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Started By
Message
Hikers. Eagle Rock Loop advice. (Update) On page 2
Posted on 10/12/15 at 3:32 pm
Posted on 10/12/15 at 3:32 pm
This is my first hike. Any tips or advice would be appreciated. We are leaving Thursday and going to camp in the trail head and get an early start in Friday morning. Planning on doing 10 miles a day minimum. I think I have the basics on gear. Got a nice pack, cold weather sleeping bag, gonna do a hammock instead of a tent, water filtration device. And of course fire starter.
Also what are the rules on Firearms? I am bringing my gun but do't know if it allowed on the loop.
Thanks for any help you can give me!
Also what are the rules on Firearms? I am bringing my gun but do't know if it allowed on the loop.
Thanks for any help you can give me!
This post was edited on 10/23/15 at 10:51 am
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Posted on 10/12/15 at 3:39 pm to BayouBndt
Make sure you have everything waterproofed. You cross water multiple times.
This post was edited on 10/12/15 at 3:41 pm
Posted on 10/12/15 at 3:44 pm to BayouBndt
This is one of my favorite trails, I've done it about 5 times.
My 1st advice is to knock the Athens/Bigfork trial out 1st, it's the hardest part of the loop by far and I like to do it when I'm not tired.
Here is a great website about the tail. LINK
Not sure how experienced of a hiker you are but if you're in reasonable shape 10 miles a day shouldn't be too difficult, just remember the Athens Bigfork section will take you a lot longer than the other sections.
Also, hunting is allowed in the wilderness areas so it's ok to have a firearm on the trail. If you go in hunting season be sure to wear something orange, I've never had a problem with hunters but I don't like to take chances.
My 1st advice is to knock the Athens/Bigfork trial out 1st, it's the hardest part of the loop by far and I like to do it when I'm not tired.
Here is a great website about the tail. LINK
Not sure how experienced of a hiker you are but if you're in reasonable shape 10 miles a day shouldn't be too difficult, just remember the Athens Bigfork section will take you a lot longer than the other sections.
Also, hunting is allowed in the wilderness areas so it's ok to have a firearm on the trail. If you go in hunting season be sure to wear something orange, I've never had a problem with hunters but I don't like to take chances.
Posted on 10/12/15 at 4:38 pm to BayouBndt
quote:
This is my first hike.
I would think 26 miles is a little much for your first hike. Especially if you are not used to hilly/mountainous terrain. I did around 8 miles of trails at Mt. Magazine last week and was sore for two days. Good luck, take pictures, and come back and share. This loop has been on my wish list for a while now.
Posted on 10/12/15 at 4:43 pm to BayouBndt
Man, I haven't been up that way since probably middle school and now I really want to go.
In my experience 10+ mile days are tough on beginners. Not to say they aren't do-able but here are a couple things to keep in mind: You don't have your systems down. And by that I mean setting up/breaking camp, cooking, cleaning, getting water, etc. will take you FOREVER compared to someone who has done these things over and over. Throw in being more tired than you anticipated and the next thing you know its damn near noon on day 2/3 before you manage to get hiking. Being aware of this can help. Practice as many things as you can as many times as you can before you hit the trail and things will go much more smoothly. set up/take down your hammock. Pack and repack your bag. Take out only your lunch, water filtration and bottle/bag. Were they easy to get to or did you have to unpack your entire pack? etc.
When you say fire starter, are you planning on only cooking over an open fire or just mentioning that as something you have just in case? I think you're in montgomery county (Help here from AR posters?) which currently shows a burn ban I personally think that stoves are much easier when backpacking, saving fires for fun or if we just happen to want to cook on one for the hell of it.
Good luck, take lots of pictures, and post them here!
In my experience 10+ mile days are tough on beginners. Not to say they aren't do-able but here are a couple things to keep in mind: You don't have your systems down. And by that I mean setting up/breaking camp, cooking, cleaning, getting water, etc. will take you FOREVER compared to someone who has done these things over and over. Throw in being more tired than you anticipated and the next thing you know its damn near noon on day 2/3 before you manage to get hiking. Being aware of this can help. Practice as many things as you can as many times as you can before you hit the trail and things will go much more smoothly. set up/take down your hammock. Pack and repack your bag. Take out only your lunch, water filtration and bottle/bag. Were they easy to get to or did you have to unpack your entire pack? etc.
When you say fire starter, are you planning on only cooking over an open fire or just mentioning that as something you have just in case? I think you're in montgomery county (Help here from AR posters?) which currently shows a burn ban I personally think that stoves are much easier when backpacking, saving fires for fun or if we just happen to want to cook on one for the hell of it.
Good luck, take lots of pictures, and post them here!
Posted on 10/12/15 at 6:36 pm to BayouBndt
A sleeping bag alone will not be enough to keep you warm in a hammock during cold nights. You will need a sleeping pad of some kind underneath you to prevent heat loss. Nice packs are great but I'd rather an old army ruck sack with nice boots any day. Do you have a good pair of boots? What about food?
ETA: Good advice from that A&M fan up above. How are you planning on dealing with the elements?
ETA: Good advice from that A&M fan up above. How are you planning on dealing with the elements?
This post was edited on 10/12/15 at 6:40 pm
Posted on 10/12/15 at 8:29 pm to Theoldgraycoat
I am planning on have some kind of insulation under me. I thought about that and have not decided on what to use. Thought about a Matt but am not sure if that will be enough so any suggestions would be appreciated. I was planning on cooking on open flame. I got one of this woodburning pocket stoves. I guess I need to look into burn bans. Also we were looking into doing the hardest part of the trail on the first day. Looks like there is a road that cuts through the middle so if we bit off more than we can chew we can cut through instead of finishing the loop. But hope we will not have to do that. I am planning on taking pics so I will post them when I am finished and recuperated.
Posted on 10/12/15 at 8:39 pm to BayouBndt
Break in your boots. Do NOT try it with new boots. I don't know what kind of hammock you bought but there is a giant gap between the high dollar hammocks the cheaper ones.
Posted on 10/12/15 at 8:44 pm to BayouBndt
quote:
I got one of this woodburning pocket stoves. I guess I need to look into burn bans.
At minimum, look into the MSR pocket rocket stove and fuel.
Posted on 10/12/15 at 8:56 pm to Barf
quote:
Break in your boots. Do NOT try it with new boots. I don't know what kind of hammock you bought but there is a giant gap between the high dollar hammocks the cheaper ones.
It was around $40. set it up this weekend and I think it will be serviceable. I got some Sketcher hiking shoes and have been breaking them in. Not sure how they will do but they have the memory foam in the soles and are pretty comfortable. I want to start doing this more but didn't want to break the bank to start with. Just to make sure I like it.
Posted on 10/12/15 at 8:57 pm to NewIberiaHaircut
quote:
At minimum, look into the MSR pocket rocket stove and fuel.
Buddy that is going with me has a stove. But I was looking forward to using my little wood burning stove.
Posted on 10/12/15 at 8:59 pm to ccard257
So question about the burn ban. I know that a lot of camp sites as long as the fire is in a contained area it is ok to burn even with a burn ban. Like a ring at camp sites. So my stove is contained would that qualify?
Posted on 10/12/15 at 9:02 pm to BayouBndt
Call the local forest service office or county government and ask. Most bans I've experienced were no wood at all. Rings or wood stove were still a no go.
Posted on 10/12/15 at 11:50 pm to BayouBndt
I would definitely make sure you have good ankle support when hiking the loop. If I remember right there were a few spots where there were loose rocks on the trail that can be hell on your ankles. It's been a few years since I've been, but we knocked it out in 2 days and I will never do that again. It was a great hike but was pretty tough for a beginner to tackle on a tight schedule. I was sore for a week. I would love to do it again but definetly allotting more time so I can enjoy it next time. Be safe and have fun!
Posted on 10/13/15 at 8:11 am to BayouBndt
Thought of one other thing I often see beginners struggle with and that is breaks. Often beginners will make frequent stops due to inexperience that really slow the overall pace down. Not too big of a deal on a short day, but with multiple 10+ mile days on your itinerary it could be an issue. If someone in the group needs to stop, take care of anything you can think of in the down time: tying your shoes, swapping water bottles, getting a snack, etc. If you hit a stream and stop to filter water, go ahead and eat lunch rather than stop again in 15 mins. Also, watch the time. Breaks should be shorter than 5 minutes or longer than 15 minutes. I'm sure someone can explain the physiology better than me, but long story short this is to prevent cramping due to lactic acid build up. I prefer to keep packs on during short breaks unless you need to dig something out.
The exception to this is your feet. If you feel a hot spot starting up, stop NOW and take care of it. That shite only gets worse.
The exception to this is your feet. If you feel a hot spot starting up, stop NOW and take care of it. That shite only gets worse.
Posted on 10/13/15 at 10:08 am to BayouBndt
I have no familiarity with this trail but I have done about 1000 miles on the AT along with having hiked the Pinhoti in alabama and numerous other hikes.
If this is your first hike you will be dead if you are even able to do 10 miles a day. When I started hiking I was lucky to do 25 miles in 3 days and if i did anything longer than that I added 1 day for every 5 miles. I hike in chacos in the summer and boots in the winter. I recommend taking at least 2 if not 3 pairs of quality merino wool socks.
I have a cheap blue mat from walmart for my insulation. I also rig my hammock up really low. I usually have my butt barely scraping in the morning. To this you have to rig your hammock up extremely tight. You need a tarp. I have the Warbonnet MJ. and love it.
For that short of a trip I wouldn't take anything that needs heating to eat. I take a lot of smoke cured meat and cheese along with tuna and chick in foil packets. crackers and fruit are also good for these short hikes.
Make sure that everything you pack in you pack out. So take a gallon zip lock bag for all of your trash. Don't be the arse that leaves shite all over the place and frick the next guy out of a quality view and picture.
Leave the gun at home. You shouldn't need it and do you really want to carry 3 extra pounds with your? The end game to hiking is carrying as little weight as possible. More than likely your pack with everything and food and water is at or over 50 pounds. Trust me when I say that you will wonder why you are carrying as much shite as you are by about noon on day 2.
Let me know is you have any other questions. I love hiking and have collected quite a bit of gear and knowledge over the years. I am hoping to get to thru-hike the AT in a few years when I get out of the Navy.
If this is your first hike you will be dead if you are even able to do 10 miles a day. When I started hiking I was lucky to do 25 miles in 3 days and if i did anything longer than that I added 1 day for every 5 miles. I hike in chacos in the summer and boots in the winter. I recommend taking at least 2 if not 3 pairs of quality merino wool socks.
I have a cheap blue mat from walmart for my insulation. I also rig my hammock up really low. I usually have my butt barely scraping in the morning. To this you have to rig your hammock up extremely tight. You need a tarp. I have the Warbonnet MJ. and love it.
For that short of a trip I wouldn't take anything that needs heating to eat. I take a lot of smoke cured meat and cheese along with tuna and chick in foil packets. crackers and fruit are also good for these short hikes.
Make sure that everything you pack in you pack out. So take a gallon zip lock bag for all of your trash. Don't be the arse that leaves shite all over the place and frick the next guy out of a quality view and picture.
Leave the gun at home. You shouldn't need it and do you really want to carry 3 extra pounds with your? The end game to hiking is carrying as little weight as possible. More than likely your pack with everything and food and water is at or over 50 pounds. Trust me when I say that you will wonder why you are carrying as much shite as you are by about noon on day 2.
Let me know is you have any other questions. I love hiking and have collected quite a bit of gear and knowledge over the years. I am hoping to get to thru-hike the AT in a few years when I get out of the Navy.
Posted on 10/13/15 at 11:14 am to BayouBndt
All great suggestions so far. Bring a mat for the hammock. A few little pieces of reflectix will help supplement where the mat won't cover. Most mats are too narrow and your shoulders will get cold, you can use extra clothing for that Or tape some strips of reflectix to the sides.
Hammocks take more work to sleep warm in. Practice in the backyard first if possible.
10 miles is doable if you are in good shape. But if you aren't used to carrying a pack it could be a tough trip. Have some bale outs in mind if things are going slow. Backpacking is mental. The boredom of walking 10 miles can wear some people out. Have something good to look forward to when you get to camp.
Get the pack weight down as light as safely possible. 40 pounds may not feel bad for the first mile. After mile 9 things start to change.
Good luck, take pictures and have fun.
Hammocks take more work to sleep warm in. Practice in the backyard first if possible.
10 miles is doable if you are in good shape. But if you aren't used to carrying a pack it could be a tough trip. Have some bale outs in mind if things are going slow. Backpacking is mental. The boredom of walking 10 miles can wear some people out. Have something good to look forward to when you get to camp.
Get the pack weight down as light as safely possible. 40 pounds may not feel bad for the first mile. After mile 9 things start to change.
Good luck, take pictures and have fun.
Posted on 10/13/15 at 11:17 am to BayouBndt
quote:
Buddy that is going with me has a stove. But I was looking forward to using my little wood burning stove.
Wood stoves are great. I bring one every trip I can along with an alcohol stove. But unless you have used it to boil water and really comfortable with it have a backup.
Posted on 10/13/15 at 11:31 am to BayouBndt
quote:
It was around $40. set it up this weekend and I think it will be serviceable.
As long as you have adequate insulation and rain protection it should work. My favorite hammock is a $15 dollar one I made. Spend the money in a tarp and insulation.
Posted on 10/13/15 at 12:38 pm to Nodust
We did plan ahead we are taking Monday and Tuesday off to recover but just in case we need an extra day we have it. I am not in the best of shape but not out of shape either. We do have a bail out plan just in case. And as far as the gun that's going regardless may not need it but that one time you do and don't have it you will wish you brought it. And a pistol does not weigh much so it's worth the extra weight. And fellow Navy man here. Was a Corpseman.
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