High Sierra Topix

The issue of solo backpacking has little to do with being a woman or man and more to do with your experience level. If you feel you need to depend on others to bail you out, you probably should wait until you are confident in your self-sufficiency. That goes for men as well as women! Always assume you will NOT have anyone come along to assist. On a busy trail, it is likely others would run across you if you were hurt, but what if you break a leg, while wandering around camp? What if you lose the trail and get lost? I do solo trips, some up to 14 days before I come out to resupply, some 80% off trail, sometimes I see nobody for 8 days, but I have been doing this for a long, long time! I was pretty much an expert backpacker before I ever went alone.

As for bears, they are out there, but it is not common to run into them. Use a bear canister where required, keep a clean camp, read up a bit on bear behavior and what to do when you run into one. One way I avoid bears is not to camp in an established campsite on a busy trail. Also, look for bear signs when you choose a campsite. If you see bear poo nearby, go to another site! Same if you see bear tracks. While walking, make noise. I talk to the bears and bang my trekking poles. And keep alert - look ahead, and to the sides, not just at your feet.

In all my years of backpacking, I have NEVER meet another person on the trail or off the trail in the wilderness that made me feel creepy. Some have been very eccentric, a few have been condencending (assuming all women need their expert advise), but none threatening.

Re. a sleeping bag and tent, you can find very lightweight and high quality items, but at a higher price. How much are you willing to pay? I can recommend some different things for various budgets. If you know how to keep down dry, there are some new moisture resistant down bags that are very lightweight. Do you tend to sleep hot or cold? For $500, you can get a 2 lb. 2-person tent from REI, $400 when they have a sale. There are some selections from Z-Packs that are lighter, but are what you might call "alternative" design. $500 also is what you'd pay for one of the very best 1 lb. 32 degree down sleeping bags. You can do 2+ lb. synthetic, same temp range, for $150-$200 or so. Sometimes it just depends.

I too have never run into weird people on the trail (just some eccentric in a good way), but have seen some hanging out at popular trailheads that I really didn't want to interact with.

I'm a total eBay shopper. I've have gotten most of my items off eBay to keep costs down. The smaller essentials I will be getting at REI outlet. The bag and tent.....still looking. Depends on if I go alone or if I ever go with someone. Do I carry a tent for that possibility? I tend to sleep cold but I layer and feel great. As long as my toes and chest are warm, I am fine.

I am looking at this for a tent: http://www.ebay.com/itm/281123101460?ss ... 1438.l2649" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This for a bag: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Eureka-Casper-1 ... 3a823eb27c" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Daisy - Always great reading your posts. Very insightful. Luckily, though I haven't hiked in a while, I am knowledgeable enough to know what to do when there are wild animals about. I hear of people putting their headphones on full blast to not notice that they just walked up on a bear. Keeping your eyes and ears open is essential to a safe hike. It's also good just in case another person needs help.

I know my first overnighter isn't long or hard, but I don't want to kill myself on my first trip. I need to see how I do in the altitude, endurance, "rest step" and food.

Sorry Tom, forgot to mention....I would rather go with a synthetic as I have been warned about downs. If they get wet, you're screwed.

Sox - When you are shopping for gear, always be mindful of the weight. That tent and sleeping bag are pretty heavy. Obviously the super light stuff is probably more than you want to spend, but you should try to find a balance there that will keep your pack relatively light.

schmalz wrote:Sox - When you are shopping for gear, always be mindful of the weight. That tent and sleeping bag are pretty heavy. Obviously the super light stuff is probably more than you want to spend, but you should try to find a balance there that will keep your pack relatively light.

And this is why I post on this board. You are completely right. I have been mindful of the weight issues and didn't even look at that on the tent. ARGH!!!

Thanks!

Sox,

For decades I have used synthetic bags. The new down bags are moisture resistant. If you fall in a river with the pack on, yes, there's a problem. The new material they put on the down makes it difficult to make it moist unless it really gets dunked. I plan to carry small plastic garbage bags and double bag my sleeping bag if I have to cross any substantial stream.

One person tents are only a couple of ounces lighter than the lightest 2 person tents. If you go solo with a 2 person tent, you have space inside for your gear. If someone goes with you, you can tent together and take a couple of 55 gal trash bags in which to store your gear outside, protected from rain.

Sox,

If I were still young and strong, that tent and bag would not phase me. For those of us who are still active, but no longer spring chickens, weight is going to make a serious difference. If you want to enjoy your experience of returning to the mountains, cutting the weight down is going to be important. That tent is almost 6 lb. 10 oz. And I am a little bit skeptical on the specs of the bag. Yes, they are inexpensive, but it's because they are made of mediocre materials. Material that is really light, really strong, and really effective costs money. I truly want to be helpful to you, so I hope you will accept some candor on my part. Trying to get by with the least expensive things you can find could well lead you to have a miserable time just because your gear is too heavy. You may well have a horrible experience and give up altogether. Making the one time investment in real quality gear that will last and allows you to hike without great stress on your body could allow you to rediscover the passion of your youth, to begin hiking more and more, and to become physically strong and vibrant once again. If finances are a concern, you may be able to search for high quality items used. There are a number of sites where backpackers sell used gear and you may find better stuff than eBay.

I have to hit the sack for now and will be away from the internet all day tomorrow. I will do my best to post some specific suggestions for lighter gear Wed. night.

Thanks for the advice Tom. I'm still learning and open to all advice. I agree with you. I talked with my dad last night and he said that it is best to make a one time investment rather than spending money and finding out the gear is crap. Then having to spend more money to replace it.

There is an REI garage sale next weekend and if I am back from Laughlin, I will check it out.

Here are some suggestions on tents.

The following Big Agnes tents @ REI are shown without the rainfly, but check other views to see it. Click on Specs for weight.

This 1 person tent is on sale and around 2 lb.:

http://www.rei.com/product/779612/big-a ... k-ul1-tent" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This 2 person tent from REI weighs the same as the above tent. It's not on sale, but when REI has their 20% off sales, you'd save a lot:

http://www.rei.com/product/827911/big-a ... tinum-tent" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is another REI 2 person tent that weighs a bit more and is on sale:

http://www.rei.com/product/796087/big-a ... k-ul2-tent" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Those Big Agnes' are traditional style. The following ZPacks tents are a bit more progressive in design, but even lighter. The top of each page shows the tarp only version, scroll further down for the tent version of each.

This 1 person tent comes in at about a pound:

http://zpacks.com/shelter/hexamid_plus.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This 2 person version with all options is still under 20 oz.:

http://zpacks.com/shelter/hexamidtwin.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The custom 8' x 10' rainfly I ordered from them is 6 oz. You may want to peruse their site for other possibilities.

I will make another post for sleeping bags.