Hi. New member and first post. Lots of thread subjects, but I'm still not sure where to begin, so I figured I'd start with the General category. I've tent camped for years, but never backpacked. So, I'm a little confused. I'm in VA and will do 2-3 day hikes to begin with, much of it section hiking the AT and some other popular trails in the State.
I'm confused in two areas. First, if a shelter is full, I'm thinking I'd better have a hammock because there won't be many places to pitch a tent. Correct? So, should I buy a hammock, a bivvy sack, a one-person tent, or what? What's' the norm when a shelter is full?
Second, I'm hearing terms related to sleeping bags that I've never heard before... like quilts. I figured I'd buy a mummy bag and a foam pad and be done with it. Seems like that's a bit naive as well.
So, can you comment and start pointing me in the right direction? First trip is the first weekend of May, so I'm feeling like I'm running out of time to figure it out and get something ordered on-line.
Thanks
Reeko