Backpacking West Virginia
Backpacking West Virginia
what should i take backpacking with me?
i am going to west virginia in the spring to hike the north fork mountain trail i was wondering if any one had any ideas on light weight supplies i could take with me i needs to be very light.
If you're serious about going ultralight there's no better introduction than reading Dan Ladigin's book, "Lighten Up!: A Complete Handbook for Light and Ultralight Backpacking" http://www.amazon.com/Lighten-Up-Complete-Ultralight-Backpacking/dp/0762737344/
Most ultralight backpackers reduce weight by choosing frameless packs that weigh less than 2-3 lbs and sometimes as little as a few ounces. My old Golite pack weighs a pound while my wife's handmade Ray Jardine backpack weighs a mere 9 ounces and both of those hold about 3000 cu in of gear each. Some popular packs include the Gossamer Gear G4 http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/G4-Standard.html
the ULA Conduit http://www.ula-equipment.com/conduit.htm and the Granite Gear Vapor Trail http://www.granitegear.com/products/backpacks/ultralight/vaportrail.html
With such light packs one has to limit one's pack weight and size. Sleeping bags are getting lighter and pack smaller, and while down is an option and does both those things well, it's not the best for general use and requires some effort to keep it dry, because once wet, down is nearly useless, which is why I always recommend synthetic insulation. Personally I've sewed my own Ray Jardine sleeping quilts from his kits for myself and my family. A quilt doesn't have a bottom and we lay right on the foam pad, though there is a foot box. So far I've never been warmer compared to my former North Face Cat's Meow mummy sleeping bag. You can find down quilts out there at extreme prices, but there's really no synthetic quilts being manufactured today. http://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/Quilt-Kit/index.htm
Next comes shelter, and it's really up to you. A two pound single person tent is only twice as heavy as a one pound UL tarp made of silnylon. I've used both and only as my kids got larger did we switch to a tarp full time, though sleeping under the stars is our preferred method, or a lean-to set up if there's a breeze. Some people also like hammocks.
http://www.tarptent.com/
http://www.the-ultralight-site.com/backpacking-tarps.html
http://www.ryanjordan.com/photos/arctic_1000/imgp1357800.html
http://www.thru-hiker.com/workshop.asp?subcat=3&cid=4
http://www.ray-way.com/tarp-nettent/pitch/index.shtml
http://hennessyhammock.com/
And once you've got the big three taken care of the rest is gravy, which I cook with an alcohol stove from Minibull, though making your own is supposedly easy enough. http://www.minibulldesign.com/fs2.htm
http://www.backpacking.net/makegear/falk-catstove/index.html
http://www.pcthiker.com/pages/gear/catstoveinstrt.shtml
http://art.simon.tripod.com/Stoves/
And the final tip I'll offer is to toss out your heavy leather boots and try on some nice lightweight hiking shoes or running shoes. http://www.the-ultralight-site.com/hikingshoes.html
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Day and Overnight Hikes: West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest $7.79 43249... |
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Day and Overnight Hikes: West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest List Price: $12.95 Sale Price: $7.79 Used From: $8.94  |
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The heart and soul of wild, wonderful West Virginia, the mighty Monongahela National Forest is within a day's drive of one-third of the population of the United States. The best way to see and experience the stately forests and pristine waterfalls is by foot... |
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50 Hikes in West Virginia: From the Allegheny Mountains to the Ohio River List Price: $16.95 Sale Price: $16.95 Used From: $20.23 |
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The definitive guide to backpacking and hiking in this highly rural and still-unspoiled state.West Virginia native and long-distance hiker and author Leonard M. Adkins has walked more than 400 miles to uncover 50 hikes available to outdoor travelers of all ages and abilities... |
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Day and Overnight Hikes in West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest List Price: $12.95 Sale Price: $36.49 Used From: $31.36 |
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The heart and soul of wild, wonderful West Virginia, the 900,000-acre Monogahela National Forest is a natural getaway for outdoor enthusiasts of every kind. But the best way to see all "the Mon" has to offer remains by foot... |
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The Dog Lover's Companion to Washington, D.C.: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog (Dog Lover's Companion Guides) List Price: $17.95 Sale Price: $2.48 Used From: $0.01 |
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The Dog Lover's Companion to Washington, DC has the inside scoop on the best parks, restaurants, accommodations, recreation spots and pet-friendly businesses in the entire region. Local author Katie Githens and her trusty companion Denali have dug up many surprising resources available to dogs in Washington, DC, such as riverside trails, sculpture gardens, doggy parades, outdoor movies, and the dog-specific Lost Dog Cafe... |
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The Neurotic Parent's Guide to College Admissions: Strategies for Helicoptering, Hot-housing & Micromanaging List Price: $16.95 Sale Price: $7.00 Used From: $6.62 |
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Admissions rates of 6%? Kids applying to 32 colleges? Sixteen-year-olds with more impressive resumes than Fortune 500 CEOs? Has the nation lost its mind? Why yes, it has! The college admissions process now sucks approximately 1250% more time, money and psychic energy than it did when today's parents were going through the same process... |
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Monongahela National Forest Hiking Guide List Price: $12.99 Sale Price: $20.75 Used From: $22.89 |
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West Virginia, the Mountain State, lies completely within the Appalachian Mountain system of peaks, knobs, hills, glades and valleys. In the state's east are parallel mountain ridges from the southwest to the northeast... |
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Coleman Farr, only two years into his first term in the White House, is already dissatisfied. What he covets most is power beyond even the Presidency -- requiring unlimited money, and a position of impregnable privacy – outside the “fishbowl” of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue... |
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Day and Overnight Hikes in Shenandoah National Park List Price: $12.95 Sale Price: $3.95 Used From: $0.01 |
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Shenandoah National Park--a scenic mountain haven with panoramic views of the Blue Ridge and surrounding Shenandoah Valley. Within close proximity to the Washington, D.C./Baltimore metropolitan area, this nearly 200,000-acre park contains a wealth of cultural and natural sites, all waiting to be explored... |
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Monongahela Hiking Guide List Price: $14.95 Sale Price: $19.83 |
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43249 |
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Day and Overnight Hikes: West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest List Price: $12.95 Sale Price: $7.79 Used From: $8.94 |
|
The heart and soul of wild, wonderful West Virginia, the mighty Monongahela National Forest is within a day's drive of one-third of the population of the United States. The best way to see and experience the stately forests and pristine waterfalls is by foot... |
 |
Day and Overnight Hikes: West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest List Price: $11.95 |
|
The heart and soul of wild, wonderful West Virginia, the mighty Monongahela National Forest is within a day's drive of one-third of the population of the United States. The best way to see and experience the stately forests and pristine waterfalls is by foot... |
 |
TOPO! Mid Atlantic USA Sale Price: $89.99 |
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While definitions vary as to which states make-up the Mid Atlantic region, the TOPO! Mid Atlantic map card covers Delaware; Maryland; Virginia; Washington D.C.; and West Virginia. This region, rich in history and natural beauty, offers something special for the outdoor enthusiast... |
|
50 Hikes in West Virginia: From the Allegheny Mountains to the Ohio River List Price: $16.95 Sale Price: $16.95 Used From: $20.23 |
|
The definitive guide to backpacking and hiking in this highly rural and still-unspoiled state.West Virginia native and long-distance hiker and author Leonard M. Adkins has walked more than 400 miles to uncover 50 hikes available to outdoor travelers of all ages and abilities... |
|
Day and Overnight Hikes in West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest List Price: $12.95 Sale Price: $36.49 Used From: $31.36 |
|
The heart and soul of wild, wonderful West Virginia, the 900,000-acre Monogahela National Forest is a natural getaway for outdoor enthusiasts of every kind. But the best way to see all "the Mon" has to offer remains by foot... |
|
Day and Overnight Hikes in Shenandoah National Park List Price: $12.95 Sale Price: $3.95 Used From: $0.01 |
|
Shenandoah National Park--a scenic mountain haven with panoramic views of the Blue Ridge and surrounding Shenandoah Valley. Within close proximity to the Washington, D.C./Baltimore metropolitan area, this nearly 200,000-acre park contains a wealth of cultural and natural sites, all waiting to be explored... |
|
Monongahela National Forest Hiking Guide List Price: $12.99 Sale Price: $20.75 Used From: $22.89 |
|
West Virginia, the Mountain State, lies completely within the Appalachian Mountain system of peaks, knobs, hills, glades and valleys. In the state's east are parallel mountain ridges from the southwest to the northeast... |
|
Monongahela Hiking Guide List Price: $14.95 Sale Price: $19.83 |
|
43249 |
