My buddy the park ranger told me my tent was too heavy and it got me thinking

I was packing for a 3 day trip to Harriman State Park last month and my friend who works as a ranger out west saw my setup. He pointed out my tent weighs about 7 pounds and said I could cut that in half for under a hundred bucks if I switched to a trekking pole style. I never really thought about weight before because I always car camp close to the lot. But he made a solid point about how much easier the hike in would be if I wasn't sweating through my shirt before I even set up. Has anyone else made the switch from a big cabin tent to a lighter backpacking option? Was it worth the trade off in space?

3 comments

3 Comments

cole_flores4415d ago

Harriman's not exactly backcountry though, lots of short hikes from lots.

-1

anna49114d ago

Did you see that piece in the NY-Outdoors newsletter last month? They mentioned Harriman actually has quite a few spots that can feel more remote if you know where to look. I did the Dunning Trail over to the Arden Valley Road crossing a couple seasons back, and it was about 8 miles with some decent elevation gain. Didn't run into many people past the first mile or two. That section around Pine Meadow Lake can be pretty quiet too if you go on a weekday. So I think it depends on which trails you pick and when you go.

ivan77414d ago

8 miles of decent elevation gain at Harriman without running into many people past the first mile? that's wild, @anna491. Maybe I've just been hitting the wrong trails there on weekends.