Anyone into Backpacking / Camping?

[Deadman 94 xj]

Anyone into backpacking? This is something I really want to get into but I don't know anyone that is willing to rough it. I'd be basically starting from scratch as far as locations and regulations go.

Thanks

[always broke]

I'd go. I have all the stuff from when we did a small trip to Colorado a few years ago. I'd like mainly to do some all day or one night trips. Weather doesn't matter, even winter would be cool. I had big plans when I bought all the stuff but free weekends are scarce and beer is good.

[Deadman 94 xj]

I'd go. I have all the stuff from when we did a small trip to Colorado a few years ago. I'd like mainly to do some all day or one night trips. Weather doesn't matter, even winter would be cool. I had big plans when I bought all the stuff but free weekends are scarce and beer is good.

My biggest thing is finding people to go with. I'm atracted to the least amount of gear possible and just being in the woods away from everything. I thought PA might be kinda lame in that regaurd but the more I read the forums it seems like people envy us. AT trail, etc. I'm still learning but there seems to be a lot of 50 mile plus trail systems, etc., right in our state. Beer is GREAT but I'd love to get away without it sometime. I've been looking into those meetup.com groups since most of my friends are lame but don't know what to expect.

Personally I'd want to go with the wife but she's incapacitaded for a while. I will go myself a few times but that's not the safest.
'

[Super Scout]

I'd go aslong as I can drive there hehehehehe

[Deadman 94 xj]

Good to know. lol

[justin'sbig7]

Lame friends huh?

You'll have kids here shortly too lol!

[2002wranglerX]

My biggest thing is finding people to go with. I'm atracted to the least amount of gear possible and just being in the woods away from everything. I thought PA might be kinda lame in that regaurd but the more I read the forums it seems like people envy us. AT trail, etc. I'm still learning but there seems to be a lot of 50 mile plus trail systems, etc., right in our state. Beer is GREAT but I'd love to get away without it sometime. I've been looking into those meetup.com groups since most of my friends are lame but don't know what to expect.

Personally I'd want to go with the wife but she's incapacitaded for a while. I will go myself a few times but that's not the safest.
'

I used to do the meet up.com stuff with kayaking. Had a blast.

But you know you're a few years late on this right? You're done. You are about to be on permanent lock down.

Get away from it all for a weekend. HA! Oh she will find you. And she will tell you about how shitty her day was. And how the dog puked and there was a poop explosion and she's on her you know...

And then the guilt will start...

No my friend. Life as you know it is going to change. Free time will come in short and sometimes random intervals.

[The_War_Wagon]

Are you having a son? By age 7, he'll be WANTING to do things like that with you. By age 10, he'll actually be able to even do the hiking & backpacking.

In the meantime, you'd best combine camping with wheeling. Wheel all day Saturday, and maybe do some sightseeing-hiking on Sundays, for a weekend outing.

[wj lizard]

^x2

[2002wranglerX]

[always broke]

My biggest thing is finding people to go with. I'm atracted to the least amount of gear possible and just being in the woods away from everything. I thought PA might be kinda lame in that regaurd but the more I read the forums it seems like people envy us. AT trail, etc. I'm still learning but there seems to be a lot of 50 mile plus trail systems, etc., right in our state. Beer is GREAT but I'd love to get away without it sometime. I've been looking into those meetup.com groups since most of my friends are lame but don't know what to expect.

Personally I'd want to go with the wife but she's incapacitaded for a while. I will go myself a few times but that's not the safest.
'

my girlfriend used those meet up groups for stuff before. I'm not a big fan of strangers though. We bought a book, 50 hikes within 60 miles of Pittsburgh and have been doing day trips out of there. There are hundreds of miles of trails in the laurel highlands and the north country trail up north. You only need about 10 lbs of stuff to live for a few days comfortably.

[PatF10]

I used to backpack a good bit. Was a guide of sorts out in new mexico for a summer. Basically don't do it anymore for the same reason of not many people actually want to rough it and backpack.

[BAD_GNR]

I used to be an avid backpacker and still go on occasion. See if you can get the wife into it - Dustie loves it, but she's "incapacitated" right now as well.

The Laurel Highlands trail (what we run as the Ligonier trails) is a great starter trail - since there are designated camp areas, the trails very easy, pretty level, and you don't need a tent if you use the shacks they have. The only downside there is you have to make reservations. You can go from Seward (near the BiLo) down to Ohiopyle.

There are a lot of trails up in the ANF too, up by Clear Creek, Cooks Forest, etc.

My favorites "in the area" are Cranberry Glades and Otter Creek - both down in WV. These are Wilderness areas - we don't have any in PA - places where you go in and basically do whatever you want, but no machinery, bikes, cars, quads allowed. I've gone for 3-4 days down there without seeing another person.

If you need gear, don't do REI, they're overpriced and undereducated. I've always used campmor.com, but go to REI to try out the gear.

Personally, I try to avoid July/August/September trips as it gets too hot carrying a pack. Spring and Fall are nice because it's not too hot and everything's green. I enjoy the creek trails a lot more than the mountain type trails; they're generally flatter, have more water available (don't have to carry as much), you can usually swim, I think they're more scenic, and they always offer more diversity/interest as you can climb up out of the valley if you want a mountain type trail. Winter backpacking is awesome - after about 15 minutes you can be walking around in shorts and boots and feel perfectly comfortable even though it may be 15 degrees - until you stop for the night.

[2002wranglerX]

my favorite primitive camping BY FAR is the upper allegheny by kayak. paddle 15 miles or so. find a nice island. set up camp for the night. finish up with a 10-15 mile day 2.

it's fun, it's relaxing, it's quiet. you barely see anyone. there's places you can pull up if you would need something. TONS of wildlife. you don't have to carry your stuff. you can carry a few hundred pounds if you needed to in the kayak. You can fish the whole time and if you're successful cook it for dinner. etc etc etc

Lots of fun.



that was a day trip with meetup.com to the packsaddle gap. but our camping trips were similar. but with less people...









once i started doing those trips i didn't bother backpacking anymore. But hey, if you want to lug your crap and sweat your balls off swatting mosquitoes have at it

[PatF10]

ill agree on that island camping up there is a blast

[BAD_GNR]

I've done many canoe/kayak camping trips, they're fun don't get me wrong.

There's just something about carrying any shit you take that makes camping that much more enjoyable, the beer that much colder, etc.

[Deadman 94 xj]

This is good stuff! I'm having a boy and look forward to when I can get out with him but I'd like to have a few good trails under my belt before hand. I've got a lot going on this summer but I'm also starting from scratch so it'll give me time to navagate and research gear, maps,...hell I don't even own a good compass. I agree on the creek trails and the time of year. Thanks

Justin, you're idea of roughing it is the hilton on wheels

Ryan, ...dick.


Also good to know people have actually done the meetup thing and not been raped.

[The_War_Wagon]

Start small. Hike Moraine State Park. Don't try to be Lewis AND Clark your first time out. The Northwest Passage will still be there when your son turns 14.

[2002wranglerX]

This is good stuff! I'm having a boy and look forward to when I can get out with him but I'd like to have a few good trails under my belt before hand. I've got a lot going on this summer but I'm also starting from scratch so it'll give me time to navagate and research gear, maps,...hell I don't even own a good compass. I agree on the creek trails and the time of year. Thanks

Justin, you're idea of roughing it is the hilton on wheels

Ryan, ...dick.


Also good to know people have actually done the meetup thing and not been raped.

woah woah woah. why am I the dick? lol

[Deadman 94 xj]

woah woah woah. why am I the dick? lol

Hmmmm... lol

[justin'sbig7]

Justin, you're idea of roughing it is the hilton on wheels

Not at all. That's my idea of living it up away from home lol!

I have roughed it before and always wanted to do the backpacking thing when I was younger but people thought I was nuts. Now, sleeping on the ground makes it tough to move the next day so i tend to avoid the tent on the ground stuff

[gonecheenin]

Yep - Sleeping on the ground sucks. Only time I ever enjoyed sleeping in a tent is when I set mine up on Trailerrails Jeep trailer at Big Dogs so it was nice & flat with no rocks!!!

We do love getting away from everybody and everything, but we like doing it within a days hike from the Dually with a heater and soft bed! Trust me, though comfy with a few conveniences a truck camper is still roughing it (comparatively speaking anyway)!

Ever since I found that almost all our state forests offer free camping areas all year round, with nothing more than a phone call for some info so they know your gonna be there, those have been our favorite destinations, setup camp in the middle of nowhere - hike, explore, hang out by the fire, etc....Good stuff.

[BAD_GNR]

I'd be hesitant to try my first outing at Moraine.

I did that portion of the North Country Trail about ten years ago and it was a mistake. There's one camping spot within Moraine State Park that you're permitted to use, and anything within the park or McConnell's Mill is illegal. Trust me, I tried. We got kicked out of both parks by park rangers who then called state police when the camping area was being used. There's just no where else to camp. You can try and just go in and hope not to get noticed, but it didn't work for us.

Laurel Highlands is a great beginner's trail; it's about 7 miles between each camp area and relatively flat (except at the ends). The camp areas are a bit civilized for my liking, but still a lot more primitive than state park camping. The only drawback is if that's too much for you to handle, you're kind of stuck because water's few and far between most camp areas.

Anytime that I've taken someone for a first trip, I'd go to a wilderness area - there's no set camping areas, so if things don't go so well, or someone's ***** starts hurting them, you can just plop down and set up camp wherever. You just need to have some clue as to how to handle yourself in the wild, as these places are really out in the middle of nowhere.

[Deadman 94 xj]

Tent camping, campgrounds, camper camping all have there place but its not the point of the thread. Everyone has a preference. I prefer sleeping in a tent to most things because to me that's camping and just what I like. I even make fun of friend's that bring air mattresses.

What I'm talking about here is going out with as little gear possible and making it work with only your own two feet. Things like dehydrating food to save weight, boiling stream water, etc. I don't even know if I want a tent. People use tarps and setup lean-to's and stuff like that. Hamock. Basically take away everything that you're used to and have to use what's out there to survive...it's appealing to me.

I agree about the state parks. From what I've read there are a lot of stupid rules and regulations in PA about where you can actually camp and for how long.

[OverkillZJ]

I need to do something to get outdoors more... Jeeping, camping, rafting, holy crap I've turned into a workoholic office dweller!