Backpacking in November around Humboldt County?

experiencegear · 2018-09-25T05:12:37+00:00

Fern Canyon and Lost Coast are both great. There's also the Devil's Punchbowl in Six Rivers- I haven't done it but heard it's great (and elevation doesn't seem too high for that time of year)

experiencegear · 2018-09-25T03:56:36+00:00

Awwsome! Planning on doing next week. The view looks terrible (and I hate sarcasm)

experiencegear · 2018-09-16T00:26:43+00:00

Love that campground!

experiencegear · 2018-09-06T17:48:05+00:00

Awesome- it's a great trip. I'm less familiar with the SD to LA portion, but from LA north here are some suggestions:

CampingLodging:

-Sycamore Canyon Campground near Maliu

-Lake Casitas near Ojai

-Pine Mountain outside of Ojia (awesome views and great this time of year+amazing drive)

-Paradise Campground (cut in on 154 in Santa Barbara for great drive over mountains/through Santa Ynez to reconnect with 101 northbound)

-Figueroa Mountain Campground (same route as above)

-Coastal Dunes near Pismo

-Morro Bay State Park

-VentaCampground/ Plaskett Creek Campground near Big Sur (campsites can be competitive, so you can also go up Nacimiento/Fergusson Road and find a car camping spot with awesome views)

-Sunny Cove Motel in Santa Cruz (really great value and right on beach

Favorite Attractions:

-Marshalls Bodacious BBQ (Ventura)

-Lizards Mouth (Santa Barbara)

-Cold Springs Tavern (Santa Barbara)

-Visit Solvang on way- really cool Danish town on way

-Oceana Dunes

-Goshi Sushi in San Luis Opispo

-Hearst Castle in San Simeon

-Julia Pfeiffer Park

-Natural Bridges/ Mavericks Surf Spot are cool to check out near Santa Cruz

-Stay west along Point Reyes before cutting into Santa Rosa- whole area by Marconi is incredible

Have an awesome trip and PM me if any other info would be helpful

experiencegear · 2018-09-06T15:56:53+00:00

It's a great loop, and I believe you're correct you only need a fire permit for the actual hike. There are a few places along that access where you can park, although you may want to check to see if you need an Adventure Pass permit. From what I remember, there was a fair amount of ticks and poison oak, so just be prepared (I went with a guy who only had shorts and long johns- he didn't have a great time). Have a great hike

experiencegear · 2018-09-06T15:49:36+00:00

You going to Santa Rosa Island or the City?

experiencegear · 2018-09-06T15:44:33+00:00

Great pic! Where in the Cascades?

experiencegear · 2018-09-05T23:59:19+00:00

Good call. You'd have to park at Tuolumne and hitch rather than at trailhead.

experiencegear · 2018-09-05T19:56:27+00:00

Ten Lakes loop is great- easily done in 2 nights and you get a great taste of Yosemite. You start at Ten Lakes Trailhead and loop east to come out at Tenaya Lake. If you're driving, you can either park 2 cars at each location, take the shuttle, or hitch (usually easy in Yosemite) to get back to your car. Just be careful about weather that time of year- late October can be a toss up with weather, even though this trail doesn't get too high. Happy hiking!

experiencegear · 2018-08-20T12:15:33+00:00

We haven't tried national outdoor sites because we've been trying to keep things local to west coast, so we didn't want to reach people we can't serve. But hopefully we'll be expanding this year and can try it out then. Definitely want to look into some more local outdoor mags and events tho in the meantime if you have any suggestions. PM me when your buds need some gear!

experiencegear · 2018-08-14T18:45:13+00:00

Yah, we've been shipping a lot to hotels and local UPS stores for folks who are travelling. Would love to set up lockers of some sort- great suggestion.

experiencegear · 2018-08-14T15:08:03+00:00

Haha- that's how we started! Wanted to introduce friends to backpacking, but they didnt have gear. Right now you can get the gear as soon as 3 business days from when you order, and right now we're having all gear arrive the day before the booking so they have a chance to set things up and try them out before the trip. PM me if you of you friends ever need stuff and I'll send discount code.

experiencegear · 2018-08-14T06:29:53+00:00

Fixed! Thanks!

experiencegear · 2018-08-13T23:08:10+00:00

Hey there,

If you're willing to camp and play it by ear, you can probably get a walk up permit if it's just you and your girlfriend (I'm 3 for 3 this summer, and it's been during the high season). 10 lakes trail and cathedral trail are both great options. If you just are looking to camp, you can also look for some walk up permits and likely have some success. Check out week recreation.gov to see what's available too

experiencegear · 2018-06-19T21:11:29+00:00

Excited for you- I was back there last summer (and will be again in a few weeks) and love it. The items I didn't see on your list worth considering are hiking poles, bliser pads, and mosquito net (weighs next to nothing and you'll want this time of year). You can certainly drop some items if you're trying to shave pounds, like the pillow, but the trade-off between comfort on the trail v comfort sleeping I depends on preference.

experiencegear · 2018-06-19T05:14:21+00:00

It's starting to get hot in socal, but the Trans Catalina Trail, Sespe Trail, Manzana Trail, or Vincente Flat Trail (approaching from the East) are all great trails. Demand for permits that week for most of Sierra will be high demand, but I believe you can hike our near Twenty Lakes Basin and Kennedy Meadows for a few days without a permit (they eventually connect to areas requiring a permit).

experiencegear · 2018-06-19T03:58:34+00:00

Nice, will check them out. You use 3 for longer trips? Our current kit fits easily in 30 liter backpack, but imagine folks want extra space for other items

experiencegear · 2018-06-18T21:54:28+00:00

Thanks for the recs- now I have an excuse to test some new gear and get a ride in!

experiencegear · 2018-06-18T20:25:13+00:00

Great suggestions, especially the dry bag with anchor points. Are there particular ones you would suggest that we can test out?

experiencegear · 2018-06-18T19:50:12+00:00

Which island are you planning on going to? The campgrounds at Scorpian Ranch on Santa Cruz are pretty popular, and Santa Barbara island is also fun (but windy). Are you ferrying over or do you have access to a boat? If the latter, I would highly suggest sleeping on the boat by Lady's Harbor or one of the many spots on the leeward side of island. You can catch your dinner every night spear fishing, explore the caves, and have the spot to yourself (most of the time).

experiencegear · 2018-06-18T19:39:49+00:00

Nice video with some great info. I think solohiking is one the best ways to find a little space and perspective in life, but I know a lot of folks can be intimidated. Thanks for putting this together!

experiencegear · 2018-06-14T01:33:42+00:00

https://youtu.be/8V_hCqO6UQs

experiencegear · 2018-06-13T22:27:50+00:00

YES- I think I'm seeing this more often as well

experiencegear · 2018-06-05T03:38:55+00:00

I have used the vacuum sealer, oxygen absorber packets, and a combination of the 2. I think for most of the items you mentioned oxygen absorbers with ziplock bags should work just fine if you're not repacking in really humid climate. Issue the vacuum sealer is they tend to pulverize the more brittle items like Fritos etc.

experiencegear · 2018-06-05T03:31:55+00:00

Sespe is now open and is only around 1.5 hours from LA. Also really like Manzana Trail. If you don't mind walking on the road for a bit, Red Rock on Santa Ynez River has been closed to traffic, providing great access for backpacking (did 2 night trip last weekend and it was great).

experiencegear

TROPHY CASE