Hi, Brand new to hiking/camping

[woppa]

My wife and I are taking an interest in hiking and possibly camping eventually. We also have two daughters 4, and 2 months, who I hope would enjoy some trips with us eventually also. We live in NYC and are going to lake george to do some of the trails around there for our first hike this spring or summer. I have a couple general questions if someone is willing to help me out here.

I have some gear lists I found on the internet, some of the stuff is really expensive like 450 dollars for a lightweight sleeping bag. I want to start out with something a little cheaper before I commit alot of money to something I haven't done that much. Are the Coleman mummy sleeping bags completely useless? Amazon.com is having a sale right now on coleman products, 20 dollars off 100 dollar purchase, and they are already reasonably priced to begin with, but I have a feeling not a lot of people are going to suggest I buy a Coleman sleeping bag or tent. Remember, this is still completely new to us and I want to make sure we like it and continue to do hikes and camps before we start spending a ton on it. With the age of our kids right now I don't picture us doing anything overnight for a while to begin with, unless we leave the kids with the grandparents.

Next question is regarding food and water. Can someone just give me some insight on what we need to think about for both hiking just for a day, and say hiking/camping out for a week somewhere.

Next question is what daypacks do you guys recommend for my wife and I. I have read that you must get something with an internal frame, and that is all I know.

Lastly, does anyone have any familiarity with hiking in the adirondacks, that is where we would likely be starting out for a while, and I would like to get some opinions on trails and things to see and do.

Thanks for the help!

[djminnesota]

Coleman brand is the perfect brand for people looking to get started. Coleman is just fine to get you guys started, but if you end up liking camping, youll wnat to upgrade it to the higher end gear. I would also highly suggest trying hammocks. I use them instead of tents, and its one of the hidden secrets of the outdoors. check out www.hammockforums.net for more info on these cheapr, comfy, light slepping solutions.

As for the food, most people use dehydrated food for meals. This requires you to boil water, pour it into the food bag, let it sit a few minutes, and enjoy. I like to pack energy bars for my dayhike food.
For water, most people carry a water filter that can be found at a wide range of prices, from tablets to hardware.

The internal frame packs are more for trips that your spending 1+ night sout. for daytime meandeers, i like to use lumbar packs. THere fanny packs that are designed specifically for hiking.

As for hiking trails, i have no idea what you have out there in ny, but im sure you can find some real pretty trails through the mountains.

[woppa]

Thanks dj, are the dehydrated meals palatable? I am thinking of investing in a propane stove and pots/pans for longer camping trips.

[djminnesota]

yes they are, but to reduce the bulk in the pack, many peoply just carry a "spork" and eat it stright from the bag. stove is something that should not be scrimped on... get the best you can for your money. i would suggest looking at msr stoves(these are what i use) or snow peak stoves. also look for a stove compatable with many different types of fuel. if you plan on camping in the winter, dont use the type that the stove screws on to the top of the fuel bottle bdcause these dont work at below freezing temps. for pots and pans, i turn you toward the GSI Outdoor series. wide selection of cook kits at fairly teasonable prices.

[Gershon]

woppa,

It sounds like you are moving towards car camping and hiking when you camp. If that is the case, the gear you want will be different. It is a good choice with little kids.

[Gordie]

I have light weight gear now, but back in the day my $20.00 sleeping bag worked just fine. I went with the expensive gear now to just lighten my load as much as possible. I go in the backcountry solo, so the lighter the better. If you are just planning on not straying too far from the car, pretty much any gear you buy I'm sure will be fine.

[woppa]

I think for the time being until my kids get a little older that car camping is what we will be doing more of, along with short day hikes. I do intend on doing longer hikes, either with my kids or maybe just my wife and I for a couple of days. I have to see how the kids will hold up and right now the baby is much too little to do anything.

[SwimKate]

Kauai has some amazing options for hiking - for experienced hikers and beginner/children hikes. There are guided hikes to Kalihiwai Falls at Princeville Ranch. You can go to the falls by foot or horse, and you have swimming, playing, and lunch to look forward to when you get there! This company has some incredible vacation rentals, too, w/ a ton of information on their FB page and website. Find them at Facebook /kauaivacationrentals http://bit.ly/nQnSjN

[Gordie]

I think for the time being until my kids get a little older that car camping is what we will be doing more of, along with short day hikes. I do intend on doing longer hikes, either with my kids or maybe just my wife and I for a couple of days. I have to see how the kids will hold up and right now the baby is much too little to do anything.

Get them out there early. Way to go!

I suggest getting a trap, always bring a tarp.

[Sergemaster]

I would recommend that you pick up a copy of BACKPACKER magazine or a similiar Periodical and use it as a reference guide when it comes to what direction you're planning to go. Be it lightweight, ultra light, or car camping, and what type of gear you feel you would need for whatever the time frame for the trip you have planned.

Cheers,
Serge