use less fuel (i.e. carry less weight).
Silk underwear - not sure how this handles on the chafing front. You might consider buying a pair of compression shorts if you find that's a problem. Also consider getting some Body Glide. It can really make a difference...
Now for what's missing:

Medical kit - while the bandanna can work wonders you should carry a very lightweight (couple of ounces) kit. Don't buy one. You can easily make yourself one out of what's lying around the house. Bandaids, neosporin, latex glove or two, you get the idea. Leave the ace bandage at home ;)
Pack liner/cover - consider adding a trash bag (compactor bags work great) inside your pack. It's cheap insurance.
Cup - Strictly speaking it's not necessary. But if you like hot drinks you might find you want one. I carry a very light REI measuring cup that's inexpensive. There are other great cheap alternatives. My first section hike, we carried disposable cups.

Those are just suggestions. Ultimately, you'll find out what works best for you and what you want to change in your gear, approach, daily goals, town stops, etc. by just plain doing it.