Just wanted to say hello and tell you a bit about myself. My name is Chuck. I live in South Jersey, work in Information Technology, and have recently succumbed to a severe case of biophilia. That is, it recently occurred to me that there is more to life than sitting behind a desk staring at a screen. Having said that, I have decided that -- with your help -- I will backpack the Pine Barrens. I look forward to our discussions in the future...
My First Post: A Brief Introduction, or Hello
- Thread starter watchmaker
- Start date
watchmaker said:
You're gonna have some fun
The future holds alot of adventure for you!!Welcome aboard.
Jeff
Welcome aboard Chuck! Get away from that computer and have a great time out in the woods. Will look forward to hearing about your adventures!
Hello there Chuck. Rest assured, any given moment you spend out here will ease the pains of the day to day B/S.
Drive on & enjoy!
G.
Drive on & enjoy!
G.
watchmaker said:
I see you are planning to tackle the Batona. Just wondering if you have backpacking experiance since the Batona is a mighty long hike for a first timer if that is the case.
Steve
Steve -- No, this will be my first time. I will be accompanied with a friend who also has no backpacking experience. We are both in reasonably good shape: I comfortably run between 1 - 3 miles every other day (often through trails near my house), while my friend usually does the same distance on his treadmill. Another thing we have working in our favor is that there are many exit points along the Batona Trail. In other words, if we realize we're in over our heads, we can crawl to the nearest road and make a phone call to be picked up. Hopefully that won't happen, though.
Regarding gear -- I've done quite a bit of research but am open to suggestions. Here is what I've gathered thus far: Pack, tent, sleeping bag, compass, flash light, headlamp, first aid kit, 50 feet of rope, stuff bag, water filtration device, water bottles, JetBoil stove, tick/mosquito repellent, sun block, and replacement batteries + bulbs. I plan on bringing a lighter and matches and storing them in a ziplock bag just in case I need them. Am I missing anything? Like I said, I'm open to suggestions.
As far as cell towers -- I, perhaps mistakenly, assumed that there was at least roaming coverage, even in the Pine Barrens. Am I wrong? Please let me know.
Thanks...
As far as cell towers -- I, perhaps mistakenly, assumed that there was at least roaming coverage, even in the Pine Barrens. Am I wrong? Please let me know.
Thanks...
Grendel -- Not 100% sure just yet. The stuff that required fitting I purchased in person, the rest of the items I ordered online; Some of the stuff I ordered online is still en route. I'm hoping for somewhere between 15 - 25 pounds. I was careful about choosing lightweight gear.
Maybe I'll try to tally up the weights based on the product specs. I'll let you know as soon as I know for sure.
TeeGate -- Dang. Well, worst case, if we realize we're not up to the task we can turn back before we get too far.
Maybe I'll try to tally up the weights based on the product specs. I'll let you know as soon as I know for sure.
TeeGate -- Dang. Well, worst case, if we realize we're not up to the task we can turn back before we get too far.
do you have a sleeping pad?also choose your clothing carefully,stay away from cotton.i really like the jet boil it is a great stove.The coffee press attachment is the best thing that happened to my gear in a long time.
You sound like you are shooting for the right weight range.rain gear is important to,make sure it is breathable.
You sound like you are shooting for the right weight range.rain gear is important to,make sure it is breathable.
Okay, looks like I'm at 15.291875 pounds w/o clothes, food, or water. I didn't get a sleeping pad, but since you're the second person to mention that, I think I will look into it. What materials do you recommend in place of cotton? I was going to roll out w/ standard Hanes t-shirts and different outerwear for different weather conditions.
quick drying nylon and poly pro,REI has some great stuff.i bought a pair of their travel pants those things dry in no time.Cotton is best in very low humidity when it's evaporative cooling qualities really benefit.also cotton can absorb up to 25 times its own wieght in water.poly blends cant even hoold their own wieght worth.When your gear gets wet ,and it will if you hike in the rain you will really apprieciate this .It takes forever to get that cotton dry!That reminds me dont Forget your pack cover your pack is not waterproof.Another cool thing in rainy weather is to have a tarp to hide out under when you take breaks or stop to eat often your tent fly will serve well.By the way do you have a good knife?
Will look into picking up more appropriate clothes. What do you recommend for a pack cover?
Knife == Yep.
Knife == Yep.
