How often do you hike or backpack?

[cosmo teddy]

For those who live near good hiking and work full time., how often do you get to hike? I am looking for approximate days of the month.

I guess we could ask the same thing for those that have to drive farther to get there, how many days do you get to hike or backpack?

I am considering a move to the mountainous area, but I wonder if being close to good hiking makes a difference in how often you can get on the trail.

[Art …]

what do you consider as a hike ? day ? ovenight ? short ? long ?

I am on trails under my own power (no wheels) an average 5 days a week.

[HkNewman]

I've fortunately lived about a few hours from some very good backpacking since 1995 (except when deployed), so it's usually averaged about a weekend a month due to work, household chores, and other social commitments. Some months more, some less. Wildfires have interfered in 2011 and to a lesser degree, 2012

I went "feral" for about a year, backpacking every weekend, working during week, but it got old, so that got cut down to backpacking once or twice a month (more in the summer/less in winter). Love backpacking but there's biking, BBQ-ing, etc… watching the local university have another losing football season. In 2012 I spent much of May outdoors but did less into the summer (a few weekend trips, then a long distance one). Fall came and work gobbled up my Sundays. Get outdoors while you can I guess.

To answer your question, yes it makes a big difference when you can leave work Friday and sleep at the TH that night – before midnight. I've explored much of the 4 corners primo locations that way.

ed: add

[Angus A.]

Even though Angeles National Forest is literally only an hour away from me, I only get to backpack once or twice a month due to family and work obligations – and my backpacking trips are often just 24 hours (hike in Satuday and hike down Sunday)

I do dayhikes around the local trails in my neighborhood on weekends but those trails are mostly fire roads and city views can get old.

[David Chenault]

Glacier National Park is 30 minutes from my house. Year round I average backpacking 2 out of 3 weekends. Some months its more like 4 out of 5, some 1 of 3. It's very easy to get out; I can leave work a bit early on Friday, hike/ski in and camp that night, hike all day Saturday, and be home for a social commitment that evening, and have all Sunday at my disposal. In the summer I'll sneak in a mid-week overnight fairly often, but mid-week hiking, skiing, or mountain bike outings are usually close to town just to cut down on driving time.

Bottom line; people plan all year and spend 1k+ on travel to do what I do on an average three-day weekend.

[Nick Gatel]

"Bottom line; people plan all year and spend 1k+ on travel to do what I do on an average three-day weekend."

+1 To what Dave said.

My wife doesn't backpack, but enjoys day hikes. We camp a lot in our tent trailer. Most years were are out camping or I am backpacking 100 nights per year. I often do short day hikes on the trails near my house. Sometimes everyday of the week during lunch. We have a limited number of free days in our inventory of days. I try to maximize this inventory. Every inventory day I waste is gone forever.

I just posted this last night on my blog:

Hike where you live. Live where you hike.

[David Ure]

"Bottom line; people plan all year and spend 1k+ on travel to do what I do on an average three-day weekend."

Add several kids with mid week and weekend activities, and a full time job and that may change. Enjoy it while you can.

I live 30 minutes from the Rocky Mountains (the real ones in Canada) and I still don't get out nearly enough.

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[Nick Gatel]

52 weeks per year X 2 days off = 104
8 Holidays per year = 8
20 vacation days per year = 20

Total = 132 potential days.

When my wife wants to visit her family in Nevada, we take our camper to Lake Mead. She visits and I backpack for several days. I do come back to spend some time with her family.

Our vacations are usually camping in our tent trailer, so we are doing day hikes every day.

When my son wants to visit, we go camping or backpacking.

I hike solo, so no need to worry about someone else's schedule.

I live at the bottom of a big ass mountain.

132 days off – 32 for family and projects = 100

:)

[Alex H]

It depends on a lot of factors (like kids or not, family nearby, job or business responsibilities, etc.) but over the last 40 years I have averaged 4 trips a year didn't matter really if I lived next to the national forest or was 3+ hours away like I am now. In my 20's I didn't get out for 8 years while building two businesses. Now in my late 50's I get out a bit more with at least 5 trips a year including some longer ones. Because I am a produce farmer the growing season is out of bounds and only leaves Oct.-March for hiking so I try for one a month.

[Nico .]

I take advantage of my close proximity to a large national forest and lots of trailheads. In fact, I can walk to my closest TH and go for an a.m. trail run before work.

I also get every other Friday off and try to use these weekends for quick 1-2 night trips rather than dipping into much of my vacation time.

Ultimately, I'd say I get out for 1-3 one or two night trips each month during the fall through spring. During summer when our backcountry is too hot and dry many of these trips instead become trail runs or hikes before or after work. The weekend trips become a little less frequent as I have to start to drive a bit to pleasant summer hiking destinations.

[Stephen M]

Last year I got out for nine 3 day trips, 3 in Ireland, 1 in Canada and 4 in the US, also got out for about 6day hikes in the Uk/Ireland.
I am lucky that half those trips where with Bpl over here and Outdoorsmagic folks back in Europe. I problay got about 18-20 nights wild camping last year.

[Ken Bennett]

I'm with Roger Dodger on this, if I can get 4 or 5 weekends and maybe a week in the early summer, I'm feeling pretty good about it. With working weekends, family activities, etc., getting out more than that just isn't going to happen.

(BTW love the handle, you old codger. Er, hope that's an old Army joke commo reference and not your real name. :)

[Cesar Valdez]

"For those who live near good hiking and work full time., how often do you get to hike? I am looking for approximate days of the month."

I don't work full time, but I am a full time grad student. I live pretty close to lots of woods and trails. Sweden is mostly woods, and has many hiking trails.

My monthly hiking can vary depending on a number of factors. I usually do at least one overnight trip and one day hike, but some months I spend 4-5 nights out. I would say I do about half as many day hikes as I do overnight/multiple day trips. In 2011 I spent 18 nights out, and in 2012 it was 21 nights out.

After I am done with my education and reach my goal of teaching at university, which will provide me with both stability and an income, I intend on spending at least 30 nights out in nature each year.

[Gerry Volpe]

Feels like almost no backpacking now that I have a baby girl, though she loves sleeping in a tent so things will improve as she gets older. I can't complain though as I got out lots before I became a dad. Luckily I get a built in day trip at work once a week hiking, skiing, mountain biking, or paddling. Often a weekend day hike or ski tour with the family as well. Waiting on delivery of a Wilderness Engineering kinder shuttle that should make winter day tours and even hut trips much easier and safer with Maya.

[Ryan Smith]

"Bottom line; people plan all year and spend 1k+ on travel to do what I do on an average three-day weekend."

Yep, I was one of those people too. My wife and I honeymooned in Whitefish and drove to Glacier every single day. Loved every second of it.

I've got two young kids that are ages 2 and 4 so I stay close to home now days. Probably get to do a couple day hikes a month and 3-4 weekend trips on the AT per year. The mountains will be there in a few years and I can take the kids along.

Ryan

[W I S N E R !]

"Bottom line; people plan all year and spend 1k+ on travel to do what I do on an average three-day weekend."

I try to live by the same goal.

I've done an overnight on the last 3 weekends, was car camping for two nights the weekend before that.
Backpacking is typically at least once/twice a month with bigger trips every longer break I get.

I surf 4-5 days/week, sometimes more, typically before work.

Just got in from my 3rd trail run this week, a quick 5K in a local canyon. Will climb something much bigger this weekend, likely on snowshoe.

Fortunately, I live 1/2 mile from the Angeles National Forest border. But I work 3 miles from the beach. Yes, I do a lot of driving, but my work hours are good and I do what I can to take full advantage of the situation.

Just got the permits for 7 days in the High Sierra early summer.

Camping and running across Joshua Tree in early May.

Camping in Death Valley with the family on President's weekend.

My family also road trips (camping) for 3 weeks every summer.

I think I can say I get out a lot, even with a wife and two kids, and a full time job.
Thankfully, they're either supportive or come with me….

[MFR]

I live in the Flathead just south of Dave and spend most of my summers in Glacier–I'd say 2-3 weekends a month with lots of dayhiking in between. That should go up now that I have some external commitments ending at the beginning of July (when our summer really starts). My plan this summer, once I finally have a break in classes for the first time in 18 months is to expand well beyond the Flathead into our many other wilderness areas between here and the Greater Yellowstone.

In the winter months, less so. I am going to grad school at the same time as teaching high school full time, so I put in 50-60 hours a week plus nights on classes. When the bulk of my coursework ends in a few months, I'll be out a lot more. Even so, I usually get into the park at least twice a month for a day right now.

Living in Northwest Montana has its perqs, but it comes at a serious cost too. But, like Dave said, I can find out that I have a few days free and throw a trip together at the last minute that most people plan their year around. That's worth it for me.

[Anonymous]

At least one day hike a week in the Cascades, two a week when the snow melts out, plus 3-4 trips of 5-8/9 days. So, somewhere in the neighborhood of 90 days.

[Brendan Swihart]

I'm probably in the 100ish nights a year camp, Fall/winter/spring I'm backpacking at least 2-3 weekends every month and live bordering a good sized wilderness area, so weeknight overnights are easy. Summer is the slow time for me; my work is very busy in summer, which involves lots of hiking, so I generally get my fix during the work week, and the desert is generally not as pleasant then.

[Michael Gillenwater]

We just moved the family (including extended family) from Washington DC to the other Washington (Seattle) largely for the purpose of getting outside more. It might be heresy for some folks, but the Appalachians don't do it for me. I needed (wanted?) the Rockies. Ended up with the Cascades and could not be happier. Location does matter if you are dealing with real life constraints, like others mentioned. Kids, a spouse that actually wants you around, demanding career, caring for elderly parents, etc. And for me it has been living overseas for some time, starting my own organization, and doing a PhD on the side which left little room for fun for the last several years. But these were conscious choices. I am not complaining.

So I would not think about it as just location. But how you can and/or want to organize your life. Think about your constraints and priorities and what big choices you need to make to enjoy life more. Note, that might mean some sacrifice in the short term for payoff later.

I'm training my girls to be backpackers (age 4 and 7) as a long term investment, I chose a risky career that allows me to be my own boss so I answer to no one on my time, and after building myself professionally for years in the east coast rat race, I now am able to locate close to mountains with fewer career sacrifices. At least that has been my path. But I do totally envy those guys doing thru hikes every year. At least I think I do, but it is easy to forget the trade offs involved.

But to your actual question. I am now getting 2 week-long trips a year and about 3 or 4 weekend trips. Plus lots of short day hikes and snow shoe trips with the girls.

[Bogs and Bergs]

A childhood in a national park enclave village makes 'going out in the woods' as normal as 'going out to the mall' might be for city kids. An assumed, expected part of life's routine. Becoming a city person later meant having to find a new way to do this, just like I had to find a new way to get food. Never actually occurred to me that it was optional.

It took some doing, I had no car and worked 9 to 5, Mon to Fri. My great good luck was that this harbour city had a sizeable, forested, and uninhabited island just offshore. So I found the people with boats who were willing to trade their time for my money.

Problem solved. No more waiting for vacation time to go out. I'd go to work with my pack on Friday morning, change clothes in the staff room after work, and head for the wharf. Setting up in the dark meant dawn on the beach, and two full days of hiking before the boat came back on Sunday night. If the skipper was willing to pick me up at 6am Monday, better yet.

I was lucky to find this island, but I'd have had to find something, wherever I was. Enough city time, and I'd find myself unconsciously walking in the grassy strips beside sidewalks, instead of on them, whenever grass appeared. Too many 90 degree angles, perfectly flat surfaces, and limited sightlines. Now I once again live where 'going into the wilderness' means hopping over the fence.

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[Randy Martin]

Fortunately my job allows me to work from home and live where I want (Colorado). That allows me to be in wilderness within 90 minutes. Having said that work and family constraints don't allow long hikes. I focus on 2-3 day trips with many day trips for peak bagging. In all, probably 20 weekends a year I am out. This year my plan is to focus about 5 of those excursions on 20-40 mile loop backpacks and the remaining trips will be peak bagging driven or a local day hike in mountains along the front range.

Some day I would like to write a guidebook covering Colorado and surrounding states that covers 2-4 day trips. Not many of us have the opportunity for multi-week thru hikes and most guide books seem to focus on day hikes.

[Jennifer Mitol]

I work full time and live in the armpit of America (that would be the Midwest…in case you were wondering). We have such limited trail opportunities more than 10-20 miles that it does make for a rather challenging hobby.

But we still get out 1-3 weekends a month from march to November. Sometimes it's a three or four day weekend to accommodate a long drive somewhere, or it's an arrive-at-2am Friday night thru Sunday sort of thing. I also try for one or two big trips every year…last year it was 3 weeks in Patagonia in February, then 8 days in the Winds in August. This year it's a longish JMT thru in August.

Ah, to be a single professional with no kids………

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