Getting Started: Backpacking Day Trips Close To Home
Getting away from the pressures of everyday life with the loved ones who matter most to you is one of the fantastic benefits of camping and hiking. Getting started means learning basic hiking and camping skills and this is best served in the comfort and safety of a familiar environment.
Many will be surprised to find a wide selection of trails located in public parks. Many counties have built excellent parks systems that have short, easy, well-marked trails. These types of areas are perfect for the beginner who is looking to do a 2 or 3 hour hike.
A short distance is perfect for the beginner to experiment with their gear and equipment as well as different weather conditions. The close proximity to home gives the option of stopping the hike if adverse weather, injuries, such as blisters, or equipment failure occurs. These close to home hikes are invaluable for learning outdoor skills such as practicing with a map and compass, building walking stamina and getting the feel of carrying a fully loaded backpack. Consider these types of day trips to be preparation for a trip further from home; they will prepare you for the fun yet to come.
After practicing your hiking and navigation skills at a nearby park or wildlife area you are ready to venture further from home. A weekend trip is the next step in building our outdoor resume. A good choice would be a destination no more than 3 or 4 hours from
home. This type of trip is great for practicing tent erecting skills as well as campfire building and outdoor cooking. The aromas when cooking outdoors are very intense; food cooking after hiking for several hours can be one of the most enjoyable elements of our weekend adventure. Learning how to improve out outdoor skills requires us to keep a journal of what we did right as well as what went wrong and what we will need to improve future trips. Learning what to bring and what not to bring on these weekenders will improve the safety and quality of these wonderful trips. Modern camping brings the comforts of home to the wilderness and for hikers this brings a touch of home to some of the most remote and beautiful spots in the world. After several of these weekend trips we start to learn what it takes to be self reliant in the back-country and we are ready for the challenges that an unfamiliar environment brings.
Next we search for a destination not so close to home. The choices are limitless, we can choose traditional camping where we stay in a campground and hike the various trails in the area, stay at a local inn and hike local trails or we can base camp (my favorite) where we set up in a rural area and hike different trails each day. Doing research on the different places and types of trails at our destination is imperative.
Decide ahead of time what locations you want to hike to and plan for each one. Rural areas, especially in mountainous regions have extensive trail systems and many books and guides are available in many areas.
The lessons and skills we learned on our day trips will pay off dearly when we venture on a long distance hike. If you enjoy the social side of hiking choose trails where hikers congregate in shelters, huts, lean-tos, or camping areas. You will find these types of areas along long distance trails such as The Appalachian Trail. For hikes that are assured to be social try joining a local hiking club and go on the group events offered there.
There is an immense satisfaction obtained from hiking and camping and knowing that you can meet the challenges presented by nature while still having a safe and rewarding time.
H. Jeffrey Davis authored this article. H. Jeffrey is an avid outdoor enthusiast. Given the stressful demands of our modern lifestyle hiking and camping in the great outdoors is a great way to relax. This fact hasn't gone unnoticed and he takes great pleasure in sharing pointers and suggestions with his readers. If you're looking for top quality camping and hiking gear he recommends www.campoutcity.com
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