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Pham Nuwen posted:From time to time when I'm walking down a steep hill or running, it'll feel like the 2nd and 3rd toes on my left foot are falling asleep. When the foot strikes, there's a tingly/pins-and-needles sensation, and they're a little bit numb otherwise. I never notice it in normal walking, and it seems to only happen at all in certain boots and running shoes, but always the same toes and the same foot. I saw a PT for a bit several years ago and mentioned it to him; he said he thought it was Morton's neuroma. I've been running for years and I have a similar problem. Never had it happen when I'm hiking, only running. I think it is worse when my shoes are laced tightly, so I don't do that. I've always understood it to be a pressure on a nerve. Best advice I can give is to try to make sure your lacing is correct and your feet aren't sliding forward when going downhill.
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Apr 21, 2021 16:52
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Anyone do car camping alone? That's pretty much all I'll ever be doing in the foreseeable future so I was wondering what activities there are to do by yourself. The local place I go to doesn't have much. Just some trails and a lake. Biking kinda sucks because it's flat and open terrain so it's pretty drat boring but there is a lake. So I know I can hike, cook, kayak, fish, read normal books, read a bushcraft book and bring some tools along to learn stuff, and maybe learn how to tie knots. They have a rocket area so I could bring some of those and set them off. I just got a new (huge) telescope so being away from the city it would be nice to see more stars. What do you guys do or what would you do if you were alone?
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Apr 22, 2021 09:55
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You listed plenty of good options and a big appeal of getting out there alone for me is the ability to just chill and do nothing. Yard games are always a good idea for campsites too, and plenty of those can be played alone.
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Apr 22, 2021 10:30
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Take up photography, huge money sink, best enjoyed alone!
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Apr 22, 2021 11:48
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Go to one of the Lake Michigan parks sometime to camp and grab a site close to the lake. Go fossil hunting during the day, watch stars on the beach at night. Become a rockhound, or mushroom hunter, or idk, learn do identify trees or birds. If you have a Switch or something, video games outside in a hammock is pretty chill. My campground neighbor two years ago st Devils Lake brought out his katana and chopped the poo poo out of some branches so that is also a valid option I guess. Cook a pile of delicious food over live fire. A lot of the time I just zone out and do absolutely nothing for a while
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Apr 22, 2021 15:09
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If you're gonna camp Lake Michigan don't forget the blacklight so you can hunt for yooperlites. (I think they only show up around the UP though)
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Apr 22, 2021 15:11
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tomahawks/throwing knives
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Apr 22, 2021 15:19
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I used to do car camping solo but the last time I went I had a bad experience with the campsite next to me chopping firewood at 1am and woke up to someone literally washing their car using the communal water spigot. Turned to backpacking after that.
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Apr 22, 2021 15:19
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FCKGW posted:I used to do car camping solo but the last time I went I had a bad experience with the campsite next to me chopping firewood at 1am and woke up to someone literally washing their car using the communal water spigot. Turned to backpacking after that. This is why I'm just about to give up car camping. It seems like roughly 1/2 of the time we get stuck next to some really loud campers. Not even necessarily trying to be rude people, just a large group with kids running a generator, etc. I'd far rather be backpacking, but I think might just start renting cabins instead for our non backpacking trips.
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Apr 22, 2021 16:26
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Chard posted:tomahawks/throwing knives Be aware this is not permitted in a lot of developed campgrounds. If you aren't in a campground, have fun. BaseballPCHiker posted:This is why I'm just about to give up car camping. It seems like roughly 1/2 of the time we get stuck next to some really loud campers. Not even necessarily trying to be rude people, just a large group with kids running a generator, etc. Depending where you are, disperse camping can be a good option for quiet car camping. Pros and cons of course, but a nice way to car camp without the insanity of a campground Pinus Porcus fucked around with this message at 16:58 on Apr 22, 2021 |
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Apr 22, 2021 16:56
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Pinus Porcus posted:Depending where you are, disperse camping can be a good option for quiet car camping. Pros and cons of course, but a nice way to car camp without the insanity of a campground Definitely don't give up on car camping until you try this. I drove up to this point a few years ago and spent the night, had the top of a mountain all to myself for an epic sunrise. https://www.google.com/maps/@44.8873649,-107.8597738,236m/data=!3m1!1e3 
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Apr 22, 2021 17:17
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I feel like car camping solo would be super boring, and the drawbacks of a campground experience would be exponentially annoying. If your limitation is the weight or bulk of your gear, load up your kayak or rent a canoe. A big part of the "zen" of solo camping for me is the mundane work and the isolation. Paddling along, finding a campsite, setting up your shelter and preparing your bear hang, locating and processing firewood, cooking a nice dinner.. it's a very slow, deliberate pace that fills at least a big chunk of your first day with necessary tasks. Trying to fill that time with random poo poo, surrounded by people would drive me insane. On a group trip I'd move like that every day, but solo I lack the motivation and spend more time taking day trips, swimming, fishing, reading, etc.
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Apr 22, 2021 18:39
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I stay at state park campgrounds because it's cheaper than a motel if I want to go hiking several hours' drive away from home. Most of the campsites are for RVs and people like to set up there and party for days. It doesn't really bother me, but I know I'll be the odd one out by myself in a tiny backpacking tent. I also go to bed when it's dark out, but that only works if the noise from people staying up later doesn't bother you. Last time, I car camped by the beach and walked on the beach for a couple hours before sunrise. Not a bad trip. 
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Apr 22, 2021 18:57
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A lot of the campgrounds here have tent areas that are separate from the main campground and usually wooded, it’s usually pretty quiet and pleasant.
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Apr 22, 2021 19:00
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It all depends on where you're at. Solo car camping up here (washington state) has a lot of options where you're not in a campground rather in the middle of the woods up in the mountains. Hiking and fishing is always a good time killer. Sometimes I just like going to a spot and sitting, watching what I can see (nature wise). Back in the Chicago I would drive up to Wisconsin, lower Michigan or even the upper peninsula to get out. If your area is boring, consider a road trip to somewhere more exciting and new. I would say if you're going solo, be careful of too risky activities since you wont have anybody to drive you to the hospital or go for help. You could also look into hipcamp ... its like air bnb for camping where people can host you on their property. Sometimes its just empty wooded lots, other times it might be on their farm but its another option compared to the drive in campgrounds full of generators and woo birds. For solo activities: hiking, fishing, reading, guitar if you play, learn the harmonica, whittle and carve, paint or draw, observe, photography, write a journal, bird watch, mushroom hunt, do general bush crafts. Bring nicer ingredients and make a gourmet meal since it will take more prep time. Learning knots is a pretty good time killer. I think there's something to be said for relaxing, and by relaxing I mean really doing nothing. No plan. No trying to fill your time with busywork or activities. Take a nap outside. Just walk around and watch nature. I agree though I think being solo in a drive-in campground surrounded by other people would be less than ideal but being alone in the middle of nowhere would be perfect.
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Apr 22, 2021 19:26
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Ah, bird watching/identifying is a good one. I got an app on my phone to help with identifying birds and last time I went out hiking, maybe a month ago, I tried doing that and it was fun. Bringing a Switch isn't a bad idea either if I just can't figure anything else out to do. Math You posted:I feel like car camping solo would be super boring, and the drawbacks of a campground experience would be exponentially annoying. My main limitation is... I have no idea how to go backpacking. Not sure where to go in my area or more importantly who to talk to about setting it up, paying, whatever I have to do. I'm kinda crippled by the anxiety and decision making of just figuring out how to do this. I really wish I knew someone who has done this before that I could go with. No one I know likes doing outdoor stuff.
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Apr 22, 2021 21:54
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Pennywise the Frown posted:My main limitation is... I have no idea how to go backpacking. Not sure where to go in my area or more importantly who to talk to about setting it up, paying, whatever I have to do. I'm kinda crippled by the anxiety and decision making of just figuring out how to do this. I really wish I knew someone who has done this before that I could go with. No one I know likes doing outdoor stuff. Mileage may vary by region, but the two biggest tools I use for finding and getting info about hikes are alltrails and Facebook groups AllTrails will let you search for hikes based on distance from home, difficulty and and handful of other criteria, and here there is always someone that has posted a recent condition report in the comments. If you can find a local hiking group on Facebook that makes a huge difference too. The ones here are super active and have people posting about their hikes and (pre-COVID) people looking for group hikes. It’s also a really easy place to ask questions about trail conditions or gear or whatever and have other local hikers chime in.
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Apr 22, 2021 22:00
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If you’re in an area with lots of BLM land you can pretty easily car camp without the car camp downsides. This was our spot a few nights ago in Escalante: 10 minutes down Hole in the Rock Rd., not a soul in sight.
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Apr 22, 2021 22:05
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Pennywise the Frown posted:Ah, bird watching/identifying is a good one. I got an app on my phone to help with identifying birds and last time I went out hiking, maybe a month ago, I tried doing that and it was fun. Bringing a Switch isn't a bad idea either if I just can't figure anything else out to do. Where are you located? Backpacking and dispersed camping is great but can be a little overwhelming trying to decide and figure out where to go from a logistical and legal standpoint if you've never done it. Then there's the worry of doing all this work and someone is camped where you might have been planning. At first, I got really excited about my first backpacking trip in colorado but quickly got overwhelmed by the planning of it as a Midwest kid who has never been to the mountains. My buddy was also new and had no idea what to do so I felt like I researched and planned everything. We made it happen and got permits but wondered why they were easy to get. Come to find out late may early June at rocky mountain national park is still too early, most of the trail was still covered in snow. We still did it and had a great time and I was hooked ever since. Gear can also get overwhelming but it's kind of nice to start very simple and see if you like it. Backpacking is very different from car camping. Usually the food and comfort are sacrificed but the locations and scenery are often 100x better because the average person won't hike far let alone carrying gear when they can just pull in to a spot with their car and set up camp. This is a surprisingly good resource so if you have any questions, don't feel bad about asking them. From where to go, what to eat, to how you use the bathroom ... There's a lot of experienced people in here willing to give advice.
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Apr 22, 2021 22:49
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Freaquency posted:If you’re in an area with lots of BLM land you can pretty easily car camp without the car camp downsides. This was our spot a few nights ago in Escalante: Speaking of Hole in the Rock Rd, Peek-a-boo Slot Canyon and Spooky Slot Canyon right off it were incredibly fun. Definitely worth the drive down that road
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Apr 22, 2021 23:02
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There's guided tours where you're doing some pretty legit camping with the safety net of a guide who's gonna keep you from getting lost, take care of feeding you, etc. They are expensive but I think they are a pretty good way to leap into things if you don't have anyone experienced to lean on. Otherwise in your position I would look for parks with established campsites that you can hike to and otherwise pretend like you're in the middle of nowhere to build experience and confidence. I'm also a big fan of camping on the water. In my area there's a few parks with island camp sites and rental canoes. You park your car, get a boat, paddle, lifejacket, and a map, and go on your way. Both of these scenarios give you a little taste of back country camping while not requiring much planning, and leave you with an easy exit if you need it.
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Apr 22, 2021 23:13
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Pennywise the Frown posted:My main limitation is... I have no idea how to go backpacking. Not sure where to go in my area or more importantly who to talk to about setting it up, paying, whatever I have to do. I'm kinda crippled by the anxiety and decision making of just figuring out how to do this. I really wish I knew someone who has done this before that I could go with. No one I know likes doing outdoor stuff. I'd second the option of car camp and hike a bit. There's some hike in camp sites where the walk is like 1/4 of a mile. So even though it's not far, you still have to carry a few things. You could either call/drive to one of the National Forest HQ's or National Park HQ's. For dispersed camping in National Forest it's like $10 or something for 15 days. It's free on State of Michigan land, but you need to fill out a permit and hang it at your campsite. I imagine Wisconsin has something similar.
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Apr 23, 2021 00:01
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Pinus Porcus posted:Be aware this is not permitted in a lot of developed campgrounds. *sliding the crate of fireworks, mysterious baggies, and jugs labeled XXX back under a tarp with my toe* noooo problem officer kidding aside that is a good point to consider.
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Apr 23, 2021 00:16
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Disperse camping can be overwhelming if you don't know where to go. If you want to avoid crowds, you might look into BLM campgrounds or US Forest Service ones. Look for ones with NO RV hookups and with small numbers of sites (think 30 or less). If you can, go midweek, if not, oh well. It's not a guarantee to have peace and quiet, but it skews the odds in my experience. I'd probably start with Forest Service, as their websites are easier to navigate. Check out your local National Forest website and look for campgrounds. Each one will have a blurb and some links to nearby things (trailheads, rec areas etc). Reservations may or may not be required, so do check that.
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Apr 23, 2021 00:28
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You can also stop at or call a ranger station and ask what they recommend for dispersed camping areas for your particular goals/limitations. They honest to god love talking about those kinds of questions. It's like going to a record store and asking everyone there what Velvet Underground album you should buy.
withak fucked around with this message at 00:40 on Apr 23, 2021 |
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Apr 23, 2021 00:35
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The Fool posted:Mileage may vary by region, but the two biggest tools I use for finding and getting info about hikes are alltrails and Facebook groups I have no problem finding hikes. I do have a problem finding areas I can just set up and camp wherever I want. I can only find one national forest here and it's in the far north of the state about 6 hours away. Freaquency posted:If you’re in an area with lots of BLM land you can pretty easily car camp without the car camp downsides. This was our spot a few nights ago in Escalante: No BLM land here. Verman posted:Where are you located? Southeast Wisconsin. In fact the most SE city in the state.  I'd like to backpack around here for the first time. If anything happens I'd like to be a couple of hours away from home at most.Verman posted:Gear can also get overwhelming but it's kind of nice to start very simple and see if you like it. Backpacking is very different from car camping. Usually the food and comfort are sacrificed but the locations and scenery are often 100x better because the average person won't hike far let alone carrying gear when they can just pull in to a spot with their car and set up camp. I have a ton of backpacking gear but have never used it for backpacking lol. Just less comfortable car camping. I've gone hiking at Kettle Morraine South many times and I KNOW they have backpacking somewhere there but I don't know how to find it or who to talk to to find out where I can camp or reserve a site or permit or whatever. I've car camped there before once. Pennywise the Frown fucked around with this message at 00:54 on Apr 23, 2021 |
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Apr 23, 2021 00:40
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withak posted:You can also stop at or call a ranger station and ask what they recommend for dispersed camping areas for your particular goals/limitations. They honest to god love talking about those kinds of questions. It's like going to a record store and asking everyone there what Velvet Underground album you should buy. If you visit in person be prepared to walk out of there with an armload of maps. It's easy to get caught up in that stuff.
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Apr 23, 2021 00:47
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Pennywise the Frown posted:No BLM land here. Ah, I feel for you then. We relocated a few years ago and Chicago was on the list, but the fact that to get to any good wilderness area was a 5+ hour drive pushed it down the list. I’m sure that there are still nice areas to explore, but your best bet might be finding someone local and picking their brain about it. Maybe try a MeetUp group or something? Bonus could be that they may organize outings so that you can go on a backpacking trip with people that have some experience to help you get acclimated to what’s required.
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Apr 23, 2021 01:02
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Pennywise the Frown posted:
Kettle Moraine is tough, the IAT dispersed camping is technically state park/forest land, and there's only camping in designated, reservation highly suggested spots. Reservations are done through the State Park site. Edit: It looks like there's plenty of availability if you go midweek in May sometime Edit2: Talk to anyone at the district ranger station or individual parks. Either they will be happy to give you info or know who to point you to. Every person in that office has heard dumber questions daily than someone earnestly looking for basic backpacking information. Edit 7000: If you want to test everything out, just book a walk-in site at like Buckhorn or a tent spot in any other state park and just like, hike a couple miles on the trail with your pack loaded up. If you've never actually backpacked with your gear, being able to try a couple miles on networked trails is great, cuz if poo poo is hosed, you can just cut back and drop stuff off at your vehicle. Casu Marzu fucked around with this message at 01:17 on Apr 23, 2021 |
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Apr 23, 2021 01:08
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Also apparently dispersed camping is allowed in all county forests in Juneau County as long as you register with the county. Same w/ Marathon county, looks it's $15 for up to 14 days straight there.
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Apr 23, 2021 01:22
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Woah. Where are you finding this information? And what would I do with it knowing that I can camp anywhere lol?
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Apr 23, 2021 01:41
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I second everyone saying call a park/ranger station directly then. You could also stop by your local REI/other outdoor gear place when it's allowable under your current CoVID conditions and check out their local hiking guides. I have the 100 classic hikes in "my state" and it divides up the state into 5 regions (so you can for sure find stuff 'nearby' easily) and it includes short backpacks. Also tells you managing agency, so you can continue your research. I couldn't find that exact book for your state, but maybe there is something similar. I've planned a lot of stuff from mine, plus it has led me to stuff not included just due to showing me a recreation area existed.
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Apr 23, 2021 01:45
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Chequamegon NF has dispersed camping, print out the MUVM for one of the districts and make it a weekend trip. Washburn and Lakewood are my favorites (especially in the fall). https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/cnnf/maps-pubs I get that if you're new to it it's kind of scary and it's good to be cautious, but as long as you're on a decent road and stay near the car it's gonna be pretty hard to get into serious trouble. Build up some confidence with day hikes and find a like minded friend to come along too and eventually you'll wonder why you were ever nervous. Wisconsin is a good place to get started because you're never really truly remote, it's not like the west where you can wander into an untamed valley and no one ever finds a trace of your existence. You can definitely get lost but if you walk 2 miles in a straight line you'll hit a road which you can use to orient yourself. The downside is it's heavily forested with no landmarks so navigation can suck but with a printed out map and a gps it's safe.
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Apr 23, 2021 01:47
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xzzy posted:Chequamegon NF has dispersed camping, print out the MUVM for one of the districts and make it a weekend trip. Washburn and Lakewood are my favorites (especially in the fall). Chequamegon is the other rear end end of WI from him unfortunately. OTOH, I'm doing a long weekend up at Hidden Lake next weekend and I'm pretty stoked to get out for a couple days this early in the year this year. Casu Marzu fucked around with this message at 01:54 on Apr 23, 2021 |
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Apr 23, 2021 01:48
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Pennywise the Frown posted:Woah. Where are you finding this information? And what would I do with it knowing that I can camp anywhere lol? https://www.co.juneau.wi.gov/forestry.html Juneau County camping permit is at the bottom. Juneau County forest is loving huge. I'm not sure where you need to get it signed off, but I'm guessing any of the forestry offices. It looks like the location you have to input is based off the GIS map they have on that page https://www.co.marathon.wi.us/Departments/ParksRecreationForestry/CountyForests/UndesignatedCampingPermit.aspx Marathon County camping info. Looks like there's either a form to fax/email or reserve online. Casu Marzu fucked around with this message at 02:00 on Apr 23, 2021 |
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Apr 23, 2021 01:52
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Casu Marzu posted:Chequamegon is the other rear end end of WI from him unfortunately. Being an Illinois resident, starting anywhere in Wisconsin shaves 2 hours off the drive already so it seems reasonable to me. 
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Apr 23, 2021 01:59
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Check out sections of the Ice Age trail. It cuts relatively through your neck of the woods. You could always park and do an out and back. As a *former* chicago resident, this was one of my primary drivers for leaving. Winters sucked but trying to get out of the city and not just into the middle of a farm field required several hours of driving. Anywhere really cool by midwest standards was at least a half days drive. All said, I really do enjoy driving but your work schedule might limit your trip time and spending the better part of a day driving on a 3 day weekend isn't ideal. When I was trying to come up with suggestions, I kept looking at a map and it was a 5+ hour drive in either direction. (upper peninsula, brown county state park, boundary waters MN, western michigan etc). When I lived in chicago I was routinely visiting my family back in michigan or driving all the way up to the UP. Eventually I started flying to Colorado when I got into backpacking since its a short and cheap flight but then you have to rent a car and possibly a hotel room on the day before you fly home. Plus the elevation gain. Going from sea level to 10k feet in a day is a little much for me when I haven't done it in a while.
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Apr 23, 2021 02:12
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Pinus Porcus posted:Disperse camping can be overwhelming if you don't know where to go. This is the most interesting thing to me but like the whole concept is mind boggling. Does it really mean literally anywhere?
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Apr 23, 2021 02:54
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Pennywise the Frown posted:I have no problem finding hikes. I do have a problem finding areas I can just set up and camp wherever I want. If I could make a suggestion: find your car camping site, reserve it, then pack up all your poo poo and go hike with your backpacking load out. Go as many miles as you’re comfortable with. You were looking for something to fill your time, and there’s a certain zen to getting into your hiking rhythm and just taking in the scenery. During that time you can figure out what gear you like and don’t like, what works and what doesn’t. Are your shoes good? How’s the pack fit? If you have to stop and purify water, what’s that like? Is it easy or a pain in the rear end? Does anything hurt? How’s your cardio? Is the pack too heavy? What do you wish you had? What do you wish you’d left at home? What’s your pace—how many miles per hour do you average comfortably? When you get back to your campsite, get your tent set up and make camp like you’re backpacking. How’d that go? Was it fast and easy or long and frustrating? What stuff do you do first, what do you do last? I’ve done a lot of backpacking, I’m very familiar with my gear, and I always plan at least one shakedown hike to dial everything in like that before a big trip. I check all of those things and I make sure to hike the mileage I plan to do each day. After a long day like that, you might find it easier to fall asleep, even if your neighbors aren’t the quietest. Wake up in the morning, break camp (pay attention to how long that takes), and do it again if you want. If you get comfortable with all of that, you’ll be more confident to start planning backpacking trips to really get away from civilization for awhile. You’ll be able to plan it out because you’ll know your gear, your abilities, and your limitations.
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Apr 23, 2021 02:56
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FogHelmut posted:This is the most interesting thing to me but like the whole concept is mind boggling. Does it really mean literally anywhere?  It's pretty broad, in my area of the state the opportunities are almost endless. Now finding somewhere really nice and worth camping at is trickier.
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Apr 23, 2021 03:01
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