If you are like me and as fall sets in
and the white stuff covers the mountains. You start thinking
about next summer and what new mountain lakes you are going to
hit. I put a lot
of time into my planning of trips and try to think of every
detail. Nothing
is worse then being ten miles in seeing the most pristine
mountain lake, seeing fish boiling on the surface. Only to be
pulling your fly rod out and as you are tying your fly on to
catch these hungry mountain trout you smack the mosquito that
has landed on the back of your hand. When you reach into your pack to pull out the bug spray
its not there, only to realize you meant to grab it out of the
car but forgot in your excitement to get the trip underway.
The greatest tool I have for planning my
trips and getting ready are checklists. I have them for the planning of the trip to the packing
for my trip. Over the years I have refined and personalized my lists to
best help me. I
have posted on of my packing lists for users to use.
You�ll find after a couple trips your checklist will
vary from mine as you add and drop things from the list and
your planning will become easier.
Where
to go?
This is the first thing I decide as
everything from how I pack and when I can go depend on this
choice. When
making a choice on where to go you will have to consider some
factors.
What is my budget? � Some trips
will cost more then others depending on the style of the trip,
length of the trip, type of trip. Also factor in food and gas.
How much time do I have? � Make
sure you plan enough time so you can enjoy yourself, a two day
trip with a ten mile hike in and 10 mile hike out over
moderate to rough terrain is doable. But will it be enjoyable? Only you can decide.
Who is going with me? When hiking into the back country not only is it safer to
bring a companion it usually makes the trip more enjoyable
sharing the experience with someone else.
Transportation? - Not only to the
trail head but to your destination. Are you going to hike in, pack in with mules or llamas,
ride in on horseback, mountain bike, or take the 4wheeler or
Jeep all the way to your destination?
Do I need any specialized equipment or
services? - Are
you going to need snow shoes, a bear canister, or a guide
services.
If you have never been to the area you
are planning on going research is your friend. The number one place to find information on your trip
would be the internet, sites like Colorado Mountain Fishing
not only provide information on many lake trips out there but
also include online forums where you can ask other users
advice and information about the area. Other great sources of information are guide books,
local guides, and outfitters.
What
to bring?
This is probably the toughest or easiest
question you can ask yourself. After a couple trips you will fine tune your packing
lists so that this question will become easier and easier. You have to realize equipment adds up so you have to be
honest with yourself. If you are a healthy male in good shape and can acclimate to
the elevation you should be able to carry between 45 to 65
lbs, or a healthy female in good shape 30 to 55lbs. Do not try to over do it; it�s better to start with a
shorter trip with less weight and work your way up to those
longer trips with bigger packs.
Food
This is definitely a group decision
subject. Get with
everyone on the trip and find out what you normally eat when
camping and try to make a list based off that.
If you are using horses/llamas, flying in, or floating
in weight is less of an issue so your choices change as you
can use coolers. If
headed into bear country and using the previously
mentioned transportation methods, I recommend using
metal panniers to store your food.
If hiking in a bear canister or a bear bag to keep your
food out of bear�s grasp.
If you are hiking it is also important to keep your weight
down, take light weight higher energy foods. I am working on a
recipe and camping food section but until I get it done some
good food items to take are freeze dried meals, dried pastas,
crackers and peanut butter, jerky, and lots of water.
Navigation
I strongly feel if you are hiking into
the back country you need to be able to use a compass and read
a map.
This should be a skill everyone in your party should have, if
they don�t take the time to teach them.
I always have a GPS with me as well but they can fail,
batteries die, or break so don�t rely on them. It is also a
good idea to make sure everyone knows how to use the GPS.
You never know who may get hurt and who may need to go
get help.
Camping Gear
Camping gear is generally personalized to
each person but here is some general information that may help
you choose certain items.
Tents there are a couple things I try not
to skimp on and the tent is one of them.
Not only is it your home away from home but it�s your
protection from the elements.
In Colorado you are always at the mercy of the
elements. High winds can destroy a tent so make sure you get a
tent with a good wind rating.
Size, I use tents from small single bag bivy to 3 man
tents in the backcountry.
When weather sets in and it�s raining the more room
you have in your tent the more comfortable you will be. If not
by yourself split the tent up poles on one pack and tent on
another helps split up the weight of the tent.
Sleeping bags are another tough choice.
Down sleeping bags are light weight and compact but if they
get wet they become very heavy, dry slowly and become useless.
There are ever increasing synthetic bags which dry fast and
are becoming lighter and lighter, they cost a little more but
are well worth it. Compare
the weight to size ratio and the cold weather rating, as a
general rule the smaller and lighter the better.
A highly debated topic is the cold weather rating but
in most cases a twenty degree bag is warm enough for most of
the summer in Colorado, if going in other seasons you may want
to get a warmer bag or a ground pad with a higher rating.
Water is another very important item, it
is also very heavy so you will more then likely not hike in
enough water for your whole trip unless using mules.
So it is important to have a purification plan.
I try to have a 3 point plan by carrying a water filter
pump, iodine tablets, or something to boil water in.
They now have water bottles with filters built into
them or a MIOX pen as alternative options.
Make sure you have at least one or two options,
sometimes you do not have time to boil water and iodine
tablets are fast and easy to use but don�t leave the
greatest taste. It
is also a good idea to purify your dishwater.
Clothing
This is definitely one of the most
important things to spend your time and money on.
Colorado is notorious for drastic weather changes you
may start your hike out in the morning with thermal underwear,
pants and shirt, and a fleece jacket then by afternoon be down
to a t-shirt and shorts or vice versa.
One of the best things you can do is dress in layers as
you can shed a layer or add one to keep yourself comfortable.
A wicking base layer is very important and synthetic
materials that dry quickly to keep the moisture away from your
skin. Even if it
is not raining you maybe sweating and that moisture may stay
in your clothing and as the temperatures drop at night will
make you cooler and easier to become hypothermic.
You want to stay away from Cotton as it holds moisture
and takes longer to dry.
Fishing Gear
I field strip my fishing gear based on
the trip I am taking, if I am floating or flying in I will
bring a lot more gear then if I�m hiking five plus miles.
The majority of fish in the Colorado high country are
trout so you can use lighter weight gear.
I usually take a 4 or 5 wt, four-piece fly rod and a
short ultra light or light weight spinning rod.
If I am small stream fishing
I will grab a 6-7ft 2 or 3 wt fly rod.
The rod you choose maybe completely different then my
choice as it varies on personal preference.
I have a lot of confidence in a couple
lures so the tackle I bring for my spinning gear is pretty
simple.
Panther Martins - yellow and orange or
black and orange.
Blue Fox Spinners � rainbow trout
pattern.
Kastmasters � gold or trout pattern.
Thomas Buoyant � gold or gold and
orange.
The higher in elevation you go the
smaller the flies I use get.
Like my spinning gear I have stripped a lot of my flies
down to one fly box which I put the flies I have confidence
in. They include
griffen gnats, mosquitoes, black ants, hopper patterns, copper
johns, and wooly buggers.
I adjust the flies by season and if I find a hot fly
for the area I am headed.
High
Elevation
When traveling in the high country in
Colorado elevation often can play a factor in your trip.
A lot of Colorado is higher then the rest of the
country and with many peaks over 14,000ft elevation even
native Coloradans may need to acclimate to the altitude.
If possible you should spend at least a day getting use
to the elevation and stay well hydrated and not drink alcohol.
A lot of the US has a much higher humidity then
Colorado so it is necessary to drink much more water than you
would normally. Altitude
sickness is another problem to be aware of, it you get to camp
and have a headache that wont go away and feeling nausea go
back down to a lower elevation until you feel better.
If you have high blood pressure, asthma, or a heart
condition check with your doctor before you do a trip into the
backcountry and bring along any medication you need.
Safety
The number one and easiest safety
precaution you can have is a buddy, taking a friend along not
only makes the adventure more memorable but can save a life.
If one of you becomes immobile the other can stabilize
the victim and get help.
But if you were by yourself you may not be able to
treat yourself and get help in time.
Do not take unnecessary risks, I watch
Man vs. Wild show on discovery all the time and am always
asking myself why he would risk doing that.
Taking chances that you don�t need to and
accidentally slipping or falling and hurting yourself can put
a damper on your trip if not cause your death.
Know your limits, be safe, and have fun.
Have a good first aid kit and know how to
use it. I have a
store bought kit but I have removed some things and added
others. Some
things I�ve added are new skin, moleskin, ace bandage wrap,
and a sling. Practicing
first aid may look silly but having the knowledge that
everyone in your party can possibly save your life is a very
reassuring thing.
Watch the weather, some people bring
weather radios with them when hiking and camping.
I don�t but it�s a good idea.
It is not uncommon for a snow or rainstorm to hit you
in the early morning in the mountains in Colorado. Colorado
also has one of the highest death tolls do to lightening
strikes. If you
are above tree line and see lightening rolling in or hear
thunder head down below tree line just to be safe.
Lightening takes the path of least resistance and
doesn�t stop when it hits the ground so even hiding in a
cave/mine or in a low spot will not guarantee you do not get
struck. Your
safest bet is to get below tree line.
Be prepared for the worst weather and be thankful if
you have the extra gear and great weather because the one time
you don�t prepare it will definitely be the worst weather
you�ve ever been in.
Be safe, have fun, and tight lines!