Hi, I'm new here

“Having done a search under "newb" and seeing the accusations of trollnig, I almost fear to do this, but, well, I am new and seek advice from people who (hopefully) are in the know.

Also, I apologize for the length of this post. I find it hard to keep posts small on almost any message board. So, here we go.

About me, I'm 31 years old, I went camping as a kid with my family and my last overnight camping trip in a tent was in High School. I am a woefully out of shape married father of two. I live in West Central Texas and my wife's family has a four section ranch that I have access to almost all times of year except for white-tail deer season when it is leased to hunters. There is also a State Park just outside the city with what they claim is 20 miles of hiking trails.

Right now, my plan is mostly camping at the ranch and doing some day hikes. There are plenty of nice rocky hills to climb, dry creek beds to explore and since we've actually had some rian the past two years, even a few springs. I am an amateur herpetologist (that means I am really into reptiles) and so collecting snakes and observing other reptiles is a definite part of my agenda.

Most of my outdoor experiences over the past 8 years have simply been hunting trips. My family and I have started taking evening walks to start gearing up for the day hikes from a base camp at the ranch. I am also going to start doing my own walks in the morning and eventually will start adding a weighted pack to my routine to try and increase my stamina and simply get used to it.

As I stated before, I live in West Central Texas in what scientists have labeled a succulent desert. That means it is damn hot but we have some cactus and mesquite trees. This is a big hunting area and of the two Outdoor stores we have, neither carry very decent, lightweight hiking boots or much warm weather gear. They are geared toward white tail hunters mostly, and the deer season begins in late fall and lasts until the beginning of winter, so most everything I find is not for warm or hot weather hiking.

Aside from the very obvious hydration needs, what else would I need in my immediate future for day hikes in temperatures from say 80-100*F? I've been doing a lot of looking on the web and some of the lightweight clothing made to wick moisture sounds fantastic. I already have a CamelBak from when I used to ride Mountain Bikes in college, but I know I'll want some Nalgene bottles as well.

So, bearing all of that in mind, what would you say is most needed? Also, keep in mind I have all the big bulky crap for car camping or setting up a sort of base camp already, but none of the actual hiking kind of stuff. The main aim of all of this is to work my way up to longer and longer hikes, then weekends, 3 day weekends, then (hopefully) thru hiking for 4-7 days at a stretch on some of the West and Central Texas trails and eventually saving some money for a nice trip to the cooler trails like the PCT or something.

If you've read this far, thanks! I know the basic equipment I would need, so I am moer interested in name brands etc. The nearest REI store is in Austin, which is 3 and a half hours away by car, so I am sort of screwed in that regard. I'll likely plan a trip there for some good boots once I've squirreled away enough cash and can plan a weekend trip. Thanks in advance for your advice and any hot weather tips and tricks!”

“I get to be first....Troll...welcome.”

“the heck with all that, the main thing is are you a Republican or a Democrat ;)

welcome to TT”

“Welcome Texas Troll!! You can always shop REI on-line. Good boots and good socks is what I would go for first.”

“"the heck with all that, the main thing is are you a Republican or a Democrat ;)"

Er, I vote independent of party affiliation most often. Texas is the land of conservative Democrats (although that trend is dying out now as both parties become more polarized) so it's hard to claim one party over another sometimes. Heck, I've even voted green party on a few of the more agricultural offices, not because I thought I could get them in, but more to send a message to the powers that be. Maybe if enough people start doing such, then the major parties will have to listen and actually do something about such backburner issues as the environment, etc. Hope that answers your question, Ewker.”

“oh God 5 posts on this thread and its already headed to Fuego...”

““Welcome Texas Troll!! You can always shop REI on-line. Good boots and good socks is what I would go for first.”

I was a little worried about buying boots online, as I have a wide foot and I figure my boots will probably be the most important and used of my equipment when it gets down to it. I think I'd rather get fitted for them, at least for my first pair. Although, I suppose if there are places that have decent return policies, I could always try them on and send them back for another size if I needed? Speaking of which, what are some good online sites to purchase from?”

“Cabela's and Campmor have excellent service and return policies. Good prices, too.

Good luck.

Doug”

“Texas is the land of conservative Democrats (although that trend is dying out now as both parties become more polarized)

Are you joking? The Republicans are being more polorized? LOL. The Republicans are going so far in the center they're about to fall in! You think they're going more right?? Dude. What are you smoking?”

“Try the boots on before you buy them. I would make the trip to REI for that. Your feet will thank you later.”

“hey it's king of the Hill

howdy there Hank
LOL


welcome to TT, get ready for a bumpy ride.

:)”

“not so fast harlock. first there are a few questions you must answer. the demo/repub was only the begining.

1 do you hike with your dog(s)?
2 do you hike with your gun(s)?
3 do you hike with your pot ?
4 do you hike with your bible(s)?
5 do you hike with illegals who cross the border?
6 would you hike with sarge? (he needs a friend)
last edited: 6/14/05 2:51:39 PM”

“* reads sacco's post and busts out laughing *

ya buddy.. that's the board we ARE.. ;)

screw everything else..


Seriously.. good advice here, guaranteed. I defy you to find a more active board.”

“why isn't he catchin it for a pic???????”

“cause he's a guy carlette. duh.”

“y'all just ain't fair!”

“What was that fat boy?”

“lol@sacco good question who would hike with sarge ;)”

“see above”

“1 do you hike with your dog(s)?
I don't have a dog.
2 do you hike with your gun(s)?
At the family ranch I'll carry a Kimber .45
3 do you hike with your pot ?
I have to cook in something.
4 do you hike with your bible(s)?
Yes, in fact I would.
5 do you hike with illegals who cross the border?
No.
6 would you hike with sarge? (he needs a friend)
Sure, everyone needs a friend.”

“and you wonder why no one wants to hike with you sarge.

you're just a big meanie.

{self consciously trying to twist enough to look at my butt}”

“so harlock is a bible thumpin, dog hatin, gun totin, drug usin, buddy of sarge.


makes sense now.”

“dang, that is a good pic sarge..thanks

at least I have my pics available for viewing ;)”

“No no no, pot to cook in, not pot to smoke... And it's not that I hate dogs so much as I hate picking up poop in my backyard. In fact, dogs rock and if they could be litterbox trained or toilet trained, I might own one.”

“just kiddin BTW harlock. then again, if your skin ain't a little tough then screw you, you won't last long anyway.

seriously, i have no answers to your questions being from NY (no deserts up here)
but i'm sure there are people who can help you here.

my suggestion is to copy/paste the bottom half of your initial post on to a new thread with a different heading in the gear category.

with all the trolls 'round here these kind of threads always go to hell quick.

on a gear thread you'll probably find better, faster answers.
last edited: 6/14/05 3:12:54 PM”

“Thanks, Sacco, and I was kidding too... I hoped the tongue in cheek stuff was leaking through. I'll do that about the gear.”

“...troll lesson one: ya gotta tell 'em ALL to go pound sand, yer yer own man an' setch like thet there...got it?....YOU don' have ta anser no stinkin' questions!

Welcome to the Darkside!”

“LMAO @ sacco”

“Tell these screw offs to go eff themselves since you’ve got real hikin’ issues to discuss.

Now, the environment where you are is nicely conducive to starting off light with your gear. Since you are not actually planning to backpack for a while, why not just get a low volume, inexpensive Golite pack. Many will work fine with your Camelback.

There is a ton of info on the web about dayhiking essentials. Not everyone’s list is the same, so figure out what is necessary for your area. Then browse websites like Sierra Trading Post, Campmor, REI – Outlet, Killer Deals, etc. to find good deals on these essentials. Once you have that stuff, get out there and hike!

Regarding footwear; I say do some hikes in what you have. Running shoes, tennis shoes, whatever. See if those work for you before investing in boots that may never be as comfortable as your perfectly functional tennis shoes. Good socks are important though.

You are going to learn the fastest by hiking on your own and making mistakes followed closely by hiking with others to see how they do things to avoid the mistakes you made. Try to find some local experienced hikers to tag along with on a few hikes.”

“Thanks so much, Hubcap. That's great advice. The only reason I was considering boots over my regular walking shoes was ankle support. I have pretty weak ankles and really wrecked one once on a skateboard and so it still gives me problems. I'll start asking around at church and such for some hiking types. We have a big Scout program so I can ask the Scout Masters and see what kind of info I get.

I had checked out Sierra Trading Post and was impressed with some of the prices. I just wasn;t sure how reputable they were as I am new to this whole thing. Thanks!”

“Moved my post to the other thread... :-)
last edited: 6/14/05 3:48:38 PM”

“welcome to trailtalk Harlock. Hope you find backpacking fun and rewarding. Peruse the trip page. Not many trips in Texas though.”

“Texas
ChuckD
TXWoodswoman
Lonestar
CB
Bug
Jello Fog
Toejam
Cairn”

“Okay, i added a profile, though it sounds dumb to me, but meh, I was honest. I wonder if any of those folks live in my neck of the woods... Thanks for the list SuperTroll and pinkbubelz, thanks a ton! That helps me a lot.”

“Good grief, this troll skateboards!”

“And I would never callanyone a Troll, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .




well except I have alist.

First: Seriously, when shopping online, always check to return policy. If it is pretty liberal, order the item (boots, for example, in several sizes some above and some below what you THINK you wear. Then try them on and return all but the right boot . . . . opps, I mean the right size.

Second: Everyone here has a pretty active sense of humor. So take comments about hiking with pot (either the cooking kind or smoking kind etc) with a grain of salt and a tongue planted firmly in your cheek (NO!!! . . . . I meant your face cheek.

Take the serious advice to heart and then make up your own mind. These are all good people, even the crazy one. (You know who you are.)

Welcome and Enjoy!!”

“About me, I'm 31 years old, I went camping as a kid with my family and my last overnight camping trip in a tent was in High School. I am a woefully out of shape married father of two. I live in West Central Texas and my wife's family has a four section ranch that I have access to almost all times of year except for white-tail deer season when it is leased to hunters. There is also a State Park just outside the city with what they claim is 20 miles of hiking trails.

Welcome aboard the board!

You sound like a great hiker in the making. I've hiked near you in the summer before. It was in Brownwood south of Abilene. You are not too far from a TT (Trail Talk) buddy of mine TOEJAM. TOEJAM lives southwest of Fort Worth. Maybe you guys can hook up sometime.

You don't need much for dayhiking hiking your area. Try to get yourself a nice pair of waterproof hiking boots as soon as you can. Mail order is an option because they are returnable if not worn. Some stores even pay the return postage. You will need a pack of some kind. One of your kids school packs will work as long as you keep it light. For real backpacking you will need to get something with a padded hip belt to take the weight off the shoulders. Keep checking the websites for a great deal on a pack like hubcap said. A great pack can be had for $100 or less. The pack to is returnable if it doesn't feel right. Take the pack and stuff it full of clothes etc. and see how it feels on your back before removing the tag and taking it outdoors. You will need some form of shelter. http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=17305&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226
Some here settle for tarps due to their light weight. With the creepy crawling bugs and your little buddy reptiles of Texas I'd get a tent. Campmor currently has some good tents and tarps for under $100. A $5 blue tarp or even cheaper tyvek house wrap suspended on poles will provide shelter in summer. Unless you really rough it you will need a sleeping pad. They range from the $10 walmart pad to the $20 indestructable Ridgerest to the $50 - $100 inflatables. A poncho is all you need for rain gear unless you want to spring $200 plus for goretex. You don't need a sleeping bag for summer in Texas. Just geet a cheep $10 - $15 dollar fleece sleeping bag or use and old sheet or blanket. You will probably sleep on top of it anyway. Save your money up to buy yourself a good bag for winter. Again watch for internet sales. I bought my sons some great Marmot 15 degree bags for $80 dollars. For drinking bottles Nalgene is the top brand but old gatoraide bottles or bottled water bottles will work just fine and they are free with the beverage. You will need to filter or treat your water. If the water is clear treating with iodine or clorine will be enough polar pur is about $10 and will one bottle will treat hundreds of gallons of water. In muddly or still water I'd filter or maybe both. A good filter can be had for $50 - $100 dollars. You will also need a light. You probably already have a flash light or headlamp for hunting. The headlamp is best because it leaves both hands free to cook etc. You will need a stove to heat your food and drink. A soda can stove can be made in about 15 minutes from two soda cans and a little ethanol for fuel. Canister stoves are the rage though. I like them they are as easy to use as your home stove. I still prefer my white gas stove for serious BTU's though and ease of finding fuel. MSR, Snow Peak, Optimus and Coleman make good stoves. You will need a pot for heating water and food. A thin cheap aluminium pot from the dollar store will work. Unscrew or cut the handle short and toss in a lexan spoon and your eating needs are done. Expensive pots can be had but for a buck you can get a 1 quart pot. throw in a bic light and your cooking is complete. Keep everything light and simple. Here is a light and simple guy. Warning his picture is at the top of his webpage.
http://www.datasync.com/~wksmith/
last edited: 6/14/05 4:27:21 PM”

“Tell these screw offs to go eff themselves since you’ve got real hikin’ issues to discuss.

hubcap
3:22:27 PM


did you just diss us?”

“Hey Harlock don't forget to sign up for a trip soon. These people are real, just like the ones you see in Backpacker Magazine. Except most of them are not models. They do all those things you read and dream about. Get out there and have fun.”

““Hey Harlock don't forget to sign up for a trip soon. These people are real, just like the ones you see in Backpacker Magazine. Except most of them are not models. They do all those things you read and dream about. Get out there and have fun.” -bateauxdriver
Oh, no, not signing up for a trip for a bit. As I mentioned, I am woefully out of shape and will probably spend this summer and fall getting into shape and dayhiking the ranch. Maybe by next spring though!”

“Some of the trips are really laid back and some are hardcore. Try a laid back trip first.”

“Welcome Harock :) Save a horse...ride a cowboy ;)”

“Welcome. No advice. Learn on your own. It's better that way. When you screw up, you learn. Just don't screw up on a sheer cliff though. You will learn, but the lesson won't do you any good.”

“So...harlock, how old are you? do you have a picture? What do you look like in boots? :)”

“I am 31, I have lots of pictures, but mostly of my kids and such, as I do the picture taking. I look taller in boots. :)”

“howdy har from a fellow troll-”

“nuts!
last edited: 6/14/05 5:01:26 PM”

“get a dog and teach it to poop in the neighbors yard-”