HikeArizona.COM

Looking for suggestions on a worth while area to take my son on his first hike/overnight camp trip. Close to N phx area is best. Just looking to hike a mile or so> this way he gets to carry all his own stuff. AND if it goes foul, we are still close to the truck to leave. Right now the only two ideas i have are Camp Creek Falls area. OR Down to Burfind Hotel in Gillett, Arizona.

agua fria river is good, as is cave creek rec area.

As in dynamite rd east until it ends and turn left? If THATS the place, last i saw a few weeks ago when i was working out there was they had the road closed. If thats NOT the area, then I will for sure look into it.

http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=533
off the 1-17

And just FYI, it is called going BACKPACKING. Not hike/camping or whatever. Have fun! It's great to start them out young. All three of mine are adults now and they still love backpacking.

Hackberry Spring maybe..... Or maybe the 208 mile-marker 'trail' down to First Water Creek?

Cave creek trail a ways from the 7 springs TH?

Well, it looks like we are gonna camp around Peralta trail head. Due to schedule, we cant leave home until 3 pm on Saturday. So figure set up camp just to get the feel of it. Get up Sunday and hike in some. Test out the packs and the weights. More of a test run. Then come back sunday afternoon.

the car camping spots on the way to Peralta can be pretty full this time of year (especially on weekends). It looked slammed out there this past weekend. If you're willing to backpack a little ways in, there's some decent spots on the Dutchman trail under a mile from the trailhead and some on the Bull Pass trail probably only a couple miles in.

We are totally new to this. My mind set is IF its too cold< be by the truck so we can pack up and head out or even sleep IN the truck. I am mostly wanting to just get him out and about and enjoying AZ. I am not 100 percent sure that our gear will keep us warm enough through out the night. our bags are only rated +35 MAYBE +20 at the most. No matter what happens i KNOW it will be something the two of us wont forget. good or bad and THATS the main goal. I have tossed around the idea of Pinon Camp, but with such a late start, its over an hour from my house to Perallta. At any rate, i will at least get some good pics to share. maybe a little cold who knows

@gcahal Since you are looking to simply get a feel for camping as opposed to a major hike you might consider...
Parking at the Goldmine Trailhead and venturing a few hundred yards out.
I labeled the markers in this map to give you an idea of where it's at...
http://hikearizona.com/location_g.php?QX=400

The "Dons Camp" is a private segment just north, you can see the small building/huts on satellite. If you see people, stay away as it's a private easement? in the forest. Otherwise I'd camp in that vicinity, cool little area to check out too. Or you could go down the Goldmine Trail a couple hundred yards and camp or anywhere in the desert for that matter.

Anyhow hope it goes well, I only suggest the above because...
if you camp at the Peralta Trailhead or near it there might be constant nuisances. Plus any hiking around the Goldmine Trailhead will be pretty flat if you are looking for easy in and out. Even the satellite map shows how few people use the hidden Goldmine Trailhead

Throw some extra blankets in the car if case you find your gear inadequate. Nothing wrong with going for a hike and camping by the car...good way to test new gear. Backup is not too far away.

Real gear rated to 35 degrees should generally be fine for the western Supes. But if it's slumberjack 35 degrees, or some other cheap brand, then those are more like 50 degrees, FYI.

Also - make sure you bring a sleeping pad. Otherwise no gear will help keep you warm.

WOW!, ok so this was for sure a learning experience. So we ended up ATTEMPTING to go to Gillette Arizona. About 5 miles off of Table Mesa Road. Mapped it out with Garmin and google earth. Drove out and some one has bought the land where Gillette sits. To top it off, the road wasnt even driveable. SO we loaded up and walked in. Leaving the truck behind about a mile or so. Founds a very nice secluded camp sight. After thinking it over, we decided not to stay here. I felt somewhat uneasy about leaving the truck almost a mile away in an area that was somewhat known for being a great place to leave stolen cars..... SO we took a different route and crossed the flowing river. Found a great spot where I could have the truck maybe 200 feet away. We were 15 feet from the flowing river so it was very peaceful. Set up camp and had a blast. To my surprise, we both were comfortably warm. we had 25 dollar scout tents from Sportmans, regular sleeping bags, nothing fancy. But come 3 am, when i woke up due to water dripping in my nose, i saw that my entire tent was dripping water. i was soaking wet!! I woke up my son and we hoofed it to the truck and slept there till 730. At 3 am the temp was 30 degrees..... APPARENTLY, i might have over looked "venting" the tents???we had the flaps tied and the window zipped up as well......But hey it was a learning experinence right?

my friend, there is a reason why $300 tents exist.

Single wall tents need to vent, otherwise it will trap all the humidity from (mostly your breath) and rain inside your tent. Double wall tents (mesh inside, rainproof layer outside with a gap between, allow the tent to breathe and generally won't result in condensation build up.

Glad you otherwise enjoyed it.

It has nothing to do with the price of the tent, you have to let it breathe.

te-wa wrote:my friend, there is a reason why $300 tents exist.

Expensive tents are great for those who do harsh environments and camp extremely frequently. I only do a couple backpacking trips a year and a few car camps-- and my $40 2-man Alpine Design tent (laughable to many on this site ) packs up small, weighs hardly a thing, vents well, and has proven to stay dry in the rain. I agree in most cases that with outdoors equipment and gear that you get what you pay for-- but not with tents. In cases other that extreme conditions, I would like someone to convince me why their $300 tent is $260 better than mine. No doubt-- that expensive tent IS better than mine, but not THAT much better.

nonot wrote:It has nothing to do with the price of the tent, you have to let it breathe.

as if, expensive tents were not designed to perform. this comment make me think of a "thats like saying.." response.
but, you wont break any 1/4 mile records in a hyundai excel.

quality, well thought out designs are made of the finest, performance materials and the best wind, rain and harsh weather shedding shapes.
nonot ought to know, he owns one.

Tough_Boots wrote:weighs hardly a thing

i would wager a fifty dollar bill that "hardly a thing" would surpise you when put on a scale. it then becomes a "damn i didnt think it weighed that much".
ive been doing this for a while my friend. youre looking at a 4 plus pound tent. guaranteed. pro'lly closer to 5 1/2.

nonot wrote:..............Single wall tents need to vent, otherwise it will trap all the humidity from (mostly your breath) and rain inside your tent..................

When you have about an hour (and any interest in the subject)...... This is from Jack Stephenson, an engineer and originator of Stephenson's Warmlite. Truly a pioneer, he was 30+ years ahead of his time - Tarptent is just now catching his 1982 tent designs. http://warmlite.com/vapor-barrier

That Stephenson's article sure is interesting! I remember getting his catalog years ago, with the nude models. It was even advertised in the Whole Earth Catalog.