tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147944621013401905.post1925398213057839505..comments2020-05-04T03:30:36.023-05:00Comments on God, Guns, Politics, and Hammock Camping: I Want To Go Backpacking For The First TimeSargeVininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13953058448874483643noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147944621013401905.post-11422259351945453552014-01-02T17:59:00.164-06:002014-01-02T17:59:00.164-06:00SargeVining,
Followed your link from the Hammock ...SargeVining,<br /><br />Followed your link from the Hammock Forums. (I'm SemperFiGuy on that site). Great advice and simple to follow. I've got a few years on you, (age 65) and have spent inordinate amounts of time in the woods over my liefetime and the best advice you could give, you already have....... KISS. <br /><br />When you follow the threads on the HF, it becomes pretty apparent that well intended folks, (myself included), tend to over explain or provide so much info that the person asking will either never retain any of it, or, as you aptly put it, won't know where to begin.<br /><br />Great job! You have a gift of writing and keeping things simple.<br /><br />All the best and Semper Fidelis to God and Country!<br /> Gil<br />Western MassachusettsAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15842955424638417361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147944621013401905.post-72563775509486573562013-10-07T07:50:17.692-05:002013-10-07T07:50:17.692-05:00Folks are really trying to be helpful when giving ...Folks are really trying to be helpful when giving advice. They are trying to impart knowledge they've gained through experience. That's OK, I guess, but that knowledge came by making a thousand small mistakes, none of which will kill you, so go ahead and make them. <br /><br />Backpacking is a learning experience, in matters both practical and spiritual. I'm 60 years old and still learning about backpacking, and I am still amazed at what it does for my Spirit and the way it serves to reduce the distance I sometimes put between myself and God. I doubt I would enjoy it if it weren't that way. <br /><br />Go out in the woods. Make some mistakes. Make little ones. If you choose your destination and distance in relationship to your experience, you should be OK. If you go to a State Park for your first couple of outings, you should be alright, if you try hiking the Appalachian Trail on the first day, things might be different.<br /><br />Good luck with your Girl Scouts. You'll have fun. You'll make mistakes. You'll get drenched with rain, bitten by bugs, burn food, fix boo boos and sleep badly. None of that will matter after you've had some special moment with your daughter or one of the other girls---or when you step out onto a scenic overlook, or suddenly come upon a pond in the forest or a brook laughing its way over mossy rocks on its way to the ocean. I hope you come back in a bit and let us know what some of those experiences were.<br /><br />You and your daughter will have the time of your life and both of you will smile about all of it years later.<br /><br />Hike Your Own Hike<br /><br />See you on the trail.SargeVininghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13953058448874483643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147944621013401905.post-64426019934516400212013-10-06T22:40:33.016-05:002013-10-06T22:40:33.016-05:00Perfect. Finally some common sense for those of us...Perfect. Finally some common sense for those of us who haven't done this since Girl Scouts - you know with a Mom leader and that cute little canteen thingy you could buy in the Scout store. Most "how to"s for beginners are overwhelmingly loaded with waaaay more info than we can truly begin with. This actually sounds doable and may be just the confidence builder I need. Pjeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06010723141215105280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147944621013401905.post-52986700604391174622013-10-06T22:38:57.767-05:002013-10-06T22:38:57.767-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Pjeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06010723141215105280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147944621013401905.post-79843866375811483482013-09-19T15:52:00.075-05:002013-09-19T15:52:00.075-05:00Well done... ThanksWell done... ThanksGalloway's Woodshophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06960506768666106511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147944621013401905.post-75139711486189588122013-07-29T16:02:18.957-05:002013-07-29T16:02:18.957-05:00Glad to hear it, Justin. Just carry some stuff fa...Glad to hear it, Justin. Just carry some stuff far enough into the woods so you can't see the car, eat a meal, and go to sleep. The gear will come later. You'll find what you need and what you like. Make mistakes, we all do. Just take small steps with small goals at first and you won't make BIG mistakes later. Its when we try to do too much at first that we make the big mistakes.SargeVininghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13953058448874483643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147944621013401905.post-51868782948349165002013-07-29T14:11:23.646-05:002013-07-29T14:11:23.646-05:00Speaking as someone who has never gone backpacking...Speaking as someone who has never gone backpacking before, thanks for this! It's the perfect tone to inspire me to actually *do it* rather than continually feel "not ready".Justinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07215434137855863144noreply@blogger.com