How To Plan A Backpacking Trip Workshop to Lost Maples State Natural Area

Interested in planning an epic backpacking trip, but unsure about how to start?

This online session demonstrates... How To Plan A Backpacking Trip. Troy Wong and Victoria Flores host this workshop for all skill levels from beginner to advanced backpackers and for weekend warriors to thru-hike enthusiasts. The session is divided into two parts. During Part 1 (72 minutes), we discuss: Where to go Going solo vs in a group Camping options Route planning considerations Destination planning considerations Packing Backpacking ethos International planning considerations

During Part 2 (30 minutes), we conduct a live demonstration which covers: Utilizing a planning checklist Using websites, apps, google docs, and other resources Creating a backpacking trip plan

You walk away with: A backpacking planning checklist Some online and mobile tools to plan a trip A trip plan that you can actually hike Here's a link to the trip planning checklist: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fDnCXrHk5fWKEY6JleQtdt4H-Q8-ccgI80mhtl_qo9E/edit?usp=sharing Here's a link to the trip that we planned to Lost Maples State Natural Area: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/map-january-20-2022-2-49-am-a2232b5?u=i

Here are the chat comments from the live session.

00:24:23 Troy: We will start at 7:03

00:27:09 Victoria Flores: Link to Checklist: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CEymPReLPKCYWYJJy8a0oqqqrk-SRpl1/view

00:47:47 Maya: car camping

00:51:10 Maya: Wonderland Trail

00:53:33 Mart (Broome): Every National Park has their own procedures for permits or reservations. It is not uniform

00:55:02 frederick_falk: If you go on a weekday instead of the weekend (Friday nights and Saturday nights), you will have a much better chance of getting reservations. Some parks like Lost Maples is completely full on weekends and almost empty during the week. I like going from Sunday through Tuesday.

00:57:54 Mart (Broome): Places like National Parks will frequently require that your permit be displayed on a pack or a tent for backcountry rangers to review.

00:59:59 Octavio G: Spreadsheets... yes, love them!

01:01:40 Mart (Broome): What's the elevation? Are you acclimated to that altitude?

01:02:20 Mart (Broome): Or off-trail hiking rather than designated trails.

01:06:07 Maya: I like to call them before arriving, usually very helpful.

01:07:37 frederick_falk: You also need to account for the amount of fuel you are taking if you plan on boiling water.

01:08:37 Mart (Broome): Have a backup plan in case an expected water source is dry upon arrival.

01:09:04 frederick_falk: Our backpacking trip next week at Colorado Bend SP, we will be cache water along the trail.

01:10:37 frederick_falk: You can also repackage food to make it weigh less.

01:12:26 frederick_falk: I take a Ritz Peanut Butter Cracker pack, a bag of Fritos Corn Chips, and a small packet of honey for emergency food.

01:14:59 Mart (Broome): Peregrin Falcon closings in the Chisos at BIBE.

01:15:56 Mart (Broome): Usually a LOT of money. Some shuttles will move your vehicle. That can be nice.

01:16:13 Maya: Yellowstone we hitchhiked, it's common

01:16:22 Maya: sorry, Yosemite

01:17:24 Elizabeth S: Hitchhiking is common along the towns of all the long-distance trails.  I've done it without issues in CA, OR, WA, GA, TN, NC, and CO.

01:17:37 frederick_falk: Make sure you get the top map of the park and not just the trail map.

01:17:51 frederick_falk: topo map

01:19:05 Mart (Broome): Can look at sunrise/sunset times, also.

01:19:29 frederick_falk: Also if there will be a full moon or a new moon.

01:19:37 fox: Microclimates can vary wildly as well. Higher elevations will be cooler, so check where the actual weather station is

01:20:08 frederick_falk: I hammock camp and I still take a tarp.

01:20:28 Elizabeth S: I was going to say the same thing about microclimates.  The weather in the nearest town may differ by 20 degrees.  Adjust by about 4 degrees per 1000 feet of elevation.

01:22:37 Mart (Broome): Soap, medications, ANYTHING WITH A SCENT.

01:22:48 frederick_falk: Be sure if you are soaking gear in Permethrin, the liquid is DEADLY to cats if they drink it. If you have cats, be extremely careful when applying and discarding this liquid.

01:22:57 Mitchell Taylor: Black Fly Season in the northeast. Lyme disease (ticks)

01:24:16 Mart (Broome): You can treat your shelter and footprints with permethrin also.

01:24:36 Mart (Broome): Sorry, but the natural stuff is shitty.

01:26:34 frederick_falk: Just watch out for chipmunks. They will chew through your tent or backpack after food, of food scents.

01:27:09 Mitchell Taylor: lighterpack.com, but I really like packstack.io for making my backpacking list and weights.

01:27:50 Mart (Broome): Try to not cook or eat in your sleep clothes.

01:28:10 frederick_falk: I try not to eat with my sleepwear on to limit getting food scents on it and then me.

01:29:45 Mart (Broome): Chlorine dioxide tablets are the LIGHTEST water treatment and will PURIFY the water given sufficient contact time.

01:30:39 fox: Hike your own hike!

01:31:35 David: There's a dif between a filter and a purifier. Tablets don't purify (remove heavy metals or chemicals)….

01:31:35 frederick_falk: Also know trail ettiequte, like the right of way for horses, bikes, runners, people going uphill and so forth.

01:32:52 frederick_falk: Airlines will not allow you to take fuel canisters on the flight. You will need to get your fuel canisters when you arrive.

01:33:18 Mart (Broome): trekking poles should be checked

01:33:33 Laura Decker: There are tons of multi-tools at the Airport Store near Bolm Road, Confiscated

01:36:01 Mart (Broome): Bacteria and cysts. Giardia (p?)

01:36:50 frederick_falk: Great presentation.

01:36:55 Laura Decker: No problem at all, very good information :)

01:37:05 Donna: Inspiring!

01:37:05 Shay Zimmer: Wonderful data!

01:37:22 Lisa: Thank you Troy 👏  very helpful information.

01:38:44 frederick_falk: Our Meetup page main photo is a photo I took from Lost Maples State Recreational Area.

01:38:56 Troy: Cool, glad that y’all like it. This next part is probably the most valuable.

01:39:11 frederick_falk: There are also NO fires allowed in the backcountry sites at this site at any time.

01:39:35 Laura Decker: Almost time for those mountain laurels to bloom like you talked about?

01:40:00 frederick_falk: You cannot reserve a specific backcountry site.

01:40:07 fox: So Lost Maples pools the backcountry sites,

01:40:21 fox: You just get a generic and camp wherever

01:40:26 frederick_falk: Yes, that is correct. They pool all of the backcountry sites.

01:41:14 fox: If I remember correctly camp area A (nearest Monkey Rock) is VERY popular, avoid it if you can

01:41:50 frederick_falk: Sites H, E and B are great sites.

01:41:54 Maya: I make my routes on GaiaGPS.com.

01:42:08 Elizabeth S: Don't you need a Pro subscription to create your own map?

01:42:37 fox: I think I stayed at H and it was completely empty and had some great spots

01:42:49 fox: Nope, it was E

01:43:17 Maya: No, I don't create a map on Gaia, just draw a route.

01:43:24 fox: Campsite D is right next to the trail and on a slope

01:45:15 frederick_falk: I go clockwise around starting on the western trail as it is a lot easier going up from campsite C to the top of the mesa as it is very steep. It is a lot harder coming down from B to C. Also note that campsite C is closed for restoration.

01:46:57 Elizabeth S: I am glad I'm not the only person who has this problem moving the black dot on AllTrails!  Not intuitive.

01:48:00 frederick_falk: I also recommend you go on the Maple Trail which is on the East Trail.

01:50:18 frederick_falk: #5 is a Spring.

01:51:05 frederick_falk: It is better to get the water from the Spring and not the lake.

01:51:32 fox: Monkey Rock is surprisingly delightful and worth the small detour

01:53:02 Donna: Do you download the map to follow as you go?

01:53:03 frederick_falk: The grotto and Mystic Canyon are also great.

01:53:23 Elizabeth S: The (total) "elevation gain" in the Route summaries at left is really good info too.  I plan my days more based on total gain than on mileage.

01:54:14 mc: How much elevation gain per day?

01:54:46 Mart (Broome): Michael that will depend on your group and the elevation of the hike.

01:55:03 Maya: Does that save as a gpx file . . ?

01:56:27 Donna: How do you use the map if you don’t have service?

01:57:25 mc: I was referring to Elizabeth

01:57:48 mc: Elizabeth's comment that elevation can affect how much you hike per day

01:57:48 Donna: Thanks

01:57:55 fox: Service in park is bad

01:57:59 Maya: On Gaia I can download both maps & routes in advance and use them without service.

01:58:30 Maya: without subscription

01:58:37 Mart (Broome): That is also true on Gaia.

01:58:57 Mart (Broome): With Gaia, you must download the map at home before your trip.

01:59:09 Maya: Yes

02:00:06 Elizabeth S: Re: elevation gain, figure out your personal comfort level by experimenting.  Just go on a day hike with elevation using GPS tracking on in AllTrails or another app.  See how many feet of gain you did and how it felt, and use that to calibrate your backpacking itineraries.

02:04:23 Mitchell Taylor: Check if your phone can use esim. This allows you to add a second carrier while using your original carrier. Then you can get a Walmart sim for a month, for example, and have two carriers at the same time. Useful in some areas if you are doing a long hike.

02:04:26 mench: I use Tracklia, which is decent for offline map use. I'll try Gaia and see which is better.

02:04:31 Laura Decker: Cool, I've been trying to learn this on the app

02:04:44 frederick_falk: I love Gaia.

02:05:20 Maya: layers

02:06:39 Mart (Broome): The satellite view on Gaia or o Google Maps gives you very good views of the terrain.