I'm doing an overnight hike in the White Mountains this weekend, dammit

[darxus]

A dozen miles, two days and one night in the woods, is nothing. I have the gear. I can do this. I should have done this already.

You're welcome to join me. I'm planning to spend the days walking, but I don't expect to make a lot of distance.

I figure about all you need is:

• Hydration bladder or canteen
• Poncho (or rain coat)
• Tent or bivy sack
• Sleeping bag
• Food
• Good boots
• A small pack to carry everything in

In forms you're willing to carry over mountains for a couple days.

For food, I'm thinking of just taking lots of hard boiled eggs, for simplicity. I'm bringing a water filter.

I think my sleeping bag + bivy sack set is really neat. NATO Modular Sleep System, about $100 lightly used. Four season, two nestable sleeping bags. A bivy sack is a waterproof outer shell to use instead of a tent. I'm planning to put everything else in a small day-pack, and tie the MSS to the pack.


I'm already fantasizing about future trips to see how light I can pack:

• Loin cloth
• Belt
• Knife
• Poncho
• Poncho liner (ties to poncho for expedient water proof sleeping bag)
• 1 quart canteen
• Pemmican (jerky + rendered fat)

No shoes, no pack. Probably won't happen, but the thought amuses me. I have great difficulty with the idea that I need to filter water from a natural source before drinking it.

A web page of mine about somewhat related gear: http://www.chaosreigns.com/shtf/


A fairly common (to me) acronym is BOB - Bug Out Bag. A more specific term that often brings tears to my eyes is:
INCH bag.
I'm Never Coming Home.

"You only truly own what you can carry at a dead run."

Comments

[milktree.livejournal.com]

Um... I'd suggest a couple day hikes before doing an overnight. Really. Make them longer day hikes than you'd go with crap on your back. But really, don't commit to an overnight right off.

[darxus.livejournal.com]

Why?

I figure worst case, I'm beat three miles in, set up camp right there for the night, then head home the next day.

[entrochan.livejournal.com]

I agree. Absolutely no reason not to do an overnight in the Whites in the summer. It's hard to fuck up too badly assuming you don't manage to get lost.

My personal favorite is Nancy Pond trail. It's on the west side of route 302, about in the middle of this map: http://maps.google.com/?ll=44.155608,-71.400146&spn=0.299028,0.687332&z=11&vpsrc=6 . (I'm sure you have the map and google foo to figure out the exact details.)

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

well, no it is really easy to fuck up too badly. people do it all the time, and die. the Whites are brutal that way. people underestimate them ALL them time. even people who know better, get caught off guard.

it SNOWS in the Summer there. we've been seeing temps into the low low 40s and high 30s (esp with wind chill). while wet. good times.

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=zmw:03589.1.99999

staying warm and dry is critical. think: Winter survival gear, even in Summer. kinda sucks to be the next guy that froze his legs off in high Summer. it's not Firefly.

bring the right gear, and no problemo.

i'd make sure my backpack was setup so the contents stayed dry. cell phone in otter box. gps would be handy.

plan it out more, but definitely do it :)

#

What's the level of risk?

[drwex]

I'm not denying that there's risk involved here, but I'm wondering if the odds of dying while doing this are more or less than the odds of dying in, say, an hour of driving at highways speeds into Boston?

If darxus deems this an acceptable risk, why not take it?

Re: What's the level of risk?

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

i might compare it do driving in Boston without a seatbelt while texting; vs taking precautions, including making sure your car is inspected/safe. at least with Boston, EMTs are standing by, and it's one of the safer cities to have an accident in.

NH is fed up enough with tourists dying, or needing rescue, that they are starting to charge for it, unless it's shown the person needing rescue thought ahead, had the right gear (esp in the case of hunters), and merely had a bad bad day. life flights are not cheap (assuming they can find you in time).

a famous MIT rock climber got into trouble some years ago. buddy got hurt on the way back. there was a blizzard (in the Summer). people died. he was severely messed up (frostbite of legs). esp notable as i've climbed with him in gyms, he's making a name for himself in artificial limbs, and he was prepared as can be, and still got caught out.

Mt Wash area has had a long rep as a killer. it's not a big mountain compared to many, it's only a couple hours from Boston, but it's curiously ready to eat people ;>

#

[doctordidj.livejournal.com]

Do you have a route planned yet? Sounds like fun, but do bring waterproofs, even if the weather looks good.

[darxus.livejournal.com]

Not definite. I'm leaning toward the East end of Flat Mountain Pond Trail, staying down in the valleys and taking it real easy. And yeah, I'll be prepared for rain. I'd really like to get above the tree line, maybe around Mt. Lincoln, but I think maybe that's better kept for next time. Just because I'm not certain I could comfortably make it that far up a mountain in one day.

Definitely open to suggestions. Going to do an out and back, not a loop, for flexibility.

[doctordidj.livejournal.com]

My favorite bang-for-the-buck mountain is Cardigan. Camping options abound, at the lodge and near the summit.

[darxus.livejournal.com]

Currently my plan is to take the Liberty Spring Trail up to the Liberty Spring Tentsite, get water there, and spend the night in that area. Then go the rest of the way up Mt. Liberty to get a taste of above the treeline, hang around there, maybe wander the Franconia Ridge Trail between Mt. Flume and Little Haystack Mountain, and head back down the Liberty Spring Trail.

I'd really like to do Little Haystack Mountain to Mt. Lafayette, above the treeline, but, while it can be done in a day hike (by some people), the coworker I've been talking to says it's tough to get to water. You kind of need to spend a day getting to the Liberty Spring, then spend a day going along the ridge to get to water at Mt Garfield. I hadn't thought that far myself, but above the treeline, water is a problem :)

[doctordidj.livejournal.com]

I've done Liberty and Flume as a day hike, and it was a nice day hike. When I did Little Haystack, Lincoln, and Lafayette, it was long for a day hike. That was where I the "fool killer" weather on Franconia Ridge. In the parking lot, mid 80s and a gorgeous sunny day. On the ridge, suddenly we were in freezing fog at about 50 mph winds -- and already sweaty and tired from the climb. We had coats and hats, but not earmuffs and gloves, and we needed them. By the time we returned to the parking lot, it was glorious cloudfree sky again. That's when the waterproofs can save your life.

[starphire.livejournal.com]

In some areas, you should expect to keep your food out of reach of bears - The Pemi wilderness, for instance, where rangers try to insist that you have a bearproof container (way too heavy for this kind of trip). Bring along some super strong, light cord - 30 feet or so should be enough. Then you can put your food in a sack and hoist it between a couple of trees or off a long, high branch.

[darxus.livejournal.com]

Yep. I have been this far out before. Just not much, and not recently.

I picked up the White Mountain Guide last night. It says food "...should be hung between trees well off the ground--at least 10 ft. high and 4 ft. away from the tree trunk." (page xxviii )

The coworker going on an eight day hike mentioned those bear canisters are necessary where hanging food from trees doesn't work anymore (not the Whites), because the bears chew through the rope. And another option is to balance your food in two packs over a branch, using a stick or pole to push them up above your reach.