5:38 a.m. on June 18, 2014 (EDT)
Snakey said:
Hi everyone...
I see people doing some long hikes, not just in distance but time. it made me curious...
What is the most TIME you have spent out on a single outing? A month...longer? And how did you prepare? I met one guy that would take the time to hide caches of food and supplies, before going out, and then use those caches as he hiked. How do you all handle the gear and supply requirements of a long duration hike?
Snakey
(hiss)
Your last sentence is the main question of my backpacking and outdoor life, and one I have studied and tweaked over the years. After you find the large time blocks needed (2 to 3 weeks a month, every month---it's called retirement), then the challenge becomes how much food weight you're willing to carry without resupply.
Food weight is the bugaboo of the Ultralight backpacker in that few ULers would go more than a week without resupply. On the other hand, I believe it's possible and fairly easy to stretch that week into 3 or 4---the maximum is dependent on food choices, home dehydration, ample stove fuel and careful study.
When Whomeworry says there are two types of extended trips, namely, Thruhikes (usually with frequent resupply), and Basecamps (a "home base")---I have to ponder my trips and find I do neither. Well, one time I spent 5 weeks at the same spot in Pisgah NF with my backpacking buddy Johnny B but we went out every week for food.
I never basecamp at one spot to do ranging dayhikes as I like to move every day and continue to explore a given area. (If I didn't pack up and move every day I couldn't justify the amount of food I eat, wink wink). The only time I pull zero "basecamp" days are in heavy rainstorms or blizzards. Just sitting around all day in camp is something I can do at home but while out I have a map and an itch to keep moving.
So, there is a third type of long-term backpacking and I guess I would call it Expedition Backpacking, whereby you find a place you want to go, gather up all the maps you need and do ranging loops upon loops to your heart's content.
TIPS FOR EXTENDED TRIPS
** Never leave a car sitting at the trailhead for 3 weeks. Instead arrange a shuttle and leave your car at home or at a friend's house---or have someone drop you off with a planned evac. (Bring a cellphone to touch base with your ride periodically, if able).
** On trail bear vault food storage or not? I prefer carrying all my food at the beginning as I do not like swinging back to the trailhead drop-off point for resupply. So, my food load is often close to 50lbs for a 21 day trip, including white gas (44oz).
** One time on a 23 day trip I did use 2 big BearVaults for food storage and came back on Day 17 to find them swatted down the hill by a black bear. He chewed on each and worried them to death but did not get the food, although he moved them a hundred feet down the hill. Save yourself this scenario by carrying everything at the start.
GEAR TIPS
** Carry or stash an extra emergency Thermarest pad in case your beloved sleeping mat blows out. This is important. And carry stove and pad repair kits.
** Carry an extra white gas MSR stove pump (if you use one), a extra spoon (one will invariably break), a extra hipbelt buckle, an extra bic lighter (had one drain all its gas when the depress button got mashed in my ditty bag), etc.