Advice Newbie

hi all. I'm new here and new to hiking. I'm hoping for some advice on how to tackle my first trip.

I live in NJ and would like to start hiking here. I really don't know anything about hiking trails or where to find them. I'm a total city boy. I did spend some time in the Army but that was a long time ago and I don't remember anything about those experiences.

So my first questions is; "where do I find beginner trails and campgrounds. Is there a website which will guide me along on my process of learning to hike and camp? I'd like to start off with a two day trip and work my way up to longer more challenging trips. Can anyone suggest what equipment I will need?

MY LIST OF CAMPING GOODS
internal frame pack
sleeping bag
waterproof tent
fire starting implements
weather proof clothing
pancho
food
something to cut firewood


Can you all think of anything else I will need? CAn you all give me any advice on any topic you think I'll need to know about?



Thank YOU.


Mike

Welcome to the forum.

First, have you looked at the articles on the main page, down the left side, especially the gear checklists? (by main page I mean backpacking.net) There is an 18 pound 3 day pack list there. It is just an example and personal preference plus the actual conditions you'll be heading out into will dictate some choices.

Second, I'm sure there are tons of websites - for your area, I'd start with lists of national and state parks. There's nps.gov for national parks and I'm sure your state has a similar website. There are also bound to be books and guides at any local bookstore, as well as on amazon.com - just googling through google books will get you sneak peeks into some of them. Libraries often have shelves of older editions of hiking guides. There are Moon and Falcon guides as well as many specific to my area at my local library. Websites and phone calls will get you the most current information, however.

Third, poke around here in the forum - there are tons of threads on various types of gear, questions from other newbies, and plenty of food for thought.

I can think of a lot of things you need - but I'd be repeating the gear checklists already referenced. Odds are good you'll not need something to cut firewood, for example, but I know people sometimes prefer to have a small saw or axe; personally I never need either. You don't list a sleeping pad, and to me that is far more important than cutting tools, since I like to be comfortable and warm at night, and a fire is not always legal to have - plus I won't be keeping it going while sleeping. Weather proof clothing and poncho sound like a duplication - unless you mean warm layers, which may be, and in which case this is dependent on your season and location how much clothing you'll need. And you'll want to take into consideration the issue of food storage, since in many popular areas, small and large animals have gotten into the habit of seeking out hiker's food. This would be partially determined by regulations of the wilderness area you'll be traveling in. You also don't necessarily need a tent, but this again will be influenced by where and what season you are going in. Weather, bugs, and your perception of what's safe will have a lot to do with it. Some are comfortable just sleeping out in fair weather, or taking a simple tarp. Many AT hikers take hammocks or just sleep in the shelters. Granny Gatewood took a shower curtain. Here in California, I either hammock or carry a tent - depends on my destination.

Lastly, I'd start small - short, local, with borrowed or rented gear. Take a few sandwiches and some trail mix, choose a local destination, pack up and go a few miles. Find a hiking group and talk to them about where they go. meetup.com and other websites similar to it have hiking groups aplenty for your consideration. I'd google "hiking groups in (your town)" to start.

Check out the replies to the post, "HOW do you pack such a light load!?" in the General Discussion section. Lots of advice there from a number of us here, including plenty of links to further information. I could copy, paste and slightly modify what I wrote there, but then you'd miss the significant contributions from the other great folks who posted there.

Actually, most of us can probably think of a number of things you'll need for overnighting in the woods. (They're covered in the other articles Lori and Mouse reference.)

As far as finding places to hike, you might see if there is a hiking club in your area. Around here (Dayton, Ohio) there are are two outdoor groups, both using the Meetup format to schedule events and maintain membership. You might also do a general google search for "hiking trails in New Jersey" or similar terms. I found this by googling "backpacking trails in New Jersey":

http://www.backpacker.com/destinations/category/166

Your state department of natural resources (or state park service, or whatever it's called) might also be a good place to start. It might not include any overnight trails, but it would be a possible source of day hikes and overnight car-camping campgrounds (which is a great way to try out new gear in a controlled environment, where you can bail easily if things go wrong.)

Also, you might check your local bookstore, or possibly your library.
At Barnes and Nobels I was able to find two very detailed books on hiking trails in Kentucky. They not only outline and map the trails, other details such as difficulty, camping sites and requirements, water availabilty, parking locations, etc..etc..are also included. Nearly all of the information you might need, including hazards, park or forest rules can be found in them. I would guess that they are available in your home state.

J.

Information overload:

Thank you for your advice. Wow. There is tons of advice out there. It's going to be a challenge to parse through it all. I'm going to take it slow and do some short day trips at first.I'm taking my first day hike on Sunday. I picked up a general hiking book from Amazon but I think I'll pick up another book specifically pertaining to my area. Wish me luck.

That is great advice. Thanks. I'm going to try and find a guide book pertaining to my area.This should help me out just as much as the Idiots Guide to Hiking. I need all the help I can get!

Another way to find areas, or just get a name to google, is to use google maps and look for the green areas. Then google the name of the green area for trail names, etc.

I love hiking trails in State Parks because they are usually marked well and not too difficult for a beginner. Just be careful about cutting firewood, in many parks this is not allowed. Enjoy!

Hiking Mike,

You're in Northern NJ. You are quite close to where the AT crosses (go either way as far as you like) and Harriman Park which has much good hiking and backpacking (and shelters you can use).

There are also several other parks/preserves in that general area that have really good hiking. Plus, there are several hiking clubs based in NYC (Google, or contact NY-NJ Trail Conference), and you are fairly close to a very large and helpful outdoor store Campmor in Paramus. I remember that they had young,
well-informed staff, and a fairly large book section.

best, jcp