Backpacking/camping anyone?

[Guest bkelm18]

Once it warms up a bit in a few weeks I want to get back on the trail and get some camping done. Just checking to see if anyone in the East TN area would be interested in a get together and do 1-2 nights on the trail? I prefer hiking with other people since it makes it more enjoyable and it motivates me to get my butt off the couch. Doesn't have to be anything extreme. Just a night or two in the Smokies or Big South Fork, or wherever.

[Guest FNEG]

I just see it getting colder in a couple weeks. Lol you never know with TN's weather.

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[Guest bkelm18]

I just see it getting colder in a couple weeks. Lol you never know with TN's weather.

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I said a few weeks, meaning anywhere from 3 to 12. I don't mind hiking in the cold, but a lot of people do. Just putting a feeler out.

[Guest NYCrulesU]

I would be a definite go...but sadly, I've yet to stock any camping supplies. Been meaning to for years now...no tent, no sleeping bag. I am a bad, bad excuse for an outdoorsman lol

[Guest bkelm18]

I would be a definite go...but sadly, I've yet to stock any camping supplies. Been meaning to for years now...no tent, no sleeping bag. I am a bad, bad excuse for an outdoorsman lol

Yea I've been there. Then I just started picking stuff up piecemeal. If you don't plan on doing anything extreme, there are definitely some bargains to be found. I'm by no means an avid outdoorsman and I usually pack too much junk, but I do it to have fun, not to be Bear Grylls.

[wewoapsiak]

Camping? Maybe not till early spring, since I haven't actually backpacked in years. But I'd be down to do some day hiking in Frozen head if you wouldn't mind going with an out-of-shape fatty.

[Guest bkelm18]

Camping? Maybe not till early spring, since I haven't actually backpacked in years. But I'd be down to do some day hiking in Frozen head if you wouldn't mind going with an out-of-shape fatty.

You'd be in good company since I too am an out of shape fatty. I've been wanting to explore Frozen Head.

[peejman]

Day hiking is a possibility. My camping stuff is for car camping.

[Erik88]

You'd be in good company since I too am an out of shape fatty. I've been wanting to explore Frozen Head.

Frozen Head is nice but Big South Fork has a lot more to offer IMO. Frozen head is a lot closer which is a plus.

[hkgonra]

Been looking for a good place to get away and do some back country camping. Wanna try to just carry what I can stuff in a small pack like the one below and do a whole weekend.

LA Police Gear 3 Day Backpack

Edited January 18, 2012 by hkgonra

[Erik88]

That is a great bag, especially for the price.

[whiskey]

I am in! My daughter and I are planning to do lots of overnighters/weekend trips this year. We are going the Ultralight route. Smaller packs, smaller tents, smaller everything. We have been picking up items all winter and are just about fully outfitted. I've budgeted for sleeping bags next month, so nothing before March probably, but then we are up for it.

[BBill_TN]

I am definitely up for a trip. I am in southern Middle TN but have backpacking friends in East TN as well, so anywhere pretty much would be ok for me. Personally I would rather hike/backpack/camp in the colder months. Would also be up for an overnight kayak/canoe trip as well but that might be better saved for Spring/Summer for most.

[Guest bkelm18]

Sounds like a lot of interest. Pretty much after this month when I get finances settled with the school I'll be very available.

BBill- I'm very open to cooler weather camping.

Erik- Yeah I love BSF, the drive is a pain though. Driving for an hour up through Morgan and Scott counties is not my idea of a good time, haha. Frozen Head is a quick getaway. I haven't tried much of the backcountry trails there but I'd love to check them out. Especially the viewing tower.

I'm up for day hikes and overnighters. If anybody has any dates/locations in mind, toss 'em out and we'll see if we can drum up a group. I've got good trail maps of the Smokies and BSF and most of the state parks have them posted online.

We can start up our own TGO Hiking Club.

Edited January 19, 2012 by bkelm18

[Slappy]

Man I hate I am not on that part of the state. I would be all over this. Just went ultralight myself. I dont have everything yet but my I have a BPW of about 13lbs now. It really made a big difference in how I felt and the distance I am able to travel. I do an annual Big Hill Pond weekend hike with some fraternity brothers every year in February. Good times!

[Guest bkelm18]

Man I hate I am not on that part of the state. I would be all over this. Just went ultralight myself. I dont have everything yet but my I have a BPW of about 13lbs now. It really made a big difference in how I felt and the distance I am able to travel. I do an annual Big Hill Pond weekend hike with some fraternity brothers every year in February. Good times!

Yeah 13 lbs is really good. My problem is I try and pack everything and the kitchen sink, but I figure since I never do more than 2 nights it's not a big deal.

[Slappy]

Yeah 13 lbs is really good. My problem is I try and pack everything and the kitchen sink, but I figure since I never do more than 2 nights it's not a big deal.

I think you would be surprised how much more you would like backpacking (even for 2 days) if you shed some weight. I used to be the WORST when it came to taking everything and then backups of everything. It just made my trips more painful, cover less ground and I didnt use half the stuff I was taking. It really took someone to mentor me on it to realize that I don't have to prepare for the worst and I can still be safe. Its nice not waking up the next morning feeling like I got hit by a Mack truck.

[Guest bkelm18]

I think you would be surprised how much more you would like backpacking (even for 2 days) if you shed some weight. I used to be the WORST when it came to taking everything and then backups of everything. It just made my trips more painful, cover less ground and I didnt use half the stuff I was taking. It really took someone to mentor me on it to realize that I don't have to prepare for the worst and I can still be safe. Its nice not waking up the next morning feeling like I got hit by a Mack truck.

If you wouldn't mind sharing what all is in your basic pack I would like to compare it to my own.

[Timestepper]

Sounds fun, enjoy!

Edited January 19, 2012 by Timestepper

[Slappy]

If you wouldn't mind sharing what all is in your basic pack I would like to compare it to my own.

No problem.

Hopefully I can remember everything. I am still in my pursuit of shedding weight and oftentimes that means spending money which I don't have. Ultralight hiking is a mindset and you should figure out what will work for you. For me, I always hike with other people. We split up certain items such as a shelter, water filter or stove. There is no need for every one of us carry a water filter for our hike (this was hard for me to get over). Here is what I got so far.

When you start looking at shedding BPW weight you start with the big 3. Pack, bag and shelter. Cutting weight in these areas reduced the most amount of oz. per item comparatively speaking. I use a Mountain Hardware Fluid 32 pack which is 2.9lbs. I was looking for a pack under 3lbs AND best value for my money. I actually made and Excel spreadsheet to help me figure that out! I paid like $65 for it. My bag is also a Mountain Hardware 2nd dimension and the next thing I will be upgrading. Its old, synthetic and heavy. My goal here is to get a bag under 2lbs which means a down bag. As far as shelter goes, I share one. Most of the places I hike will have some sort of shelter, or I will split a tent up wit someone.

Clothing:

I go for as little and lightweight clothing as possible that will allow me to be comfortable for the given weather. I purchased a pair of synthetic zip off pants, bring 1 pair of good underwear, athletic socks, a fleece jacket/shell if its cold and a quick dry shirt. The more worse the weather, the more stuff. I use tennis shoes for hiking instead of hiking boots. Hiking boots are heavy and with the decreased pack weight that i have, wearing tennis shoes allows me to be more comfortable and less prone to rolling an ankle!

As I mentioned before, I share the shelter, stove and water filter.

You can save ALOT of weight in what you carry toiletries wise. I repackaged some of my items such as contact solution. I dont carry bottles of anything if I can help it and use a few sandwich bags to carry my medicine. I carry a cheap toothbrush and small tube of toothpaste. I used to carry a huge flashlight with extra batteries, now I carry a small AAA fenix flashlight that weighs nothing. IF it goes out, someone in my group will have a flashlight so no need to carry a spare.

There are plenty of websites out there that explain this in more detail. I am still learning myself. The things I have learned though (and learned quickly) is that by carrying less weight, you hurt less, can see more and can still remain comfortable and safe.

Basically, I dont carry 2 flashlights with an extra set of batteries, 8oz of contact solution, 3 pairs of socks, a pair of pants and a pair of shorts, 2 shirts... You get the idea.

THe thing that was most important to me was safety on the trail. I can carry a massive first aid kit prepared to stabilize a compound fracture (assuming we knew how to use it properly), but honestly if it got to that point, my buddies could go get help. Anyways, I feel like I was probably all over the place with that but hopefully it helps.

[Guest bkelm18]

Thanks for sharing. The biggest difference I see is just my stuff weighs more. I use a Kelty 80L pack. I do need a better sleeping bag though, and that's one thing I intend to upgrade. I carry a small titanium pot and a MSR Pocket Rocket stove. I'm looking into getting a new tent as well (I've been using a hammock). But honestly, I'd say without water, the base weight is probably 15-20 lbs, but I use a 3 liter hydration bladder so that adds a bit of weight. I don't mind the pack, like I said, I'm not trekking 100 miles. I just do it for fun.

[Slappy]

Thanks for sharing. The biggest difference I see is just my stuff weighs more. I use a Kelty 80L pack. I do need a better sleeping bag though, and that's one thing I intend to upgrade. I carry a small titanium pot and a MSR Pocket Rocket stove. I'm looking into getting a new tent as well (I've been using a hammock). But honestly, I'd say without water, the base weight is probably 15-20 lbs, but I use a 3 liter hydration bladder so that adds a bit of weight. I don't mind the pack, like I said, I'm not trekking 100 miles. I just do it for fun.

You got it. You have to carry certain things but you can always shed weight on what you carry. The "gram weenies" cut the corners off their maps and their shoelaces in half. Crazy! You do have a pack much larger than you need (especially for a weekend). When it comes to water, I carry enough to get me to the next hydration point. Water is one of the heaviest things you can carry. I always factor in an extra pound to pack in my whiskey.

[Guest bkelm18]

You got it. You have to carry certain things but you can always shed weight on what you carry. The "gram weenies" cut the corners off their maps and their shoelaces in half. Crazy! You do have a pack much larger than you need (especially for a weekend). When it comes to water, I carry enough to get me to the next hydration point. Water is one of the heaviest things you can carry. I always factor in an extra pound to pack in my whiskey.

Oh yeah no doubt the pack is a tad on the large side. When I first got it I didn't really know what I needed but it works. I'll probably downsize it at some point. I'm tall so it's hard to find a pack where the waist belt actually rides where it's supposed to and not 6 inches about my belly button.

[analog_kidd]

I'd definitely be up for some backpacking.

I did three days two nights on the AT this past fall. They were 10 mile days, which most people would probably find do-able. My knees gave out around mile 5, so I determined that I no longer enjoy long hikes. The rest of the trip was miserable for me. I had a hard time walking for weeks, and my knees hurt for months. So, my idea of a great hike these days is 5 or six miles to the shelter, and relax. I might go long again one day, but I'm going to have to work up to it and see if the knees will get stronger.

I've hiked a lot at Frozen Head, and done many overnights there. The fire tower is worth the hike, and the view is great, but the campsite is aweful. It is at the base of a Cell Tower, with all kinds of electric wires and humming sounds coming from it. It would be better to stay at Tubbs Springs, just down from the tower, and then side trip up for the view. Tubbs is right next to the water source, has room for a few dozen campers, and it's nice and flat.

My favorite site there is just a half mile from Tubbs at the rock house. Its a big rock house cave, adn the site is in the cave. I've been there before in downpours, and been able to enjoy a nice warm campfire and stay perfectly dry.

[Guest bkelm18]

Analog that sounds great. I've found 5-6 miles is about my limit as well to still have an enjoyable trek. I've done 10+ miles just day-hiking, but I regret it the next day. I've been wanting to do that very trip; the fire tower then stay the night at Tubbs.

Edited January 19, 2012 by bkelm18