SOLO Camping-Backpacking Routine/Supplies/Gear

to give you guys an idea of the type of terrain i intend on setting up camp here are a few pics

on the tops of "plateaus" like these
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Research lightning coming off those peaks. It's different than regular lightning (something about negative and positive being reversed, or something like that, I forget)....


...but the point is, if my memory serves me correctly, you get hit on what you are talking about, there is no hospital. It just straight up kills you. I can't seem to find anything on it ass to mouth, but I firmly remember reading an article about how dangerous it is compared to regular lighting.


There are so many dangerous things in the wild.



I once camped in nice dry weather, near a lake. I woke up and my tent felt like a water bed. I was like WTF? I looked up and the outer mesh of my tent was covered in thousands of spiders.

I looked outside and I was now in the fucking lake. I was in Alabama. The game warden said it was all the snow melting in Tennessee, etc... running into Alabama. This wasn't a real flash flood, but it could have been, and apparently those things give no fucking warning whatsoever. Just last year entire families were killed by a flash flood, while camping. By the time anyone knew about it, it was too late to warn them. I believe everyone out there died.



Anyway, I slosh through the water and load all my stuff up and go to a new campsite at higher ground. I left several things behind on a picnic table that was away from my camp site, which the water had not reached yet.


I came back to get my stuff, and the water was about 2 inches from the top of the table. I was going to swim out there, but a local warned me about the ants and snakes. Sure enough, there were all these ants (maybe fire ants I think) that got together to form a raft to stay a float. So what looked like just a large ball of moss or something, was thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of ants.



Long story short, I rushed to Walmart and bought a pool raft and a paddle, and paddled out there to get my shit.


What a pain in the ass that was. I learned my lessons about camping near water without first talking to game wardens, locals, etc... Always, even when there is no sight of foul weather anywhere, inquire about the safety of the area you are traversing or camping.


Locals and wardens will fill you with advice. It's free and easy to obtain. People usually like and respect others who camp, hike, etc... and are willing to engage in conversation, so just ask around if you are not familiar. It could save your life.
 
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You ever go winter camping? I really dig it for some odd reason.

Oh man, I hear yeah. There are two things working for you.

A) Beating the elements. I love riding my motorcycles in shit weather, because I have bad fucking ass gear, and can ride in 30 F, pissing down rain, and be pretty darn comfortable. It just feels awesome to be directly out in the elements, and not really be affected by them.


B) Watching one of those Alaskan shows, the head guy said, "People often ask what we do for entertainment. We stay warm. When it's that cold outside, getting warm inside is all you need to be content and happy." They freeze most of the day working, and then come inside and get warm, and it's heaven.

It's like this. The best form of entertainment I have ever found in my entire life is this: Working out in the hot, humid Florida summer, 12 hour days, digging, laying sod, etc... on a wide open golf course. Two 15 minute brakes and a 30 min lunch break. Making it 13 hours total.

The entertainment is coming home and sitting down doing nothing. If that feeling was in a drug, I would be an addict.
 
Some pics from the Idaho Seven Devils mountains, taken last July.

Right click>view image for full effect
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A police whistle.

Negligible weight or space, but if people are looking for you it greatly improves your odds of being heard and found. Also scares bears, I have used it for that.
 
The stench of hiking newbie is riddled with fear of bears.
 
The stench of hiking newbie is riddled with fear of bears.

If I was in NJ or some other state with no bear hunting I might be more concerned. They get shot at A LOT around here so they steer clear for the most part. I do carry a glock 26, though is mainly for 2 legged pest. I've spent quite a few nights in this shelter


http://www.appalachiantrail.org/who-we-are/news/2012/04/25/federal-authorities-have-offered-a-$10-000-reward-for-information-leading-to-the-conviction-of-the-death-of-a.t.-hiker-scott-lilly-in-virginia-last-summer
 
The stench of hiking newbie is riddled with fear of bears.

This. Heard one snuffling outside my tent one night. I just made sure the pistol was close, went back to sleep lol
 
i hate mosquitos so i prefer a tent for overnight, although a nice packable hammock sounds really nice for taking naps during the day

re: trial shoes over boots -i really like/need the ankle support of boots.....are there any waterproof/resistant boots out there?

Vasque Sundowners are expensive but very nice, waterproof etc. and they last a long time.

Haven't tried the trail runners but I've been in situations where I was glad for all the support I had. Uneven terrain, an upset dog on a leash, a pack. I'd go w/ what you're comfortable with and not worry about the land speed record or equipment snobs.
 
Vasque Sundowners are expensive but very nice, waterproof etc. and they last a long time.

Haven't tried the trail runners but I've been in situations where I was glad for all the support I had. Uneven terrain, an upset dog on a leash, a pack. I'd go w/ what you're comfortable with and not worry about the land speed record or equipment snobs.

Equipment snobs? Is that what anyone who offers a different opinion based on personal experience is ? I agree , whatever he is most comfortable with should win the day. I also know that at one time I ( like he is now) was inexperienced and had lots of methods that I was " comfortable with " that ended up being inferior. I can just about promise you he'll carry about twice as much stuff as he needs at first because he will be " comfortable" with having extraneous gear. This is no indictment on him personally.......everyone's gotta go around that learning curve , but he asked for advice from people that have been there and received it what's the problem?
 
You're starting slow with one night, which is the advice I would have given you; start slow. You'll teach yourself what you can do without.

As far as essentials always bring a good knife and a hatchet. Some food, but for one night you won't need much.

For water, here's a decent video:



They're all pretty lightweight, just choose one that best suits your needs.

Hybrid footwear FTW:
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Your sleeping arrangement is dependent on the terrain. Choose one that's not too much of a hassle. You can always build a lean-to to supplement your setup.

In some regions of the Catskills, although quite rare, there's been reports of mountain lion. So keep that in mind as well.
 
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This. Heard one snuffling outside my tent one night. I just made sure the pistol was close, went back to sleep lol



that's great you had the comfort of knowing if shit went awry, you could shoot the bear


but we are not allowed to carry pistols on us here in NJ or NY


re: beaing scared of bears - yeahh yeah, "it's only a black bear, they are the scardy cats of the forest"

ive had 2 close encounters with black bears here...i know what to do around them when i come across them.....does that mean i should not take the extra precaution of carrying spray based on my experiences for the sake of acting "not scared"? lol
 
If you want to bring the bear spray, bring it. Black Bears can get brolik and ballsy depending on the time of year and environment you encounter them in. Yea they normally run off, but better safe than sorry; they can be unpredictable beasts. I've seen some fairly big ones while in the Catskills. Been within 20 yards of a mother and her cubs.

I forgot to mention snakes though. Don't overlook these as a threat. Know where they hang out and be on the look out when you're in said spots.

http://www.catskillmountaineer.com/animals-snakes.html

I walked up on a rattlesnake (Got within 5 paces before hearing it) and it was an eye opener.
 
that's great you had the comfort of knowing if shit went awry, you could shoot the bear


but we are not allowed to carry pistols on us here in NJ or NY


re: beaing scared of bears - yeahh yeah, "it's only a black bear, they are the scardy cats of the forest"

ive had 2 close encounters with black bears here...i know what to do around them when i come across them.....does that mean i should not take the extra precaution of carrying spray based on my experiences for the sake of acting "not scared"? lol

Spray is not a bad idea , proven to be more effective than a handgun too. Probably work pretty well on 2 legged problems also...........still like my glock though!
 
If you want to bring the bear spray, bring it. Black Bears can get brolik and ballsy depending on the time of year and environment you encounter them in. Yea they normally run off, but better safe than sorry; they can be unpredictable beasts. I've seen some fairly big ones while in the Catskills. Been within 20 yards of a mother and her cubs.

I forgot to mention snakes though. Don't overlook these as a threat. Know where they hang out and be on the look out when you're in said spots.

http://www.catskillmountaineer.com/animals-snakes.html

I walked up on a rattlesnake (Got within 5 paces before hearing it) and it was an eye opener.

yup...almost stepped on a couple timber rattlers, myself, ...never heard a rattle any of the times either
ive been on trails (particularly doodletown, by bear mtn) where it was like an infestation with dozens of them sunning right on the footpaths

Spray is not a bad idea , proven to be more effective than a handgun too. Probably work pretty well on 2 legged problems also...........still like my glock though!

nj/ny gun laws really stink......have a hunting trip planned with my friends in south carolina next fall......cannot wait to open carry, even for the novelty of it
 
Iodine is nasty, use Chlorine. In lower NY I'd use a filter plus Chlorine. Worst water I drank from ME to GA!

I don't bother with fires, especially solo. Way too much work and responsibility.

As far as a pack goes it's almost 100% preference. I went 2200 miles with an external frame, and lots of people looked at me funny. I still use one for heavy backpacking. They still look at me funny.

Black bears are cute, cuddle with them.
 
that's great you had the comfort of knowing if shit went awry, you could shoot the bear


but we are not allowed to carry pistols on us here in NJ or NY


re: beaing scared of bears - yeahh yeah, "it's only a black bear, they are the scardy cats of the forest"

ive had 2 close encounters with black bears here...i know what to do around them when i come across them.....does that mean i should not take the extra precaution of carrying spray based on my experiences for the sake of acting "not scared"? lol

You can't have a pistol even if you're in the woods? What a load of malarkey. Bear spray is definitely a plus, just not in a tent lol and accidentally spraying yourself is a worry, especially if you're deep in the woods.
 
Equipment snobs? Is that what anyone who offers a different opinion based on personal experience is ? I agree , whatever he is most comfortable with should win the day. I also know that at one time I ( like he is now) was inexperienced and had lots of methods that I was " comfortable with " that ended up being inferior. I can just about promise you he'll carry about twice as much stuff as he needs at first because he will be " comfortable" with having extraneous gear. This is no indictment on him personally.......everyone's gotta go around that learning curve , but he asked for advice from people that have been there and received it what's the problem?

I can see why you thought I meant you, but I didn't. There isn't a problem, and it is good you're offering suggestions. I'll admit I'm ignorant of the lighter shoes, they weren't popular when I did most of my hiking.

Most of us made some mistakes when we started but as long as you're respecting other hikers & the environment & being safe, it's ok to learn the hard way.

Don't think I ever met an equipment snob on the trail, but I used to do a lot of bicycling and gawd are there equipment snobs in that sport.
 
I just got a pair of Adidas terrex gtx lowtops .... Ridiculous grip, super lightweight, gore tex pro waterproof, you can go running in them, travel in them, go hiking in snow, up mountains, they deliver. Would never use higher ankles unless in a situation where better ankle protection is needed, like climbing heavy scree or mushing through heavy mud:
 
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