I have backpacked more than I’ve camped out. But when you have back muscle spasms, backpacking just isn’t the best option for comfort. Then camping and dayhiking is a better option. It lets you bring a lot of luxury items like kerosene lamps, camp chairs and maybe a cooler with some adult beverages. Ya make do the best you can.
Earlier in my hiking life, I carried a fishing pole fairly often. One of the best trips I had was up into the Pasayten Wilderness in north central Washington. It was fairly lightly visited at the time and the fishing was good. I feel a little bit guilty now that I have changed my view on fishing (if I do any, it’s catch and release).
But on this trip the fish were biting as were the black flies. Using a black fly, the fish were striking fast and hard. We cooked the fish over our wood fire. just delicious.
I backpacked into Camp Pleasant for a night around the campfire. I love hiking by myself … but when I do, I tend to keep to trails I know well and don’t wander around off my designated route. The equipment you see is what I carried: about 23 lbs (including water … not including the Nikon D-850 around my neck). As I age (now at 72), the weight of the pack has become more important to my being able to continue to enjoy backpacking. Thankfully, technology has substantially reduced equipment weights.
This was on a backpack trip July 2020 to the Dosewallips Campground, which is isolated 6.5 miles from the road due to a washout. (in the Olympic National Park)
We hiked in and camped for two nights and did a day hike up the North Fork of the Dosewallips River.
