20s/30s Beginner Backpacking Trip

Activity Type: Camping | Lodges, Huts, Camps, Cabins, & Campsites
Difficulty: 2 - Relaxed
Trip Leader(s): Lauren Buchholz, Christopher Vieira
Registration Type: Application
Please Click Here to RSVP: https://activities.outdoors.org/a5UVX0000014oaL
Audience: 20’s & 30’s

Description: Join the Narragansett 20s & 30s on an introductory backpacking trip in Connecticut's Pachaug State Forest. This event is a great way for folks to test out backpacking or backpacking gear in a low-risk environment, though people of all backgrounds and skill levels are invited to join.
For the event, we'll be hiking a short 0.4 miles from the parking lot to the Peg Mill lean-to campsite. Peg Mill is a beautiful wooded site with a lean-to shelter that can hold about two people, and there are spaces around the lean-to that will fit the remainder of our tents. Once we arrive, we'll pitch our tents and set up our gear, then hike 3-5 miles around the nearby Green Fall Reservoir. When we get back to camp, we'll kick back and relax over a campfire. In the morning, we'll have an early breakfast. If there's interest, we'll take another loop around the reservoir. Then we'll pack up and backpack the same 0.4 miles back to the parking lot. You can view the trails we'll be taking and our campsite here .
At our campsite, there is no running water, meaning there are no toilets or showers. There are also no roads that lead directly to the campsite, so you will also be responsible for carrying all of your equipment, including all meals.
Your equipment should include:
Meals A bear canister/bag Lunch, dinner, breakfast, and snacks as needed A stove and fuel if your meals are intended to be cooked Eating utensils Plates/mugs if required by your meals Water Filters/purifiers. We can get water from the nearby reservoir, but it absolutely must be filtered before consumption. This includes for cooking
Toiletries Biodegradable toilet paper Hand/body wipes Hand sanitizer Trowel Standard toiletries as needed (toothpaste, toothbrush, hairbrush, etc) Any prescription/over the counter medication as needed Housing A sleeping bag A sleeping bag liner (optional) A tent (optional if you'd like to sleep in the lean-to. There is limited space for this, so please let us know if you'd like to do this) Sleeping pad Clothing Sleepwear (optional, as many backpackers will sleep in their hiking gear) A shirt and pants to change into (also optional considering this is a short trip) Extra pair of undergarments Extra pair of socks Layers as needed Other A headlamp Matches/fire starter Sunscreen Bug spray Hand towel (optional) A rain cover for your backpack (optional) A trash bag for any waste you produce. Note that everything you carry in must be carried out Portable charger Medication Camp chair (optional)
Your backpack shouldn't be heavier than you. You can learn more about how to properly pack a backpack here .
Next Steps Leaders of the trip will call all people who sign up for this event. On the call, we'll be discussing prior camping and hiking experience (if any), readiness for the trip, and answering any questions.
If there's anything you'd like to tell us, please use the extra question on the registration questionnaire to do so.

Reminder: Please click the RSVP link above to register!