New to this!

[k.telecky5683]

Hey guys,

I'm new to this whole forum thing and I'm also new to camping. I'm planning a trip out to Oregon, California, and Arizona and I will essentially be backpacking through all three states. I'll be bringing my bicycle with me and I will use some public transportation to get around. I want to get some advice/tips/information on what kind of backpack to have, what kind of tent/sleeping bag, ideas to get in shape between now and March of 2017, what to bring, where to camp, costs, etcetera, etcetera. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Keep in mind that I will be on a bicycle a lot of the time, so I don't want to be traveling with a terribly heavy load. Thanks and I hope to hear from all of you beautiful people! Stay groovy.

[terasec]

Re: New to this!

sounds like a great trip
and have lots of time before march 2017 to get ready,
there are lots of variables to consider
if your biking it, personally would load up the bike with saddle bags, let the bike carry the load, not you
for where to camp, map it out and see where your going through, would probably best to mix up organized campgrounds with backwoods primitive camping,
for backwoods, primitive camping i would check local regs in each state to see where you can camp without a permit, also check fire regs if you plan on cooking some meals,
you would also need to know what kind of distance you can reasonably cover fully loaded, tired, hungry, etc.. to get to the next spot,
since you have lots of time, i would do some trial runs locally and camp out to get an idea of what you need,
may realize sleeping on the floor sucks and want to invest in a good pad, things like wont know till you try it.
hope to hear more from you on this

[wiiawiwb]

Re: New to this!

It would be of benefit to have a tent and backpack that are light. The problem is that light equates to dollars $$. I don't know what your budget is so it is difficult to tailor an answer that will work for you.

If I were getting a backpack and would be tenting, I'd start my search with the ZPacks Arc Haul, 62L:

http://www.zpacks.com/backpacks/arc_haul_zip.shtml

The shelter depends on whether you need bug protection. If not, a tarp might work. I live in a buggy area and would not survive the night unless enclosed. Moreover, even if there were no mosquitoes, I would want protection from snakes or scorpions.

If money were no object, I'd look at the ZPacks DuPlex.

http://www.zpacks.com/shelters.shtml

If money were an object, then a SMD Lunar Duo

http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/tents.html

or a TarpTent Double Rainbow

https://www.tarptent.com/allproducts.html

All of these choices will be very lightweight.

[toedtoes]

Re: New to this!

Northern California public transportation leaves a lot to be desired. If you're just going from city to city, you should be OK, but if you want to go to small towns and out into the forest, etc., you'll pretty much be solely dependent upon your bike. For that reason, I second the suggestion of saddle bags. Make sure they are easily to put on and take off the bike as you may have to remove them when using public transportation.

I also second the idea to do trial runs. You'll hit a pretty wide range of temperatures and lanscapes during the trip, so testing out your gear in a variety of settings will help make sure it will work throughout the trip.

To get in shape, I would say join a biking club and get out every weekend possible to ride as much as possible. You'll need to build up calluses and muscles to make the long treks bearable. The other club members can give you some great advice regarding the bike - best type of seat, handle bar position, etc. What is comfortable for a beach cruise may be h#ll for a mountain ride.

You'll want to establish a basic route through the states, identifying places you definitely want to see. Then you can ask for specific recommendations on places to camp, roads to avoid, etc., as well as time tables. Also, you'll need to know if you want to stay in developed campgrounds only, or if you'd be OK boondocking at times. Depending on your route, you'll be able to figure out how much food you need to carry at any given time (which will help determine what size backpack/saddle bags you need).

Clothing, I'd say layer with interchangeable gear as much as possible. A solid button down shirt can be used as a top layer over a t-shirt on a chilly day or a nicer shirt for a nice dinner out, etc. Darker colors can go longer between washings than lighter colors (especially with potential bike grease).

Costs will really be up to you. You don't say how long you want the trip to be, but I would recommend setting aside a "emergency fund" for a hotel room once in a while. That way if you get tired of the ground, or weather gets real bad, etc., you'll be able to take a break for a night or two.

[k.telecky5683]

Re: New to this!

Thank you, everyone. You have given me quite a bit to think about. It has always been my dream to move out west (I'm from Ohio). Until recently, I did not believe in myself enough to realize that I am able to do this if I'm willing to make some sacrifices. I'm 21 years old and the only thing that is tying me down here is myself. Over the next year, I plan on saving as much money as possible. I work at PCC Airfoils and there is a LOT of overtime available. I will also be starting a paper route within the next couple of weeks. Money will not be too much Oran issue for this trip. I am actually toying with the idea of going and not coming back. I'm thinking about loading up my car with the bare necessities, driving out there, and taking a good 6-8 weeks to explore. The rough plan is to start in Portland, OR, head east to visit my aunt in Hood River, then head south and explore Mount Hood on my way to Bend. From there, I will head west to the coast, stopping in Eugene to check it out. I was initially planning on doing all of this on my bike/public transportation, but if I drive it will open up a lot more opportunities for me to explore. The initial plan was to end my expedition of Oregon in North Bend and then take a plane into San Francisco, but if I decide not to come back to Ohio then I can just drive. I plan on definitely hitting San Francisco and LA, and then heading into Prescott, AZ and then to Sedona. I want to live somewhere warm and sunny because I get really down in the winter due to lack of sunlight. I definitely have a lot of research to do and a lot to think about. I will definitely check into those links and if you have any other suggestions I would greatly appreciate your input!

[toedtoes]

Re: New to this!

Having a car would open things up a lot more travel-wise.

San Francisco - you could stay at a nearby state park (http://www.parks.ca.gov) nearby. You could stay at China Camp, Mt Diablo, or Samuel P. Taylor. Having the car will make traveling to these parks easier, then you can drive to public transportation and ride from there.

Having the car would also let you get to more "wild" campgrounds - located in the small towns in the sierras, etc.

One thing to keep an eye on is California's drought situation. If it doesn't improve drastically (and it hasn't yet), many campgrounds will not have potable water available - so you'll need to carry water in to the campground. A car can make that much easier.

[tplife]

Re: New to this!

The cost of living due to corruption and gov't. regulation is so high here, you might want to also visit Florida. AFA the "drought" here in California, don't sweat it. Potable water is lacking in a lot of the USFS campgrounds due to deferred maintenance to repair the water systems. The drought comes again every handful of years but the "shortage" is gov't. created. No state infrastructure has been added (except for raising a dam's capacity in San Diego County) since I moved here in the '70s from Indiana (where I was a Diversified Utilities employee), yet the public-owned water providers have insanely great paychecks and benefits and water rates have skyrocketed, after every "shortage". For example, here in San Diego, before the recent El Nino rains, we've been banking over a billion gallons of water a month in reservoirs, so we have oversupply, yet Governor Moonbeam continues to keep us under his unwieldy mandatory cutbacks. You'll need a lot of recreational Marijuana use here just to get by with the huge changes in our state over the last 40 years. And oh yeah, we welcome and reward illegal aliens in this state with aid, scholarships and grants before our own residents and legal aliens - "Y'all Come"!

[toedtoes]

Re: New to this!

Tplife - the OP isn't asking about California politics. Could you please edit your post so it is actually helpful and pertinent to the OP's question? I'll remove this post if you do.

[JoeN]

Re: New to this!

Check out some videos on YouTube relating to backpacking. There are lots that cover the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Coast Trail, and others. You can get a lot of good gear ideas from those videos. A lot of the hikers do gear reviews before and after their hike so you can get an idea of what works and what doesn't work. Basically your camping gear will vary with your mode of transportation - hiking requires lighter gear, biking you can go a little heavier, and with a vehicle you can use just about anything that will fit in the vehicle. However, you can buy gear for backpacking and it will easily adapt to either biking or camping out of your vehicle. If you have never done any backpacking you need to develop some skills on how to survive in the wilderness and maybe read a few books on the subject before you just venture out. If you want to get in shape for backpacking, buy the backpack you want, then fill it with anything to weight it down(maybe even a little heavier than what you expect to pack), and then start walking. Find a good hilly area and just walk. It will help strengthen your legs and also get your shoulders used to the load you will be carrying. Most of all have fun.

[Gamiller]

Re: New to this!

Since there's plenty of time before your adventure it might be a good idea to try a few shorter excursions , experience is a great teacher. Find out what works for you. Try some local campgrounds first and observe others. Jumping into an extensive trip like you have planned may not be prudent. Reading the various forums is good start.

[tplife]

Re: New to this!

Tplife - the OP isn't asking about California politics. Could you please edit your post so it is actually helpful and pertinent to the OP's question? I'll remove this post if you do.

I gave specific details regarding concerns about the so-called drought and water availability. I stand by my observations and public reports concerning water availability. When the first "water official" steps forward to tell us WHAT DATE we'll run out of water, I'll modify my post. (Thank you!)

[terasec]

Re: New to this!

Thank you, everyone. You have given me quite a bit to think about. It has always been my dream to move out west (I'm from Ohio). Until recently, I did not believe in myself enough to realize that I am able to do this if I'm willing to make some sacrifices. I'm 21 years old and the only thing that is tying me down here is myself.

go for it while your young
i did similar at that age, moved to VT and became a ski bum for a couple years,
decades ago it was common to leave on an adventure to find yourself
through good and bad experiences it will help shape you,

[toedtoes]

Re: New to this!

I gave specific details regarding concerns about the so-called drought and water availability. I stand by my observations and public reports concerning water availability. When the first "water official" steps forward to tell us WHAT DATE we'll run out of water, I'll modify my post. (Thank you!)

No, you spouted a bunch of personal political crap derailing the thread completely.

[toedtoes]

Re: New to this!

Political Rant:

The cost of living due to corruption and gov't. regulation is so high here, you might want to also visit Florida.

Political Rant:

The drought comes again every handful of years but the "shortage" is gov't. created. No state infrastructure has been added (except for raising a dam's capacity in San Diego County) since I moved here in the '70s from Indiana (where I was a Diversified Utilities employee), yet the public-owned water providers have insanely great paychecks and benefits and water rates have skyrocketed, after every "shortage".

Political Rant:

For example, here in San Diego, before the recent El Nino rains, we've been banking over a billion gallons of water a month in reservoirs, so we have oversupply, yet Governor Moonbeam continues to keep us under his unwieldy mandatory cutbacks.

Political Rant:

You'll need a lot of recreational Marijuana use here just to get by with the huge changes in our state over the last 40 years. And oh yeah, we welcome and reward illegal aliens in this state with aid, scholarships and grants before our own residents and legal aliens - "Y'all Come"!

On topic:

AFA the "drought" here in California, don't sweat it. Potable water is lacking in a lot of the USFS campgrounds due to deferred maintenance to repair the water systems.

If you don't like California, get the hell out.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: New to this!

Hey guys,

I'm new to this whole forum thing and I'm also new to camping. I'm planning a trip out to Oregon, California, and Arizona and I will essentially be backpacking through all three states. I'll be bringing my bicycle with me and I will use some public transportation to get around. I want to get some advice/tips/information on what kind of backpack to have, what kind of tent/sleeping bag, ideas to get in shape between now and March of 2017, what to bring, where to camp, costs, etcetera, etcetera. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Keep in mind that I will be on a bicycle a lot of the time, so I don't want to be traveling with a terribly heavy load. Thanks and I hope to hear from all of you beautiful people! Stay groovy.

Hello and welcome k.telky!

Alright it's been some years since I bicycle camped and I'm sure the technology has marched on in a positive manner.
I used rear panniers/saddlebags but not the front version since there were 2 adults (and one free loading child, LOL) and we split our gear between us. I see many cyclists now w/ front and rear panniers and can say it's prolly a good idea since the the weight will be more balanced. Also noted that some of the storage gear is portable so that you can keep valuables with you.

I wouldn't recommend riding with a large backpack because your body is already at a 180 degree angle (great for the abs). You want the bike to bear weight not your body.

We used an old fashioned nylon "lay in the center of the tent when it rains like a non-moving mummy so no leaks started from the flimsy material" pup tent often w/o all the poles but again tent design has improved through the years and you now reap the benefits.

You want a low weight tent and fly that can fit under the bike's top tube if at all possible although this depends on the type of frame you opt for; I'm still partial to racing frames for long distances altho there is certainly something to be said for mountain bike frames. You can Velcro or bungee cord it in place; again be sure to pay attention to weight in ALL decisions you make. Look carefully into the tent's pole construction. This might be the time that fiberglass corded poles make the best sense.

Keep your kitchen supplies to a bare minimum. One pot/skillet with a foldeable handle about....8" will do most everything you want. Don't waste money on yr own eating utensils since America is awash with disposable utensils that u can wash and re use. Do have a good quality Swiss Army knife for can +bottle opener//scissor/corkscrew and of course a decent blade that can be honed. Use a tin can for cooking when needed. It can be as small as a tuna can and work nicely on an open flame for your stated needs. Oh but stay away from the now common plastic lined cans. Keep a small amt of scissor cut-table blue ice packs for when you make campsite friends with RVers. Will help you hold perishables longer. Water is your friend whether short or long traveling. Place one on your cross frame bar or handle whichever is easiest for you to reach.

Consider whether racing shoes make sense for you. They are great for pedaling but horrible to walk in.

Much thunk still floating in my brain but let's see where you are question wise before I say more:D.