Im like a neutron. Neither positive or negative....just passin through.
U r Popeye ?? ;0)Originally Posted by Dogwood
BT is not a difficult trail for thru hiking. Organizers do not encourage( or discourage ) hikers from thru hiking but you need to rely on your knowledge and common sense for resupply. The BT guide book was all I needed. It has minimal tips about resupply but before starting the trail plan your resupply route by the help of Google map and add the route to your pages.
If you hike 20 km a day there is no stretch of the trail that you are far from resupply more than 4 to 5 days max.
But you need to be flexible because some grocery stores have limited variety suitable for hike( if any).
Water is not an issue except when you are around the Bruce Peninsula ( while you can see the Georgian bay water with very limited access to it if any) . I never carried more than 3 liter ( it was a hot summer) but got away most of the times with less than 2 liters.
Hammock is the best option. I tented and was forced to tent in some deserted dirt roads and uneven ground in some places. Carry enough water to give you the freedom to camp wherever you like.
Avoid camping in private lands at any cost( I did ) . Now BT association owns more than half of the lands that BT passes through ( take extensive road walking out of the equation ) and although they do not encourage camping in their properties , they do not stop you from doing it( and many times it is your only option) .stealth camping helps you a lot when there is no viable option around. I tented in many conservation areas ( stealth) and packed and left early next morning with no problem.
Once even I tented in a public golf course with their blessing but I can see a hammock would let you have way more options.
I don't think I hiked more than 4 km off trail to resupply except for orangeville( your neighborhood) which I hitch hiked for 20 km to find a store to buy dog food. If you plan and search your resupply points before starting the trail you won't face the problems I faced ( I had no study of these things when I hiked the trail and learned as I went which was difficult but memorable).
BT without bugs is a heaven in so many levels and if you start in spring I guess you have that heavenly experience.
It is a well maintained and easy to hike trail even in summer months that the over growth can potentially cover the trail. I think in early spring you would find it even better.
Losing the trail is definitely a possibility in some young forests and over growth bushes. You need to be alert and stop the moment you think you missed the next white blaze and re access your situation. I lost the trail handful of times but I was never lost and found the trail in less than 30 minutes in worst cases.
PM me if you have any question or if you think I can be of any help. You would not regret hiking The Bruce Trail.
backpacker
backpacker to me seems to say something slightly more about my situation than hiker. It means that I have a pack on my back and I am living out of it. That seems to define me a bit more than hiker. I don't like to use that term though because that is often thought of as euro style hipsters.
Hiker to me typically means "a long walk". That could means just walking on a trail without anything but water. While I don't frown on that activity at all, that's not my type of activity. I dont like to use this term either as it may capture a bit more of the nature aspect but it doesn't quiet catch the "living out of a backpack aspect"
Neither one of those words are really what I like to describe my activities so if someone comes up with a better term then I am all ears.
YMMV HYOH
Wonderful response, Kookork! You've reinforced what I've been learning! Thanks!
Bruce Traillium
Lasher!.....
ummm Sandy is there something we should know about you?
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/lasher
1. a. A stroke or blow with or as if with a whip.
b. A whip.
c. The flexible portion of a whip, such as a plait or thong.
2. Punishment administered with a whip.
3. a. A lacerating presence or power.
Its cool, just wondering
Definitely HYOH!!
Long Arse Section Hikerummm Sandy is there something we should know about you?
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/lasher
1. a. A stroke or blow with or as if with a whip.
b. A whip.
c. The flexible portion of a whip, such as a plait or thong.
2. Punishment administered with a whip.
3. a. A lacerating presence or power.
Its cool, just wondering
Definitely HYOH!!
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
Long Arse Section Hiker
Ohhhh thanks for that Elf! I was lost there for a minute.
To quote Snacktime: "Crazy Old Lady whose midlife crisis I'm sharing". Smartaxx kid (but he might have a point)
"Maybe life isn't about avoiding the bruises. Maybe it's about collecting the scars to prove we showed up for it."
Great question, I consider myself a backpacker because it's where my heart belongs. But I believe i'll change the title to nomad or vagabond as i'm beginning to travel more and don't think i'll necessarily have a place to call home for a few years.
Just like the song..............................I'm a wonderer...................
good to get out and hike,camp,hunt,fish and just enjoy the wonders of nature.
There are wonders out there, now to find them.
Irreverently sedate
IMG_2395.jpeg
i'm a free American
I am Groot!
Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk
Hiker. I used to be a backpacker, but with time constraints and kid commitments I can't find the time to do multi day trips. Wish I could go more often!
Adventurer
If it's outside and wild, I'm probably game. I do (or did) it all for the sense of adventure, hike, backpack, climb, paddle, ride, read, ski, snowshoe, swim, snorkel, dive, surf. It's the mmmm and the wahoo in life. As I get older, I do less, but, what I still do is all that much more important to me.
I'm not lost. I'm exploring.
Backcountry camper.
I suffer the backpack only to get to a remote spot, but what I really enjoy is the camping.
Tourist.
I like getting out and seeing new places. When the new places are more than a half-day walk from the highway, my backpack comes along for the ride. The longest trail that I've hiked in full is the 138-mile Northville-Placid Trail. Illness and injury turned even that short thru-hike into three section hikes, but I got there eventually.
I always know where I am. I'm right here.
I like to walk in woods/mountains, and sleep outdoors. Covering many miles.
I refer to it as long distance hiking
Not to be confused with the average camper that backpacks a few miles to destination and stays there.
Last edited by MuddyWaters; 12-30-2015 at 08:44.
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