Never backpacked before

I'm a dayhiker and car-camper, but I've never backpacked before. Most of the hikes I've done are pretty well known - Half Dome, Mt. Baldy, etc., but I've done all of them in a day. Anyway, I have all my gear (mostly used), and don't even know how to get started. First, and don't laugh, but are camping sites the same as backpacking sites? Do you need a permit to stay overnight? Any advice would be appreciated. Is it relatively safe for a single girl to go backpacking? I've never had problems car camping.

First, welcome. Feel free to ask anything - you can usually get six or seven opinions (some of which may actually be consistent with one another) on about any topic. We can mislead you with the best of them!

Second, it will help to know where you plan to do most of your backpacking. Climate, geography, animal issues, and trail conditions can vary widely.

But, to speak to your specific questions:

Many places require backcountry permits to hike and camp; many places do not.

Many places do not have specific backcountry campgrounds or campsites. They will often have obvious campsites, though - a pleasant place near a creek, for example. Whether to use such sites depends on where you're hiking. In Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana, where I mostly hike, they encourage us to use such sites because the impact price has already been paid. With a high volume of hiking, the land managers would prefer not to have us establishing new camps all over the place, increasing the impact on the rather small wild areas we have. Other places will want you not to use such established camps, to give them a chance to recover.

Many other places do have established campgrounds, and you have to reserve sites (sometimes in advance, sometimes on a first-come, first-served basis.)

The best thing to do is figure out what agency manages the land you want to backpack on, and call them to see what the rules are. They're often a good source of other information, too.

The issue of women's safety is something I can't really speak to, being a man who rarely hikes alone anymore. However, there are several women on this site who can give you some solid insight.

Obviously, the best way to take your first backpacking trip wi with one or more experienced hikers. But, since you're wondering about going solo, you might want to try something different.

Since you're comfortable with car camping, you might want to consider the following scenario for your first backpacking trip. Pack like you would if you were going to be out for, say 2 or 3 nights. Put that pack in the car, and drive to a local campground you're comfortable with; rent a site. (If, like they do in Ohio, you're required to leave equipment on the site to keep it, take along a spare tent or some kitchen gear to use for that purpose.)

When you get to your site, take out your pack and lock the car. Put your pack on, and go hike. While you're hiking, you can practice filtering water, see how your trail lunch works out, maybe fire up your stove for some afternoon tea. You can also tweak how you pack and adjust the suspension on your pack to make it ride comfortably. Toward evening, end up back at the camp. Pitch camp and eat with just what is in your pack, then go to bed. Next day, eat a trail breakfast, break down camp and pack your pack, then go hike some more. Come back to the campground and make camp again. The next morning (or the next), unlock the car and go home. This way, you can experience most of what a backpack trip is, learn how to use the gear, and still have the "safety valve" of your car if things go wrong.

The big thing is to get out there and try; experience is a great teacher. You'll have a ball.

Glen did a great job on a lot of your questions.

Here in California we have a lot of heavily impacted areas (Yosemite is top of the list - millions visit it, maybe 2% of those backpack, and that is a lot of backpackers) and those places have tons of rules - go to Point Reyes and you are definitely going to be in one of a few campgrounds, with vault toilets and charcoal bbqs. But there is a lot of places that are what we call dispersal camping left - I am going out this weekend to one of them, all by myself, to do some preventive SAR. All by myself.

SAR meaning search and rescue - I volunteer for our county's team. In the years I have done this we have had zero incidents reported of a woman coming to harm on the trail - except in the ways all hikers come to harm. You might get lost, hurt or sick. You might get wet. You might get stuck on a ledge. But, you're probably less likely to do those things than a man - we look for more men than women.

You should always leave your itinerary with others when you go out. That way if your car breaks down and the cell doesn't work, someone will come looking. Or if you get turned around and lost, delayed, hurt....

The things you need to worry about on the trail don't include animals or people, most of the time. The Appalachian Trail is the exception. There have been crimes committed on the AT mostly due to the accessibility of the trail by non-backpackers - anyone can get on and off the trail at many, many points where it intersects with roads. Research this trail thoroughly before planning to do it and take someone with you if you do. I would have no problem hiking the John Muir Trail, which is 200+ miles here in California, because it is remote and wilderness, and no roads come close to it once you leave Yosemite. The only people you'll come across are other hikers. Women hike the PCT (2000+ miles) solo (though it's rarity to be alone on it, a few hundred people do it each year) frequently.

Half Dome is a tourist trap, not a wilderness experience.

Another reason to have someone with you would be if you are so new to this that you inadvertently allow yourself to become hypothermic or dehydrated, or both. Moderate symptoms of either will see you in an altered state; you can't think clearly and decision making is impaired. Avoiding either should be a priority. The majority of hypothermia victims happen in summer, when people *think* it's not going to happen and go out into the wilderness with inadequate clothing and a cheap sleeping bag that doesn't keep them warm at night. Regulating your temperature and hydration is a skill you'll develop if you backpack frequently.

I recommend that you research where you go before going, including average low temperatures at night. Check on food storage regulations, fire regulations, and whether there are designated camping places. Research the weather patterns in the weeks before you go and take some form of rain gear always. Start with short miles and if something doesn't work (shoes hurt, pack hurts your back) it needs to be changed.

You probably don't need bear bells. In some places bear spray makes sense. In California, not at all.

Check out the articles on the main page, backpacking.net, for gear lists and tips. Check out trailcooking.com for easy food options. Poke around in old threads on the forum for more info.

Oh, and welcome to the forum.

It is as safe for a woman to backpack solo as for a man to backpack solo. The safety issue is your inexperience, not that you are a woman. I am not a proponent of beginners backpacking by themselves. Do you have some other friends who would like to try this? But if you do go by yourself, start out on well maintained, well signed trails where there will be a few others (not crowds, but not a very remote trail). The FS websites have information you need regarding how to get permits, and general information specific to their area. The Inyo Forest web site is quite good. You can also quite easily get "first come" permits where you just go to the permit centers and get a permit, without reservations. These work best weekdays and on less crowded trails. However, getting a reserved permit is a good learning experience and then you will not have to worry about it. Most areas in the Sierra require an overnight permit.

Next, buy a few guidebooks and the 2-map series (John Muir Wilderness and Sequoia-Kings Canyon - about $20). These resources will give you years of hiking routes.

If you have day-hiked in Yosemite, why not just go again on one of those trails, but this time, stay overnight? That way you already know the trail and you can concentrate on your backcountry camping skills. It is OK to "overpack" at first. After a few trips you will find out what you do not need. I would not try to go ultra-light your first trip. Also, check the weather reports - if poor weather is predicted postpone the trip for later. No point in adding inclimate weather to trying to deal with first-time overnight camping.

It's hard to beat the advice by Lori and WD. I would just add that you can also join organized trips by the SIerra Club, REI, and some community colleges. They are a great way to see how different people do things, and get a sense of what you would want to do if you went on your own.

You might even meet someone to hike with there...

When i am not doing search and rescue i hike with one of my five hiking groups each weekend. There are many of them on meetup.com.