AboutWounded Knee Expertise I can advise on anything having to do with hiking and backpacking skills and equipment, including map and compass and orienteering skills. I cannot advise on the use of GPS devices. I cannot advise on car camping or group camping (10 or more people). My primary geographic expertise is in the US Northeast, but I know how to find information on hiking and backpacking just about anywhere.
Experience I've been hiking and backpacking for about 40 years, including ongoing section hiking of the Appalachian Trail (almost 1300 miles so far). I have hiked extensively in the New York Metropolitan Area, as well as various other areas from Virginia north, including upstate New York, New England, and Eastern Canada.
Publications New York Walk Book, 7th Ed. New Jersey Walk Book, 2nd Ed.
Education/Credentials Not applicable to this area of expertise.
Question QUESTION: Thank you very much for reply. We have 9 year old and 2 5.5 year olds and are looking for places to hike. Can you recommend some trails? Also, what would be a good women backpack for 1-2 day hike with kids? Not expensive. Thank you.
ANSWER: OK, I still need a few more details:
1. Will it be just you and the kids, or will there be two adults? If there are two adults, does the other adult have backpack big enough for overnight use?
2. How challenging a hike do you want it to be? I've known a number of families with young kids who have taken on some relatively tough hikes and done well with them. Give me a sense of distance or time on the trail to work with.
3. Do you have a tent? There are shelters available, but only on a first-come, first-served basis, so you really should have a backup plan for shelter.
I can answer your backpack question and give a basic gear list. Campmor (http://campmor.com) has a couple of deeply discounted women's backpacks on sale for about $80 -- the Kelty Trekker, an external frame pack, and the Kelty Coyote, an internal frame pack. That's about as good a price as you're likely to see. Both weigh about the same. The external frame pack is slightly smaller, but it's designed store stuff on the outside.
Basic gear:
Sleeping bags for everyone.
Mattress pads for everyone.
Water purification system.
Water bottles -- enough to carry at least 1.5 liters/person.
Backpacker's stove -- lightweight, but big enough to cook for your entire group.
Cook kit with eating utensils.
Ground cloth big enough to fit the floor of your tent, and big enough for everyone to sleep on (shelter floors are dirty).
Clothing made of synthetic or animal fibers (plant fibers are bad news in the wilderness).
Small trowel for toilet purposes (toilets or privies are rare in the wilderness -- bury your waste at least 6" down).
Good quality shoes -- the trails are pretty rugged around here.
Wool (NOT COTTON!!) socks.
I think that's enough to get you started. Tell me the answer to the questions that I started with, and I'll be able to address your other questions.
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QUESTION: Thank you very much for such a detailed answer!
We are 2 adults with 2, sometime 3 kids joining us.
In terms of difficulties, the appropriate level would be 2-3 hours hike, level 3-4 on the scale of 10 for all of us (and 3-4 hours hike, level 5-6 for adults only).
What I have in mind is:
Option 1 – one day hike – train (or bus) – hike – train (or bus) back – a loop trail I guess.
Option 2 – hike to the campsite, stay overnight (need to get water, water purifier is not an option for us – we are not so adventurous types), then coming back on the next day.
Would be great if trails are popular tourist destination since one of my children is getting nervous when he sees no one on the trail but us, and honestly – me too. What do you do in case of emergency? Call 911? What if there is no signal? What to do if you got lost? If you see a bear? Oy!! No really - what I am afraid of - people...
My husband also need a good overnight backpack - what would be your suggestion?
And about socks - one pair is good or you need to wear a syntetic pair and then wool?
Thank you very much again - amazing!
Answer I'm going to recommend Option 1 as more fitting to your level of experience. Once you've done a few day hikes, you try for the overnight stuff (more on this later).
First, get the NY-NJ Trail Conference map set for Harriman State Park. All Trail Conference maps are topographic: if you don't already know how to read them, learn -- there are a number of books on the subject, and your local outfitter can help. The maps are available from just about every outfitter in the NYC area (Paragon, EMS, Tents and Trails, etc.), so all you'll have to do is stop in an ask. Study the maps and choose a route that looks OK for both distance and difficulty (if the contour lines are close together, it will be a difficult hike). Obviously, your route will have to start from somewhere accessible by public transportation. That limits you to routes that start along Route 17 on the west side of the park or 9W on the east side. Bus stops are marked on the maps.
The likelihood that you will see others on the trail is relatively high, but don't count on constant companionship: people head to the wilderness to get from the crowds, not to experience them. As for destinations, I have written countless answers describing the various points of interest in the Harriman Park system -- I suggest that you browse my past answers for ideas.
Cell phone coverage is dicey at best, so don't count on it. If you have a map and you know how to use it, the likelyhood of your getting lost is very low. If you have a compass as well, the likelihood will be even less. I've never seen bears in Harriman, although I would guess that they're up there. You're more likely to see deer (lots of those), snakes (don't bother them and they won't bother you), and other smaller fauna.
Carry at least 1.5 liters of water per person -- the further you plan on hiking, the more you should take. Carry something to eat (chocolate, dried fruit, nuts, etc.) Carry rain gear of some sort, even if the predictions are for good weather.
If you decide that you want to do an overnighter: Your husband should be able to find a decent pack for under $100 -- Campmor has a number on sale. NEVER BUY A PACK BY MAIL ORDER UNLESS YOU'VE TRIED IT ON FIRST!!
Overnight hikes and water: You really, really don't want to try to carry all your water in. In addition to drinking water on the trail, you'll water for cooking, cleanup, and personal hygiene. If you're not willing to use a purification system (filter or chemical), you shouldn't do overnight hiking, because all water sources in the park are subject to some degree of microbial contamination.
Socks and liners: Some folks use liners, others don't. You sort have to figure this one out for yourself. Liners can be synthetic, light wool, or silk, so long as they aren't cotton. In any case, I doubt you'll need them for a short hike (less than 5 miles round trip).
