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Backpacking excursion

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JoeF2661
Posts: 1627 - Karma: 6,299
I'm taking a 4 day 3 night backpacking trip in the middle eel wilderness area in northern california. I'm super stoked. I've never done a trip for that length of time. I'm going out with a buddy of mine who knows what he is doing and the area real well. Anybody have any tips or advice on stuff I could be missing or overlooking? Any good stories of your experiences?
Jun 12 2018 12:58AM
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50Kal
Posts: 2828 - Karma: 5,373
Bring a Good sleeping pad and put your fire out all the way. Cold to the touch.
Jun 12 2018 10:19AM
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kingsskier
Posts: 6212 - Karma: 2,100
50Kalput your fire out all the way. Cold to the touch.


100% this. Put your fires out completely.
Also, just have the basics yourself. Your buddy may be experienced, but you dont know what might happen to him. If he gets injured or separated, it may be on you.
Sounds like a fun trip though. How many miles do you plan to cover?
Jun 15 2018 9:07AM
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JoeF2661
Posts: 1627 - Karma: 6,299
kingsskier100% this. Put your fires out completely.
Also, just have the basics yourself. Your buddy may be experienced, but you dont know what might happen to him. If he gets injured or separated, it may be on you.
Sounds like a fun trip though. How many miles do you plan to cover?


Its a good little trek. On the map it looks like 28 miles to where we are going and depending on the route back could be another 28 or we could take quite a bit off by taking another route. Dude I'm so pumped for this trip!!!
Jun 15 2018 11:08AM
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ic3burg
Posts: 91 - Karma: 328
Reliable water purification and one of those little Mio juice flavor things. Water is great obviously, but after a lot of miles nothing beats a few drops of the Mio stuff in your water bottle. I did a similar trip (but east coast) and it was awesome to have the juice at times
Jun 18 2018 2:25AM
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ic3burg
Posts: 91 - Karma: 328
Also, one of those compact TP rolls for sure, and keep it safe and dry. A friend of mine was hiking the AT for a week and accidentally kicked his only roll of TP off a cliff while dropping a deuce. Not ideal
Jun 18 2018 2:27AM
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JoeF2661
Posts: 1627 - Karma: 6,299
All cool stuff. Thanks guys. I've invested in a nice pack and platapus. So this week we took a little hike into the north yolla bollys and were hiking up this ridge when buddy who was in front stopped immediately and I saw the shock on his face. I'm thinking what the fuck, why we stop? I look up a little further and see this flat rock with a burrow underneath. Right away I knew it was a bear den and my heart stopped while the rest of me went ohhhh shit. We backed up carefully and than proceeded to get the fuck off that ridge. Back on the trail fresh signs of bear dropping and tracks were everywhere. Bit scary but super fun. I think I'm catching a backpacker bug and am real stoked on getting out there for a few days. Mt. Linn is about 9000 foot and our plan is to watch the 4th fireworks from the top down into the cities that lay in the valley
Jun 18 2018 3:34PM
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iFlip
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JoeF2661and see this flat rock with a burrow underneath. Right away I knew it was a bear den and my heart stopped while the rest of me went ohhhh shit.


I very much doubt it was a bear den. Other than in the winter, bears do not typically use one set den. What you freaked out at was most likely a marmot den.
Jun 18 2018 4:19PM
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JoeF2661
Posts: 1627 - Karma: 6,299
iFlipI very much doubt it was a bear den. Other than in the winter, bears do not typically use one set den. What you freaked out at was most likely a marmot den.


Could have been. But it was good size and it was defitently bear droppings and the size of the tracks we saw defitently indicated black bear. That's one fucking massive marmot though.
Jun 18 2018 4:21PM
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ic3burg
Posts: 91 - Karma: 328
Black bear are really skiddish and usually want to get out of your way as much as you want to get out of their way. Just make sure you aren't bringing things with a lot of scents and that you're tying your food up in a bear bag away from where you sleep. We don't have grizzlies out here but I hear those are the ones to be much more careful of
Jun 19 2018 12:20PM
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JoeF2661
Posts: 1627 - Karma: 6,299
ic3burgBlack bear are really skiddish and usually want to get out of your way as much as you want to get out of their way. Just make sure you aren't bringing things with a lot of scents and that you're tying your food up in a bear bag away from where you sleep. We don't have grizzlies out here but I hear those are the ones to be much more careful of

That how I understand black bears to be to. Defensive animals. Skiddish of humans. Grizzlies are a different matter. I know anytime I've encountered a grizzley in montana just the sheer size and awwww of them make you think how quick they could destroy you and might just want to for their enjoyment. Haha. Seems like it an occurrence during the summer years you hear of Asian or Europeans visiting our national parks getting up close to a grizzley trying to cope a photo getting their face torn up.
Jun 19 2018 3:18PM
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kingsskier
Posts: 6212 - Karma: 2,100
ic3burgBlack bear are really skiddish and usually want to get out of your way as much as you want to get out of their way. Just make sure you aren't bringing things with a lot of scents and that you're tying your food up in a bear bag away from where you sleep. We don't have grizzlies out here but I hear those are the ones to be much more careful of


Carry bear spray and never run.

**This post was edited on Jun 20th 2018 at 9:21:18am
Jun 20 2018 9:18AM
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JoeF2661
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Alright fella's. Headed out 2morrow. Doing the whole yolla bolly range. Should be out for 6 days.
Jun 29 2018 9:38PM
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Velcroraptor
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JoeF2661Alright fella's. Headed out 2morrow. Doing the whole yolla bolly range. Should be out for 6 days.
sweet man, have fun
Jun 29 2018 11:29PM
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JoeF2661
Posts: 1627 - Karma: 6,299
7 nights outside fellas!!! I think I found my new summer passion.
Jul 9 2018 12:23AM
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skiguy04
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Watch out for beat definitely
Jul 14 2018 4:34PM
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JoeF2661
Posts: 1627 - Karma: 6,299
skiguy04Watch out for beat definitely


Yea. Saw a nice black bear and a big cinnamon. On the 5th night we had a big one come through camp. Couldn't see him but his head was huge based on how wide his eyes were apart when we flashed him. When he took off and checked the next morning that fucker broke some good size branches. It was an awesome trip and now I'm trying to plan another backpack trip b4 summer is over. Trinity Alps most likely.
Jul 14 2018 10:55PM
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skiguy04
Posts: 1597 - Karma: 1,119
JoeF2661Yea. Saw a nice black bear and a big cinnamon. On the 5th night we had a big one come through camp. Couldn't see him but his head was huge based on how wide his eyes were apart when we flashed him. When he took off and checked the next morning that fucker broke some good size branches. It was an awesome trip and now I'm trying to plan another backpack trip b4 summer is over. Trinity Alps most likely.


Gotta stay safe
Oct 13 2018 11:33PM
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