first time hiking solo

[quinn122]

im taking a one week, thru hike of the nj section of the trail on nov 3rd.im doing it solo, and i plan on sticking to the campsites along the way.i have concerns about bears, coyotes, snakes, n such. im not afraid, just uneducated in these areas.any advice about the wildlife, solo hiking the area, or anything else helpful is greatly appreciated.im a vol firefighter, so i have basic emergency skills, tho not in the best shape lol...have a great day.......JIM

[BobTheBuilder]

For what it is worth, here is my advice - I suspect it will be too cold for snakes, but regardless, I don't hike with headphones in. I have come across a couple of rattlesnakes and being able to hear the rattle alerted me to their presence. You might see bears if you're lucky, but I'm not sure if it will be too late for them as well. I hang my food every night (not everybody does) and never had a problem. Just practice it before you leave home, as some people struggle with it. Don't know about coyotes, but it sounds like a fun hike.

[quinn122]

awesome, thank you much bob

[hikerboy57]

For what it is worth, here is my advice - I suspect it will be too cold for snakes, but regardless, I don't hike with headphones in. I have come across a couple of rattlesnakes and being able to hear the rattle alerted me to their presence. You might see bears if you're lucky, but I'm not sure if it will be too late for them as well. I hang my food every night (not everybody does) and never had a problem. Just practice it before you leave home, as some people struggle with it. Don't know about coyotes, but it sounds like a fun hike.

i was just up in harriman for a couple of days, no bears. I sleep with my food, but many prefer to hang theirs. raccoons are more of a nuisance this time of year than bears.you wont see rattlers as its a bit to cold now for them.coyotes? possibly. i did see either a dog or coyote from about 200 yds away, but ive never had any problems with aggressive wildlife.
As a precaution its a good idea to give your agenda to someone with an approximate time frame for your return and phone numbers of the appropriate authorities in cse they dont hear from you by a certain date. it should be fairly easy to get cell service in NJ so you should be able to stay in touch. keep your phone switched off or on airplane mode until you need it to conserve battery life.
happy trails.

[oldbear]

A couple of things
Your most important piece of gear is located between your ears and not on your back aka the knowledge is everything paradigm
Check your ego at the trailhead and be really conservative about how many miles a day you plan on doing
Being rescued from hypothermia in a group situation is very doable ; However being rescued from hypothermia as a solo hiker is damned near impossible
To prevent that situation from happening you recognize and treat the signs of hypothermia early and you avoid pushing yourself and your gear to the wall
As far as wild animals go ; I've always suscribed to the stupider animal principle which says that in order for me to have trouble with what's essentially a very stupid animal I have to be the stupider animal so again knowledge is everything
I haven't lived in the NYC area in a while so I'm not sure if it's hunting season in NJ But if it is take all the necessary precautions that you can
Enjoy your hike

[quinn122]

thanks hiker boy.

[quinn122]

very true bear. as a firefighter, safety first is my main rule...hiking solo, it has to be.

[quinn122]

another quick question for anyone familiar with the nj section. is worthington state park campsites open in the beggining of nov? if so r there any amenities like shower or anything...any info is greatly appreciated...so excited for this trip!

[Dogwood]

another quick question for anyone familiar with the nj section. is worthington state park campsites open in the beggining of nov? if so r there any amenities like shower or anything...any info is greatly appreciated...so excited for this trip!

+1 about the snakes in Nov. It will PROBABLY be getting too cold for snakes to be that active. If a warm spell occurs when you hike keep your senses alert for possible snakes or other things on the trail . Give rattlesnakes and Copperheads, or any other snake you can't positively identify a wide berth and walk around them. The 3 poisonous snakes in NJ, are those two already mentioned, and the Cottonmouth which usually occupies wet marshy environs or in creeks or ponds.

Coyotes do exist in NJ. They will be a non-issue for you. Be glad if you hear or see one.

NJ has a sizeable population of Black Bears per square mile. They are not as aggressive as blk bears in some areas such as in National Parks but you might hang(bear bag) all your food, toiletries(toothpaste, sunscreen, etc) to be safe. Remember: foodbag should be 10 ft off the ground and 6-8 ft from the tree. If you can reach the hung foodbag good chances a blk bear can too.

Get The AT Companion. It will be a good start to finding out what amenities exist along the AT NJ section.

[Silent Bob]

im taking a one week, thru hike of the nj section of the trail on nov 3rd.im doing it solo, and i plan on sticking to the campsites along the way.i have concerns about bears, coyotes, snakes, n such. im not afraid, just uneducated in these areas.any advice about the wildlife, solo hiking the area, or anything else helpful is greatly appreciated.im a vol firefighter, so i have basic emergency skills, tho not in the best shape lol...have a great day.......JIM

I hiked DWG to Greenwood lake a few weeks ago. If your staying at shelters they all have bear boxes. We had to hang our food the first night since Mohican was to short of a day and brinks shelter was too far. As for wild life we saw 3 deer , 1 snake, salamanders , a few chipmunks and squirrels. My partner said he heard a bear near privi at Glen Anderson shelter. If you have any other questions feel free to pm me. It was a great hike you're going to love it.

Forgot to mention it is bow season in NJ. We saw one hunter walking the trail..

[snorz]

It may be small game [squirrels,rabbits,etc] season so I would recommend wearing an orange hat or vest .

[Blissful]

If memory serves me, you must camp in designated areas in NJ. Which all have bear proof lockers.

[quinn122]

i lucked out for hunting season, it says it starts nov 17th in nj...ill be done by then...yea bliss, i plan on sticking to the sites, no reason to do otherwise for my first time...ill def be using lockers, or hanging my bag

[swjohnsey]

If I remember correctly, water was a problem in that section. Water sources listed as dependable in trail guides were dry. Some (one) of the shelters had gallon jugs of water in the bear box provided by volunteers.

[quinn122]

ill prob end up getting water from a stream and boiling it...im gonna have to pick up an AT book.

[swjohnsey]

That's the problem, streams are dry. Boiling ain't the best solution, either.

[quinn122]

That's the problem, streams are dry. Boiling ain't the best solution, either.

Im open to any suggestions/advice. On a budget, or id get filters

[Rasty]

That's the problem, streams are dry. Boiling ain't the best solution, either.

Im open to any suggestions/advice. On a budget, or id get filters

Aqua Mira costs about $12

[quinn122]

forgive me for sounding ignorant, but to what extent do they work? like can i take water right from sunfish pond, filter it thru a sheet, and filter it, and then its drinkable? like i said, this is my first time doing this alone.im super excited, and want to make sure im prepared, and i do it right..im out there for 1 week before i get picked up at greenwood lake. again, ty for ur time and knowledge.

[quinn122]

i made a couple of cool hobo stoves, and a few burners from coffee cans also