I suppose my thought process on what backpacking was like was a bit flawed. I suppose I imagined it being more intense. That's not a bad thing by the way. I'm not disappointed to hear that it is a much safer activity than I first imagined. I have to say that I did even wonder if I would need to know how to hunt for food along the way. *blush* After reading a bit on here about what to pack and reading your replies, I'm now realizing that it's not quite like going out into the wild and living off the land for 7 days.
lol. So, I'm starting to realize that this may not be all that difficult to get up to speed on.
For background, I also participate in forums that talk about wilderness survival and bushcraft. I have to constantly remind people there and here that backpacking and wilderness survival are two totally different activities. You are either backpacking, or you are trying to survive. Foraging for food and backpacking do not go together. If you look at any example of either explorers or native peoples, those who traveled, had prepared foods. If they didn't have prepared foods, they didn't travel. If they were collecting food along the way, they would stop for a few days to secure the food, and then move on when they had enough. You actually don't need to know any survival skills to backpack. You don't need to know how to start a fire, or find food, or build a shelter. All you need to know is how to keep your pack contents dry, how to set up your tent, how to stay warm in your sleeping bag and with your clothes, how not to get lost, and how to keep your food (and yourself) safe from animals. Knowing first aid and other survival skills aren't necessary.... they just might come in handy. So, don't ignore them, just don't think you absolutely need them.
The topic of solitude is an important one for me to cover. I love solitude. Part of the reason I want to take this trip is just to kind of get away from it all (including the hectic family life). I just want to be able to get lost in my thoughts for a few days. At first, I really felt like I wanted to not see a person ...at all ... during the full hike. Now that I think about it though, I wouldn't mind if I saw the occasional fellow backpacker or group along the way. I wouldn't be inclined to strike up a conversation with them or anything but a friendly hello here and there along the way wouldn't ruin the solitude aspect of the trip for me. ...and as some mentioned, it may actually be nice to have some peace of mind knowing that others are nearby or likely to be nearby in case of an emergency situation.
I have found that the farther you get from cars, the friendly people are. Every time I have passed someone on the trail, we end up talking to each other for a few minutes. The farther from the parking lot we are... the longer the conversation.
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