If you’ve ever dreamed of backpacking through the wild but felt unsure about jumping straight into the backcountry, primitive camping in Virginia State Parks might be your perfect middle ground.
Ranger Amelia Hulth from Powhatan State Park describes how these minimalist campsites offer just enough amenities to keep things comfortable while giving you a true taste of the wild.
We review each primitive campground, including distance to hike in, terrain, difficulty level, and amenities. From Belle Isle’s easy 1.5-mile hike to scenic riverfront sites to the rugged 8-mile trek to False Cape that rewards you with remote beachside solitude, there’s something for every skill level and sense of adventure.
Whether you’re a beginner looking to build backpacking skills or a seasoned camper craving a quieter connection with nature, Virginia State Parks’ primitive camping experience is your gateway to a wilder Virginia. Let’s Go!
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Mentioned in this Episode:
Connect with Ranger Amelia Hulth:
Email Amelia.Hulth@dcr.virginia.gov I Powhatan State Park
Virginia State Parks Primitive Campgrounds
Let's Go Adventures - Backpacking (Camping) Schedule
Episode 56 - Let's Go Adventures
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jessica Bowser (00:00):
Announcer, from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the
Chesapeake Bay, Virginia is amecca for outdoor travel and
adventure. Virginia outdooradventures Podcast is your local
guide for hiking, camping,kayaking, travel and so much
more. Get the information andthe inspiration to plan your own
adventure right here inVirginia, I'm your host, Jessica
(00:23):
Bowser, if you've ever dreamedof backpacking through the wild
but felt unsure about jumpingstraight into the backcountry,
primitive camping in VirginiaState Parks might be your
perfect middle ground Ranger.
Amelia Hall from Powhatan StatePark describes how these
minimalist camp sites offer justenough amenities to keep things
comfortable while giving you atrue taste of the Wild. We
(00:46):
review each primitivecampground, including distance
to hike in terrain, difficultylevel and amenities, from Belle
Isles easy one and a half milehike to scenic riverfront sites
to the rugged, eight mile trekto falls cape that rewards you
with remote, beachside solitude.
(01:07):
There's something for everyskill level and sense of
adventure, whether you're abeginner looking to build
backpacking skills or a seasonedcamper craving a quieter
connection with nature. VirginiaState Park's primitive camping
experience is your gateway to awilder Virginia. Let's go.
(01:28):
Virginia State Parks is offeringvisitors of all ages the
opportunity to explore thenatural and cultural wonders of
Virginia. Diverse programming isdesigned to inspire curiosity,
foster environmental stewardshipand provide enriching outdoor
experiences for families,students and nature enthusiasts
alike, join us at Virginia StateParks for exciting, family
(01:50):
friendly events and invite youto explore the outdoors for a
full schedule of events,including park locations and
program details, click onVirginia State Parks events in
your show notes. Amelia, welcometo Virginia outdoor adventures.
Hey, thanks for having me. Whatdo you love about Virginia's
(02:11):
outdoors? I grew up in southwestVirginia
Unknown (02:15):
and a family that really embraced hiking and
camping, so we camped in stateparks and national forest
campgrounds, primarily tankcamping. We did a little bit of
like back of the pickup camperstyle camping as well. And now
I'm really lucky. I live inRichmond, and I just think
Central Virginia has a littlebit of everything outdoors. And
(02:38):
if it doesn't have it, it'spretty easy to get across the
state in less than half a day toexperience the beach or the
mountain. It has everything forme. Personally, my favorite
outdoor activities are hikingand backpacking.
Jessica Bowser (02:51):
In this episode, we're going to be talking about
backpacking and also primitivecamping and the different
opportunities to take advantageof both in Virginia state parks.
Why don't we start byestablishing the difference
between primitive camping versuscamping at a drive in
campground. Primitive
Unknown (03:09):
camping, I would say, is more you're using a campsite
that doesn't have what we wouldcall modern amenities. So in a
primitive campsite, you're notgoing to have a water spigot or
an electric hookup. You may nothave access to, like a full
service restroom, definitely noWiFi, but like camping in a
driving campground, whether thatbe like car camping or RV
(03:31):
camping or tent camping, you'regoing to have access to some of
those more modern things. Sothere's likely going to be an
electric up, whether that be 30amp or 50 amp, a water spigot,
some type of restroom facility.
Some campsites might even haveaccess to a laundry room, things
like that. So it's definitelyabout the amenities, what you
want to have or what you don'twant to have.
Jessica Bowser (03:54):
So without a lot of amenities at a primitive
campsite, what's the appeal? Whywould people choose to do
primitive camping versus aregular campground where those
other amenities are available?
For
Unknown (04:06):
me, it's always about a closer connection to nature and
more privacy. Often, when aprimitive camp, there's not as
many people around not havingsome of those modern amenities,
being able to unplug from yourphone or unplug from your device
just gives you a closerexperience to nature that you
(04:27):
may not get to see in a moremodern style campsite. The
Jessica Bowser (04:32):
primitive campgrounds in Virginia State
Park seem like really greatopportunities for newbies who
want to start backpacking butare a little bit nervous about
going into the back country forthe first time. What do you
think about primitivecampgrounds in state parks being
good for newbies?
Unknown (04:50):
Yeah, I think the primitive campgrounds are a
great way to get a first timeexperience in a primitive camp,
camping or back. Backpacking,most of the primitive campsites
are going to be closer indistance to get to than some of
your more long distancebackpacking trips. When you
think about like hiking on theAppalachian Trail or hiking on
(05:14):
the Blue Ridge Parkway, thatcloser distance makes it a
little bit more relaxing, alittle bit more comfortable,
especially if you're a firsttimer. I would also say one of
the things about primitivecamping in a Virginia State Park
is that you have the ability tomake a reservation so you can
see pictures of what your campsite is going to look at. You're
(05:35):
going to know where yourdestination is, and when you get
there, you're going to have adesignated space where you can
set up. So that's more of aconvenient aspect of backpack
packing or primitive camping ina Virginia State Park. That's
Jessica Bowser (05:49):
absolutely true.
I know you are an experienced atthrough hiker, and I've done
some backpacking as well, andsometimes you may have an idea
of where you're going to spendthe night, but you don't know
for sure, or you show up at ashelter or another popular area,
and the sites are full, so Ithink being able to make a
reservation is definitely aplus. Do you have any memorable
(06:12):
backpacking stories orexperiences?
Unknown (06:17):
Yeah, I do. You called me a through hiver. I want to
correct you, I'm not quite athru hiker. So okay, so in 2013
my now husband and I hiked alittle over 1000 miles on the
Appalachian Trail we did fromSpringer Mountain, Georgia to
penmar, Pennsylvania. So we'renot exactly through hikers.
(06:37):
We're long distance hikers. Thatwas a super memorable
experience. We dated for sixyears, and I always joke with
him that that was like our wayof doing premarital counseling,
because he actually asked me tomarry him that summer. So that
entire experience is reallyspecial. One memory that kind of
sticks out to me on the at fromthat trip is we were on standing
(06:58):
Indian mountain in NorthCarolina, and we started in
spring. And, you know, I grew upin the mountains, so I know
weather can change as we werehiking, the temperatures were
dropping. And that night, thewind chill actually got down to
negative 14. And my goodness,and I was hiking with like, a 20
degree sleeping bag, um, sorated to go down to 20 degrees,
(07:21):
and my husband was hiking withone, I think, like 30 or 40
degrees, so not as warm as mine.
And we actually had to sleepwith our water bottles and our
water filter that night to keepthem from freezing. And the next
morning, hiking down off themountain, there were snow drifts
where other hikers had comethrough, where there were actual
the snow was like, waist high.
(07:41):
So that was really memorable forme, because, you know, we
weren't anticipating hiking inwinter conditions. You know, we
were as prepared as we could be.
And it was really fun. And youthink about it, and you look
back at the pictures, and then,you know, working in state
parks, I worked at GraysonHighlands as an interpretive
ranger, and we would doadventure Ranger summer camps.
One of those trips was takingabout 10 teens overnight on the
(08:05):
Appalachian Trail. So you wouldhike about 10 miles to the Y
shelter, and you practice allthe skills that you would for a
long distance trek. So filteringwater, setting up temps, hang in
a bear bag, cook it over a jetboil. And then, you know,
camping under the stars. And sobeing able to experience that in
a job setting like I'm gettingpaid to do this, but also seeing
(08:28):
the bond between, you know,these adventure Rangers, between
each other, and then the bondsthey formed with nature and the
experience, you don't get to seethat very often. And so that was
really memorable of seeing thisgroup, like, bond together and
have this first time, kind ofscary experience. And then, you
know, I hope they look back onthat as future stewards of you
(08:51):
know that was one of theirfavorite memories growing up.
Jessica Bowser (08:55):
I am so glad that you brought that up,
because that is an aspect ofbackpacking that I think people
who have never experienced itaren't familiar with. There's
the connection with nature, butthen also there's the connection
that you make with the peopleyou go out backpacking with.
It's almost like, if you've goneto summer camp as a kid and you
can think back to like, youknow, the friendships and the
(09:16):
relationships that you made likeduring summer camp, that's the
closest thing I can think of tobe able to relate it to. It's
like those shared experiencesthat make it so special.
Unknown (09:26):
I've been reflecting on my Appalachian Trail experience
a lot lately. Some of thosememories that stick out aren't
necessarily about theenvironment you in or the
landscape you're in. It's aboutthe people that you met and how
that impacted your journey. So
Jessica Bowser (09:38):
let's talk about which state parks offer
primitive camping? There's sixof them. Do you want to review
them for us?
Unknown (09:46):
Belle Isle has a hike in flat terrain, campsite right
on the water. It's only one anda half miles to get there from
the parking lot. Then also, kindof in the similar region as
Caledon. Um, you can hike in orbike in, and there is a little
bit of slight elevation change.
Getting into that campsite, it'sa three mile trek into the
(10:07):
camping area, and then movingdown further towards the coast,
you have false cape. And thisprimitive campground is a little
bit more unique than some of ourothers, and that you can't have
a fire at falls gate, you canhike in or bike in to this
campsite as well, and the trekis in between 6.9 and 8.4 miles,
(10:27):
so it's a little bit longer, sothat might be more of like a
moderate backpacking trip. Thenthere's also Newport trail and
Powhatan state parks that have areally short hike in, so they're
less than a quarter of a mile toget into those campsites. And
then finally, we have skymeadows, which is located on the
(10:49):
Appalachian Trail, and you canhike in or bike into that
campsite, and it's just over amile to get into sky Meadows.
Jessica Bowser (10:57):
And I wanted to point out that these primitive
campsites, while most of themare hiking, there's also the
bike in or the paddling optiontoo. We could do a whole nother
episode on paddling, paddlingcamping, yeah, so we won't get
into the details about paddlingor even bike in, but just so
that people know that there arepaddling options as well. So
(11:21):
like Belle Isle is paddlingcaladine, you mentioned false
cape, but, yeah, that's a wholenother experience. And maybe
we'll do another episode aboutthat in the future. That would
be cool. And they're all sodifferent from each other. You
and I recently backpackedtogether at Belle Isle, and we
had a wonderful time. It was thefirst time that I had ever
backpacked at Belle Isle. I'vebackpacked it a handful of these
(11:44):
primitive campgrounds, but notall of them. So after that
experience that you and I had,I'm like, Okay, I need to be
able to say that I've done allof these. So I now have it on my
summer slash fall bucket list tomake sure that I get to the last
couple that I still need to do.
Because every time that I havebackpacked at one of these. I've
had an amazing experience, andthat experience that you and I
had was great too. Belle
Unknown (12:06):
Isle. That was actually my first time going camping at
Belle Isle as well. And one ofmy favorite things about the
campsite is we were able to setup this really cute base camp on
our campsite, and then, youknow, for the remainder of our
trip, we could hike out of thatto explore different regions of
the park, but we knew, you know,our campsite was cozy and secure
(12:27):
when we got back there. Yes,that
Jessica Bowser (12:29):
was a lot of fun too, because once we were set
up, then we went and hiked, likeyou said, to different parts of
the park and got to do someexploring, and then come back,
and the next day, I did someadditional exploring too. So
that's another cool thing aboutthis is once you've got your
campsite set up, as long asyou've got a reservation, you
don't need to take it down. Youcan leave it there and then
spend the day doing whatever youwant, and then come back in the
(12:51):
evening if you choose to. Sothat's just a more unique way to
explore a park, I think,especially for those people
doing trail quest, you know, andwho are looking for something a
little bit different. It's areally cool experience. What
amenities can visitors expect ata primitive campground? Yeah,
Unknown (13:06):
so you can generally expect to have, you know, a tent
pad, a lantern post, a fire pitor fire ring, and then some type
of privy or pit toilet,depending on the location. Some
primitive campgrounds may havefirewood for sale, or they may
have like a bear proof blocker,where you can store your gear.
(13:29):
And then some campsites may nothave access to potable water.
You would just need to make sureyou plan ahead to bring that
water in, or have some kind ofway of to treat or filter your
water if there is water adjacentto your campsite. Another
Jessica Bowser (13:45):
benefit of getting used to backpacking in a
state park is you've at leastgot some sort of decent setup.
You're not having to sit on theground. You've got at least a
privy to use, and you're nothaving to, like, dig yourself a
hole when you have to go to thebathroom. So it is kind of nice
to ease into it this way if youenjoy camping, but you just want
(14:05):
to be a little more rugged likethis is a good between back
country backpacking and justregular camping. Adventure
seekers will find endlessopportunities in Grayson County,
where many of Virginia's iconictrails and landmarks excite
hikers, cyclists, paddlers andhappy campers alike. Imagine
(14:27):
this. You're hiking on one ofthe most scenic sections of the
entire Appalachian Trail throughthe George Washington and
Jefferson National Forests,summiting mount Rogers or white
top mountain, the two highestpeaks in Virginia, or strolling
through the valley of elkgarden, where the now extinct
Eastern elk once roamed. Ormaybe your perfect day is on the
(14:48):
water. Grayson County is home tothe New River, one of the oldest
and most scenic rivers in theworld. Enjoy a leisurely class
one float with the family oradrenaline packed class three
rapids now. Navigate the watersusing the New River float
calculator to plan your trip.
The app factors flow rate, waterlevels, weather conditions,
vessel type and more tocalculate flow times from point
(15:09):
A to point B. Prefer two wheels.
You won't want to miss theGrayson gravel traverse a 72
mile mixed surface gravel bikeroute that connects the Virginia
Creeper trail and new rivertrail over well maintained and
remote roads featuring a varietyof challenging climbs in the
foothills of Virginia's highestpeaks. This overlooked gem of
(15:34):
Virginia presents some of thebest gravel cycling in the
state, mostly unridden andundiscovered after a day of
adventure, there's nothing likegathering around a campfire
under a sky filled with stars.
Grayson County offers plenty ofspots to pitch a tent like the
New River campground or cozy upin a rustic cabin at the Bucha
wild reserve. Discover whyVirginia is for outdoor lovers,
(15:57):
start your Grayson Countyadventure at the historic 1908
courthouse and visitor center,or access the visitors guide
online by clicking on visitGrayson County in the show notes
of your podcast listening app.
Let's get into the planning andpreparation for this. People who
(16:20):
are planning to camp on aprimitive campsite need to know
how to prepare. So do you haveany advice on how to choose a
park or a site based on maybetheir fitness level or their
experience or even time? Yeah.
So choosing
Unknown (16:34):
a park, all the parks that we've aforementioned are
across the state, you know,picking a park if you want to
make, you know, several day tripout of it and drive across the
state, or if you only have,like, one or two nights, pick
one closer to home based on yourfitness level. All of these
parks that we've mentioned havedifferent distances and
different terrains for hikingin. So, you know, Powhatan State
(16:58):
Park is right outside of theGreater Richmond area. It's a
quarter of a mile to hike intothe primitive campground. So,
you know, you can backpack yourgear in, or you can wagon your
gear in, you know, however youwant to do it, based on your
fitness level. And then, ifyou're really looking for a true
adventure, you know, a park likefalse Cape camping, beach side
after you've done you know, asix plus mile hike in is an
(17:22):
excellent way for, you know, amore advanced level of primitive
camper, and then yourexperience. I've done a lot of
backpacking and a lot of backwilderness camping, and I would
say I'm not an expertbackpacker, but I do have a lot
of experience, and I still enjoylike just going to a basic,
(17:44):
primitive campground. Becauseagain, it goes back to that
experience of being moreprivate, connecting with nature,
disconnecting from the realworld.
Jessica Bowser (17:56):
Amelia, I don't think you're giving yourself
enough credit when you sayyou're not an expert backpacker.
Because when you and I went, Iwas so impressed. You had all of
these things that I neverthought to bring, and the way
you like, unpacked and packedyour pack in record time was
impressive, like you knewexactly what you were doing. You
had all these funny hacks fordifferent things. And I was
(18:19):
like, Yeah, this is somebodywho's been on the at like, you
knew exactly what you weredoing, so you need to give
yourself some more credit. Andthen you know the other thing
you were saying about time andchoosing a park that's close to
home, it made me think of like,how many times I have been in
the parking lot at Caledon StatePark and it's almost dark and I
see somebody pull up and they'relike, unloading their
(18:42):
backpacking gear, and I can tellthat they're about to hike in
three miles through the dark toget to the campsite, and then
you're gonna have to set up yourtent in the dark. I mean, like,
that's not something that youwould want to do. And I've heard
of people doing somethingsimilar, false Cape because they
didn't realize how long it wasgoing to take for them to get
in, especially like, at somepoint you're off the paved road
(19:05):
and you're on sand. And I thinka lot of people don't think
about how difficult it is tohike across sand or ride a bike
across sand, so it just takesextra time, and you want to be
able to make sure you haveenough time to do all of those
things before it's dark and youcan't see and you don't have
your campsite set up.
Unknown (19:22):
Yeah, set up your campsite. And then, you know,
like, if you want to have afire, you need to plan to, you
know, either collect firewood,if that's allowed on the
campground, or, you know,purchase camp firewood. You want
to have time to make dinner. Youmight want to make time to watch
the sunset, all those things. Itgoes back to your safety. But
also, like, what you're tryingto experience.
Jessica Bowser (19:42):
Are there any seasonality or weather
considerations in Virginia?
State
Unknown (19:46):
of Virginia goes from the mountains to the seashore.
We have all different types ofweather, and depending on where
you are, you could experience alot of it in the same day. So
you know, in your MountainParks, like Sky Meadows. You can
experience winter conditionsrealistically from September to
May, and then your coastal parkslike Belle Isle and false cape,
(20:08):
you can have very hot, buggysummer months as well. So you
know, planning ahead with bothyour gear and what you want to
experience, it comes into playwith the weather and the
seasonality. The seasonalityalso affects when areas can be
crowded during, you know, springbreak, during holiday weeks,
(20:29):
during summer months, you'retypically going to have more
people that are makingreservation, and then some
campsites and some amenitiesmight be closed in the in the
winter season, more off seasonhours, checking those weather
conditions ahead of time,depending on how long you're
going to be out, you may evenwant to, like, print a copy of
weather. You may not have cellphone service where you're
(20:52):
going. They make little handheldweather radios that you can keep
with you. And then somethingelse with seasonality. I
mentioned, summer months can bebuggy, also having, like, tick
protection during some typeduring some seasons, something
you want to think
Jessica Bowser (21:06):
about. I believe all of the primitive campgrounds
are open year round. Is thatcorrect? Yes, they are open year
round. That's good to know. Soif somebody wanted to try
backpacking in colder weather,that's an option, absolutely. So
if you're new to backpacking,and say you just bought some new
gear and you want to test it outbefore you go on a long distance
(21:28):
or out in the backcountry, thiswould be a good way to do that.
Like, let's say you bought asleeping bag that's rated to a
certain temperature, and you'renot really sure if that's going
to keep you warm or be enough.
Like, wouldn't this be a greatway to try that out. Yeah,
Unknown (21:42):
it's an excellent way to test out your gear. I would
also recommend, if you've neverprimitive camp before, maybe
even book like a modern campsiteor a driving campsite, to test
out that primitive gear. Thatway you're more familiar with it
before you move into a primitivecampground setting.
Jessica Bowser (22:01):
Hey, adventure seekers, can you believe I
traveled 10,043 miles acrossVirginia last year? Yep, over
10,000 miles in search of thebest trails, parks and base
camps to help you plan your nextadventure. If you've enjoyed
discovering these hidden gemsand want to hear more, consider
supporting the podcast throughmy buy me a coffee page, your
(22:24):
contribution, whether it's a onetime tip or a monthly
membership, helps cover the costof creating these episodes and
keeps the adventure going. Everybit, helps fuel the journey,
plus members get some awesomeperks. So head to my buy me a
coffee page by clicking onsupport the show in your show
notes, shout out to the newestmembers of Virginia outdoor
(22:44):
adventures. Anne fromFredericksburg, Matt from
Roanoke. Barb from Chesterfield,Lori from Norfolk, Raphael from
Falls Church, Kevin fromRichmond and Allison from
Clearbrook. Thanks for helpingme share Virginia's wildest,
most inspiring places oneadventure at a time. All right,
(23:05):
how about safety tips? I'm surepeople are wondering about
wildlife and what they need tobring to be safe. So what are
your recommendations? We want
Unknown (23:15):
to keep the wild and wildlife in all of our parks, so
that means your food, yourtrash, your toiletries, need to
be secured off all times. Andyou know some of our parks are
in bear country, and so beingbear aware is something you also
need to be thoughtful of inplanning your trip, whether that
(23:38):
be hanging a food bag at theappropriate level of distance,
and a tree making lots of noiseif you're hiking in bear
country, and then securing thoseitems overnight is the best
practice. Practicing leave notrace principles is a great way
to go into any kind of outdoorexperience, not just for the
(23:59):
animals and the environment, butfor other people that are
enjoying the outdoors as well,what's the saying? Take only
pictures, leave only footprints.
That's exactly how you want togo into primitive camping. Also,
as I mentioned before, beingprepared for weather and being
prepared for your surroundings.
You know having a map or a goodtrail guide with you, so you
(24:21):
know your routes in and out isalso a good way to plan for your
trip. Another safety tip wouldbe to stay on the trail. Don't
go off trail when you'revisiting a state park, when
you're camping in a state park,when it comes to you know more
wildlife awareness. Doing goodtick checks at the end of the
day to protect yourself issomething you should always be
(24:43):
aware of when you're in theoutdoors,
Jessica Bowser (24:45):
Spoken like a true Ranger. Okay, so what do
people need to know about makingreservations and any other park
regulations before they headout?
Unknown (24:53):
All of our campsites are site specific. So if you're
planning on having more than aone. Night stay in a campground,
you need to have a reservation.
We generally have, you know, acampsite here or there that are
open for walk ins, but I reallyrecommend having a reservation.
You can go online to our onlinereservation website. You can
(25:15):
look at each of the campgrounds.
You can look at each of thecampsites to see you know where
you want to be oriented in thecampground. All of our park
regulations and best practicesare posted online as well, so I
recommend that you review thoseregulations in advance of your
trip. You also familiarizeyourself with the park grounds
(25:39):
by downloading a trail map ordownloading the Avenza app. And
Reservations can be made inadvance, up to 11 months before
your stay. And if you'replanning a trip and you don't
see that the key of site youwant is available, you could
also sign up for our wait listthrough our reservation system,
so if they want to be acancelation, then you can be
(26:00):
notified that your campsitesopened up.
Jessica Bowser (26:02):
Let's move on to what to pack for a backpacking
trip. I think this is somethingthat gets a lot of people
stressed out, because it canfeel overwhelming. So why don't
we just start with theessentials? What are the
essentials of backpacking gear?
Unknown (26:16):
A good way to look at it is like survival mode. You
need food, water, shelter whenyou're planning for a trip. So
in a backpacking trip, youreally want to look at items of
clothing that are you're able tolayer them, and that the
material themselves have somekind of wicking or cooling or
warming or quick drycompatibility based on what kind
(26:40):
of conditions and the locationyou're going to be camping.
Another thing you will look atis your personal items, mini
toiletries or your medicines.
You want to pack food yourcooking where some way to cook
your food if the food you'repacking needs to be cooked. So
if you're planning to cook overyou know the campsite has a fire
(27:01):
ring, then you need to have somekind of fuel source to start
that fire. Or if you're gonna,if you have a backpacking stove,
like a jet oil or a denaturedalcohol stove, you want to make
sure you have that. You want tohave bedding, so a sleeping pad
and a sleeping bag are generallyrecommended. Light source, so a
headlamp and a flashlight. Igenerally like to pack two types
(27:25):
of light sources in case one onedies, and then your shelter, so
your tent and some kind of TARPshould go underneath of it. I
really like the bare essentialsof what you need for a
backpacking trip. There's alsocreature comforts you can pack
along, but yeah, food, water,shelter, are the things that you
want to keep in mind you'repreparing for backpacking or any
(27:46):
kind of camping trip.
Jessica Bowser (27:49):
Let's talk a little bit about preparing food
for backpacking. I read oncethat there are two main reasons
why people who are thinkingabout backpacking never actually
go out and do it. One of them isbecause they're not really sure
how to prepare food for abackpacking trip. And the other
one is the bathroom situation.
Now at a primitive campground,we already said that there's
going to at least be a privy, sothat's a non issue in this case.
(28:11):
So let's talk a little bit aboutfood and how to prepare so that
people don't feel toooverwhelmed by that for
Unknown (28:19):
backpacking and primitive camping and trips, you
can pick up pre made backpackingmeals that you literally just
open up a freeze dried meal andadd boiling water and fill it up
and it cooks it for you. When Idid the at I packed a lot of
these to begin with, and weshipped some of our food in
(28:40):
advance for longer treks, but Ivery quickly learned that it was
all about the calories I waseating, like honey buns and
pepperoni and Pop Tarts hikingon the trail, because I just
wanted a lot of calories packedin at once. So you don't have to
get bogged down with thinkingabout it has to be a specific
pre made, freeze dried meal.
Some other like easy prepackaged meals are, you know,
(29:03):
like instant noodles or instantmashed potatoes, um, packs of
tuna, pack chicken. Nutritionbars are really easy, and you
don't even have to cookanything. You do need to be
mindful if you're cooking mealsthat you need to add water that
you're packing that water bothfor hydration and for your
meals. But I don't thinkpreparing food while backpacking
(29:26):
is one of the challenging partsof it, because we every day, and
if you can put it in yourpocket, you can put it in your
backpack. I think really,whatever you want to take with
you. You, of course, don't wantto take things that need to be
refrigerated, like meats ordairy products, but yeah, I
think pre made meals are an easyway to go, or instant noodles,
(29:49):
instant mashed potatoes are agreat introduction into your
first primitive camping or badtrip.
Jessica Bowser (29:58):
Tune in next week. As Amelia and I discuss
more essential backpacking gear,how to obtain gear for less tips
for reserving a campsite and abrand new backpacking course at
a state park near you, VirginiaOutdoor Adventures is inspired
by and supported by listenerslike you, which is why your
(30:19):
messages and feedback means somuch to me. You can text me
directly by clicking on SendJessica a text message in your
show notes, I answer questions,respond to comments and share
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(30:42):
exclusive brand discounts for mylisteners. Click on newsletter,
sign up in your show notes orvisit virginiaoutdoor
adventures.com thanks forlistening. Until next time
adventure I you.
Announcer, from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the
Chesapeake Bay, Virginia is amecca for outdoor travel and
adventure. Virginia outdooradventures Podcast is your local
guide for hiking, camping,kayaking, travel and so much
more. Get the information andthe inspiration to plan your own
adventure right here inVirginia, I'm your host, Jessica
(00:23):
Bowser, if you've ever dreamedof backpacking through the wild
but felt unsure about jumpingstraight into the backcountry,
primitive camping in VirginiaState Parks might be your
perfect middle ground Ranger.
Amelia Hall from Powhatan StatePark describes how these
minimalist camp sites offer justenough amenities to keep things
comfortable while giving you atrue taste of the Wild. We
(00:46):
review each primitivecampground, including distance
to hike in terrain, difficultylevel and amenities, from Belle
Isles easy one and a half milehike to scenic riverfront sites
to the rugged, eight mile trekto falls cape that rewards you
with remote, beachside solitude.
(01:07):
There's something for everyskill level and sense of
adventure, whether you're abeginner looking to build
backpacking skills or a seasonedcamper craving a quieter
connection with nature. VirginiaState Park's primitive camping
experience is your gateway to awilder Virginia. Let's go.
(01:28):
Virginia State Parks is offeringvisitors of all ages the
opportunity to explore thenatural and cultural wonders of
Virginia. Diverse programming isdesigned to inspire curiosity,
foster environmental stewardshipand provide enriching outdoor
experiences for families,students and nature enthusiasts
alike, join us at Virginia StateParks for exciting, family
(01:50):
friendly events and invite youto explore the outdoors for a
full schedule of events,including park locations and
program details, click onVirginia State Parks events in
your show notes. Amelia, welcometo Virginia outdoor adventures.
Hey, thanks for having me. Whatdo you love about Virginia's
(02:11):
outdoors? I grew up in southwestVirginia
Unknown (02:15):
and a family that really embraced hiking and
camping, so we camped in stateparks and national forest
campgrounds, primarily tankcamping. We did a little bit of
like back of the pickup camperstyle camping as well. And now
I'm really lucky. I live inRichmond, and I just think
Central Virginia has a littlebit of everything outdoors. And
(02:38):
if it doesn't have it, it'spretty easy to get across the
state in less than half a day toexperience the beach or the
mountain. It has everything forme. Personally, my favorite
outdoor activities are hikingand backpacking.
Jessica Bowser (02:51):
In this episode, we're going to be talking about
backpacking and also primitivecamping and the different
opportunities to take advantageof both in Virginia state parks.
Why don't we start byestablishing the difference
between primitive camping versuscamping at a drive in
campground. Primitive
Unknown (03:09):
camping, I would say, is more you're using a campsite
that doesn't have what we wouldcall modern amenities. So in a
primitive campsite, you're notgoing to have a water spigot or
an electric hookup. You may nothave access to, like a full
service restroom, definitely noWiFi, but like camping in a
driving campground, whether thatbe like car camping or RV
(03:31):
camping or tent camping, you'regoing to have access to some of
those more modern things. Sothere's likely going to be an
electric up, whether that be 30amp or 50 amp, a water spigot,
some type of restroom facility.
Some campsites might even haveaccess to a laundry room, things
like that. So it's definitelyabout the amenities, what you
want to have or what you don'twant to have.
Jessica Bowser (03:54):
So without a lot of amenities at a primitive
campsite, what's the appeal? Whywould people choose to do
primitive camping versus aregular campground where those
other amenities are available?
For
Unknown (04:06):
me, it's always about a closer connection to nature and
more privacy. Often, when aprimitive camp, there's not as
many people around not havingsome of those modern amenities,
being able to unplug from yourphone or unplug from your device
just gives you a closerexperience to nature that you
(04:27):
may not get to see in a moremodern style campsite. The
Jessica Bowser (04:32):
primitive campgrounds in Virginia State
Park seem like really greatopportunities for newbies who
want to start backpacking butare a little bit nervous about
going into the back country forthe first time. What do you
think about primitivecampgrounds in state parks being
good for newbies?
Unknown (04:50):
Yeah, I think the primitive campgrounds are a
great way to get a first timeexperience in a primitive camp,
camping or back. Backpacking,most of the primitive campsites
are going to be closer indistance to get to than some of
your more long distancebackpacking trips. When you
think about like hiking on theAppalachian Trail or hiking on
(05:14):
the Blue Ridge Parkway, thatcloser distance makes it a
little bit more relaxing, alittle bit more comfortable,
especially if you're a firsttimer. I would also say one of
the things about primitivecamping in a Virginia State Park
is that you have the ability tomake a reservation so you can
see pictures of what your campsite is going to look at. You're
(05:35):
going to know where yourdestination is, and when you get
there, you're going to have adesignated space where you can
set up. So that's more of aconvenient aspect of backpack
packing or primitive camping ina Virginia State Park. That's
Jessica Bowser (05:49):
absolutely true.
I know you are an experienced atthrough hiker, and I've done
some backpacking as well, andsometimes you may have an idea
of where you're going to spendthe night, but you don't know
for sure, or you show up at ashelter or another popular area,
and the sites are full, so Ithink being able to make a
reservation is definitely aplus. Do you have any memorable
(06:12):
backpacking stories orexperiences?
Unknown (06:17):
Yeah, I do. You called me a through hiver. I want to
correct you, I'm not quite athru hiker. So okay, so in 2013
my now husband and I hiked alittle over 1000 miles on the
Appalachian Trail we did fromSpringer Mountain, Georgia to
penmar, Pennsylvania. So we'renot exactly through hikers.
(06:37):
We're long distance hikers. Thatwas a super memorable
experience. We dated for sixyears, and I always joke with
him that that was like our wayof doing premarital counseling,
because he actually asked me tomarry him that summer. So that
entire experience is reallyspecial. One memory that kind of
sticks out to me on the at fromthat trip is we were on standing
(06:58):
Indian mountain in NorthCarolina, and we started in
spring. And, you know, I grew upin the mountains, so I know
weather can change as we werehiking, the temperatures were
dropping. And that night, thewind chill actually got down to
negative 14. And my goodness,and I was hiking with like, a 20
degree sleeping bag, um, sorated to go down to 20 degrees,
(07:21):
and my husband was hiking withone, I think, like 30 or 40
degrees, so not as warm as mine.
And we actually had to sleepwith our water bottles and our
water filter that night to keepthem from freezing. And the next
morning, hiking down off themountain, there were snow drifts
where other hikers had comethrough, where there were actual
the snow was like, waist high.
(07:41):
So that was really memorable forme, because, you know, we
weren't anticipating hiking inwinter conditions. You know, we
were as prepared as we could be.
And it was really fun. And youthink about it, and you look
back at the pictures, and then,you know, working in state
parks, I worked at GraysonHighlands as an interpretive
ranger, and we would doadventure Ranger summer camps.
One of those trips was takingabout 10 teens overnight on the
(08:05):
Appalachian Trail. So you wouldhike about 10 miles to the Y
shelter, and you practice allthe skills that you would for a
long distance trek. So filteringwater, setting up temps, hang in
a bear bag, cook it over a jetboil. And then, you know,
camping under the stars. And sobeing able to experience that in
a job setting like I'm gettingpaid to do this, but also seeing
(08:28):
the bond between, you know,these adventure Rangers, between
each other, and then the bondsthey formed with nature and the
experience, you don't get to seethat very often. And so that was
really memorable of seeing thisgroup, like, bond together and
have this first time, kind ofscary experience. And then, you
know, I hope they look back onthat as future stewards of you
(08:51):
know that was one of theirfavorite memories growing up.
Jessica Bowser (08:55):
I am so glad that you brought that up,
because that is an aspect ofbackpacking that I think people
who have never experienced itaren't familiar with. There's
the connection with nature, butthen also there's the connection
that you make with the peopleyou go out backpacking with.
It's almost like, if you've goneto summer camp as a kid and you
can think back to like, youknow, the friendships and the
(09:16):
relationships that you made likeduring summer camp, that's the
closest thing I can think of tobe able to relate it to. It's
like those shared experiencesthat make it so special.
Unknown (09:26):
I've been reflecting on my Appalachian Trail experience
a lot lately. Some of thosememories that stick out aren't
necessarily about theenvironment you in or the
landscape you're in. It's aboutthe people that you met and how
that impacted your journey. So
Jessica Bowser (09:38):
let's talk about which state parks offer
primitive camping? There's sixof them. Do you want to review
them for us?
Unknown (09:46):
Belle Isle has a hike in flat terrain, campsite right
on the water. It's only one anda half miles to get there from
the parking lot. Then also, kindof in the similar region as
Caledon. Um, you can hike in orbike in, and there is a little
bit of slight elevation change.
Getting into that campsite, it'sa three mile trek into the
(10:07):
camping area, and then movingdown further towards the coast,
you have false cape. And thisprimitive campground is a little
bit more unique than some of ourothers, and that you can't have
a fire at falls gate, you canhike in or bike in to this
campsite as well, and the trekis in between 6.9 and 8.4 miles,
(10:27):
so it's a little bit longer, sothat might be more of like a
moderate backpacking trip. Thenthere's also Newport trail and
Powhatan state parks that have areally short hike in, so they're
less than a quarter of a mile toget into those campsites. And
then finally, we have skymeadows, which is located on the
(10:49):
Appalachian Trail, and you canhike in or bike into that
campsite, and it's just over amile to get into sky Meadows.
Jessica Bowser (10:57):
And I wanted to point out that these primitive
campsites, while most of themare hiking, there's also the
bike in or the paddling optiontoo. We could do a whole nother
episode on paddling, paddlingcamping, yeah, so we won't get
into the details about paddlingor even bike in, but just so
that people know that there arepaddling options as well. So
(11:21):
like Belle Isle is paddlingcaladine, you mentioned false
cape, but, yeah, that's a wholenother experience. And maybe
we'll do another episode aboutthat in the future. That would
be cool. And they're all sodifferent from each other. You
and I recently backpackedtogether at Belle Isle, and we
had a wonderful time. It was thefirst time that I had ever
backpacked at Belle Isle. I'vebackpacked it a handful of these
(11:44):
primitive campgrounds, but notall of them. So after that
experience that you and I had,I'm like, Okay, I need to be
able to say that I've done allof these. So I now have it on my
summer slash fall bucket list tomake sure that I get to the last
couple that I still need to do.
Because every time that I havebackpacked at one of these. I've
had an amazing experience, andthat experience that you and I
had was great too. Belle
Unknown (12:06):
Isle. That was actually my first time going camping at
Belle Isle as well. And one ofmy favorite things about the
campsite is we were able to setup this really cute base camp on
our campsite, and then, youknow, for the remainder of our
trip, we could hike out of thatto explore different regions of
the park, but we knew, you know,our campsite was cozy and secure
(12:27):
when we got back there. Yes,that
Jessica Bowser (12:29):
was a lot of fun too, because once we were set
up, then we went and hiked, likeyou said, to different parts of
the park and got to do someexploring, and then come back,
and the next day, I did someadditional exploring too. So
that's another cool thing aboutthis is once you've got your
campsite set up, as long asyou've got a reservation, you
don't need to take it down. Youcan leave it there and then
spend the day doing whatever youwant, and then come back in the
(12:51):
evening if you choose to. Sothat's just a more unique way to
explore a park, I think,especially for those people
doing trail quest, you know, andwho are looking for something a
little bit different. It's areally cool experience. What
amenities can visitors expect ata primitive campground? Yeah,
Unknown (13:06):
so you can generally expect to have, you know, a tent
pad, a lantern post, a fire pitor fire ring, and then some type
of privy or pit toilet,depending on the location. Some
primitive campgrounds may havefirewood for sale, or they may
have like a bear proof blocker,where you can store your gear.
(13:29):
And then some campsites may nothave access to potable water.
You would just need to make sureyou plan ahead to bring that
water in, or have some kind ofway of to treat or filter your
water if there is water adjacentto your campsite. Another
Jessica Bowser (13:45):
benefit of getting used to backpacking in a
state park is you've at leastgot some sort of decent setup.
You're not having to sit on theground. You've got at least a
privy to use, and you're nothaving to, like, dig yourself a
hole when you have to go to thebathroom. So it is kind of nice
to ease into it this way if youenjoy camping, but you just want
(14:05):
to be a little more rugged likethis is a good between back
country backpacking and justregular camping. Adventure
seekers will find endlessopportunities in Grayson County,
where many of Virginia's iconictrails and landmarks excite
hikers, cyclists, paddlers andhappy campers alike. Imagine
(14:27):
this. You're hiking on one ofthe most scenic sections of the
entire Appalachian Trail throughthe George Washington and
Jefferson National Forests,summiting mount Rogers or white
top mountain, the two highestpeaks in Virginia, or strolling
through the valley of elkgarden, where the now extinct
Eastern elk once roamed. Ormaybe your perfect day is on the
(14:48):
water. Grayson County is home tothe New River, one of the oldest
and most scenic rivers in theworld. Enjoy a leisurely class
one float with the family oradrenaline packed class three
rapids now. Navigate the watersusing the New River float
calculator to plan your trip.
The app factors flow rate, waterlevels, weather conditions,
vessel type and more tocalculate flow times from point
(15:09):
A to point B. Prefer two wheels.
You won't want to miss theGrayson gravel traverse a 72
mile mixed surface gravel bikeroute that connects the Virginia
Creeper trail and new rivertrail over well maintained and
remote roads featuring a varietyof challenging climbs in the
foothills of Virginia's highestpeaks. This overlooked gem of
(15:34):
Virginia presents some of thebest gravel cycling in the
state, mostly unridden andundiscovered after a day of
adventure, there's nothing likegathering around a campfire
under a sky filled with stars.
Grayson County offers plenty ofspots to pitch a tent like the
New River campground or cozy upin a rustic cabin at the Bucha
wild reserve. Discover whyVirginia is for outdoor lovers,
(15:57):
start your Grayson Countyadventure at the historic 1908
courthouse and visitor center,or access the visitors guide
online by clicking on visitGrayson County in the show notes
of your podcast listening app.
Let's get into the planning andpreparation for this. People who
(16:20):
are planning to camp on aprimitive campsite need to know
how to prepare. So do you haveany advice on how to choose a
park or a site based on maybetheir fitness level or their
experience or even time? Yeah.
So choosing
Unknown (16:34):
a park, all the parks that we've aforementioned are
across the state, you know,picking a park if you want to
make, you know, several day tripout of it and drive across the
state, or if you only have,like, one or two nights, pick
one closer to home based on yourfitness level. All of these
parks that we've mentioned havedifferent distances and
different terrains for hikingin. So, you know, Powhatan State
(16:58):
Park is right outside of theGreater Richmond area. It's a
quarter of a mile to hike intothe primitive campground. So,
you know, you can backpack yourgear in, or you can wagon your
gear in, you know, however youwant to do it, based on your
fitness level. And then, ifyou're really looking for a true
adventure, you know, a park likefalse Cape camping, beach side
after you've done you know, asix plus mile hike in is an
(17:22):
excellent way for, you know, amore advanced level of primitive
camper, and then yourexperience. I've done a lot of
backpacking and a lot of backwilderness camping, and I would
say I'm not an expertbackpacker, but I do have a lot
of experience, and I still enjoylike just going to a basic,
(17:44):
primitive campground. Becauseagain, it goes back to that
experience of being moreprivate, connecting with nature,
disconnecting from the realworld.
Jessica Bowser (17:56):
Amelia, I don't think you're giving yourself
enough credit when you sayyou're not an expert backpacker.
Because when you and I went, Iwas so impressed. You had all of
these things that I neverthought to bring, and the way
you like, unpacked and packedyour pack in record time was
impressive, like you knewexactly what you were doing. You
had all these funny hacks fordifferent things. And I was
(18:19):
like, Yeah, this is somebodywho's been on the at like, you
knew exactly what you weredoing, so you need to give
yourself some more credit. Andthen you know the other thing
you were saying about time andchoosing a park that's close to
home, it made me think of like,how many times I have been in
the parking lot at Caledon StatePark and it's almost dark and I
see somebody pull up and they'relike, unloading their
(18:42):
backpacking gear, and I can tellthat they're about to hike in
three miles through the dark toget to the campsite, and then
you're gonna have to set up yourtent in the dark. I mean, like,
that's not something that youwould want to do. And I've heard
of people doing somethingsimilar, false Cape because they
didn't realize how long it wasgoing to take for them to get
in, especially like, at somepoint you're off the paved road
(19:05):
and you're on sand. And I thinka lot of people don't think
about how difficult it is tohike across sand or ride a bike
across sand, so it just takesextra time, and you want to be
able to make sure you haveenough time to do all of those
things before it's dark and youcan't see and you don't have
your campsite set up.
Unknown (19:22):
Yeah, set up your campsite. And then, you know,
like, if you want to have afire, you need to plan to, you
know, either collect firewood,if that's allowed on the
campground, or, you know,purchase camp firewood. You want
to have time to make dinner. Youmight want to make time to watch
the sunset, all those things. Itgoes back to your safety. But
also, like, what you're tryingto experience.
Jessica Bowser (19:42):
Are there any seasonality or weather
considerations in Virginia?
State
Unknown (19:46):
of Virginia goes from the mountains to the seashore.
We have all different types ofweather, and depending on where
you are, you could experience alot of it in the same day. So
you know, in your MountainParks, like Sky Meadows. You can
experience winter conditionsrealistically from September to
May, and then your coastal parkslike Belle Isle and false cape,
(20:08):
you can have very hot, buggysummer months as well. So you
know, planning ahead with bothyour gear and what you want to
experience, it comes into playwith the weather and the
seasonality. The seasonalityalso affects when areas can be
crowded during, you know, springbreak, during holiday weeks,
(20:29):
during summer months, you'retypically going to have more
people that are makingreservation, and then some
campsites and some amenitiesmight be closed in the in the
winter season, more off seasonhours, checking those weather
conditions ahead of time,depending on how long you're
going to be out, you may evenwant to, like, print a copy of
weather. You may not have cellphone service where you're
(20:52):
going. They make little handheldweather radios that you can keep
with you. And then somethingelse with seasonality. I
mentioned, summer months can bebuggy, also having, like, tick
protection during some typeduring some seasons, something
you want to think
Jessica Bowser (21:06):
about. I believe all of the primitive campgrounds
are open year round. Is thatcorrect? Yes, they are open year
round. That's good to know. Soif somebody wanted to try
backpacking in colder weather,that's an option, absolutely. So
if you're new to backpacking,and say you just bought some new
gear and you want to test it outbefore you go on a long distance
(21:28):
or out in the backcountry, thiswould be a good way to do that.
Like, let's say you bought asleeping bag that's rated to a
certain temperature, and you'renot really sure if that's going
to keep you warm or be enough.
Like, wouldn't this be a greatway to try that out. Yeah,
Unknown (21:42):
it's an excellent way to test out your gear. I would
also recommend, if you've neverprimitive camp before, maybe
even book like a modern campsiteor a driving campsite, to test
out that primitive gear. Thatway you're more familiar with it
before you move into a primitivecampground setting.
Jessica Bowser (22:01):
Hey, adventure seekers, can you believe I
traveled 10,043 miles acrossVirginia last year? Yep, over
10,000 miles in search of thebest trails, parks and base
camps to help you plan your nextadventure. If you've enjoyed
discovering these hidden gemsand want to hear more, consider
supporting the podcast throughmy buy me a coffee page, your
(22:24):
contribution, whether it's a onetime tip or a monthly
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plus members get some awesomeperks. So head to my buy me a
coffee page by clicking onsupport the show in your show
notes, shout out to the newestmembers of Virginia outdoor
(22:44):
adventures. Anne fromFredericksburg, Matt from
Roanoke. Barb from Chesterfield,Lori from Norfolk, Raphael from
Falls Church, Kevin fromRichmond and Allison from
Clearbrook. Thanks for helpingme share Virginia's wildest,
most inspiring places oneadventure at a time. All right,
(23:05):
how about safety tips? I'm surepeople are wondering about
wildlife and what they need tobring to be safe. So what are
your recommendations? We want
Unknown (23:15):
to keep the wild and wildlife in all of our parks, so
that means your food, yourtrash, your toiletries, need to
be secured off all times. Andyou know some of our parks are
in bear country, and so beingbear aware is something you also
need to be thoughtful of inplanning your trip, whether that
(23:38):
be hanging a food bag at theappropriate level of distance,
and a tree making lots of noiseif you're hiking in bear
country, and then securing thoseitems overnight is the best
practice. Practicing leave notrace principles is a great way
to go into any kind of outdoorexperience, not just for the
(23:59):
animals and the environment, butfor other people that are
enjoying the outdoors as well,what's the saying? Take only
pictures, leave only footprints.
That's exactly how you want togo into primitive camping. Also,
as I mentioned before, beingprepared for weather and being
prepared for your surroundings.
You know having a map or a goodtrail guide with you, so you
(24:21):
know your routes in and out isalso a good way to plan for your
trip. Another safety tip wouldbe to stay on the trail. Don't
go off trail when you'revisiting a state park, when
you're camping in a state park,when it comes to you know more
wildlife awareness. Doing goodtick checks at the end of the
day to protect yourself issomething you should always be
(24:43):
aware of when you're in theoutdoors,
Jessica Bowser (24:45):
Spoken like a true Ranger. Okay, so what do
people need to know about makingreservations and any other park
regulations before they headout?
Unknown (24:53):
All of our campsites are site specific. So if you're
planning on having more than aone. Night stay in a campground,
you need to have a reservation.
We generally have, you know, acampsite here or there that are
open for walk ins, but I reallyrecommend having a reservation.
You can go online to our onlinereservation website. You can
(25:15):
look at each of the campgrounds.
You can look at each of thecampsites to see you know where
you want to be oriented in thecampground. All of our park
regulations and best practicesare posted online as well, so I
recommend that you review thoseregulations in advance of your
trip. You also familiarizeyourself with the park grounds
(25:39):
by downloading a trail map ordownloading the Avenza app. And
Reservations can be made inadvance, up to 11 months before
your stay. And if you'replanning a trip and you don't
see that the key of site youwant is available, you could
also sign up for our wait listthrough our reservation system,
so if they want to be acancelation, then you can be
(26:00):
notified that your campsitesopened up.
Jessica Bowser (26:02):
Let's move on to what to pack for a backpacking
trip. I think this is somethingthat gets a lot of people
stressed out, because it canfeel overwhelming. So why don't
we just start with theessentials? What are the
essentials of backpacking gear?
Unknown (26:16):
A good way to look at it is like survival mode. You
need food, water, shelter whenyou're planning for a trip. So
in a backpacking trip, youreally want to look at items of
clothing that are you're able tolayer them, and that the
material themselves have somekind of wicking or cooling or
warming or quick drycompatibility based on what kind
(26:40):
of conditions and the locationyou're going to be camping.
Another thing you will look atis your personal items, mini
toiletries or your medicines.
You want to pack food yourcooking where some way to cook
your food if the food you'repacking needs to be cooked. So
if you're planning to cook overyou know the campsite has a fire
(27:01):
ring, then you need to have somekind of fuel source to start
that fire. Or if you're gonna,if you have a backpacking stove,
like a jet oil or a denaturedalcohol stove, you want to make
sure you have that. You want tohave bedding, so a sleeping pad
and a sleeping bag are generallyrecommended. Light source, so a
headlamp and a flashlight. Igenerally like to pack two types
(27:25):
of light sources in case one onedies, and then your shelter, so
your tent and some kind of TARPshould go underneath of it. I
really like the bare essentialsof what you need for a
backpacking trip. There's alsocreature comforts you can pack
along, but yeah, food, water,shelter, are the things that you
want to keep in mind you'repreparing for backpacking or any
(27:46):
kind of camping trip.
Jessica Bowser (27:49):
Let's talk a little bit about preparing food
for backpacking. I read oncethat there are two main reasons
why people who are thinkingabout backpacking never actually
go out and do it. One of them isbecause they're not really sure
how to prepare food for abackpacking trip. And the other
one is the bathroom situation.
Now at a primitive campground,we already said that there's
going to at least be a privy, sothat's a non issue in this case.
(28:11):
So let's talk a little bit aboutfood and how to prepare so that
people don't feel toooverwhelmed by that for
Unknown (28:19):
backpacking and primitive camping and trips, you
can pick up pre made backpackingmeals that you literally just
open up a freeze dried meal andadd boiling water and fill it up
and it cooks it for you. When Idid the at I packed a lot of
these to begin with, and weshipped some of our food in
(28:40):
advance for longer treks, but Ivery quickly learned that it was
all about the calories I waseating, like honey buns and
pepperoni and Pop Tarts hikingon the trail, because I just
wanted a lot of calories packedin at once. So you don't have to
get bogged down with thinkingabout it has to be a specific
pre made, freeze dried meal.
Some other like easy prepackaged meals are, you know,
(29:03):
like instant noodles or instantmashed potatoes, um, packs of
tuna, pack chicken. Nutritionbars are really easy, and you
don't even have to cookanything. You do need to be
mindful if you're cooking mealsthat you need to add water that
you're packing that water bothfor hydration and for your
meals. But I don't thinkpreparing food while backpacking
(29:26):
is one of the challenging partsof it, because we every day, and
if you can put it in yourpocket, you can put it in your
backpack. I think really,whatever you want to take with
you. You, of course, don't wantto take things that need to be
refrigerated, like meats ordairy products, but yeah, I
think pre made meals are an easyway to go, or instant noodles,
(29:49):
instant mashed potatoes are agreat introduction into your
first primitive camping or badtrip.
Jessica Bowser (29:58):
Tune in next week. As Amelia and I discuss
more essential backpacking gear,how to obtain gear for less tips
for reserving a campsite and abrand new backpacking course at
a state park near you, VirginiaOutdoor Adventures is inspired
by and supported by listenerslike you, which is why your
(30:19):
messages and feedback means somuch to me. You can text me
directly by clicking on SendJessica a text message in your
show notes, I answer questions,respond to comments and share
your feedback on the show. Nevermiss a new episode. Sign up for
my email newsletter and receivemy listener resource guide with
the top podcast episodes aVirginia outdoor bucket list and
(30:42):
exclusive brand discounts for mylisteners. Click on newsletter,
sign up in your show notes orvisit virginiaoutdoor
adventures.com thanks forlistening. Until next time
adventure I you.
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