Why is everyone so negative about my impending hike?

I have friends who got snowed in for two days plus while hiking the Ozarks... in May. They had two separate bear confrontations, copper heads out the ass, and freezing rain. There are places once you get into the valleys 50 miles or so in, that you may have no cell phone use for days.

Do not set up camp in any low or rocky valleys, and stay on the main trails for fuck sakes. Boots boots, and more socks. 2- Solar chargers (then neither will take a shit on you), a sharpie (to draw a face on your new best friend... just in case you find Wilson), a pencil (For your journal, during lonely times at night, this is a must, for sanity reasons) and a red lumber crayon. (in case you get lost/confused, you can leave rocks on the trail with arrows, or info.) I would plan for and leave a small food water cache two days out, you have left a lot of variables to luck and chance, that cache may save your life. (Halfway in and something happens, you are four/five days away from supplies, instead of nine...)

By the 7th day you are usually talking to yourself, by the 9th, you are holding long philosophic discussions, verbally, and out loud. Both of my bros talk to themselves now because of it. By the 12th day of no human contact, it's you, yourself, your big brass balls, crickets and crazy... Oh did I mention crazy time? This is the time when you are most likely to fuck up seriously. 14 days out without contact, even Navy seals sometimes crack. A vast selection of jazz works, is the ticket for me, especially the studio interactions with the musicians.

Keep an eye out for wild ginseng, and edible greens. Water consumption will be your biggest concern, bring H20 drinking filters, salt tabs, a serious *first aid kit... *zip ties, bungies. You need to be able to make a shelter in 15 minutes and bring a rainwater trap, I prefer my regular 30 year old Army poncho. You can drink right out of the hood, plus if it gets cold, it can save your life. In fact, I pack two of them. Helps keep my camera gear dry, along with my ass, or converts nicely/quickly into a deluge proof shelter half. Boil any water you collect, just in case...

Oh and you are going to hear a lot of shooting going on, hopefully none of it is aimed at you. That is why you stay on the trails. Be very weary of other hikers you may meet on the trail also. If you get caught in a down draft, there is nowhere to run or hide from the lightning. If you stay low, 'flash floods' go high and you're a walking talking (to yourself) lightning rod.

Out of shits and giggles, so you have done a few 7 day survival outings, right? I presume you have indeed...

If not, try something like that instead. Personally, I would not do a solo for that long.

GL HF

/r/CampingandHiking Thread Parent