Has anyone done this or parts of it? I'm thinking of doing some of it next year. I know some of it isn't ready yet but I've read that there's still a lot of parts that are "open". The parts that are considered "closed" don't even sound all that bad. So anyone done it? And does anyone have some advice for "extended" camping trips? If all goes well I can leave around May (maybe June) next year and not have to show up again until september-october depending on the weather.
My advice for extended camping trips is to take a couple of small two or three day trips first. Pay attention to what you do and don't use. It is alot different backpacking than it is camping out of your vehicle. Remember that you have to carry everything you need and want, pack light. I know that good camping gear is expensive, and it seems that the lighter the item, the more it cost. Things like light weight sleeping bags and tents are expensive, everytime I go camping I am hauling around two sleeping bags (one for me and one for my wife) and they are about 8 pounds apiece. I don't know what that translates to for the metric system. I was looking at some sleeping bags in a local sporting goods store that were only about 1.5 pounds, but they cost two to three hundred dollars. I am starting to save up for them. It is important to remember that without fire it is hard to eat (warm food at least). I still am not the most efficient camper in the world, but I am getting much better. My first extended trip was a few years ago, and I brought so much useless heavy stuff, most of which never got used or even removed from the pack, and I was miserable. By the time I hiked to camp I was too exuasted to do much else the first night. I am sure there are other people who can give you better info than myself, but I hope this helps a little. If you are trying to do this next may or june, you have a year to try things out and learn what you need and don't need. I hope you have fun, and be safe.
Oh yeah, get a good pair of hiking boots and make sure you pack a few extra pairs of sock. It isn't hard to survive most weather conditions, as long as your feet stay dry and you can sleep dry.
The Trans Canada Trail is awesome. To all the non-Canadians: it's a cross-country trail that was made by linking all the old abandoned railroad tracks. Very clever. And the scenery and solitude are breathtaking. I wish the US would do something like that.
The midwest is starting to. In Iowa there is a trail called the Wabash trace, I can't remember all the details about it. In Nebraska, the game and parks commision accepted a gift from the Chicago & nothwestern right of way in 1994. It is called the cowboy trail, and from what I understand is the nations longest rail to trail conversion. Which is pretty sad, saying that when it is finished it will only be 321 miles long
Thanks Landscaper, and pounds is fine. Oddly enough though most Canadians do litres and meters anything in weights is almost always still done in pounds unless it's government related. And a super big thank you about the socks I probabbly wouldn't have remembered them until I got out there. From what I've been able to figure out from the maps it seems that most of the trail is from town to town so it is possible to do short stops inbetween periods of hiking that aren't out of the way. I'll deffinitly be looking into light wieght sleeping bags no matter the cost because I'll deffinitly be using them more then once so it'll go to good use.
I dunno about a camera. I tend to break everything.........maybe an inexpensive camera instead of a good one.
Oh I saw colaspable water jugs today. Has anyone every used one of those before? and if so was it any good?
