Hiking / Camping thread -
- Thread starter Strelok
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Intermittent Denial of Service attack is causing downtime. Looks like a kiddie 5 min rental. Waiting on a response from upstream.
I'm a pretty avid hiker. Have been since I was a kid.
lol yup
My mom and I do tent-camping once or twice a year. The Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina (the best Appalachian Mountains because they're the tallest and I love heights) aren't a far drive (few hours), so that's where we usually go.
We were just there a few weeks ago, planning to do a 3-night trip (Friday-Monday) because we did a 3-night trip last May and it was great. Unfortunately we forgot to take into account the whole "it is 25 degrees Fahrenheit at night" thing and left on the Sunday night.
My dad and my sister used to come with us until we realized that not only do they not like camping but things roll a lot more easily with just two of us. (Well, excepting the time last May when my mom got a steam burn that lasted for a lot longer than anticipated.)
Some pictures from our most recent excursion, though:
Our campsite in the early morning.
View from one of the many overlooks we stopped at.
Linville Falls.
Another overlook.
Some falls off the Blue Ridge Parkway, and I am really proud of this photo.
And if anyone's interested I can tell the story of the time we saw a bear on Mt. Mitchell.
I love camping & hiking. Unfortunately, with me & The Knife moving to the center of T-Town, It's been years since I've done either. I've always liked the low end, roughing-it minimalist style of outdoorsmanship. A knife, and axe, a bag of beef jerky & a WWII canteen set, and a map and compass.
For some inspiration, here's one stone-cold Robinson Crusoe motherfucker.
For some inspiration, here's one stone-cold Robinson Crusoe motherfucker.
I camp 3 - 4 times a year, anything from backpacking to car camping. I tend to try to camp place that have a nice hike to a waterfall/lake/river or any awesome natural phenomenon.
Does walking 1.5 miles from the bus count?
In all seriousness, the only hiking I have done is in urban areas or in parks outside said cities. One of these days I would love to get a buddy and go on something that required supplies.
In all seriousness, the only hiking I have done is in urban areas or in parks outside said cities. One of these days I would love to get a buddy and go on something that required supplies.
Being a broke mo-fo, I've had to do a lot of "urban hiking". Sometimes 10+ miles.
You don't need as much gear as country hiking while doing this, but it does keep your bottom line down to carry your own water & snacks (and lunch/dinner on a long haul) instead of dipping into a store whenever you feel hungry/thirsty. It's also a good idea to carry a poncho in case it rains, and I've always walked with a 6' rattan bo staff or a golf club to thwomp away stray dogs & help keep my balance on steep hills.
I even keep a notebook of interesting things I've found while walking. This is an excerpt from my last walk home from work (2.2 miles) when my truck was derped up:
1. A three-foot length of 2" dia stainless steel *thick* walled pipe. And I do mean thick-walled, about 3/4" an inch. Would of made it home with me except it weighed 40-odd pounds. Due to the mushrooming on each end of it, I'm guessing it was a big ass drive-punch that fell off a repair truck. I *did* however stash it behind a big pine tree in some tall grass & carve my smith's rune with my pocketknife on the bark facing the road. I'll be back, buddy.
2. A small mushroom on the side of the ditches that was almost identical to the ones in Super Mario Bros., but in the lightest tan shade with dark brown spots.
3. Right next to the stairs leading up to the local po' folks trailer park. A plastic Piggly-wiggly bag containing the following: an empty six pack of Budweiser longnecks, an empty dip-can (Red Seal long cut) and an empty pregnancy test box. Not like it was thrown out of a car, but just gently sat down besides the stairs. I'm guessing that was a midnight come-to-Jesus thinking session.
4. Six blue disposable nitrile gloves, covered in a viscous black substance, about fifty feet apart down the road. No idea what that was about.
5. Two 'possums and one kitty with bad timing.
6. A broken sledgehammer handle, an empty condom box and a broken Cîroc vodka bottle in a puddle of auto safety glass. Glad I wasn't there for that one.
7. Besides the mailbox of a store that's been abandoned since the big tornado down here a few years ago. A foot high stack of phone books that the rain had melted together into a paper-mache brick.
Wherever you walk, just keep your eyes open. The world is a fascinating place.
I grew up in the Blue Ridge, and when I was a kid I'd go camping for days on our property all the time. Every once in a while I miss it enough to actually pack a bag and go out camping. I like to go "open" or "dispersed" camping (that's where you're just out in the wilderness instead of at a campground with facilities like running water and toilets.) Any BLM land is free for dispersed camping as long as you are a certain amount of yards away from roads and water sources. What gets me out is how much I miss being all alone, with nobody around to ask me questions or bother me about shit. Reading is amazing in the middle of nowhere. So is coffee and a cigar. If you know how to set small traps or handle a small caliber rifle, nothing beats rabbit or squirrel with a little bit of bay seasoning.
What makes me really want to come back are the little things you forget about that are such a pain in the ass; How long water takes to boil when you're really hungry, how difficult it is to sleep when the moon hits a transit and every animal in the world decides to crawl out of it's hole looking for food. How fast it can go from "chilly" to "It's so goddmaned cold. I'm going to kill and crawl inside the next living thing I come across"
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What's the best way for a fat fuck like myself to get into shape and start hiking?
Start with paved, even trails. Then, once you are comfortable with those, start pushing yourself a bit. Good shoes are a must.
Kick a bear in the junk. Nothing like running for your life for good exercise.
Just kidding. What Dr. Druid said is a really good start, but the main thing is just get started. Walk someplace, even if it's just down to the store. Once you get into it a bit, you'll find longer & longer hikes are easier & easier.
And I second the good shoes suggestion. Two miles in bad shoes is worse than ten in good ones.
I hike often, But i would love to camp more,
Went on a couple night stay to Anza Borego in the winter, alot of fun!
Went on a couple night stay to Anza Borego in the winter, alot of fun!
My parents are avid campers and go out about 5 or 6 times a summer, and I join them sometime. They have a travel trailer and want to camp around the US when my dad retires in a few years.
As for me I want to go tent camping in the summer if my job allows it. I don't really hike per se other than going to a track and walking a few miles when it's warm out. Urban hiking like Husbando described interests me though. There are some nice state parks near me that I'd like to check out this summer.
As for me I want to go tent camping in the summer if my job allows it. I don't really hike per se other than going to a track and walking a few miles when it's warm out. Urban hiking like Husbando described interests me though. There are some nice state parks near me that I'd like to check out this summer.
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