Semper Fi New to the Forum

Just wanted to Hi. New to the forum. Thought I would join after reading a lot on this forum. There is much information on this forum site. I am soon to turn 52. Was in the Marines and have be all over the world. Believe me it wasn't by choice. Uncle Sam was a bad travel agent...About a year ago I finally had surgery on my toe to remove broken bone shrapnel. Took 20+ years to get it done (thanks VA). Old injury while in the Marines. I've gained a lot of weight from not being able to move around much. Thought the surgery would help. So I am determined to get moving again before its too late. Need to loose about 30lbs. So my first goal is to plan a first trip to the Smoky Mountains, 3days and about 10-15miles. I live an hours drive away. My second goal is to plan a trip out west to go long range hunting with my Son. My Son is only 15yr and wants to join the service. Thought this would give us time together and show him how it is to camp without a Da** electronic pacifier stuck to his hand. Looking forward to the adventures.

Welcome! Good luck on fulfilling all your plans. There's a heck of a lot of great backcountry out there to see.

Hope your trip(s) go great! Thanks for your years of service. Backpacking should be easy, as you're no stranger to pain and discomfort. It took awhile before my wife realized the effort put forth and the pain along the way was well compensated for by the beauty in the wilds. I've done some in the Smokies, and Mt. Rodgers, and the Roan Highlands. Others here know the area, don't be afraid to ask questions. I've really enjoyed some of the hikes along the Little River (great fishing) and staying at Campsites 21 and 30. Moderate hikes with lots of scenery and water .

The Smokies are a great place to start. I did my first trip there (at age 42) of 100 miles over 10 days. Lots of options!

I'd encourage you to go lighter though you're clearly used to heavy loads. Perhaps the paper I wrote can assist you in that. I also did videos of all the equipment I used along with the pros and cons, etc. Those start here. Those were low resolution unfortunately as I didn't have a large flash card and they were pretty long. I also did a followup series on gear changes I'd made the following year.

The past 3 summers I've taken my sons on long road trips out west to hike/backpack and will continue to do so.

Sorry for the long delay. Life is getting more complex to the point I am about to explode.Thanks for all the great feed back. I am sure I need to do a lot of reading before heading out. With the cooler weather coming in my foot that had surgery is starting to already hurt. I really need to research shoes!Yes being a Mortorman in the Marines I carried about 150lbs of stuff. My pack weighed more than me at times. I am surprised I am still alive today. Time to get into shape.

I find that the best way to get started with a big project is to bite off no more than I can chew at once. If you can't get out for a week, try a weekend. If you can't get out for a weekend, try a day hike. If you can't get out for the whole day on a trail, look for a nearby park to walk in for a couple of hours.

Good luck, once again! That great backcountry is still out there and will wait for you.

Literally made me laugh out loud. If you don't mind, I am going to "borrow" this line for the next...well...forever. But I will give you due credit. Welcome to the fray!