Im New to This....

“Im looking to get in to backpacking and i was wondering if anyone had any advice or any type of a starters guide/ Things I should know type of information that would be Helpful.

Javy310”

“I'd say go with a group of more advanced packers.....you can learn a lot from them :) more then any book would tell you.”

“Check:
http://www.backpacking.net/beginner.html
and
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=starting+in+backpacking&aq=f&oq=

Visit some Sports Stores and the Sports Departments in some large stores. This could include Target and/or Walmart.”

“he's in california. there should be tons of outfitters like REI and several smaller ones. if he wants to do it right, why would he go to some generic department store?”

“yeah, spend a lot of money on great gear instead...that way if you decide you don't like it you can sell it all to us at discount prices ;)”

“best advice I can offer is don't pay a whole lot of attention to this crowd until you spend some time and get to know who is worth listening to.”

“Is that supposed to be ironic?”

“Most important rule...

DON'T SKIMP ON FOOTWEAR..

Second Most Important Rule...

AVOID COTTON


I don't know what your budget is.. But Target's Champion Clothing is an awesome value.. It's light, dries fast, and is a heck of a lot cheaper than the brand names.. I have Go-Lite, Patagonia, Mountain Hardware, North Face, and I have finally decided it just isn't worth the extra $$$$ anymore... I would rather spend the money on airline tickets to the west...

Also, for cheap but effective rain gear, Dick's Dry-Ducks can't be beat.. You can't bushwack in the stuff, but for $14.99 for the set, its a great deal..

lastly, determine what kind of hiking you will be doing the most of and go from there.... If you will be doing short trips, you don't need ultra lite gear..

Oh and the final rule.. No matter what you buy, eventually you will see something that you like more....

'32oz”

“in addition to foot wear a good sleep system is important too...especially if you're going to do multi day trips...lack of sleep can really exasperate situations and make you think you don't like backpacking when you're actually just in a bad mood because you didn't sleep”

“There are various local and regional hiking/backpacking groups that make their trips public knowledge. Check the trips page here. Don't buy anything major until you get some time with people in person. Most folks are glad to show you their gear and tell you what they like about it. Then you have a better idea what you want and why.

You can always do dayhikes and talk to folks about overnight gear before you spend big bucks on a tent, tarptent or hammock. They each have their uses and purposes. They each have their own devotees and they each different attributes.”

“here is a tip.

for years i purchased expensive "quick-dry" clothes for running... coolmax and the like... brooks, nike, etc. very expensive but i will add quite nice and work well.

that said...

i have since switched to wal-mart "Starter" brand. a "quick-dry" shirt costs like $3... and they are comfortable, well cut, and in fact do dry out quickly.

the long-sleeved shirts are now some of my favorites.

i still have a few "favorites" in the more expensive brands... mountain hardware and patagoina... but i really don't buy a lot of this stuff anymore. i can get like 10 walmart shirts for the price of one "boutique" brand and the more expensive shirt simply doesn't perform any better.

i also switched to their coolmax socks. i still have and use my thorlos running socks but the walmart brand coolmax socks are great for running in.
last edited: 9/16/08 8:09:23 AM”

“here's another site i recently found were you can meet other people that share common hobbies

www.meetup.com”

“Thanx for all the help guys! Im looking to start off with a few day trips and later on when i have some more experiance maybe some longer over night trips...This page is a great resource....
last edited: 9/16/08 9:57:47 AM”

“Read The Complete Walker III by Collin Fletcher. It is our bible and holy scriptures.

Buy your core gear as light as you can afford:

Tent (4 lbs)
Sleeping bag (3 lbs)
Pack (4 lbs)”

“It's walking, guys. Chill-out.

It's the same advice your mommy told you when you were in kindergarten. Dress appropriately, drink plenty of water, and be home before dark.”

“says the guy who doesnt backpack”

“LOL, you made me "unclick" him for that”

““says the guy who doesnt backpack” - crash bang

Well, I guess you'd know, right?”

“tell me about your latest backpacking trip, sargeant. hut two three”

“pics or it didnt happen”

“Good grief Nigal, are you trying to kill the newbie?”

“Beware the snobbery in the backpacking community. For too many people, it's primarily a social club. See Crash Bang for example.”

“

�he's in california. there should be tons of outfitters like REI and several smaller ones. if he wants to do it right, why would he go to some generic department store?�
crash bang

Because some of them are very good! An example from the past would be Marshall Fields in Chicago. He could obtain ideas and prices for comparisons. Many identicle articles can be found in various stores at different prices.”

“It was last year, when I didn't have a broken collar-bone, rib, or toe. No pics for you, it would just be trees, and I'm not sending a pic of myself for you to do whatever you do to pics online.

I'm not ashamed of when I went last, and honestly, it's just backpacking anyways. Whoopty-doo. You act as if it's an elite Club. It's not like mountain/rock climbing or base-jumping. It's WALKING.”

“Some of us walk better than others :)

I trip alot”

“the way YOU do it might be "just walking" but that backpacking trip i did to the grand canyon this last year with prosecutor, blisster, and captain jack was backpacking and it was anything BUT "just walking". my bet is that if it's just walking you ain't doing it right...”

“Beware the elitists, as well.”

“beware of the "i only hike off-trail and sleep (and fall out of) trees" elitists as well
last edited: 9/16/08 1:34:43 PM”

“beware of mutt.”

“yogisan, do you think this newbie is ready for that?”

“It's not like mountain/rock climbing or base-jumping

ive done 2 out of 3! do i get to be elite now?

ok, so they were at the beginner level. can i be a beginner elitist? a beglitist?”

“do you think this newbie is ready for that?

no. no one said he was. yogi's response was a counter to your statement that backpacking is just walking”

“says the guy who doesnt backpack�

crash bang
1:36:03 PM
9/16/08

step back and watch the fireworks in 3...2...1...”

“Welcome to TrollTalk, the armpit of the Demand Media Online Empire. � Please note the 'ignore this user' link under the posters' names. � If you decide to stay, this will become your favorite feature on the site, � LOL

Also.... � Check with local outfitters about gear they might rent so you can make a more informed decision before buying. � It all boils down to what You like better.

”

“best advice I can offer is don't pay a whole lot of attention to this crowd until you spend some time and get to know who is worth listening to.”
ramblinrev
10:42:54 AM
9/16/08

I rest my case.....”

“LOL, that feature takes some getting used to...some threads, this one for instance, are tough to follow when every other post is "message from soandso being ignored"”

“Please note the 'ignore this user' link under the posters' names. � If you decide to stay, this will become your favorite feature on the site - tilt

Beware the emotionally immature, as well.”

“theyre easy to spot. theyre usually arguing about sarah palin or W”

“It is just walking, crash. If yogisan wants to increase the difficulty by doing something more challenging, GREAT! But, that's irrelevant. I'm sure the new guy knows some hikes are harder than others, and shouldn't be climbing Mt. Rushmore. (that's a joke)

Hiking is one of the simplest, most accessible sports in the world, from toddlers to old people that can't get in & out of their hammock without increasing their medication.”

“and the name callers”

“Sorry rev, that was a low blow.”

“it may be just walking, but it was fun getting a rise out of you just the same. thanks for playing

”

“sarge... I got no clue what you are talking about. Where did I mention you?”

“backpacking is not a sport”

“no, but tt'ing is”

“neither is cheerleading, nor bowling.”

“Non
Athletic
Sport
Centered
Around
Rednecks?”

“yogi, the creator of this site, disagrees-

http://www.thebackpacker.com/articles/tipsandhow/art11.php

new guy, you may want to read that”

“yogi created this site?

no wonder this place sucks.
last edited: 9/16/08 2:26:41 PM”

“backpacking is a sport?

this is Cute - http://thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/thread/14288,,1.php

spirit's first post & crazy mike going nuts waving his arms @ her. lol

3 years before me, people warning her about the site too, lol”