So if I wanted to get back into hiking, and only wanted to do it for a single day, what kind of pack am I looking to prep here? I assume it's something in between that week long bug out bag and the daysie bag?
Any kind of backpack that you can throw a water bottle and cliff bar in, my man.
Pretty much, like if you are just hitting trail hiking up and aren't planning any kind of camp you can get away with carrying practically nothing.
So if I wanted to get back into hiking, and only wanted to do it for a single day, what kind of pack am I looking to prep here? I assume it's something in between that week long bug out bag and the daysie bag?
Any kind of backpack that you can throw a water bottle and cliff bar in, my man.
I just remember hiking with my friends and a few of them always balked at me for only bringing water and stuff for their 'what ifs' but we only ended up being gone for like 3-4 hours. Wasn't sure if there was a recommendation as to what to actually bring and pack just in case!
Well it depends on the trail and such. Most of "those types" make sure to make provision for if the hike were to turn from a day hike to an overnight. To me it is overkill for those mile(s) or so hikes back and forth. But "you never know" right? So things like map and compass for one. Core other materials like knife, fire materials, extra insulations, extra bits of food and water or purification means. Things like that. But to be honest most trails that most people go no are well trodden and well labeled.
So if I wanted to get back into hiking, and only wanted to do it for a single day, what kind of pack am I looking to prep here? I assume it's something in between that week long bug out bag and the daysie bag?
Any kind of backpack that you can throw a water bottle and cliff bar in, my man.
I just remember hiking with my friends and a few of them always balked at me for only bringing water and stuff for their 'what ifs' but we only ended up being gone for like 3-4 hours. Wasn't sure if there was a recommendation as to what to actually bring and pack just in case!
The just in cases really only apply if you are forging your own trails and going deep into nature. If you are sticking to marked trails and you already know the region and can assume the 3 to 4 hours out on the trail all that stuff for just in case is unnecessary extra weight.
Ooh wait, 1 more thing I'm not sure anyone has mentioned, a small day trip first aid kit.
Sleep on
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amateurhourOne day I'll be professionalhourThe woods somewhere in TennesseeRegistered Userregular
So if I wanted to get back into hiking, and only wanted to do it for a single day, what kind of pack am I looking to prep here? I assume it's something in between that week long bug out bag and the daysie bag?
You dont need much. Light day pack. Or a small camelback you can put your keys, wallet, and cliff bar in and then sip water out of.
This is what I use if I know that I'm only going out for a hike. I've got a US Army Camelback I got from surplus and it's got molle so I've got one pouch that holds a small first aid kit and some food.
Another pic of the dome, freshly set up at a festival which was expecting rain later on.
This looks prime for fishbowls...if you're into that kind of thing. Needless to say this definitely looks like my scene. Only thing missing is a nearby water source to put a kayak into.
This is a lovely thread. Thanks Amateur btw. It is also interesting to see the differences in camping "styles". Living in rural america the idea of camping is a different monster for at least around here. I can literally drive 15 min or so and be in a camping area that others might drive hours and then walk hours for. So around here our camping tends to be load up the truck with firewood and the cooler with food lets head to whatever campsite we want to go to.
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TL DRNot at all confident in his reflexive opinions of thingsRegistered Userregular
The idea of formal campsites is a bit odd to me. Generally, I want to be able to get out of my tent without having to put pants on; that means either I'm at an event where that's allowed, or I've found a place to make camp where I'm not near any neighbors.
The thought of meeting and palling around with randos in the woods is not attractive.
This is a lovely thread. Thanks Amateur btw. It is also interesting to see the differences in camping "styles". Living in rural america the idea of camping is a different monster for at least around here. I can literally drive 15 min or so and be in a camping area that others might drive hours and then walk hours for. So around here our camping tends to be load up the truck with firewood and the cooler with food lets head to whatever campsite we want to go to.
The idea of formal campsites is a bit odd to me. Generally, I want to be able to get out of my tent without having to put pants on; that means either I'm at an event where that's allowed, or I've found a place to make camp where I'm not near any neighbors.
The thought of meeting and palling around with randos in the woods is not attractive.
Oh you would be surprised. It is not park camping that we do for the most part. Some are and some of those sites are isolated as well. There is one campsite that is about 25 min or so from where I sit right now that is about as isolated as you can get. Unless some other local decides to camp up near where you are at.
I grew up camping, then stopped when I got to college. Then I discovered backpacking 14ers in Colorado and now I love just disconnecting for a week or two and going up in the mountains and hiking/backpacking where ever. In fact hiking/camping is probably one of the major reasons I moved away from Texas and now live in Colorado.
Camping at actual campgrounds is fun. Having a nice building with an outhouse is wonderful. However, my absolute favorite is to find a relatively flat spot somewhere around treeline up a mountain and pitch a tent there. If you can get far enough away from the trail it's nice and quiet.
My go to pack is the Osprey Exos, which is pretty comfortable for a 2-3 day hike.
So question for you guys! I have a 6 week old son, and I am feeling the itch to camp somewhere (no hiking probably this time). Has anyone camped with an infant or toddler? I was thinking of going somewhere Labor Day weekend, which would put the boy at around 3 months old.
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amateurhourOne day I'll be professionalhourThe woods somewhere in TennesseeRegistered Userregular
The idea of formal campsites is a bit odd to me. Generally, I want to be able to get out of my tent without having to put pants on; that means either I'm at an event where that's allowed, or I've found a place to make camp where I'm not near any neighbors.
The thought of meeting and palling around with randos in the woods is not attractive.
Not really in the woods for me with formal campsites. Like I book a spot on the lake twice a year. I get it for the weekend and it's waterfront (for RV spots) so with my tent and the tree cover I get basically a 50 yard field to myself for three days and I don't even have to see my neighbors if I don't want to. It's like $35 a night which is steep but if I get bored I can just paddle to an island and set up secondary camp there.
I get your point though. I took my neighbor and his kid on his kid's first trip and got there a day early to set up and our "neighbors" across from us were getting kicked out of the park because they were living there and had gotten rowdy.
That's my only beef with campgrounds is "live in" crowd. (I honestly can't find a term for them that isn't offensive so that's the best I've got)
The idea of formal campsites is a bit odd to me. Generally, I want to be able to get out of my tent without having to put pants on; that means either I'm at an event where that's allowed, or I've found a place to make camp where I'm not near any neighbors.
The thought of meeting and palling around with randos in the woods is not attractive.
I'm in a similar boat. I'll book formal campsites, but even then I'm very picky. I hate nothing more than being right next to my neighbors when all I want is peace and quiet. Usually I'll either book during off season times, or just scout out places that have a lot of space between spots.
I find if I hike into the woods some (or up a mountain) I can find some great spots that are remote enough for me.
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EncA Fool with CompassionPronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered Userregular
This is a lovely thread. Thanks Amateur btw. It is also interesting to see the differences in camping "styles". Living in rural america the idea of camping is a different monster for at least around here. I can literally drive 15 min or so and be in a camping area that others might drive hours and then walk hours for. So around here our camping tends to be load up the truck with firewood and the cooler with food lets head to whatever campsite we want to go to.
Super envious. I would have to drive 2-3 hours to get out of suburbia, and my choices would be the one tiny (maybe 2 sites with max of ~100 people possible) national park in region.
Well that or go to the everglades in about 4 hours, and probably end up on the news as the next Florida Man story.
This is a lovely thread. Thanks Amateur btw. It is also interesting to see the differences in camping "styles". Living in rural america the idea of camping is a different monster for at least around here. I can literally drive 15 min or so and be in a camping area that others might drive hours and then walk hours for. So around here our camping tends to be load up the truck with firewood and the cooler with food lets head to whatever campsite we want to go to.
Super envious. I would have to drive 2-3 hours to get out of suburbia, and my choices would be the one tiny (maybe 2 sites with max of ~100 people possible) national park in region.
Well that or go to the everglades in about 4 hours, and probably end up on the news as the next Florida Man story.
Yeah well you give up some things to live in rural america though. Like decent food, other than meat and potatoes, shopping at anything other than a walmart etc etc.
I like the things and activities associated with camping -- mainly being outdoors, fishing, scenery but the roughing it part is more a cost of doing the other things for me. Usually worth it.
The other problem I have with camping, especially in bigger campsites is the morons with the music and the drinking and the yelling.
One of my favorite things, when I lived in LA, was camping on the beach.
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amateurhourOne day I'll be professionalhourThe woods somewhere in TennesseeRegistered Userregular
So let's talk booze. What's everyone's preference?
For me if it's all pack-only, it's a flask of bourbon. If I can have a small cooler it's a bottle of bourbon and a half case of beer.
So let's talk booze. What's everyone's preference?
For me if it's all pack-only, it's a flask of bourbon. If I can have a small cooler it's a bottle of bourbon and a half case of beer.
I generally dislike booze unless a special occasion is on. Just not my preferred intoxicant. Especially if I'm exerting my self. Though that really only started after I realized I was allergic to beer.
What I actually bring a bunch of is iced tea, like I'll make the nice loose leaf stuff at home and bring a canteen or two filled with the product. It gives a nice alternative to water that still hydrates reasonably well and has a good flavor to it.
What I actually bring a bunch of is iced tea, like I'll make the nice loose leaf stuff at home and bring a canteen or two filled with the product. It gives a nice alternative to water that still hydrates reasonably well and has a good flavor to it.
That sounds great. My strategy is usually to bring ingredients and add water on-site. Electrolyte tablets are great, and pulling a gallon of cold water out of the cooler and making it into gatorade via the compact bag of powder you brought can seem miraculous. Likewise, throwing a few tea bags in that gallon of water can impart a little flavor and caffeine without adding much of any carry weight.
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amateurhourOne day I'll be professionalhourThe woods somewhere in TennesseeRegistered Userregular
I bring a flask of whatever is scenery appropriate (rum on the beach, whiskey in the mountains).
Keeps you warm at night.
I move to ban all stereos from campsites, however.
Dude. I went out in June and someone was rolling around the campsite in a golf cart with 15 inch speakers and a subwoofer blasting the whole place.
my beef with campsites is that they're staffed by retired couples and it takes FOREVER to get a parks officer out there to deal with shit like that, at least in the SouthEast.
I bring a flask of whatever is scenery appropriate (rum on the beach, whiskey in the mountains).
Keeps you warm at night.
I move to ban all stereos from campsites, however.
Dude. I went out in June and someone was rolling around the campsite in a golf cart with 15 inch speakers and a subwoofer blasting the whole place.
my beef with campsites is that they're staffed by retired couples and it takes FOREVER to get a parks officer out there to deal with shit like that, at least in the SouthEast.
I think a lot of that is region specific. In Colorado, at least near trails, hikers will self police to an extent. At actual campgrounds not so much.
Has anyone else ever camped overnight on water? It's a bit of a pain in the ass to set up with all the shuffling of supplies from canoe to canoe to free the planks stored at the bottom of each, but it's a cool experience. There's also the upside that far fewer types of wildlife can cause you problems in the middle of a moderately deep body of water.
Has anyone else ever camped overnight on water? It's a bit of a pain in the ass to set up with all the shuffling of supplies from canoe to canoe to free the planks stored at the bottom of each, but it's a cool experience. There's also the upside that far fewer types of wildlife can cause you problems in the middle of a moderately deep body of water.
How would that work? Put the boards across multiple canoes to create a stable platform?
Overall, I'd mostly be worried about the stability of the platform, if it got windy or if there was a current
I do. Not for animals, but because there have been a couple incidents in remote areas of shootings here in CO.
Bear mace works REALLY well for bears and cougars/mountain lions. And statistically you have a better chance of escaping without injury versus a gun.
Come to think of it, I bet that probably would work the same for people...but I grew up carrying a pistol on me when I'm somewhere remote where I can't call 911. It's probably unnecessary but old habits die hard I guess.
Has anyone else ever camped overnight on water? It's a bit of a pain in the ass to set up with all the shuffling of supplies from canoe to canoe to free the planks stored at the bottom of each, but it's a cool experience. There's also the upside that far fewer types of wildlife can cause you problems in the middle of a moderately deep body of water.
How would that work? Put the boards across multiple canoes to create a stable platform?
Overall, I'd mostly be worried about the stability of the platform, if it got windy or if there was a current
One canoe puts down an anchor, and the others lash themselves side-by-side like a set of pontoons. You then lay the planks across the tops of the canoes perpendicular to their front/rear direction, forming a stable surface.
Has anyone else ever camped overnight on water? It's a bit of a pain in the ass to set up with all the shuffling of supplies from canoe to canoe to free the planks stored at the bottom of each, but it's a cool experience. There's also the upside that far fewer types of wildlife can cause you problems in the middle of a moderately deep body of water.
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Pretty much, like if you are just hitting trail hiking up and aren't planning any kind of camp you can get away with carrying practically nothing.
Well it depends on the trail and such. Most of "those types" make sure to make provision for if the hike were to turn from a day hike to an overnight. To me it is overkill for those mile(s) or so hikes back and forth. But "you never know" right? So things like map and compass for one. Core other materials like knife, fire materials, extra insulations, extra bits of food and water or purification means. Things like that. But to be honest most trails that most people go no are well trodden and well labeled.
The just in cases really only apply if you are forging your own trails and going deep into nature. If you are sticking to marked trails and you already know the region and can assume the 3 to 4 hours out on the trail all that stuff for just in case is unnecessary extra weight.
Ooh wait, 1 more thing I'm not sure anyone has mentioned, a small day trip first aid kit.
This is what I use if I know that I'm only going out for a hike. I've got a US Army Camelback I got from surplus and it's got molle so I've got one pouch that holds a small first aid kit and some food.
I've done 11 miles with that with no issues.
This looks prime for fishbowls...if you're into that kind of thing. Needless to say this definitely looks like my scene. Only thing missing is a nearby water source to put a kayak into.
The thought of meeting and palling around with randos in the woods is not attractive.
Same, this is the kind of camping I grew up on
Oh you would be surprised. It is not park camping that we do for the most part. Some are and some of those sites are isolated as well. There is one campsite that is about 25 min or so from where I sit right now that is about as isolated as you can get. Unless some other local decides to camp up near where you are at.
I grew up camping, then stopped when I got to college. Then I discovered backpacking 14ers in Colorado and now I love just disconnecting for a week or two and going up in the mountains and hiking/backpacking where ever. In fact hiking/camping is probably one of the major reasons I moved away from Texas and now live in Colorado.
Camping at actual campgrounds is fun. Having a nice building with an outhouse is wonderful. However, my absolute favorite is to find a relatively flat spot somewhere around treeline up a mountain and pitch a tent there. If you can get far enough away from the trail it's nice and quiet.
My go to pack is the Osprey Exos, which is pretty comfortable for a 2-3 day hike.
So question for you guys! I have a 6 week old son, and I am feeling the itch to camp somewhere (no hiking probably this time). Has anyone camped with an infant or toddler? I was thinking of going somewhere Labor Day weekend, which would put the boy at around 3 months old.
Not really in the woods for me with formal campsites. Like I book a spot on the lake twice a year. I get it for the weekend and it's waterfront (for RV spots) so with my tent and the tree cover I get basically a 50 yard field to myself for three days and I don't even have to see my neighbors if I don't want to. It's like $35 a night which is steep but if I get bored I can just paddle to an island and set up secondary camp there.
I get your point though. I took my neighbor and his kid on his kid's first trip and got there a day early to set up and our "neighbors" across from us were getting kicked out of the park because they were living there and had gotten rowdy.
That's my only beef with campgrounds is "live in" crowd. (I honestly can't find a term for them that isn't offensive so that's the best I've got)
I'm in a similar boat. I'll book formal campsites, but even then I'm very picky. I hate nothing more than being right next to my neighbors when all I want is peace and quiet. Usually I'll either book during off season times, or just scout out places that have a lot of space between spots.
I find if I hike into the woods some (or up a mountain) I can find some great spots that are remote enough for me.
Super envious. I would have to drive 2-3 hours to get out of suburbia, and my choices would be the one tiny (maybe 2 sites with max of ~100 people possible) national park in region.
Well that or go to the everglades in about 4 hours, and probably end up on the news as the next Florida Man story.
Yeah well you give up some things to live in rural america though. Like decent food, other than meat and potatoes, shopping at anything other than a walmart etc etc.
I like the things and activities associated with camping -- mainly being outdoors, fishing, scenery but the roughing it part is more a cost of doing the other things for me. Usually worth it.
The other problem I have with camping, especially in bigger campsites is the morons with the music and the drinking and the yelling.
One of my favorite things, when I lived in LA, was camping on the beach.
For me if it's all pack-only, it's a flask of bourbon. If I can have a small cooler it's a bottle of bourbon and a half case of beer.
I prefer being sober. I don't really understand the desire to get drunk in places I'd like to camp.
I generally dislike booze unless a special occasion is on. Just not my preferred intoxicant. Especially if I'm exerting my self. Though that really only started after I realized I was allergic to beer.
I have a hankering to go bikepacking with a sleeping bag and a tarp
I don't, but I'm looking into a tarp/bugnet combo (with one of those sinylon floors) to keep it light and portable.
Also, y'all are a bunch of squares. Making me feel bad for my bourbon. : )
Keeps you warm at night.
I move to ban all stereos from campsites, however.
Flask of Templeton Rye for me when I backpack. I bring it up with me to the top of mountains too.
Actual campsite camping I bring IPAs or whatever beer I like.
I don't drink to get drunk though, not when I camp or hike.
That sounds great. My strategy is usually to bring ingredients and add water on-site. Electrolyte tablets are great, and pulling a gallon of cold water out of the cooler and making it into gatorade via the compact bag of powder you brought can seem miraculous. Likewise, throwing a few tea bags in that gallon of water can impart a little flavor and caffeine without adding much of any carry weight.
Dude. I went out in June and someone was rolling around the campsite in a golf cart with 15 inch speakers and a subwoofer blasting the whole place.
my beef with campsites is that they're staffed by retired couples and it takes FOREVER to get a parks officer out there to deal with shit like that, at least in the SouthEast.
I think a lot of that is region specific. In Colorado, at least near trails, hikers will self police to an extent. At actual campgrounds not so much.
Let's talk bears
I never leave home without:
???
I never worry about them. There are signs in the Red, but I've never seen sign or heard tell of one.
I hear they shit in the woods and don't pack it out
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
I have heard both.
How would that work? Put the boards across multiple canoes to create a stable platform?
Overall, I'd mostly be worried about the stability of the platform, if it got windy or if there was a current
Edit: Hike in camping. Not rent a spot.
I do. Not for animals, but because there have been a couple incidents in remote areas of shootings here in CO.
Bear mace works REALLY well for bears and cougars/mountain lions. And statistically you have a better chance of escaping without injury versus a gun.
Come to think of it, I bet that probably would work the same for people...but I grew up carrying a pistol on me when I'm somewhere remote where I can't call 911. It's probably unnecessary but old habits die hard I guess.
One canoe puts down an anchor, and the others lash themselves side-by-side like a set of pontoons. You then lay the planks across the tops of the canoes perpendicular to their front/rear direction, forming a stable surface.
camp crystal lake