Family Campout
July 20-21, 2021
Learn to backpack together as a family! You'll hike 7 miles over 2 days, picking up our tips and tricks along the way. The trails are non-technical, perfect for the young hikers in your family. Our goal is that each family leaves this trip with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to hit the trails again with their family! This trip is open to hikers of all ages and experience levels. When you register, please share the ages of all hikers in your family in the "Trip Preferences" field to make our pre-trip planning easier.
"Our guide was amazing! She was incredible with my children, so intelligent and so fun. She knew so much
about the city, the hike, and nature. We loved every second." - J.S., Private Day Hike Weekend, June 2020
Cost:
$300 per person
Scholarships and Sliding Scale Fees are available for this trip. Please reach out to us at trips@blueridgehikingco.com for more information.
This trip will run if there are a minimum of 4 participants signed up. If the minimum has not yet been met, we'll contact participants two weeks before the trip (July 10) to discuss options. The maximum group size is 14 participants. We also offer private backpacking trips! You can find more information about our private trip offerings by sending us an email.
In addition to your guide, this price includes backpacking gear for the trip, all on-trail food (Tuesday lunch through Friday lunch), transportation between the meet-up location and the trailhead, and any necessary backcountry permits. Price also includes either a nalgene bottle and a neck gaiter or a kids water bottle for all hikers. It does not include gratuity for your guide.
Sign-Up Details:
In order to sign up for this trip, please go to our trip calendar and select the trip start date (July 20th). You will find the trip listed there.
A few weeks before the start of the trip, we will be in contact via email with an information packet for you to fill out. This includes a waiver, health form, and gear request form. Please complete and return this form at your earliest convenience. At that time we will also send a detailed packing list, and any trip-specific information.
Itinerary:
Meet-up: This trip meets at 10am on Tuesday July 20 in Pisgah Forest, NC.
You will meet your guide at the the trailhead. Your guide will hand out your gear and food, go over necessary packing items, and discuss safety, weather, and logistics for the trip. They'll walk you through how to properly pack your pack, and may look in detail at the items you've packed to make sure you're not carrying too many extra items.
You'll have a picnic lunch around noon, and then you'll start your hike! You'll hike around 3.5 miles before arriving at your campsite. This hike covers 7 miles over 2 days.
Hike generally finishes around midday the last day. Itinerary is subject to change based on a variety of factors, including weather, trail conditions, and participants needs and abilities. Please inform our admin team or your guide ahead of time if you have a time constraint the last day of your trip.
Guide:
Your guide for this trip will be Melissa Watkins. Melissa grew up in Florida where she spent many hours watching wildlife and guiding kayak tours. She has also guided many backpacking, canoeing, and rafting trips in western North Carolina and loves nothing more than sharing the outdoors with new friends. A former college professor, she is an educator at heart. When not at work, she loves to paddle, bake, teach her young son about the outdoors, and bask in the sunshine.
This trip will be co-guided by Lexie "Curls" Lanfrank. Lexie grew up in Northern New Jersey and spent a lot of her outdoor time at the beach or in her backyard. During college, she found her love for the mountains, leading to her thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2018. Lexie loves connecting people with the mountains she calls home.
What we Provide:
Food: BRHC provides all on-trail food. Your guide will pass out the food for your trip on the first morning. You will be expected to carry your own individually packaged food (such as oatmeal packets) and some shared community items (such as a jar of peanut butter or a block of cheese). We do our best to cater to requests, but options are limited because it is important to keep food lightweight and fresh foods can be heavy and bulky. If you have food allergies or dietary restrictions, please notify your guide or our admin team ahead of time.
Individual Use Gear: BRHC provides high quality, ultralight, cottage industry backpacking gear to make your exerience as comfortable as possible. We offer the following five pieces of gear at no additional cost:
- Backpacks - We use a lightweight 60L pack. We will ask for your height and weight in order to fit the pack appropriately to you.
- Tents - We have one-person tents and two-person tents available. Please let us know if you would like to share with a friend.
- Sleeping Bags - We use a 20 degree synthetic sleeping bag. We also have sleeping bag liners available.
- Sleeping Pads - These will insulate you from the ground and provide some cushion and comfort. We provide hikers with a closed-cell foam pad, for its excellent combination of weight and durability.
- Trekking Poles - These will provide you with some added stability while hiking, and may be used to set up your tent.
Community Gear: BRHC provides all community gear for the trip, including water filters and back-up chemical treatment; camping stoves and fuel; bowls, spoons, and cups; bear canister; trowels, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer; first aid kit; and map and compass.
If your family needs additional gear considerations, please let us know! We'll do our best to make any necessary accommodations.
What to Bring:
We will send all participants a detailed packing list a few weeks before the trip. You are expected to bring your own clothing/footwear, personal gear (such as headlamps and water bottles), medications, and approved optional items. Generally, comfortable trail shoes are better than heavy hiking boots. Please do not pack any cotton - if it gets wet, it does not dry quickly and will not keep you warm. Athletic clothes are a good option. You will need only one outfit to hike in, one outfit to sleep in, a raincoat, and a warm layer. You will not need a new set of clean clothes each day. Because temperatures in March can be cool, you should also pack a set of baselayers, a hat, and a pair of gloves. We recommend bringing at least 1 hard-sided plastic water bottle (ex: Nalgene) to use as a hot water bottle in your tent/sleeping bag if overnight temperatures are cold. You will not need any make-up, hair products, scented products or deodorant. Just bring a toothbrush and toothpaste and enjoy going all natural for the trip!
COVID Safety Information:
Due to NC's mask mandate, all participants over the age of 11 are required to wear face coverings during pack shakedown and in our shuttle vehicle. We also ask that you wear a mask any time you are within 6ft of your guide or another participant. We provide each hiker with a neck gaiters that can be used as a face covering. We have added extra gear cleaning steps between trips. Additionally, we will be providing individually packaged food when possible and have single person tents available for all participants (although you still can request two person tents). If you have additional questions about the safety precautions for your trip, please contact us via phone or email.
Cancellation Policy:
Payment in full is required to register. Trip cost includes a 15% non-refundable administrative fee. Hike may be cancelled up to 2 weeks before the trip for a refund (minus the 15% fee). Within 2 weeks, a 50% refund will be offered. Within 48 hours, a refund will only be offered if Blue Ridge Hiking Company cancels the trip due to severe weather.
We hike rain or shine! While it is incredibly rewarding, backpacking is an endurance sport, and it can be challenging and/or uncomfortable at times. Maintaining a positive mindset, even when it is uncomfortable, is key to enjoying your time in the wilderness. With our focus on lightweight gear, our goal is for your pack to weigh around 25lbs (or no more than 25% of your body weight).
If your guide does an exceptional job, please show your appreciation with a tip. Our team of highly trained professional guides never expects but always appreciates a tip. Industry standard gratuity for a guided backpacking trip is 15-20% of trip price.
If you have any questions regarding this trip, you can reach us by phone at 828-713-5451 or by email at trips@blueridgehikingco.com.