Weekend Hikes and Equipment

1
Weekend Hikes and Equipment

• Guide to backpacking along the Appalachian Trail
  in eastern PA and NJ
• March 10, 2007
• Hal Wright
• Allentown Hiking Club Volunteer
• Appalachian Trail Conservancy Volunteer
• halwright_at_mac.com

2
Why go into the woods?

• Do you want to put the boys into the woods, or
• Do you want to put the woods into the boys?
• Connecting with nature
• Working as a team
• Unplugging
• Planning

3
Why backpack?

• vs. day hiking, backpacking is more
• Intense
• Complex
• Immersive
• Physically demanding
• Memorable

4
(No Transcript)
5
The Appalachian Trail in PA/NJ

• Ridge walks with steep climbs / descents at gaps
• Rocky terrain
• Inspiring views
• Backwoods not a wilderness experience
• Easy access from major highways
• Long-distance hikers

6
Appalachian Trail
7
1. Allentown Shelter

• South on AT Hawk Mountain Road, Eckville (8.5
  miles)steep ascent from Eckville going north
• North on AT PA 309 (4 miles)
• Many tent sites, privy
• Spring 1200 feet down hill
• Campsite at Eckville
• Views Dans Pulpit, Balanced Rock, Tri-County
  Corner (all south of shelter)
• New Tripoli campsite (two miles north of PA 309)

8
Allentown Shelter
9
2. Windsor Furnace Shelter

• South on AT Route 61, Port Clinton (6 miles)
• North on AT Hawk Mountain Road, Eckville (8.5
  miles)
• Only 1/4 mile from a parking lot / road access,
  but no overnight parking
• Tent sites, privy
• Spring very near shelter
• Alternate routes blue-blaze past Hamburg
  reservoir
• Views Pinnacle, Pulpit Rock (north of shelter)

10
Pinnacle / Devils Pulpit
11
3. Eagles Nest Shelter

• South on AT PA 183 (6 miles)
• North on AT PA 61, Port Clinton (8 miles)very
  steep ascent from Port Clinton going south
• Many tent sites, privy
• Stream runs across the trail to the shelter
• Alternate routes Sand Spring Trail, Tom Lowe
  Trail, gamelands fire road (all ascend to ridge
  from gamelands parking lot near Shartlesville)
• Views Limited view behind shelter, Eagles Nest
  (1.2 miles on side trail)

12
Eagles Nest Shelter Area
13
4. William Penn Shelter

• South on AT Swatara Gap (8 miles)ascent going
  north from Swatara Gap
• North on AT PA 645 (2 miles), PA 501 (4 miles)
• Many tent sites and spring on opposite side of
  ridge, privy
• Shelter with caretaker at route 501
• Views Fisher lookout, Kimmel lookout (both
  north of shelter)

14
5. Rausch Gap Shelter

• South on AT PA 325 (11 miles)
• North on AT PA 443/72 (5 miles)ascents from
  both directions
• Spring at front of shelter, privy, tent sites
  nearby
• Alternate routes Rail trail at base of ridge,
  many connecting trails to AT
• St. Anthonys wilderness Ridge walk on old coach
  road (south of shelter)
• Many remnants of settlement that once occupied
  this area

15
6. Delaware Water Gap Backpacker Site

• South on AT I-80, recreation area information
  center (3.5 miles)
• North on AT Millbrook-Blairsville Rd (9 miles)
• Privy, no water (water from Sunfish Pond 0.5
  miles north), no fires
• Alternate routes Red and blue dot trails up Mt.
  Tammany, Dunnfield Creek Trail, Douglas Trail to
  developed campground with group sites on Delaware
  River

16
Delaware Water Gap
17
7. Mashipacong Shelter / High Point State Park

• South on AT NJ 206, Stokes State Forest (9
  miles)
• North on AT NJ 23, High Point State Park
• State-Park privy, no water (leave water at
  Deckertown Turnpike), some tent sites, no fires
• Possible use of High Point shelter for trip into
  park
• Alternate route Iris Trail from NJ 23
• Views Sunrise Mountain (to the south), numerous
  beautiful views on trail to High Point State
  Park, High Point monument

18
Mashipacong Shelter Area
19
Maintenance Clubs

• Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club
  (BMECC)http//www.bmecc.org/
• Allentown Hiking Club (AHC)http//www.allentownhi
  kingclub.org/
• New York/New Jersey Trail Conferencehttp//www.ny
  njtc.org/

20
Appalachian Trail Maps

• Appalachian Trail Storehttp//www.atctrailstore.o
  rg/
• Hawk Mountain Sanctuaryhttp//www.hawkmountain.or
  g/default.shtml
• Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
  Information Center (DWG NRA)http//www.nps.gov/de
  wa/index.htm

21
Backpacking Gear

• You cannot lead effectively unless you are fit,
  comfortable and safe from the elements.
• The boys will not optimize their gear. You must
  optimize yours.

22
Whats In Your Pack?
23
Big Gear Decisions

• Pack Internal frame, external frame, ultralight
• Shelter Tent vs. tarp vs. hammock
• Sleeping bag Synthetic vs. down
• Stove White gas, propane - butane / alcohol,
  Esbit, Zip
• Food Supermarket vs. specialized backpacker
  foods
• Footwear High, heavy boots vs. low trail shoes
  vs. trail runners
• Rainwear High-tech shell / suit, cheaper
  rubberized suit, poncho, nothing!?

24
Pack and Shelter

• Pack
• pack keep it light!
• pack cover
• pack liner, 2-mil construction garbage bag
  eliminates need for large stuff sacks
• Shelter
• tent or tarp or hammock
• sleeping bag designed for backpacking, down or
  synthetic, 0 or 20 or 35
• ground cover use cheap plastic drop cloth over
  expensive custom footprint
• sleeping pad for tent or tarp Thermarest or
  Z-rest (3/4 length, backpacker model)
• Ground cover and pad not needed for hammock.
• Tarp lets you keep an eye on whats happening in
  camp.

25
Water

• Storage
• Favor simple reused plastic bottles over Nalgenes
  (much lighter)
• Drink bladder with hydration tube
• Purification choices
• Iodine
• Chlorine
• Filter pump
• In-line filter
• New method UV (expensive)
• How much?
• Minimum safe quantity
• For me One quart while walking (winter), two
  quart while walking (summer)

26
Food Preparation and Storage

• Food
• Group cook stove most Scouts use larger white
  gas or propane/butane backpacker
  stove.Individual choices white gas (four
  season), propane/butane (Jet Boil), alcohol,
  Esbit, Zip
• Pot and/or pan stainless or aluminum or titanium
• Windscreen can be purchased or just use aluminum
  foil or disposable cooking tray to make
• Lighter
• Bear bag w/50 ft line and carabiner
• Food about 1 1.5 pounds per day, repackage in
  Ziploc bags where appropriate
• Insulated mug (winter)
• Spoon, plastic (can cut handle to save weight) or
  Spork
• Sponge / scrubber (optional)
• Paper towels (10), in plastic bag

27
Clothes

• Clothing
• Sturdy shoes
• Gaitors full or half or quarter
• Gloves (cold)
• Knit cap (cold) or lightweight for sun protection
  (warm)
• Thermal underwear (cold)
• Jacket or vest, fleece (cold /moderate)
• fleece pants (cold) or thin pants like for
  running (moderate)
• Pants, zipouts (moderate) or shorts (warm)
• rain pants (breathable ideally)

• Shell waterproof (breathable ideally, for cold /
  moderate weather, or simple rain jacket for warm)
• Sandals flip flops or Tevas
• Shirt cotton polyester, breathable
• Socks w/ liners
• Bandana
• Pillow case (used to store clothes during the day)

Layers! No Cotton!
28
Comfort / Personal Items

• Toilettoilet paper / hand lotion kit, snow stake
  for cat hole
• Civilizationsleeve with money, ID, keys, cards
• Comfort Kit (easy to access)Gold Bond, insect
  repellant (summer), sunscreen, Cort-Aid, Benedryl
  cream, ChapStick, Ibuprofin (keep handy)
• Evening Kit toothpaste, toothpaste, floss,
  Alleve, Benadryl, Q-tips, glasses or contact
  supplies, headlamp, Photon
• First Aidgauze pads, gauze rolls, bandaids,
  swabs, Orajel, adhesive tape, abdominal pads,
  Advanced Care strips (Compeed), vaseline, safety
  pin, ace bandage, neosporin

29
Miscellaneous

• Supplies
• pocket knife , compass, whistle
• duct tape (wrapped on something round)
• guidebook (copy pages to save weight), map
• sunglasses
• trekking poles
• pen or pencil, notebook, book or puzzles
• camera, cell phone
• watch
• additional parachute cord, 50 ft
• plastic bags and mesh bag for organization
• spare parts kit matches, batteries, extra
  lighter or matches

30
Shelter
31
Best Practices / Etiquette

• Leave no trace
• Repackage food to reduce trash
• Hang food
• Avoid using the shelter to sleep - bring tarps or
  tents for all
• Limit group size to ten or fewer
• Restrict cell phone / iPod use

• Keep fires small - no fires in New Jersey
• No cotton clothes / stay dry
• Minimize pack weight
• Wear orange during hunting season
• Respect hiker midnight

32
Additional Hints

• Dont cook too much food - there is no good way
  to dispose of it.
• Leave hatchets and saws at home.
• Designate a sweep - someone responsible to stay
  at the back of the group.

33
See you on the trail!