Backpacking Alone - A Solitary Experience, Or Am I A Moron?

[DarkShadow]

Happy New Year,

So, it's not that I don't play well with others. I just like, uh, playing with myself?

In any case, I have a few 2022 Bucket List items (Sumitting Whitney is one of them.) The other is approaching the Kern from a completely different path, and fishing upstream of the Painter Camp area, and ultimately fishing above Kern Falls. Since this isn't a stroll in the park that I can usually pull off in a 1 day Kamikaze mission, I actually wanted to camp.

But, since I never have any 'set dates' for anything anymore, I'm just going to wake up one random day when I see the CFS of the Kern is down to wet wadeable conditions, and take off. Maybe it's September? Maybe it's October? Who knows.

In another post you saw the intended route. Blackrock --> Casa --> Jordon Hot Springs --> Painter Camp. I'ts about 8.5 miles.

I plan on starting the hike at daybreak. I figure I can make the hike in about 4 hours if I average what I usually average. I'll set up camp, and fish the entire day. Wake up, hike down to Kern Flat in the morning and then fish upstream back to camp. The next day, hike above Kern Falls and fish upstream, and then work my way back to camp. Finally, wake up and make the hike back out.

Since I'm mostly likely going to be rolling solo since I don't know many people that

1. Would wanna even make the hike.
2. Could probably not get a phone call at midnight saying, "let's go tomorrow" and disappear for 4 days.

I need to know what the lightest (but prepared) I can possibly go because I don't have the luxury of a second person helping disperse the load.

I am already ditching the waders and wading boots, since I wet wade the Kern. I have an REI backpacking tent that isn't too heavy. I plan on bringing my MRE filter to reduce the amount of water that I'd have to carry in and out. But, I've never been camping for more than just one night. I know I'll need a bear canister, but how do i know if Painter Camp has bear boxes? No stove is being brought in. So no cooking of any food whatsoever. Any stuff other than the usual Powerbars, Trail Mix, Peanut Butter, etc that would be good food to pack in that won't weigh me down?

Anything else that makes this 'solo 3 day trip' list of food and gear?

I know, I'm such a newb, but I need to start getting away from car camping.

[WanderingBlues]

Eric Klein is your guy for that. He’s a serious ultra lite back country guy.

[John Harper]

Depending on the weather, this is what I have for no rain in forecast:

Pack - GoLite Jam2 ~ 1.2 pounds
30 degree bag `1.2 pounds
REI Minimalist Bivy Sack ~1 pound
Klymit VLight Insulated (?) Pad ~ 1 pound
Ursack Bear Sack ~0.4 pounds

I can also go with this to mix and match with weather expected:

Marmot EOS 1 person tent ~2.5 pounds
Marmot Helium 15* bag ~2.2 pounds

I also carry a Jetboil Zip.

For water, I've got a Katady BeFree which works great after several years, and have a Sawyer Mini and Sawyer Squeeze I got last year but have not used.

I've got a hardsided Bear Boxer Contender bear can for areas that don't allow the Ursack, but I really don't worry about it.

Let me know when you plan to go, we are done with school June 3 this year, planning a short trip to the SF Lakes after that and back to trout Mecca (Wyoming) near the end of June for several weeks.

I was thinking of a future trip to the Kern this weekend, but actually going in through Fish Creek to the Little Kern. I have a hard time finding anyone to backpack with anymore. Late September and October are tough as we're back in school.

John

[McFlyfi]

In another post you saw the intended route. Blackrock --> Casa --> Jordon Hot Springs --> Painter Camp. It's about 8.5 miles.

Unless the Casa Vieja trailhead is significantly closer to you, I'd re think that. Going in from the Forks is a significantly easier hike. The climb out to Blackrock on your exit day is brutal. I've hiked from Painter to Jordan, and it is not a fun hike. From the Little Kern to Painter is essentially flat.

I know I'll need a bear canister, but how do i know if Painter Camp has bear boxes? :

There are no bear boxes there. I usually bring a bear cannister just because it's easier than finding a tree and rigging a counter balance every time I need some food.

No stove is being brought in. So no cooking of any food whatsoever. Any stuff other than the usual Powerbars, Trail Mix, Peanut Butter, etc that would be good food to pack in that won't weigh me down?

Anything else that makes this 'solo 3 day trip' list of food and gear?

Generally, your base weight is going to be the same whether you're going for one day or 10. Think about how you can pare down that stuff. You don't need a big heavy jacket, you don't need a change of clothes every day, etc.
I always bring 2 stoves (redundancy), but they are alcohol stoves (ethanol)- A Vargo Triadand a penny stove. Both stoves and a few ounces of alcohol all fit inside your pot and weigh barely 6 ounces. Don't underestimate that having hot food is a psychological boost. If you decide to go this route, practice with it beforehand, understand how it works.

All that being said, I don't "cook". Dinner is a deydro'd dinner in a bag. Breakfast is either a couple of bags of instant oatmeal, or that instant breakfast chocloate milk stuff. I mix 2 servings of it with 2 servings of powdered milk in a zip lock. Lunch is always on the go- energy bars(the Stinger waffles are good) and Gu, with powdered drink mix for the water bottles. For three day, you should be able to carry less than 2lbs of food/cooking/fuel.

If your ultimate goal is to fish Kern Falls/Painter/Kern Flat, an easier version would be:
Day One- Forks Trailhead to Upper Kern Flat. About 4-5 hours, a big drop in, but then essentially flat (obviously generally uphill) to your campsite. I'd go just beyond the bridge at the north end of Kern Flat to the campsite I referenced on the West side of the river just above the bridge. Fish/explore Kern Flat.
Day Two- Hike to Painter Camp. Stay on the West side of the river, it's a more direct route and much quicker (less than 1 hour). Cross the river at the riffle above the camp. Fish Painter to Kern Falls and above. There is a use trail on the East side of the river all the way to *'s Hole (and a little beyond). Kern Falls is not far from Painter, you could spend all day here.
Day Three- Fish around Kern Flat for a while, and then a three and a half hour stroll along the Kern to the Forks, and an hour up the hill.

[rayfound]

Well, I can't speak to solo backpacking. There are elements of it that sound appealing, but I haven't gone that route myself yet.

Still, if I configure my equipment loadout assuming no sharing, This is what I use and need for about 3 days/nights, including bear storage (bearcan) and fishing gear. For the kern I may up the fishing gear to add a net and shoes to wade with, depending on where on kern. Weights in oz. Includes carrying 64oz water - depending on route, carrying significant water like this may be completely unnecessary.

I don't eat a ton in the backcountry (I carry lots of subcutaneous lipid reserves)... generally works out to about 16oz for the first day, then 12oz per day for each additional day. Usually I return with lots of leftovers, but that is how I budget.

I am *NOT* in good shape - still managing 10ish miles and 3,000ft or so of elevation while backpacking in a day isn't particularly challenging... much like food I will budget my time/mileage a bit more conservatively than that, but will usually over-achieve relative to route plan. Back to back days with big elevation, especially if steep and punchy isn't exactly pleasurable - I personally like to get most of the suffering out of the way on day one then relax and take it easy for most of the rest of any trip.

[John Harper]

Rayfound has a good list! And, going in from the Forks seems best. I've been almost to Kern Flat the one time I went in October down the Forks trail to the Kern, was pretty much flat the whole way. Lots of trash and broken glass in the campsites, and I found several .30-06 casings (recently fired), so if there's hunting in the area, bears are likely to be scarce. When we hiked up from Johnsondale Bridge another trip, we met a group of hunters hiking down and one guy had a deer over his shoulder. I'm not really sure where they would have hunted off that trail, maybe up the "Rincon" trail, I think you can hike up to? I forget. But, I'd be up for a trip up there if I'm available.

I'd go up there again if it wasn't such a long butt drive from Carlsbad. I'd rather drive to Wyoming now! It's probably only a couple hours more overall drive time.

John

[Ants]

Here’s a backpack trip to consider. Horseshoe Meadow to Golden Trout Pack Station.

The good news (of sorts), except for the hike over the pass from Horseshoe Meadow, it is all downhill to the Kern River. Trail Pass requires a wilderness permit, but there is no quota.

From the Kern River, there are significant uphill sections, with a final uphill climb to your vehicle.

My buddy and I completed the distance in 5 days. If you had lighter lacks and hiking faster, I would take the time and convert it to more fishing time.

We saw a half dozen folks along the way. The Kern Ranger Station is about in the middle. There are camps that are used by the packers along the way.

Shucks, with some advance notice, I may even help with the vehicle shuttle.

Ants