brand new backpacker

“Hey all. I'm looking to try backpacking for my first time.”

“I'm sure we'll all be more than glad to help in any way we can...”

“I want to go solo but I'm kind of freaked out about it”

“leggylady - Great! Now, tell us all about yourself.”

“If thaw' ask the' ye' qestion, thaw' shall find ye' reply'”

“nothin' like a solo hike to clear the mind”

“If going solo freaks you out, do a few day hikes solo on well traveled trails until you get used to hiking alone. Then an extended trip might not be as bad.”

“Brief discussion on women hiking alone:

http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/today_mess.asp?threadid=5859&age=9999”

“you can blend in with nature better going solo...do what you want and see so much more”

“also you never have to worry about anyone else”

“and you get to hike your own pace”

“Be prepared for things that go bump in the night, its the only time I feel lonely.”

“What's frozen Ice Tea?”

“Do solo dayhikes in unknown territory. It's the same feeling as a solo overnight in familiar territory.
If you're looking for guided overnights, then check out your local chapter of the Sierra Club.”

“I had to backpack for 20 years before trying my first solo hike. .

On second thought, yes just go. Then it will seem normal.”

“Leggy..try car camping solo first so you are totally familiar with all your gear and how to work it all in the dark.

When you have a comfort level there, then go to the well traveled trails..

Good Luck. I've done several sections of the AT solo..scary at first, but then it's great!!

Tx”

“Get yourself a big dog to hike with! Great trail buddies, they can help haul your stuff, and nothing like a visual deterrent to keep the low life at bay. I recommend a rottie, GSD, or dobie.”

“the first time i went solo i was charged by an elk!....um...never approach them on foot no matter how tame they seem...”

“First time I when solo on an ECT I was attacked by a killer raccoon, but I still made it to my destination of Dunkin Donutes”

“LOL, Tea! Those concrete jungle treks will kill you.”

“Solo hiking is incredible.. but I do like hiking with good friends also.

:)”

“Leggylady, a dog does wonders for creating that familiar, routine comfort level and are great to have at 2AM when you can feel the ground vibrate with heavy footsteps or pawsteps outside your tent. I don't think they can carry your gear though, usually they carry their own water, food, sleeping bed and a few extra bugs.”

“Go solo...It will be the best experience of your life.”

“Not to be discouraging, but if you are a newbie to backpacking, hold off on the solo trip. Take along someone in the know.”

“Walkin in the woods and sleepin in the woods is a good thing.
But you better get a good pakpak and a tent to. Can you make a tent? I can make a tent. I got a good pakpak to.

Put yer sleepy bag (you got to get a sleepy bag to) in the pakpak and tent and suppers to. When ever thing is in the pakpak you can go walkin in the woods.

Be carful of bares and woofs and rok rats and leaf rats and tree rats and marmrats and ratcoons cuz they will try to get yer suppers. Put yer suppers in the trees. If I see rats I will bite off ther heds. I do not bite off no bare heds tho.

DO NOT PEE IN THE TENT! Pee byside a tree on the leafs.

Be happy nice to ever buddy you see in the woods - they are yer frends. Ever buddy can help you in the woods. Just yell HEEEEEELP MEEEEEE IN THE WOOOOOODS! if you need help makin a tent or what never.

I hope ever thing will be ok. Mebbe we can go walkin in the woods and sleepin in the woods some days together.
(o:3”

“What roseymonster said, esp. if you aren't at all familiar w/ the outdoors. Even if you are familiar w/ the outdoors.”

“I don't kno about peeing IN the tent but on snow days i pee in a cup!”

“solo is a beautiful thing, you get very strong and self reliant..and have a deeper experience with nature.... but if you have never hiked or camped, I would do something like txwoodswoman suggested, so you can get to know your gear. or else, depending on where you live.....join a tt group excursion! you will learn so much from others.
whatever, be careful, it is very addicting......”

“chewgirl and rosemonster are CRAZY!
If you wanna go walkin in the woods with out no buddy that will be ok.”

“I could never go solo>>>”

“Sarabelle: I know you don't go walking in the woods by yourself. Your daddy takes you, you big LIAR!”

“You are the FAT BUTT lier!
I go walkin in the woods EVER DAY by my self some times the nother time ago so ther!”

“i just started backpacking this year and went out on my first solo trip in the summer. I thought I'd be scared out there alone, but I wasn't. It's really nice getting away from everything. Very therapeutic. I think it's a lot better to go off alone than to stay home just because others won't go with you.”

“Oh yeah -
be carful of the skeery WOOF BARE!
If you heer "wooooooo wooooooooo" in the woods at nite RUN A WAY!”

“Wow! A productive hiking thread!

Great advice on how to go solo. Just keep in mind that backpacking is nothing more than day hiking with camping in between days. It's not hard and it's no big deal.

When you buy your gear buy a pack as close to 4 pounds, a sleeping bag as close to 3 pounds, and a tent as close to 4 pounds as possible.”

“Sarabelle-you forgot to say"you are the fat STINKY butt liar!"”

“What's a Woof Bare? I haven't seen any of those yet.”

“You are a FAT STINKY BUTT lier then!”

“Woof Bares come in three varieties.. brown, grizzly.. and polar ah thinks..”

“No...red, gray, and timber.”

“teenage, middle-aged, and michael landon.”

“L-O-L!”

“*poof*

I nearly howled at work on that post.”