Hike it All : QnAMiddleDistanceNoResupply
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Most recent edit on 2008-02-05 13:39:26 by RyanCorder
Additions:
If it's not too much to ask, do you think you could maybe give me some advice on bag packing, and any advice on what I should do about having to carry 2 weeks supply of food, and a fair amount of water?
Answer by Ryan:
Chad hit most the points fairly well, so I'm going to try to only expand on them.
You should definitely plan for at least one resupply. If for nothing else, you WILL get sick and tired of eating certain trail foods, and having something new and different (and potentially too heavy to carry) in your stash will brighten your day. Put something in there that can keep, but you would never think to take with you in a million years -- it should be as awesome a meal as you can imagine. Remember, everything tastes 10x better after a hike :) Also, what if you change your mind? Wouldn't it be nice to have a resupply box with a lot of choices for food after you've been on the trail a few days?
Take Chad's advice and join up on The Lightweight Backpacker (TLB) forums. I've been a member for a while and when I was first getting back into backpacking, the information and advice collected and given there are worth their weight in gold. For you, I would specifically suggest checking into the 'Lite Gear Talk' and the 'Lite Food Talk' -- ask LOTS of questions, there are NO stupid ones.
Personally, I would recommend against getting such a large pack, but that is just my opinion. First and foremost, get a pack that fits and is comfortable. Don't worry about whether you can get everything in there or not. Your pack size will help you determine how many resupplies, if any, you will need. I ask everyone to keep in mind that really large packs, while convenient, have some inherent problems. Besides being harder to deal with in terms of bulk alone, large and heavy packs make you more prone to injury due to the increased strain placed upon your body. Also, large packs are completely wasteful if you decide to go on a shorter trip. Ideally, you want your pack to be only as big as your gear.
In the end, I would suggest getting a bag with a roll-top closure. This will allow you to expand the top to fit more food at the beginning and after resupplies, and as your food, water, etc goes down you can adjust your pack volume accordingly. Nothing is more annoying than a pack with contents that shift around all the time.
Edited on 2008-02-05 13:16:25 by ChadFiles
Additions:
Edited on 2008-02-05 13:10:14 by ChadFiles
Additions:
Chad's Answer:
Deletions:
Chad's Answer
Oldest known version of this page was edited on 2008-02-05 13:09:40 by ChadFiles []
Ok, so... In the summer, i'm planning a 2 week hike along a coast, it's approximatley 380miles long. There will be towns along the way, but i'd rather avoid those, making it a better experience.
Now, my main problem in my planning is bag space. I'm debating what size bag to get, and i'm leaning towards an 80 litre, possibly bigger because of all the food and water i'll need to carry.
If it's not too much to ask, do you think you could maybe give me some advice on bag packing, and any advice on what I should do about having to carry 2 weeks supply of food, and a fair amount of water?
Answer by Chad:
I completely understand wanting to avoid civilization while out hiking, I try to do that myself. However, you might want to consider having at least one food cache somewhere along the way. I would suggest a state park if one is close, this will lessen the "civilization" experience.
If you want to do the entire hike without a resupply you will have to have a rather large pack. Ryan can speak more about pack specifics than I can. I would suggest that you use light minimalist gear to make more room for food though. Here is a good forum that discuss lightweight gear in great detail: http://www.backpacking.net/forums/∞
If it's not too much to ask, do you think you could maybe give me some advice on bag packing, and any advice on what I should do about having to carry 2 weeks supply of food, and a fair amount of water?
If I were going to do this I would try to find food that has a lot of bang for its buck but also packs small. Peanut butter and assorted nuts come to mind. Lots of dehydrated food to make soup and such. It packs small and is full of nutrition. I think the biggest decision you will have to make is not how much food but what kind of food. For lightweight food ideas I would suggest: http://www.freezerbagcooking.com/∞
If I were going to pack this, I would divide the food up into four equal portions using stuff sacks and start with three of them in the bottom of my pack, then add shelter/clothes/essentials (in that order), and finally put the food bag you are using on top. This will give you access to some food and gear without having to dig around the other food. Seeing as you would have so much food I would also consider bear bagging your entire pack. Take out all of the stuff you need for the night, cover the pack in a trash bag or something and string up the whole thing.
As far as water goes you have to pack for the environment. I assume there are places to get water along the way? If so plan where you can have at least 1 liter with you at all times. Running out of water is no fun at all, not to mention dangerous. If there is no watter along the way then I am not sure how you are going to do this safely because you cannot carry enough for two weeks on your back along with the rest of your gear and food.
Pending on what kind of pack you get, most newer ones have a water bladder sleeve in the back of them, I would highly suggest these kinds of packs. If not I would suggest a large water bladder laid across the top on the inside of your pack and have a plastic bottle or nalgene container with water in your hands or in a pocket on the outside. Drink from the bottle and refill it when you stop for a break.
I would also suggest you do a search for the "100 mile wilderness" on the web. This is a section of the Appalachian Trail that is noting but
wilderness for 100 miles. There are several sites with useful information on how to safely get through the area with enough food and water. I am sure some of this information can help you in your quest.
Sam's Follow-up:
What size bag would you suggest?
Chad's Answer
It all depends on the type of gear you are carrying. I would lay out all of your gear, stick it in a sack, and measure it in cubic inches∞. A rough guess would be to take that number and double it for a 2 week supply of food and a watter bladder.
Additions:
If it's not too much to ask, do you think you could maybe give me some advice on bag packing, and any advice on what I should do about having to carry 2 weeks supply of food, and a fair amount of water?
Answer by Ryan:
Chad hit most the points fairly well, so I'm going to try to only expand on them.
You should definitely plan for at least one resupply. If for nothing else, you WILL get sick and tired of eating certain trail foods, and having something new and different (and potentially too heavy to carry) in your stash will brighten your day. Put something in there that can keep, but you would never think to take with you in a million years -- it should be as awesome a meal as you can imagine. Remember, everything tastes 10x better after a hike :) Also, what if you change your mind? Wouldn't it be nice to have a resupply box with a lot of choices for food after you've been on the trail a few days?
Take Chad's advice and join up on The Lightweight Backpacker (TLB) forums. I've been a member for a while and when I was first getting back into backpacking, the information and advice collected and given there are worth their weight in gold. For you, I would specifically suggest checking into the 'Lite Gear Talk' and the 'Lite Food Talk' -- ask LOTS of questions, there are NO stupid ones.
Personally, I would recommend against getting such a large pack, but that is just my opinion. First and foremost, get a pack that fits and is comfortable. Don't worry about whether you can get everything in there or not. Your pack size will help you determine how many resupplies, if any, you will need. I ask everyone to keep in mind that really large packs, while convenient, have some inherent problems. Besides being harder to deal with in terms of bulk alone, large and heavy packs make you more prone to injury due to the increased strain placed upon your body. Also, large packs are completely wasteful if you decide to go on a shorter trip. Ideally, you want your pack to be only as big as your gear.
In the end, I would suggest getting a bag with a roll-top closure. This will allow you to expand the top to fit more food at the beginning and after resupplies, and as your food, water, etc goes down you can adjust your pack volume accordingly. Nothing is more annoying than a pack with contents that shift around all the time.
Edited on 2008-02-05 13:16:25 by ChadFiles
Additions:
What Kind of Equipment/Prep is Needed for a Middle Distance Hike with Minimal Resupplying
Edited on 2008-02-05 13:10:14 by ChadFiles
Additions:
Chad's Answer:
Deletions:
Chad's Answer
Oldest known version of this page was edited on 2008-02-05 13:09:40 by ChadFiles []
Page view:
Sam's Question:
Ok, so... In the summer, i'm planning a 2 week hike along a coast, it's approximatley 380miles long. There will be towns along the way, but i'd rather avoid those, making it a better experience.
Now, my main problem in my planning is bag space. I'm debating what size bag to get, and i'm leaning towards an 80 litre, possibly bigger because of all the food and water i'll need to carry.
If it's not too much to ask, do you think you could maybe give me some advice on bag packing, and any advice on what I should do about having to carry 2 weeks supply of food, and a fair amount of water?
Answer by Chad:
Ok, so... In the summer, i'm planning a 2 week hike along a coast, it's approximatley 380miles long. There will be towns along the way, but i'd rather avoid those, making it a better experience.
I completely understand wanting to avoid civilization while out hiking, I try to do that myself. However, you might want to consider having at least one food cache somewhere along the way. I would suggest a state park if one is close, this will lessen the "civilization" experience.
Now, my main problem in my planning is bag space. I'm debating what size bag to get, and i'm leaning towards an 80 litre, possibly bigger because of all the food and water i'll need to carry.
If you want to do the entire hike without a resupply you will have to have a rather large pack. Ryan can speak more about pack specifics than I can. I would suggest that you use light minimalist gear to make more room for food though. Here is a good forum that discuss lightweight gear in great detail: http://www.backpacking.net/forums/∞
If it's not too much to ask, do you think you could maybe give me some advice on bag packing, and any advice on what I should do about having to carry 2 weeks supply of food, and a fair amount of water?
If I were going to do this I would try to find food that has a lot of bang for its buck but also packs small. Peanut butter and assorted nuts come to mind. Lots of dehydrated food to make soup and such. It packs small and is full of nutrition. I think the biggest decision you will have to make is not how much food but what kind of food. For lightweight food ideas I would suggest: http://www.freezerbagcooking.com/∞
If I were going to pack this, I would divide the food up into four equal portions using stuff sacks and start with three of them in the bottom of my pack, then add shelter/clothes/essentials (in that order), and finally put the food bag you are using on top. This will give you access to some food and gear without having to dig around the other food. Seeing as you would have so much food I would also consider bear bagging your entire pack. Take out all of the stuff you need for the night, cover the pack in a trash bag or something and string up the whole thing.
As far as water goes you have to pack for the environment. I assume there are places to get water along the way? If so plan where you can have at least 1 liter with you at all times. Running out of water is no fun at all, not to mention dangerous. If there is no watter along the way then I am not sure how you are going to do this safely because you cannot carry enough for two weeks on your back along with the rest of your gear and food.
Pending on what kind of pack you get, most newer ones have a water bladder sleeve in the back of them, I would highly suggest these kinds of packs. If not I would suggest a large water bladder laid across the top on the inside of your pack and have a plastic bottle or nalgene container with water in your hands or in a pocket on the outside. Drink from the bottle and refill it when you stop for a break.
I would also suggest you do a search for the "100 mile wilderness" on the web. This is a section of the Appalachian Trail that is noting but
wilderness for 100 miles. There are several sites with useful information on how to safely get through the area with enough food and water. I am sure some of this information can help you in your quest.
Sam's Follow-up:
What size bag would you suggest?
Chad's Answer
It all depends on the type of gear you are carrying. I would lay out all of your gear, stick it in a sack, and measure it in cubic inches∞. A rough guess would be to take that number and double it for a 2 week supply of food and a watter bladder.