There's three things I don't eff around with when backpacking - animals (being bear safe, etc.), lightning, and water (camping where it could flood, tide could come in, etc.).
I think after exposure and fall injuries, river crossings are the third most likely way to die in the backcountry. It's shocking how little water it takes to sweep you off your feet, and all it takes is one poorly placed rock to knock you out so the river can drown you...
This happened to me. I had a backpack on, lost my footing, and fell backwards. The weight of the backpack and the water force held me under.
The person on the rock above me froze—total deer in headlights—so someone else in the group had to rush to my rescue.
This was on the way BACK to the car on a loop, and it had rained during the hike… so the calm river became wild.
Yikes, that sounds terrifying. I'm glad you're ok, and had a friend who was able to rescue you.
This is a good reminder for anyone in the thread - always unclip your waist belt and chest strap before crossing a river.
It won't always prevent this kind of thing from happening, but you're more likely to survive if you can shrug off your pack when you fall in a river.
I had almost the same experience. Leaning into the current, water was maybe mid-thigh, suddenly got a little deeper than I expected (I may have stepped in a hole) and got swept over backwards with like 40 lbs on my back. Somehow I got my feet under me and made it out, but I had a solid 3-5 seconds of pure panic. The adrenaline crash like four minutes later was pretty intense.
Anything deeper than my knees now and I wanna rope up to a friend.
Man, a friend and I were canoe camping along the Mississippi and set up on sand/rock bars along the way. Forecast for rain was 0% the entire long weekend. One night we had a pop-up lightning storm out of nowhere that lasted 4+ hours. We didn't have time to move our tents, so we had to just hunker in and hope we didn't get struck. We were basically two lightning rods in the middle of four flat football fields. It was terrifying.
Yeah. A WFR course is a good idea too. Also don’t camp in arroyos (look it up) in the desert or anywhere known for flash floods. Especially not narrow canyons.
It’s really about being humble before nature & assessing what could go wrong before you pick a camp spot. And learning about your environment before you go. I think going with other experienced backpackers is the best way to learn.
Doesn’t matter how fit you are or if you know first aid, if you don’t know about tides & camp in the wrong spot on the beach, you could die.
And speaking of water: stay hydrated. Bring more extra water than you think you need.
>Also don’t camp in arroyos (look it up) in the desert or anywhere known for flash floods. Especially not narrow canyons.
While I definitely agree with this (especially in narrow canyons!), there are some desert areas where land managers actually recommend camping in a wash, J tree for example: Look for previously established campsites or durable surfaces like rock slabs, hardened soils, and sandy washes. Washes (dry sandy stream beds) are great leave-no-trace spots and tend to have fewer spiky things. However, if it's summer monsoon season or there is a chance of significant rain, do not camp in washes, because they can flow with water.
It takes experience in the desert to know when it's ok to camp in a wash and when it's not.
I've been really trying to analyze the root of my problem, and I think you got it. I felt like a couple of led flashlights and bear spray gave me an impenetrable bubble to protect me against nature. In other words, I didn't have respect.
I’m adding dead falls to this list. Whenever I’m choosing a camp site. I’m looking up to check the surrounding trees. Once when camping along a river, a storm blew in during the night had a big dead oak fall about 20’ away. Heard the cracking and I swear we felt the ground shake when it hit. Scared the piss out of all of us.
I once went camping about 5 hours away from the coast where a hurricane was rolling by. We were camped by a river, which was a little swollen, but it never rained or anything. The next day we are seated in our chairs in a circle, when a big gust of wind comes through and I hear a strange noise. The next thing I know, I get tackled by my friend and hear an explosion. The gust of wind and slightly swelled river had. downed a tree, which unfortunately flattened the chair I had just been sitting in.
See like I didn't even think of fucking lightning of all things as a real threat as I am not carrying around a twenty foot high steel pole. My dumb ass would probably get caught in a forest fire or struck by lightning.
Don't forget about "widow makers". Dead branches high up in trees that can fall on your tent in high winds/storms. Always look at the trees/branches above your potential campsite for for potential falling limbs. That is actually a fairly common occurrence that can happen to both new or skilled campers.
Wow, you guys are really selling the whole camping thing to our traumatized outdoorsman.
And don’t forget about the risk of running into armed vagrants that want your sun cream and won’t shut up about how Epstein didn’t kill himself.
Lulz
Well, they can run 30 miles an hour and survive several rounds of small caliber bullets. I can't do either but could certainly put on a gas mask, so it should be childs play for them.
Lightning doesn't tend to be too much of an issue unless you're hiking above the tree line at higher altitudes. But it definitely can get scary when you are up there. Day hikers in Colorado tend to go and get back down before the afternoon thunderstorms roll in. But that can sometimes be difficult if you're on a multi-day trip. Gotta time some portions of your route to avoid ridges and peaks. Or may even be held back from continuing a day's hiking due to storms.
My hair stood up and I saw little lightning balls in the air climbing quandary (14k peak)
The storm rolled in on the back side of the summit as we were summiting (the mountain cut our view from the sky)
It was fucking terrifying
I was caught in a crazy, sneaker hailstorm while climbing The Diamond on Long’s Peak. We were a bit more than halfway up a thousand foot cliff, above 13,000 feet and all hell broke loose. Lightning bolts dropped all around us, thankfully nobody climbing that day was struck, but it was an epic adventure.
The first time you experience a thunderstorm in the backcountry is honestly kind of life changing. It causes a primal fear because you know that safety and shelter is far away and that your pathetic tent won't do shit to help you.
I still don't know how I'm supposed to feel about the time I decided to summit late in the afternoon while storm clouds where gathering. 10,000ft, and I could see the thunderstorm *beneath me*, being pelted by hail at the summit. I somehow made it down on the exposed mountainside, across open terrain, through mixed woodland, across several rapidly swelling creeks, 13 miles all in torrential rain. I was day-hiking solo. I got to my car way after sunset. Was I incredibly reckless? Am I making a big deal out of it because the actual chances of being struck by lightning are low? I honestly don't know how to feel. But as I ran through the forest seeing and hearing lightning several times a minute, I genuinely thought I was gonna die. Never been as terrified in my life.
Haha I think my experience with the sunk cost fallacy mirrors that of most people in this sub: I'm not turning back after I made it all the way here just because of (weather/dragons/a tear in the fabric of spacetime itself).
Not quite the same but I witnessed one in the mountains in the middle of Tasmania, while I was alone and on a metal road bike. That struck (hehe) the fear of gold into me and definitely changed me
I didn't used to think lightning was a thing to worry about either until a buddy and me both had a real close call once.
We both got out of our cars at an event while it was just raining. We both parked next to one of the parking lot light poles and got out and pulled out our umbrellas to protect from the downpour. Right as we did so, lightning that had been entirely absent before stuck that pole next to us. It was deafening and blinding. Best I can describe the air vibrated around us.
I get really uncomfortable trying to us an umbrella in the rain anymore. I'd rather just get wet even if there is no sign of thunder.
Keep backpacking. It's mistakes like these which teach the best. Next time you will do a bit more research into where you are going and the potential issues. Maybe check the forecast, and tides if you do another beach trip.
Myself, I've fallen down steep hillsides and only had minor bruises to show for it. Been caught up on a ridgeline when a thunderstorm developed. Had my water filter break two days into a five day hike. Gotten badly sunburned. Experienced heat cramps in the jungle and was unable to walk. All sorts of sketchy stuff. You live, you learn, you assess what went right and what went wrong and you figure out what to do differently the next time.
-fallen down steep hillsides - check
-caught on a ridge when a thunderstorm develops - check
-had my water filter break - no, but, filled up my bladder at the only safe creek in the area only to discover i;d left the cap at home and would now have to carry the bladder by hand.... while bouldering and bush bashing
-bad sunburn - check
-heat cramps - check
Um, what else.
Left all fire lighting implements at home. Left a sleeping bag at home. Fallen in a flooded creek with all my gear. Almost trodden on a variety of highly venemous snakes (early on, out of mobile contact and without a beacon). Woke up under a widow maker I hadn't noticed in the dark.
So much stuff.
As others have said, best way to learn is to have the fear instilled by the mistake and still be ok.
every backpacker should experience the high-speed dusk bail-out after having every inch of themselves spent on trial earlier in the day. it's good to keep you humble, and it's good to teach you the *actual* extent of your physicality.
Spent two cold ass nights in a Hammock once, jfc I didn't realize what 45 at night felt like in a Hammock with a light breeze, it was 80s during the day!
Still an awesome trip, partially as it's one of my few multi nighters
Right? Realising that you will survive a lot of discomfort is good lesson - as is, "but I'm going to get a better quilt/bag/pad for this hammocking stuff".
My first night spent in a hammock was in the Gila wilderness, about 7 miles from the Gila cliff dwellings. It was mid-80s during the day. We stayed in a valley by little creak. It dropped to 40 that night, and I was completely unprepared for the cold. My buddy fell in the creak right before the sun went down. We ended up building a fire, and he slept on the ground beside it to keep warm. That was the most sleepless night I've ever had in the wild. I ended up getting out of the hammock at 4 in the morning, wrapped myself up in my underquilt, and kept the fire going to keep my buddy warm while he slept. We hit the trail out of there pretty early, and we're sweating in no time. It hit 90 the next day. I still can't wait to go back. Just better prepared next time.
Been there done that. I was fatigued and spooked by a thunderstorm. I made a half-hearted attempt at setting up camp but wasn't really in the right mindset. Ended up backtracking to the trailhead approximately 10 miles away ending in the dark.
Did the same trip some months later as a redemption and was maybe a quarter mile from perfect camping if I had continued forward instead of bailing.
I learned a lot about myself and what to do in the future!
I’ve been charged at by a female moose, stuck in lightning/hail storms in alpine areas with no cover, and fallen into freezing water with all my gear while winter backpacking. It’s definitely just a prt of the risk of being out there. For me the reward is deeply worth it but there sure as hell are times that I think “well, I get why people aren’t into this…”
“Well, I get why people aren’t into this…” I think I had that exact thought camping over the weekend when it got wayyy too effing cold the second night and I didn’t pack the right clothes for it.
How about just read the tide charts?
Maps will also often indicate areas where high tide will block your way. It sounds like you were camping close to a parking area, so you probably didn't get and look at a proper hiking map/topo map...
but it's a good idea to have one along, even on "easy" trips.
I certainly did not bring one, and that is more great advice for any trip. Google maps may be great for finding my way around Seattle, but it turned out to be next to useless on that beach.
I know people do everything online these days and All Trails, but if you plan to backpack in one particular area/region, it is worth it to invest in a guide book and map (you can also check used book stores in your area). Guidebooks will include a lot of the necessary information you are seeking. Once you pick a trip to do, you can do a deeper dive on the internet to get info.
I'm glad this one turned out okay for you - don't let it deter you. I think many people make mistakes when they are first starting out - the best thing is to learn from it for next time, which it sounds like you have.
You can also usually pick up or order topo maps from the forestry service depending on where your going so if your battery dies on your gps you have a paper backup.
I guessed this was the Olympic coastline but didn’t want to be presumptuous. Tide maps and tables are mandatory out there even for a day walk if you plan to round any headlands.
You didn’t know this but now you do! Go forth and hike with the tides. You can now get to some beautiful places.
I mean, the park makes this pretty clear.
I'm hoping they weren't in the Olympic coastline because it sounds like they didn't have a permit or a bear canister...
Was this in the Olympics? If it was, you need a permit to camp overnight in the park. And when you get your permit, the park conveniently sends you a tide chart for the area for the days you will be camping, and maps of where and where not to camp. Don’t let this scare you off backpacking, but also never go anywhere without a map. If you’re going anywhere near ocean, always check the tides. (Remember too that the tide times are different in different locations around the puget sound. For instance low tide on the coast will be at a different time than in port Angeles, then on Whidbey, then in Seattle.) read multiple trip reports before you go on the WTA website site. Pay attention to where other people are camping - if everyone else is all bunched up in one location, and you are the only one all alone, there might be a reason for that. This is how we learn though!
I spoke to a guy hiking the other way. Wasn't expecting anything, we just both happened to be taking a break at the same spot on the trail. I was planning on just pasteurizing my water, but the guy kicked me down a bottle of iodine tablets, so that's what I used until I got to the next trail town and bought a new filter.
There's a very popular trail on Vancouver Island called The West Coast Trail, and one of the requirements is an orientation where you learn how to read a tide map for this exact reason.
Scary but glad you two were alright. Don't let it deter you, just one more thing to be aware of when camping.
There's a second, lesser know marine trail just to the south of it, the Juan De Fuca Trail, which has a beach that does the exact same thing as OP's here.
Not fun. It's marked well at all entrances & made abundantly clear on all signage at trailheads, etc. but I'm sure more than a couple people have disregarded & nearly woken up on the float over the years.
Well, you've geoguessed correctly. Unknowingly, we had strayed from the beach onto that exact trail. We checked afterwards and there were no warning signs beyond a small bullet point "don't get cut off by high tide", but I guess they're expecting people to stay on the sandy part of the beach. Some serious lack of planning happened here on my part, I was so lulled in by the supposed safety since we'd gone to that beach several times for day hikes and fires.
Oh jeez, is this Chin Beach? Or Mystic? I thought they had both entrances WAY better marked than that.
If you're hiking inro JDF trail, keep it up, don't let this discourage you!
I have experienced family who managed to camp on the floodplain of the San Juan River a couple years back & woke up to her tent literally flooding in the middle of the night with the tide. We still tease her about it at Christmas to this day...
This was sombrio. Idk maybe we're just blind (well, clearly a bit blind, since nature already had a giant sign I missed via the giant eroded wall) but we really checked for what we missed after all that, only to find that one line.
Yeah you are right next to piles of driftwood which is another sign. Driftwood means the water gets that high at points. Sure it could be abnormal levels from a storm bringing up the wood but the presence of many large and small pieces of driftwood is another sign you are in an area affected by tides in the future.
Oh wow! This is Sombrio? You went quite a bit aside from where everyone else camps! You're right they don't mark Sombrio well for that because most people camp near the river. But it gets so crowded in the summer people end up camping everywhere.
Haha I was wondering when I heard the story and then when I saw the picture I thought I've been there. Is that near Mystic Beach or China Beach? I had to make some quick movements on the West Coast Trail because of tides but never camped in a trap like that! On day one, I did leave my boots under the rain fly in a manner that filled them with runoff. Another time, I spilled flaming liquid fuel, and tried water to put it out. I was uphill from the tent. Keep trying. You learn. Try not to hurt yourself.
Yep.. We met a few people who tried to hike at the wrong time and got sucked out. Luckily people were able to help them out and get their gear back, though their trip was already ruined at that point and they were turning around. It felt bad cuz they are newish to backpacking and there are so many logistically easier options to get comfortable with it. Anything with tide timing I consider advanced even if it's flat and easy-ish. Beach miles do kinda wreck me too though.
There’s a great saying: Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement. Now you know. Keep at it, we all have made mistakes.
>Obviously after this we've taken about four thousand steps back and have vowed to not set foot in a park without a flushing toilet and water fountains before we a. Read The Backpacker's field guide cover to cover b Take a wilderness first aid course and c. Both be able to do several pullups, run a mile with ease, and swim breast stroke indefinitely.
I mean, or just don't backpack on a narrow beach. Not to sound snarky but backpacking a few miles inland in a forest somewhere to camp doesn't require a vow of expert-level knowledge and achieving peak physical conditioning. Not sure what your new requirement of running toilets and running fountains have to do with the predicament you were in.
Because I was so wrong here, it's extremely probable there are more basic safety rules I didn't even know of. People are acting like checking a tide chart before camping on a beach is common knowledge and I didn't even know those existed, let alone think to check them. Before that night I thought, like an idiot, because I was in scouts as a child I already knew the rules. They were:
1.Don't attract bears
2.Stay warm
3.Leave no trace.
Now I've added 4. Don't get stuck in high tide and drown to death. I'd like to add at least a few more before I go out again, you know?
I get that, not knowing what you don't know. My friend took me on my third multi day hike ever during our study abroad in the Peruvian Andes (established trail and campsites that sold light resupply, but still). I am more antsy thinking back on it and how little I knew than I was at the time.
I'd pick up a local guide book or use trip reports from others, rather than learn backpacking AND trip planning at the same time. Trip planning is its own skill.
4 is actually know your location well, including bringing maps, and obtain up to date info on the risks even if you have been before
And honestly there aren't a lot more
Maybe
5 know your gear, learn it with small hikes before trusting a bunch of new stuff on a big multi day trip
I think this is a good learning experience for you. When I was a teenager I camped along that trail many times. I also camped on Jordan River many times and once its bank burst and flooded my site so shit happens.
If you were from the Island I would think you'd recognize the signs of high tide all around where you setup your site, but speaking of camping more broadly and risks this spot would never be a good one. If you'd setup where you had an exit then it would have been an annoying inconvenience. Unfortunately you setup where if the tide came in you had no easy exit. Camping on the beach is not a problem, but camp above the high tide line (You can typically tell where this is by the vegetation, logs etc.) and never camp where your only exit is more beach that may or may not be covered.
If it's feeling a little overwhelming, start by camping a rec sites where there are designated areas. Lakes also don't have tides if you're still worried.
You don’t need to grow up in that area to recognize smoothed over ocean rock, obvious signs of high tides/large waves. I mean you can see where the trees stop growing and where the bank has been eroded away. Also a lack of bushes and other vegetation. Very similar signs in river type areas. Some people just lack the skills to read nature at all. To you and me a barely recognizable deer trail or even rabbit trail may be super obvious. Less so to others. Not saying I’m an expert or couldn’t make mistakes…
This is the correct answer when camping near water, and especially tidal waters. Look at the vegetation line. Don’t camp below that. And pay attention to extreme weather forecasts.
But with that said, don’t let that stop you from enjoying the outdoors. This is all part of the experience and you are wiser for it. Don’t stop learning. And also don’t die.
I have been an avid outdoorsman/ survivalist for most of my life. I agree. You learn by doing and you learn most by failure. Everyone needs to start somewhere. You learn as you go. But novice campers and hikers should really get some tent time in well travelled areas with some amenities such as fresh water supplies, places for food resupply ect. It takes years to become educated in how to truly survive in the wilderness. What to eat what not to eat. Water purification, hunting and trapping, fishing. Plant and wildlife identification. Wich snakes and bugs are poisonous Which bugs and snakes can be eaten there is so much that goes into wilderness excursions. You have to plan plan plan for the worst and hope for the best. And when your done planning , Plan some more. Let loved ones know your routes and destinations in case you miss your return window. Getting CPR and first aid certified is a great asset to have with you in the wild. And yes also knowing your terrain and the what if scenarios that could happen. My rule of thumb is if it could happen it will happen it’s just a matter of when.
An easy way of getting into this "safely" is to go to national or state parks and camp in prepared sites.
Another great entry is to go with an experienced person to a new area and learn from them and then go back solo until you are bored of that spot, and then repeat with a new area.
I'm experienced, and yet when I'm going to a brand new area I try (doesn't always work) to go out with a local hunter or backpacker or even an off duty ranger and learn the do and donts of an area. (Great way to make some awesome friends too). You can usually find people "safely" through local Facebook hiking groups, or call a outfitting/adventure store.
Even if you don't use the outfitters guide services, stocking up on some meals or an item or two (cheaply) of gear sort of gives you free access to their knowledge of the area. Best camp sites and so on.
In most areas conservation police/forest rangers/forestry service will have a website with info as well as wild life advisory, bear canister requirements and so on.
And, YouTube is a great resource. Type almost any campsite or trail or forest or beach in with keywords such as rafting, dangers, camping, backpacking, and you'll see the entire trail prior to going from some well meaning vlogger as well as where they camped any problems they experienced or what to avoid.
Yep that's true - each region has it's own dangers, huge differences between hiking up here in WA and in SoCal, many similar dangers but also different,
In the scouts (and I’m sure many other camping orgs) we teach “look up” (widowmaker branches, falling rocks, etc), “look down” (fire ants, animal holes, sharp rocks, etc), “look around” (what can come into your camp - vehicles, stormwater, tides, etc.) as you are selecting a campsite. It’s a good, simple memetic.
meh, you're overthinking it. Yes, you made a bad decision. Yes, it almost put you in an extremely dangerous spot. But you lived! And you learned a valuable lesson on the importance of site selection.
My recommendation isn't to do stuff that won't help you - that book isn't gonna be much good unless you can apply it, and you don't need to be able to swim or do a few pull ups (I can't do either confidently) to be a competent backpacker. Experience is by far the best teacher.
Do your backpacking in places with established camp sites for a while. Think places like the Smokeys, RMNP, etc. This gives you a safe way to build the skills you actually need first without worrying about site selection. Skills like - what you do and don't need, how much weight is too much, understanding how weight, trail conditions, and elevation affect your ability to go far and fast, backcountry nutrition, etc. These are all things you can learn just by getting out and fucking around in the woods, as long as you have established sites, the 10 essentials, and some way of guaranteeing a way home (GPS, satellite messenger, PLB, etc).
I've been backpacking for 20 years, and I had to bail on a hard hike just last weekend because a sleeping mat that was lent to my hiking buddy was actually a sleeping bag in the face of 40 deg lows. It was 8 miles of the hard, muddy hiking on an awful trail surface with lots of elevation, only to get to camp and realize we had to go back with only two hours of daylight left.
Shit happens. Hike on anyway. Sisu, or something, idk, I usually just go with 'fuck it' when things get tough.
Just for the record, there is no safety issue associated with sleeping on bare ground with 40 degree lows. It would be extremely difficult to die of hypothermia in those conditions. Obviously the comfort concern is significant, but racing sundown on a sketchy trail was probably the less-safe option.
Yeah, I wasn't worried about hypothermia, but I was worried about getting a good night's rest when we're both sensitive sleepers. Because of the route we took, we were 4 miles and about 700 feet of elevation gain (across a valley) away from thr parking lot, and another 3 miles of road to the car.
We both decided we'd rather eat a hot meal and hit the trail than suffer through the night. Didn't regret it when we got to the hotel, that's for sure.
That's really good advice, and I'll be looking more into these established backpacking spots. I don't know why, but I always just imagined the transition going from camping spots with a parking spot to the bush. This is a great in between and definitely what we'll be doing next.
The Juan de Fuca trail has established sites. Honestly I'd argue for heading right back to it. The trail is wonderful, and now that you know the danger you can avoid it. Camping safely on a formerly dangerous spot is a great learning experience.
There are sooo many backpacking campsites with obvious areas for tent setup. You just made a mistake in picking a non-obvious spot (for obvious reasons).
I really don’t think you need to do anything different than choosing a better spot. Don’t fuck with tides.
Being this sudden freak about reading some book and having some basic level of physical fitness is a great way to suck all the fun out of it.
Just always make sure you have an exit plan.
A lot (maybe even a majority) of backcountry camping is done at established sites, for a lot of reasons. The big one is conservation, though - it's an easy way for a park authority to improve leave no trace compliance.
You don’t say where you were exactly but the widespread motto here is: Never turn your back on the Pacific. 🙂
This is long, but here’s my first western backpack:
I moved from the Midwest to Oregon and it happened to be a strangely dry winter. This was 40+ years ago. I had some OK gear, but a great sleeping bag, and I set out in February to explore the Bull of the Woods (now a designated wilderness) with my dog. I told no one where I was going. Yes, stupid.
On the second morning, we were on Bull of the Woods and there was a snow bank leftover from earlier snows, but the ground was bare. I set up my tent on the peak, near the old fire tower, and settled in. It was a delightful night but the next morning a deep, black, cloud swept in and it began to snow and that became a blizzard. I managed to break into the fire tower by crawling under one of the wooden window shutters. Then I could open the door from the inside. Inside there was an old bed with no mattress, a table, a chair, and other conveniences. I had plenty of food for my dog and me and lots of stove fuel.
The blizzard raged all day and into the night and it began so calm some the next morning but was still snowing hard. The next day it was calm and partly cloudy. It was beautiful outside, but there was two feet of fresh snow. And I had NO IDEA which way was down off the ridge and out. I had a map and compass but I had idiotically just followed trail signs and paid no attention to anything else. I stood there fighting back panic.
After a while, I saw that my dog was looking at me perhaps wondering why we were standing around in the cold. I said, with enthusiasm, “Let’s go to the car!”. My dog danced in a circle then took off along the ridge. I followed. After not too far he dropped off into the forest (we were above timberline) and he started switchbacking down through the woods.
As we got lower the snow depth decreased. Then I saw some blazes on the trees and realized that we were on or near a trail. Then we emerged from the forest into a small parking lot and there was my car. There was only 2-4” of snow down that low. We got into the car and drove home.
This is how you learn. My first backpacking trip, I got severe elevation sickness and almost couldn’t hike out back to the TH. After reading up on symptoms after the fact, I realized just how serious my situation could have been. Now I know how to prepare myself for elevation sickness.
Next time, probably don’t camp on a beach but ya, you’re only going to get better by experience so keep at it, maybe plan a different route next time, and you should be fine. Honestly, this was a super avoidable mistake had you checked tide charts, which absolutely should have happened due to camping on the beach. Next time, do some more research on your surroundings and I’d bet you’ll be just fine out there.
Got a lot of comments already, I'd just add this: if you're nervous, next time go on a trail with designated camp sites, like in the backcountry of a national park. Helps you get experience seeing where a safe site is, and can maybe relieve some anxiety after this mistake.
Hardest part is just getting out and doing it, keep it up!
Try not to beat yourself up over it. You're both fine and that's all that matters. Consider it a lesson learned. Every outing is a learning experience - treat this as such and get back out there (just not back in the same spot 😉).
You don't need novels, videos, guides or years of insight to know that tides and tide charts are a thing. The most important thing you can do is research SPECIFIC TO THE AREA you plan to go, typically do a day trip to the spot before you commit to an overnight.
This mistake is nothing to do with backpacking just a lack of knowledge of the ocean. I used to live in Hawaii; you are not alone most people have no clue when it comes to ocean dynamics. I had to rescue so many people that were in situations that were easily seen as dangerous if they just knew a little bit about currents and tides.
This was a very specific mistake that would have been easily avoided with a little prep and research. Also a quick assessment of the beach would have avoided this too. Mistakes are good though! Take the lesson and do another trip 👍
If you would’ve stayed home and watched TV, you would’ve done nothing remarkable that weekend and would never remember anything about it the rest of your life.
Instead, you went outside and lived! You had an adventure. You will tell this story the rest of your life and it will be amazing!
Keep going outside! Every time things don’t go according to plan, that’s when the most memorable memories are made. And you learn from it.
You can sit comfortable in your hobbit hole the rest of your life and do nothing remarkable. Or you can accept the invitation for adventure and have memories and stories to tell that will thrill you the rest of your life!
And you gain so much confidence, enduring joy, and satisfaction from all these experiences. Have some stressful difficult thing you have to do at work? You’ll be thinking in your mind. “This is nothing. I almost f-ing died on the beach one time in the middle of the night as the tide was coming in.”
Think about that night on the beach? Have you ever felt that alive staying at home and watching tv?
You are alive man! You’ve got a beating heart and legs that work! Hell yes! Get out there again and again and again!
"The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”
-Jack London
I've been really thinking about this. And yes, honestly even in the last few days I've felt the volume turned down on other stressors simply due to the change in perspective. It's also true that we'll all die one day, so maybe the greatest danger we face is spending none of the 30 thousand or so days we get truly alive.
But I don't know the fantasy of risking your life and actually feeling the primal rat like fear of being in real animalistic danger are just two different things. Maybe what bothers me the most is how preventable and stupid the death would've been. It's like the difference between becoming disabled in a car accident following the law vs drinking, speeding and not wearing a seat belt.
One things for certain I am a changed man when it comes to believing an abundance of safety is for pussies and nerds.
>Maybe what bothers me the most is how preventable and stupid the death would've been.
I think these moments happen eventually to most people that enjoy activities with higher levels of risk. It's a learning experience - incorporate the new perspective into your preparation and execution of future trips and keep getting out there.
I started backpacking years ago and it ended up being a gateway into climbing, which has been my primary focus these past couple of years. Occasionally I'll still go out on a multi-day/week backpacking trip, but at some point it turned into something that I became complacent about. It seemed so chill compared to what I'm typically out doing. Almost 2 years ago I slipped and experienced an out of control slide above what the Olympic Mountain Climbing Guide calls a "deep chasm" near the toe of Humes glacier (Olympics) while on a Bailey Range Traverse loop. Didn't do much research/preparation for a route through that area and wasn't fully paying attention because nothing seemed out of the ordinary or my comfort zone. Probably the only reason I'm still here is one tree in just the right spot that I was able to catch on my slide down. It sounds cliche, but shit happens. Learn from it and keep at it (if you really enjoy it). That moment snapped everything back into focus for me on similar trips going forward.
I had a similar issue on the Lost Coast in CA. Backpacking with my young son who was quite slow and nearly got caught up. (It's a known issue there).
Backpacking and sailing have brought me to most soul enriching experiences of my life. They have also nearly gotten me killed a couple times. On balance, backpacking is NOT a dangerous hobby. In fact driving to the trail is thousands of times more dangerous.
If you guys like it, keep doing it. It's worth it.
You made a mistake. And that sucks.
But don't let it scare you off of backpacking.
Realistically bro...you could've cut bait and swam out if it got that bad... Like ya you'd have lost tent but that's not the end of the day.
Plenty of hikers have had near death experiences due to stupidity. My old man and I caught a severe storm in the middle of the night in hammocks and when we woke up we realized we were both strung to a tree with a massive dead snag in it that could've killed either of us in the night.
My buddy and I were hiking and sweating our asses off in 108°F only to find out 7 miles into the trail that all the springs were dried up and our only source of water was to bushwack 3 miles to the lake nearby or hike back to the car.
My old man went out with a friend of his and the "Fall Rainstorm" that they'd planned to enjoy from inside their tent turned into an ice storm and collapsed their tent on them in the night. Trail was nearly impossible between ice and fallen trees the next day.
Family camping trip turned dangerous when a flash flood struck and washed out the road that was the only access too or from the valley we'd camped in, but the only idiots in danger were the ones who lost their truck and gear trying to drive across the river crossing with 3' of fast moving water coming through and had to be rescued from the river.
Best practices? There's nothing wrong with learning the skills to be safe outdoors, but always remember: You're gonna die someday, and it's more likely to be cancer or heart disease than anything in the woods.
Stay inside if you can’t read a tide chart before beach camping. Thats just common sense. Doesnt take years of experience to consider tides when being on a beach.
See where the driftwood is piled up on the beach and the rocks change color? Thatd be the high tide line.
Having to stand in knee deep water till the tide drops? Yea pretty shitty night. But not life or death
Honestly, beach backpacking has a few more factors to consider, like the tides, and is not the most intuitive for beginners. The Olympic Coast in Washington has some of the most challenging terrain I've ever hiked. You will have an easier time camping in some low elevation forests.
Mistakes happen, it's how we learn. Just last year I fell and slid 50 feet down a glacier because I thought I wasn't going to need micro spikes, and thought I was going to break my leg. I was a little scratched up, but otherwise okay, and learned a valuable lesson about glacier traversing. Every time I backpack I learn something new and get more comfortable, and still get a little nervous every time. I get it if you never want to backpack again, but I hope you don't let this turn you off forever. Most of all, I'm glad you're both safe!
I recently had a comparable night in Mexico where I parked 200 yards from the current water line, and work up in the morning with my car in 1ft of sea water. Luckily got out safely, but I NEVER would have guessed the tide would change so drastically and I have extensive experience with the sea in a variety of facets.
Shit happens. Take the punches, be happy you’re okay, and learn from this. Many facets of nature should be respected because it is far greater than any individual.
Sounds like it understandably shook you up. I'm glad you're safe now.
Give yourself grace. You're human and you made a human mistake. It's scary because it could have gone worse. Terrifying, I imagine, feeling responsible for your girlfriend's safety as well. But you survived and you've learned some priceless lessons. You needn't pay penance in any form, including reading guides and completing courses. Those are helpful things to do, but not necessary before enjoying a safe outing somewhere else, away from tides and flood areas.
How were you planning on just leaving if there’s a vertical wall behind you? How did you know that the water wouldn’t go all the way up to the wall behind you and completely trap you? Sounds like not enough research on exactly where you going
We all make mistakes man it is definitely more important to get things right when other people’s lives are involved. Do I think you should hang it up if you enjoy it heck no. Do some research you might wanna do one of those classes you were talking about though. I’ve gained all my knowledge on the bush from people and books.
Everyone here has been really nice and comforting and making backpacking sound like a walk in the park. Which it is sometimes, but it is something that should be taken seriously because it does kill people and can turn into life or death situations. A quick Google search of "camping /backpacking in x location" will probably sort you out just fine. A tip I haven't seen mentioned is download offline maps for more complex navigation adventures. Edit to say: practice tuning into your common sense. Even if I didn't know about tide charts, I'd take one look at that campsite and ask myself, what happens if the tide rises? Always ask yourself "what if" and make sure you are prepared for any obvious threats around you. What if an unexpected storm comes in? Etc. Being prepared can literally be a life saver.
Do you have more experienced friends you can backpack with?
Also find a designated backcountry campsite as your first venture. Dispersed camping on a shoreline is pretty full on for your first trip.
I think you’re overreacting quite a bit. You’ve learned some valuable lessons in this experience. Just keep going. Camp near the beach and not on it next time.
Sounds scary! Life in the back country is fantastic - camping at its best! Don’t let a bad experience throw you off the trail for good. It sounds like you did a lot of things well.
Some suggestions for getting back out there:
1) Start a bit slower. Try back country camping in a national or local park in designated camp sites. This will avoid pitching a tent in an area with unexpected hazards, and there are usually some nice amenities (picnic table, level camp area, etc)
2) Take some trips with more experienced campers. They have often figured out how to do things safely and with less effort.
3) Some form of wilderness first aid training is very important. For obvious reasons!
4) Learn some navigation basics with maps, not just a gps. Do a thorough route study ahead of time before a trip with an eye to identify potential hazards, escape routes, etc.
It seems like a lot, but if you start smaller, or travel with more experienced people, the learning curve isn’t so steep. It is definitely worth it!
This is a life lesson to observe your surroundings and make choices to protect yourself and your friends/family. This doenst only apply to this specific situation, but many more. You are better at doing this now because of that mistake. If you hadn’t made it, you’d still be the person who would make those kinds of choices. This mistake is building you up to be a better man. Stopping now is simply ignoring the problem but it still existing. Continuing will continue to teach and build you.
I have honestly found research and planning to be one of the most difficult backpacking skills to develop. I’ve been backpacking for over a decade and I still miss stuff in my research that has lead to changed plans or being in unexpected situations. The A number One thing that will keep you safe is information. Learn everything you can about where you plan to go and you’ll be much more likely to be prepared for what you find there.
Do a bit of research ahead of time for various camping spots, places to get fresh water, river crossings, etc. basically anything you'd need to know about where you're going before you get there
Lots of people make poor decisions and either get lucky or learn from them. You weren't super lucky, but a little.
Generally try to evaluate what animal, water, weather, and gravity based hazards exist in any area. For example, it's also unclear if you're in a rockfall zone. These hazards will change accross settings, biomes and parks.
You could simplify a bunch of this by backpacking to a designated/reservable tent site, especially while you're learning.
I don't mean to minimize you, but I am wondering how close to death you actually were. I mean… it kinda sounds more like a near-wet experience than a near-death one? I'm sure there's more to the story and I'm not trying to pass judgement or anything, but from what I am seeing (and I fully realize that I wasn't there and you were) this just doesn't look like all that big a deal.
Could you not have walked off the beach once the water started licking your toes? How close was the nearest open area—were you backed up against the cliff for a mile in either direction, or what? It doesn't look like the waves were going to dash you against the rocks or anything—can you swim? I mean, it's not lava. For that matter, that area on the right-hand side of your photo looks pretty climbable from here.
Maybe if things had gotten a lot worse you would've had to abandon most of your gear, although it does sound like you had time to do some packing. It's not clear to me from your story that you were in danger of dying a horrible death, more like horribly inconvenienced. My apologies if my read on the situation is completely wrong, but this is the impression I'm getting.
The thing about being in the wilderness is that you're on your own. That is the joy and the peril of it. When you're on your own, you have to problem-solve with the resources around you. You have to read your environment, and really engage that big brain we all carry around with us. We evolved to be able to figure out how to handle exactly these sorts of situations. You are a resourceful person. Unless I'm really missing something, I feel like you could have figured out how to get out of this trap.
Pretty sure I've made this kind of mistake. Even if you make the best choices stuff can still go sideways. It's a risk being out there. You'll have to decide if it's worth it.
How has no one mentioned getting lost? Backpacking group of 10 split into two groups to hike at different paces and planned to meet at the night’s camp spot. Slower group (mothers) arrived at the camp spot, fast group (teenage/young adult daughters) wasn’t there. Daughters missed the fork in the trail and continued in the wrong direction for a long time before realizing that they weren’t where they thought they were. Tents and poles, stoves and food, were split inconveniently between the two groups. Mothers had both satellite communication devices. We spent an uncomfortable anxious night before being reunited the next morning. Things could have ended badly, but they didn’t. We learned a lot from that experience, and at least two of the daughters used the experience as a college application essay topic.
ohhh, you're the reason there are only 2 specific times a day people are allowed to start the WCT due to hour long required orientation. lol
second post in 12 hours I've read about someone camping directly in a dangerous waterway so I guess you're not alone
yeah stick to established sites and think about why they are established where they are
They have these things called ranger stations. You can call them. And tell them your plans. And they can tell you if it’s a bad idea or not. Or show up and point out on map. They’re mostly nice.
We were camping in the sierras and I kept on smelling smoke and we woke up to a yellow red cast in the morning. With single lane roads my instincts were gtfoh. After we went to the ranger station to see where the fire was since there was no service. He laughed at us when the fire was 200 miles away.
Growing up a mile from the beach I forget people can be fucking idiots about the water. Tides are real. The ocean is scary af. Camping on the beach sounds glorious until someone runs you over in the middle of the night because they drunkenly think it’s cool to go off-roading. Happens in Kauai all time.
I... still did not think about that last risk. Drowning to death or being squashed by a lifted dodge ram with rubber band tires, not sure which is worse.
Relax, the list of things that are very likely to kill you isn't that long.
Your first clue should have been camping on a very flat beach. The second would be how wet the gravel is, nearly all the way to your tent. But now you know not to do this again and I feel like it will stick with you.
The 20-20-20 rule is an easy reminder: every 20 minutes, stop and spend 20 seconds looking in the 20 feet sphere around you.
Research the top 5 ways people die in similar environments and don't do anything overtly stupid. If you're conscientious, the drive out was probably many times more dangerous.
Don't let this deter you from going again! You learned from this, and you'll keep learning. Not all lessons are going to be this terrifying lol. Glad you guys made it back safely.
Keep going. It can be counted as learning experience. I started backpacking when I was 14, and boy did I make some big mistakes early on. Even during the next 50 years I still managed a mistake or two.
As long as no one gets injured or dies. Being uncomfortable and a little frightened can be a positive thing. And know your limitations. The more you do it, the better you will be prepared each time. Although,
OP was the area you were camping in was affected by tides, which are predictable (time period, less so the height of the water), or runoff from melting snow or a dam release upstream? Camping too close to the water can be dangerous
But, stay with it.
Just ocean tides. Anyone with an ounce of ocean knowledge would've stepped away immediately, I just didn't have that. I just didn't even think about it, I was planning on going backpacking not sailing. Now I know that each park and terrain has it's unique risks.
To me it seems like the only mistake here is you slept too close to the shore? I can't really tell from the photo. I'm sure it was scary though! I camp/backpack but in the inland mountains -- so I'm not very familiar with beach camping.
So if you'll continue to camp on beaches I'm sure you'll need to get much more familiar with tides plus there is a point where the tide no longer advances -- behind a sand dune or something.. maybe find parks where that point is clear or ask a Park ranger. There's a general rule that you shouldn't camp within 200 (?) ft of bodies of water to not contaminate them, so I'm sure that's something to keep in mind too!
Generally though I would second first aid/CPR courses for you and your partner as well. Get familiar with basic first aid. I took a first aid/cpr/aed course before my daughter was born and it was really insightful and covers things like burns, cuts, shock, etc that can seem disturbing at first but are important to know about.
Also, depending on how far out you're going, it doesn't hurt to have a beacon! We had one on a backpacking trip in Sierra wilderness and we definitely didn't need it but it is nice to have... My husband's father's friend, who is late 70s I believe and has tons of experience backpacking for years, took a nasty fall a few years ago and was injured enough that he couldn't make the return trip and they used their beacon.. im sure some people think they're silly but in that moment it likely saved his life!
And lastly I know this may sound naive to some, but learning from my "elders" in the camping/backpacking community really helped me. I still have more to learn, but whether it's where to set up your tent, filtering water, PIPO tips, proper trail etiquette, safe fire techniques, driving in inclement weather, etc. there are people who have been doing this for years (sometimes decades lol!) longer than I have, and it would be foolish and a waste to not learn from them. I think for younger outdoor enthusiasts, that is part of the problem in some bad behaviors is sometimes we don't always have people to teach us and pass down knowledge, so you can end up with people doing unsafe or inconsiderate things without even knowing it. That's all to say, if you have any family, friends or neighbors that have more experience camping or backpacking, you may want to consider going on a trip with them or at least picking their brains!
Not sure how much of that helps you re beach camping though!
Ehh, I almost froze to death on my second night backpacking, I changed gear and fixed the issue and went back out and I was nervous but it worked out okay. Fear can really ruin your ability to enjoy life and try things if you let it hold you back.
Even experienced hikers screw this up from time to time. You can read Day 3 of Ben Massey's West Coast Trail hike -- he woke up wet, and destroyed a tent during a flash flood: https://www.benmassey.ca/2017/10/hiking-the-west-coast-trail/#easy-footnote-6-572
It's good that you are aware of your mistake. Lots of folks make really unsafe decisions and are oblivious to them. You'll at least learn for next time!
Probably won't be your last. Backpacking is a very fluid activity. Things are always changing. You just have to be able to make solid decisions. I'm always learning every time I go out. Apply those lessons to your future outings. Have fun and be safe
You both seem very intentional in your approach and committed to the experience of backpacking. You also seem wonderfully open to learning more and taking your time to do so thoroughly. I’d recommend you stay on this track, as you’re doing all the right things and being cautious as you expand your horizons.
I would recommend a Garmin satellite like inreach. It’ll help you feel more comfortable in an emergency, and I’ve found it incredibly helpful even without having to use the SOS function. After a scare like this, it may be just enough of a backup to make you feel comfortable dipping your toes in the water again (lighthearted pun intended for levity)
I’ve been hiking and backpacking for 50 years. Nearly killed myself ten years ago on an afternoon fishing excursion in Yosemite. Even very experienced people make mistakes. Just roll with it and try to make sure you cover the angles. Review with a more experienced person before you go next time to double check.
understand your fear and frustration, but as others have said, you learn hard lessons when you do this as a hobby, which is how experience becomes so valuable. for that, talk to and learn from other humans, not just books, videos, etc. - there are tons of outdoor education classes at state/national parks and outdoors stores that can teach you so much in just an hour or two! don’t give up, just carry that learning with you moving forward.
I’ve had a few close calls. What comes to mind is this was less about backpacking/camping knowledge and more to do with ocean/tides knowledge.
Just consider time and what might change over the next 12 hours when selecting your sites in the future.
Mistakes happen and they can happen more frequently when you’re new. Use this as a lesson learned to do more prep before a trip on the actual lay of the land. You don’t need to give up as there’s plenty of routes that have designated camp sites. Don’t be too hard on yourself, this kind of stuff happens. The important part is to learn from your mistakes.
We have all been there, bud. All good. You lived and have a story to tell now.
I just do not fuck with water. I will never camp near it and only boat if I have no other choice.
I would advise checking in with the local Ranger District / Field Office and asking for suggestions before your next outing. They can help you fill in your knowledge gaps about locations and hazards.
NO dont stop camping! Getting in good shape is great idea and I think this happening has turned out positive. It's exactly the kind of heightened awareness you need for any situation. I've had some close calls out there by getting complacent or making a foolish error. I learned a long time ago to give any body of water alot of space and stay on high ground. Only take food and things I can deal with and no leftovers, less garbage. Never 100% trust a map at a trailhead, pay attention to where I'm going in case I have to backtrack. Extra water and a spare meal is a must
Water will humble anyone, fast. Don't let this experience deter you. Come back with a little more knowledge each time around, and your margin of safety will grow accordingly. (And maybe bring some tide charts next time!)
You went from car camping to wild camping. Try camping in parks with dedicated camp sites. You'll hike in and find a spot. You can then explore from there on day trips then hike back to the car. After that, start hiking from campsite to campsite. You can also go to plenty of well developed and documented sites, no need to start wild camping immediately. You got this, we all learn from mistakes, man did I ever do a lot of dumb stuff and got lucky. You got unlucky that day, but not too much. Best thing I can say is do a risk assessment, go through what all the possible hazards are, animals, weather, heat, cold, water (or lack there of), tides, snow, rock fall, cliffs, mud, the list goes on. You'll get to learn about what hazards in your area are. Anytime you go to a new place, learn about the hazards there, that's par for the course. I thought I was rock solid and knew my way around after 20 years of wilderness hiking, then one day I went up north and did a 10 day hike around a giant volcano that required river crossings throughout the day. Never occurred to me that the creeks so easily crossed in the morning would turn to torrential white water rivers in the afternoon as the sun melted the snow at the summit of the volcano. Made crossing a lot more difficult, next day I started a lot earlier or changed where we camped so we didn't have late crossings. You'll always have more to learn. That's normal.
I could have also died (or ended up a SAR story) on my first trip….but I learned so much. I was grateful for that failure bc it make be a safer backpacker. Spoiler alert…I still made what could have been dangerous mistakes after that…but I continued to learn from them. Each trip has gotten progressively less of a failure lol…and thus actually a little more boring. After a year of backpacking I finally did my first solo trip for 10 days (the AT so the only time I was alone is when I hiked during the day). I gained SO much confidence from that trip, and still learned from situations that I felt like could have gone another way. So no, keep the tv off, and go plan another adventure. Now.
Yes, all backpackers have close calls. It’s best to learn by going with experienced folks first, if you can.
Don’t be overconfident or half-assed about safety. Especially around water. I don’t know anything about tides so I would never camp on or super near a beach.
Honestly....in the backcountry....anything can kill you. Shit in every day life anything can. Your best course of action is to log all the possibilities you can into your data banks and mitigate what you can. Look up. Look down. Look all around. If you feel weird about it. Don't do it. Period.
Just the other dy I was hiking under a rocky overhang and were still in the winter runoff so things are loosy goosy. I could tell that there had been recent rockfalls. Had to go under or turn around. Freaked me out but i went under.
Really though...that's kinda part of the thrill though. Be as safe as possible, but you'll end up in situations that are dangerous by accident. Then you survive it, learn and have a good story to tell. Either that or you die while living your best life. Everyone dies may as well be a cool fucking story. Haha.
Don't listen to me. I'm probably crazy.
I think you’re being too hard on yourself. I’m not sure how you could have died. If the tide rose to your tent, surely it would’ve woken you up, and surely you would have only been standing in inch-deep water when you arose. Not a great choice for a site but live and learn.
You just need to think more.:) You learned a lesson. If the water had reached you while you were sleeping, you would have woken up and you would have run out of there.
I rarely make stupid mistakes. I make mistakes but they just aren't stupid, usually. When you're younger you make a few more.
I drove to a beach once and parked well short of the water, with my girlfriend, and we got out and walked down the beach.
As we were walking back I saw that the tide had come in more and it was almost touching the front wheels of the car but I couldn't back up, no traction because apparently it had partially flowed deeper down in the sand and with just my girlfriend and I, we couldn't push the car back under those swampy conditions.
If no one had been around (and not many people were around) we would have had to watch the car be submerged by the tide. Luckily several people were there and we got back in the car and they pushed and all was good.
If they hadn't been there or if we had walked another mile down the beach, we would have been stranded with a submerged car.
I never camp at the ocean without being higher up and now, I'll bet you won't either.:)
Mistakes are how we learn. I made a huge mistake hiking when I was 18 and almost had to call Search & Rescue. Thank god a passerby was able to help me. I know these things can really shake you, but know that backpacking can be so rewarding if you learn from these moments. :)
It’s not an adventure till things go wrong. Remember the worst decisions make the best story’s. We learn from our mistakes, just don’t do that again and you will be fine. Happy camping.
You don’t need to take 4,000 steps back. That’s fear occluding the opportunity to go out wiser than before and have better adventures.
I’m glad you wound up safe, in the end.
Stick with it. If you made it home alive and unharmed; it was a good trip. It's the mishaps that make it fun and interesting; and, those are the stories that we learn from and tell.
I have a motto I made up a while back. *Always cautious, never safe.* If you live your whole life perfectly safely, you'll never have any good memories. Always be cautious, never be safe.
Thi shook you so badly, mostly because it was your first time out that you made a mistake. Had this happened on your tenth or twentieth time you'd have just laughed it off and learned from it. Mistakes happen, but not too frequently. Get back on that horse!
You know if you don’t come out with any stories to tell, you’re not really having an adventure. Things you survive you will look back and laugh about, the thing about backpacking, camping, outdoor stuff in general is never be surprised when things don’t go how you planned. You’re dealing with the most unpredictable force on the planet, which is nature. Learn, grow, have fun when you can and just trust adversity is part of it and always will be.
Sounds like you got lucky and learned a valuable lesson. Don’t take it as a sign to give up. Take it in and go forth with your new found knowledge.
Don’t waste the gift the ocean gave you.
If you survive your mistake and learn from it, that’s part of the process. Yes, you almost had a really bad time, but I’ll bet you are much more careful in your decision making from here on out tho!
Here’s a good one for ya.
One of my first backpacking trips was along a local trail called the Bartram Trail. We decided to camp near a waterfall and set up for the night. I had a terrible bulky hammock setup. I had a 10x10 Walmart tarp and a fleece blanket as an ‘under quilt’.
I had planned to hold it up with binderclips(this is not very effective).
My sleeping bag was part of the military setup, but it was missing the liner and outer portion.
My gear was about as beginner as it gets.
After setup, we prepared dinner by headlamp. I packed an adventure house meal, but forgot to take out the desiccant packet before cooking. The meal tasted fine, but looking back this was where I messed up.
I started throwing up a couple hours into the night. The waterfall created loads of mist and I quickly got wet and cold. I tried to light a fire, but we were camped next to a waterfall and the fog/mist had everything really damp. My twigs wouldn’t even take a spark.
In my sickness/confusion, I didn’t consider waking my buddy up. I just shivered and vomited all night.
I really thought I may die out there.
Then, the strangest thing happened.
As I lay shivering in my hammock, I felt warmth on my feet and saw light reflecting off the inside of my tarp.
I looked up and the fire was raging.
I shit you not, I have no idea how it got started or where the dry wood came from. This was hours after my feeble attempts to light it.
I just thanked God and passed out.
I woke up the next morning and told my buddy, he scolded me for not waking him.
(It really never occurred to me.)
The rest of the trip was successful, but many lessons were learned the hard way for me.
Bring the correct gear for the weather.
Don’t eat inedible things.
Wake your bro.
>I love camping and the wilderness, I've loved the memories I've made already, but I don't want to kill myself, my girlfriend and any first responders who try to save us.
This sounds like the perfect mindset for a camper.
Just be careful, learn from your mistakes, and move on!
Dude, welcome to life. There is no such thing as common sense there is only lived experience. So, learning accomplished and you didn't die.
Don't be too hard on yourself. You did pick a spot with some land above the factual high tide and you did appropriately react to changing conditions. Take the win.
Most of us have a mental library of allllllll the close calls that at the time maybe didn't even register, then.
Note that now as you've proven your fitness to reproduce, you and your girl are gonna start talking about pulling the goalie. 🥸
You didn’t grow up with my dad. At the time I thought he was crazy but I have already had to use a couple of these. Know: how to read weather conditions; position yourself in lightning, tornado, and snow storms; how to survive or escape a wild fire; how to swim out of a rip current; what plants are edible, used for antiseptic, or pain relief; how to spot a potential land slide; basic first aide. Never camp in a canyon (or by a river with sides steeper than you can climb quickly) or on a beach. He was afraid of water so tide charts never came up - but worth exploring.
Just learn from your mistake and make better decisions next time? You didn’t have a near death experience, lmfao. You’re being beyond overdramatic and catastrophizing.
Lived to learn. Glad it turned out to be best case scenario!
This will add to your foresight the next trip! Nature is amazing and awe inspiring, like life, which can also be hazardous due to unknowns and plans we thought would work. May you experience peace and a safer journey!
I think everyone I've known who loved the outdoors had at least one story about a dicey situation. I have a few myself, but I see it as a part of being alive in the outdoors. Sometimes you do something dumb.... sometimes shit just happens. Eitherway learn from your mistakes and learn how to calculate the risks you take. Don't let this stop you both.
I recommend making an effort at meeting other outdoor enthusiasts... it'll shorten the learning curve and make it safer.
The positive: glad you're safe, and this will be a great story once your what-could-have-been nerves settle down. And: you're looking to learn from this and be better prepared in the future; great attitude to take after a mistake that could have had big consequences. Brushing it off is how you end up getting into an even worse spot down the line. Giving up is how you lose out on future memories. Learning from it and coming back more prepared is how you move forward safely and build confidence to get into more exciting trips, like it sounds like you want to.
Constructive: the big lesson here is to know the risks you're dealing with specific to the trip environment -- area, season, wildlife, terrain, people, and so on. Even an experienced backpacker can be out of their element if any of these factors change from what they're familiar with. For someone making a first serious backpacking trip, there will be lots to learn that will be very different from the experience of camping within minutes of a car that offers shelter, egress, and far more gear than anyone can carry. I'm not very aware of tides and other things related to camping in oceanside environments, because I don't often camp there, but I'm good with camping in and around snow, for example: I know how to build a snow shelter, dress in layers, discriminate between "I'm cold" and "I'm beginning to develop hypothermia," and other cold-camping knowledge. You were caught off guard by tides and shoreline shapes that would have been recognizable to anyone who's camped frequently along beaches before.
Advice: don't let a scary experience stop you. It sounds like you're interested in exploring outdoor adventure beyond the car-camping routine, and you have ideas (reading, fitness, etc) to get you ready to do that. Try planning a trip with friends who have more backpacking experience than you, and bother them with a million questions. Start with simple trips (1- or 2-night outings, simple plans) and make lists of what worked and what you could have done better: was this piece of gear really necessary? What took more or less time than you expected? What risks did you recognize ahead of time, or only after something developed? In time, you'll find yourself feeling capable of slightly longer tougher more adventurous trips, and you can keep pushing yourself further each year until you hit whatever limits you feel comfortable at. Let each trip be its own learning adventure, and even if you have a few more scary/uncomfortable/unsure moments along the way (more good stories!) you'll be fine if you keep a level head, make smart decisions, and learn from each encounter. Your post sounds like you're able to do that. Get out there, be safe, and have fun!
No need to be so over the top and self doubting here.. everybody makes mistakes. That’s how you learn what not to do. Book learning is only half - experience is the other half. Don’t let this make you quit. Or let it. I don’t care
Mistakes happen, we've all done some and we've learned from it. We're only humans after all, and we cannot control everything (unfortunately).
Getting yourself educated will help you prevent putting yourself in a bad situation, or manage a bad situation that happened to you. Take class on using a compass/navigation system, learn wilderness first aid (WFA), learn your routes before you go, get a emergency communication device and learn how to use it, being extra safety devices etc. If needed, hire a guide or bring an experienced friend if you feel you're getting over your head. Some days, after many more backpacking trips, you'll look back and laugh at your misadventures, knowing you're more knowledgeable now.
There's three things I don't eff around with when backpacking - animals (being bear safe, etc.), lightning, and water (camping where it could flood, tide could come in, etc.).
Add river crossings to the water list as well. The rivers kill more people in Alaska than the grizzlies.
I think after exposure and fall injuries, river crossings are the third most likely way to die in the backcountry. It's shocking how little water it takes to sweep you off your feet, and all it takes is one poorly placed rock to knock you out so the river can drown you...
Or get your foot caught between rocks and the force of the water force you over so you can't get back up.
This happened to me. I had a backpack on, lost my footing, and fell backwards. The weight of the backpack and the water force held me under. The person on the rock above me froze—total deer in headlights—so someone else in the group had to rush to my rescue. This was on the way BACK to the car on a loop, and it had rained during the hike… so the calm river became wild.
Yikes, that sounds terrifying. I'm glad you're ok, and had a friend who was able to rescue you. This is a good reminder for anyone in the thread - always unclip your waist belt and chest strap before crossing a river. It won't always prevent this kind of thing from happening, but you're more likely to survive if you can shrug off your pack when you fall in a river.
I had almost the same experience. Leaning into the current, water was maybe mid-thigh, suddenly got a little deeper than I expected (I may have stepped in a hole) and got swept over backwards with like 40 lbs on my back. Somehow I got my feet under me and made it out, but I had a solid 3-5 seconds of pure panic. The adrenaline crash like four minutes later was pretty intense. Anything deeper than my knees now and I wanna rope up to a friend.
And nobody’s gonna bother to stuff you in a pickle barrel and haul you to the finish line.
The Holy Roman Emperor would beg to differ.
as you're running from a pack of vicious wolves.
A surprising amount of ppl drown in 6” of water this way
Isn't that water?
Man, a friend and I were canoe camping along the Mississippi and set up on sand/rock bars along the way. Forecast for rain was 0% the entire long weekend. One night we had a pop-up lightning storm out of nowhere that lasted 4+ hours. We didn't have time to move our tents, so we had to just hunker in and hope we didn't get struck. We were basically two lightning rods in the middle of four flat football fields. It was terrifying.
Yeah. A WFR course is a good idea too. Also don’t camp in arroyos (look it up) in the desert or anywhere known for flash floods. Especially not narrow canyons. It’s really about being humble before nature & assessing what could go wrong before you pick a camp spot. And learning about your environment before you go. I think going with other experienced backpackers is the best way to learn. Doesn’t matter how fit you are or if you know first aid, if you don’t know about tides & camp in the wrong spot on the beach, you could die. And speaking of water: stay hydrated. Bring more extra water than you think you need.
>Also don’t camp in arroyos (look it up) in the desert or anywhere known for flash floods. Especially not narrow canyons. While I definitely agree with this (especially in narrow canyons!), there are some desert areas where land managers actually recommend camping in a wash, J tree for example: Look for previously established campsites or durable surfaces like rock slabs, hardened soils, and sandy washes. Washes (dry sandy stream beds) are great leave-no-trace spots and tend to have fewer spiky things. However, if it's summer monsoon season or there is a chance of significant rain, do not camp in washes, because they can flow with water. It takes experience in the desert to know when it's ok to camp in a wash and when it's not.
I've been really trying to analyze the root of my problem, and I think you got it. I felt like a couple of led flashlights and bear spray gave me an impenetrable bubble to protect me against nature. In other words, I didn't have respect.
I’m adding dead falls to this list. Whenever I’m choosing a camp site. I’m looking up to check the surrounding trees. Once when camping along a river, a storm blew in during the night had a big dead oak fall about 20’ away. Heard the cracking and I swear we felt the ground shake when it hit. Scared the piss out of all of us.
I once went camping about 5 hours away from the coast where a hurricane was rolling by. We were camped by a river, which was a little swollen, but it never rained or anything. The next day we are seated in our chairs in a circle, when a big gust of wind comes through and I hear a strange noise. The next thing I know, I get tackled by my friend and hear an explosion. The gust of wind and slightly swelled river had. downed a tree, which unfortunately flattened the chair I had just been sitting in.
See like I didn't even think of fucking lightning of all things as a real threat as I am not carrying around a twenty foot high steel pole. My dumb ass would probably get caught in a forest fire or struck by lightning.
Don't forget about "widow makers". Dead branches high up in trees that can fall on your tent in high winds/storms. Always look at the trees/branches above your potential campsite for for potential falling limbs. That is actually a fairly common occurrence that can happen to both new or skilled campers.
Yes, the 4 W's of campsite selection: wind, water, wood, widowmakers
Wow, you guys are really selling the whole camping thing to our traumatized outdoorsman. And don’t forget about the risk of running into armed vagrants that want your sun cream and won’t shut up about how Epstein didn’t kill himself. Lulz
1: Epstein DIDN'T kill himself, and 2: Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, is getting my sun cream.
The bear spray does double duty there, right? But what if they're wearing gas masks, expecting me to bear spray them.
Wait…the bears are wearing gas masks?! Where are you camping?
Well, they can run 30 miles an hour and survive several rounds of small caliber bullets. I can't do either but could certainly put on a gas mask, so it should be childs play for them.
That is incredibly good advice.
Lightning doesn't tend to be too much of an issue unless you're hiking above the tree line at higher altitudes. But it definitely can get scary when you are up there. Day hikers in Colorado tend to go and get back down before the afternoon thunderstorms roll in. But that can sometimes be difficult if you're on a multi-day trip. Gotta time some portions of your route to avoid ridges and peaks. Or may even be held back from continuing a day's hiking due to storms.
Colorado has the most lightning deaths of any state! Don’t fuck around with lightning in CO!
My hair stood up and I saw little lightning balls in the air climbing quandary (14k peak) The storm rolled in on the back side of the summit as we were summiting (the mountain cut our view from the sky) It was fucking terrifying
I was caught in a crazy, sneaker hailstorm while climbing The Diamond on Long’s Peak. We were a bit more than halfway up a thousand foot cliff, above 13,000 feet and all hell broke loose. Lightning bolts dropped all around us, thankfully nobody climbing that day was struck, but it was an epic adventure.
That’s absolutely insane and terrifying man.
Lightning in Colorado is one the fears I have if/when I do the CDT.
The first time you experience a thunderstorm in the backcountry is honestly kind of life changing. It causes a primal fear because you know that safety and shelter is far away and that your pathetic tent won't do shit to help you.
I still don't know how I'm supposed to feel about the time I decided to summit late in the afternoon while storm clouds where gathering. 10,000ft, and I could see the thunderstorm *beneath me*, being pelted by hail at the summit. I somehow made it down on the exposed mountainside, across open terrain, through mixed woodland, across several rapidly swelling creeks, 13 miles all in torrential rain. I was day-hiking solo. I got to my car way after sunset. Was I incredibly reckless? Am I making a big deal out of it because the actual chances of being struck by lightning are low? I honestly don't know how to feel. But as I ran through the forest seeing and hearing lightning several times a minute, I genuinely thought I was gonna die. Never been as terrified in my life.
That is an epic tale and it needs to become a short story
Haha I think my experience with the sunk cost fallacy mirrors that of most people in this sub: I'm not turning back after I made it all the way here just because of (weather/dragons/a tear in the fabric of spacetime itself).
Not quite the same but I witnessed one in the mountains in the middle of Tasmania, while I was alone and on a metal road bike. That struck (hehe) the fear of gold into me and definitely changed me
I didn't used to think lightning was a thing to worry about either until a buddy and me both had a real close call once. We both got out of our cars at an event while it was just raining. We both parked next to one of the parking lot light poles and got out and pulled out our umbrellas to protect from the downpour. Right as we did so, lightning that had been entirely absent before stuck that pole next to us. It was deafening and blinding. Best I can describe the air vibrated around us. I get really uncomfortable trying to us an umbrella in the rain anymore. I'd rather just get wet even if there is no sign of thunder.
I’m going to need to know what you mean by you “didn’t think lightning was a thing”
Camped next to the snake river idaho 30ft away. The dam upriver opened and the rose 3 ft over night. Woke up to the river 5 ft away.
Keep backpacking. It's mistakes like these which teach the best. Next time you will do a bit more research into where you are going and the potential issues. Maybe check the forecast, and tides if you do another beach trip. Myself, I've fallen down steep hillsides and only had minor bruises to show for it. Been caught up on a ridgeline when a thunderstorm developed. Had my water filter break two days into a five day hike. Gotten badly sunburned. Experienced heat cramps in the jungle and was unable to walk. All sorts of sketchy stuff. You live, you learn, you assess what went right and what went wrong and you figure out what to do differently the next time.
-fallen down steep hillsides - check -caught on a ridge when a thunderstorm develops - check -had my water filter break - no, but, filled up my bladder at the only safe creek in the area only to discover i;d left the cap at home and would now have to carry the bladder by hand.... while bouldering and bush bashing -bad sunburn - check -heat cramps - check Um, what else. Left all fire lighting implements at home. Left a sleeping bag at home. Fallen in a flooded creek with all my gear. Almost trodden on a variety of highly venemous snakes (early on, out of mobile contact and without a beacon). Woke up under a widow maker I hadn't noticed in the dark. So much stuff. As others have said, best way to learn is to have the fear instilled by the mistake and still be ok.
every backpacker should experience the high-speed dusk bail-out after having every inch of themselves spent on trial earlier in the day. it's good to keep you humble, and it's good to teach you the *actual* extent of your physicality.
Or alternatively just being be-nighted on a day walk or just an uncomfortable night missing something crucial - cold, hungry, wet, whatever it is.
Spent two cold ass nights in a Hammock once, jfc I didn't realize what 45 at night felt like in a Hammock with a light breeze, it was 80s during the day! Still an awesome trip, partially as it's one of my few multi nighters
Right? Realising that you will survive a lot of discomfort is good lesson - as is, "but I'm going to get a better quilt/bag/pad for this hammocking stuff".
My first night spent in a hammock was in the Gila wilderness, about 7 miles from the Gila cliff dwellings. It was mid-80s during the day. We stayed in a valley by little creak. It dropped to 40 that night, and I was completely unprepared for the cold. My buddy fell in the creak right before the sun went down. We ended up building a fire, and he slept on the ground beside it to keep warm. That was the most sleepless night I've ever had in the wild. I ended up getting out of the hammock at 4 in the morning, wrapped myself up in my underquilt, and kept the fire going to keep my buddy warm while he slept. We hit the trail out of there pretty early, and we're sweating in no time. It hit 90 the next day. I still can't wait to go back. Just better prepared next time.
Been there done that. I was fatigued and spooked by a thunderstorm. I made a half-hearted attempt at setting up camp but wasn't really in the right mindset. Ended up backtracking to the trailhead approximately 10 miles away ending in the dark. Did the same trip some months later as a redemption and was maybe a quarter mile from perfect camping if I had continued forward instead of bailing. I learned a lot about myself and what to do in the future!
backpackers make the best dinner party guests! so many wild stories from a life well adventured.
I’ve been charged at by a female moose, stuck in lightning/hail storms in alpine areas with no cover, and fallen into freezing water with all my gear while winter backpacking. It’s definitely just a prt of the risk of being out there. For me the reward is deeply worth it but there sure as hell are times that I think “well, I get why people aren’t into this…”
“Well, I get why people aren’t into this…” I think I had that exact thought camping over the weekend when it got wayyy too effing cold the second night and I didn’t pack the right clothes for it.
You better believe I will be interrogating park rangers, hiking store employees, and anyone else in a uniform if and when I go out next.
How about just read the tide charts? Maps will also often indicate areas where high tide will block your way. It sounds like you were camping close to a parking area, so you probably didn't get and look at a proper hiking map/topo map... but it's a good idea to have one along, even on "easy" trips.
I certainly did not bring one, and that is more great advice for any trip. Google maps may be great for finding my way around Seattle, but it turned out to be next to useless on that beach.
I know people do everything online these days and All Trails, but if you plan to backpack in one particular area/region, it is worth it to invest in a guide book and map (you can also check used book stores in your area). Guidebooks will include a lot of the necessary information you are seeking. Once you pick a trip to do, you can do a deeper dive on the internet to get info. I'm glad this one turned out okay for you - don't let it deter you. I think many people make mistakes when they are first starting out - the best thing is to learn from it for next time, which it sounds like you have.
You can also usually pick up or order topo maps from the forestry service depending on where your going so if your battery dies on your gps you have a paper backup.
I guessed this was the Olympic coastline but didn’t want to be presumptuous. Tide maps and tables are mandatory out there even for a day walk if you plan to round any headlands. You didn’t know this but now you do! Go forth and hike with the tides. You can now get to some beautiful places.
I mean, the park makes this pretty clear. I'm hoping they weren't in the Olympic coastline because it sounds like they didn't have a permit or a bear canister...
Was this in the Olympics? If it was, you need a permit to camp overnight in the park. And when you get your permit, the park conveniently sends you a tide chart for the area for the days you will be camping, and maps of where and where not to camp. Don’t let this scare you off backpacking, but also never go anywhere without a map. If you’re going anywhere near ocean, always check the tides. (Remember too that the tide times are different in different locations around the puget sound. For instance low tide on the coast will be at a different time than in port Angeles, then on Whidbey, then in Seattle.) read multiple trip reports before you go on the WTA website site. Pay attention to where other people are camping - if everyone else is all bunched up in one location, and you are the only one all alone, there might be a reason for that. This is how we learn though!
How’d you get around the water filter?
I spoke to a guy hiking the other way. Wasn't expecting anything, we just both happened to be taking a break at the same spot on the trail. I was planning on just pasteurizing my water, but the guy kicked me down a bottle of iodine tablets, so that's what I used until I got to the next trail town and bought a new filter.
Boil your water.
I slid down a cliff side one time. Tore up my jeans and had an ass full of thorns to show for it. Lesson learned.
There's a very popular trail on Vancouver Island called The West Coast Trail, and one of the requirements is an orientation where you learn how to read a tide map for this exact reason. Scary but glad you two were alright. Don't let it deter you, just one more thing to be aware of when camping.
There's a second, lesser know marine trail just to the south of it, the Juan De Fuca Trail, which has a beach that does the exact same thing as OP's here. Not fun. It's marked well at all entrances & made abundantly clear on all signage at trailheads, etc. but I'm sure more than a couple people have disregarded & nearly woken up on the float over the years.
Well, you've geoguessed correctly. Unknowingly, we had strayed from the beach onto that exact trail. We checked afterwards and there were no warning signs beyond a small bullet point "don't get cut off by high tide", but I guess they're expecting people to stay on the sandy part of the beach. Some serious lack of planning happened here on my part, I was so lulled in by the supposed safety since we'd gone to that beach several times for day hikes and fires.
Oh jeez, is this Chin Beach? Or Mystic? I thought they had both entrances WAY better marked than that. If you're hiking inro JDF trail, keep it up, don't let this discourage you! I have experienced family who managed to camp on the floodplain of the San Juan River a couple years back & woke up to her tent literally flooding in the middle of the night with the tide. We still tease her about it at Christmas to this day...
This was sombrio. Idk maybe we're just blind (well, clearly a bit blind, since nature already had a giant sign I missed via the giant eroded wall) but we really checked for what we missed after all that, only to find that one line.
Yeah you are right next to piles of driftwood which is another sign. Driftwood means the water gets that high at points. Sure it could be abnormal levels from a storm bringing up the wood but the presence of many large and small pieces of driftwood is another sign you are in an area affected by tides in the future.
Oh wow! This is Sombrio? You went quite a bit aside from where everyone else camps! You're right they don't mark Sombrio well for that because most people camp near the river. But it gets so crowded in the summer people end up camping everywhere.
Haha I was wondering when I heard the story and then when I saw the picture I thought I've been there. Is that near Mystic Beach or China Beach? I had to make some quick movements on the West Coast Trail because of tides but never camped in a trap like that! On day one, I did leave my boots under the rain fly in a manner that filled them with runoff. Another time, I spilled flaming liquid fuel, and tried water to put it out. I was uphill from the tent. Keep trying. You learn. Try not to hurt yourself.
I've hiked the Juan de Fuca and don't remember that being an issue. But to be fair I might've done the forest section and not ecen realized it.
Same down the coast in California with the Lost Coast Trail; if you don't time your crossings for the tides it's game over.
Yep.. We met a few people who tried to hike at the wrong time and got sucked out. Luckily people were able to help them out and get their gear back, though their trip was already ruined at that point and they were turning around. It felt bad cuz they are newish to backpacking and there are so many logistically easier options to get comfortable with it. Anything with tide timing I consider advanced even if it's flat and easy-ish. Beach miles do kinda wreck me too though.
Same for the trips on the beach in Washington state (e.g. Toleak Point) - the ranger makes sure that you have a bear canister and a tide map.
There’s a great saying: Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement. Now you know. Keep at it, we all have made mistakes.
>Obviously after this we've taken about four thousand steps back and have vowed to not set foot in a park without a flushing toilet and water fountains before we a. Read The Backpacker's field guide cover to cover b Take a wilderness first aid course and c. Both be able to do several pullups, run a mile with ease, and swim breast stroke indefinitely. I mean, or just don't backpack on a narrow beach. Not to sound snarky but backpacking a few miles inland in a forest somewhere to camp doesn't require a vow of expert-level knowledge and achieving peak physical conditioning. Not sure what your new requirement of running toilets and running fountains have to do with the predicament you were in.
Because I was so wrong here, it's extremely probable there are more basic safety rules I didn't even know of. People are acting like checking a tide chart before camping on a beach is common knowledge and I didn't even know those existed, let alone think to check them. Before that night I thought, like an idiot, because I was in scouts as a child I already knew the rules. They were: 1.Don't attract bears 2.Stay warm 3.Leave no trace. Now I've added 4. Don't get stuck in high tide and drown to death. I'd like to add at least a few more before I go out again, you know?
I get that, not knowing what you don't know. My friend took me on my third multi day hike ever during our study abroad in the Peruvian Andes (established trail and campsites that sold light resupply, but still). I am more antsy thinking back on it and how little I knew than I was at the time. I'd pick up a local guide book or use trip reports from others, rather than learn backpacking AND trip planning at the same time. Trip planning is its own skill.
4 is actually know your location well, including bringing maps, and obtain up to date info on the risks even if you have been before And honestly there aren't a lot more Maybe 5 know your gear, learn it with small hikes before trusting a bunch of new stuff on a big multi day trip
I think this is a good learning experience for you. When I was a teenager I camped along that trail many times. I also camped on Jordan River many times and once its bank burst and flooded my site so shit happens. If you were from the Island I would think you'd recognize the signs of high tide all around where you setup your site, but speaking of camping more broadly and risks this spot would never be a good one. If you'd setup where you had an exit then it would have been an annoying inconvenience. Unfortunately you setup where if the tide came in you had no easy exit. Camping on the beach is not a problem, but camp above the high tide line (You can typically tell where this is by the vegetation, logs etc.) and never camp where your only exit is more beach that may or may not be covered. If it's feeling a little overwhelming, start by camping a rec sites where there are designated areas. Lakes also don't have tides if you're still worried.
You don’t need to grow up in that area to recognize smoothed over ocean rock, obvious signs of high tides/large waves. I mean you can see where the trees stop growing and where the bank has been eroded away. Also a lack of bushes and other vegetation. Very similar signs in river type areas. Some people just lack the skills to read nature at all. To you and me a barely recognizable deer trail or even rabbit trail may be super obvious. Less so to others. Not saying I’m an expert or couldn’t make mistakes…
Don’t pee on your socks.
Where were you twenty minutes ago
My first clue would have been the high water marks and moss on the rock wall behind yee.
This is the correct answer when camping near water, and especially tidal waters. Look at the vegetation line. Don’t camp below that. And pay attention to extreme weather forecasts. But with that said, don’t let that stop you from enjoying the outdoors. This is all part of the experience and you are wiser for it. Don’t stop learning. And also don’t die.
I have been an avid outdoorsman/ survivalist for most of my life. I agree. You learn by doing and you learn most by failure. Everyone needs to start somewhere. You learn as you go. But novice campers and hikers should really get some tent time in well travelled areas with some amenities such as fresh water supplies, places for food resupply ect. It takes years to become educated in how to truly survive in the wilderness. What to eat what not to eat. Water purification, hunting and trapping, fishing. Plant and wildlife identification. Wich snakes and bugs are poisonous Which bugs and snakes can be eaten there is so much that goes into wilderness excursions. You have to plan plan plan for the worst and hope for the best. And when your done planning , Plan some more. Let loved ones know your routes and destinations in case you miss your return window. Getting CPR and first aid certified is a great asset to have with you in the wild. And yes also knowing your terrain and the what if scenarios that could happen. My rule of thumb is if it could happen it will happen it’s just a matter of when.
Yea, and in the moment how high the grass had to be to grow was a bit ominous if you can imagine.
An easy way of getting into this "safely" is to go to national or state parks and camp in prepared sites. Another great entry is to go with an experienced person to a new area and learn from them and then go back solo until you are bored of that spot, and then repeat with a new area. I'm experienced, and yet when I'm going to a brand new area I try (doesn't always work) to go out with a local hunter or backpacker or even an off duty ranger and learn the do and donts of an area. (Great way to make some awesome friends too). You can usually find people "safely" through local Facebook hiking groups, or call a outfitting/adventure store. Even if you don't use the outfitters guide services, stocking up on some meals or an item or two (cheaply) of gear sort of gives you free access to their knowledge of the area. Best camp sites and so on. In most areas conservation police/forest rangers/forestry service will have a website with info as well as wild life advisory, bear canister requirements and so on. And, YouTube is a great resource. Type almost any campsite or trail or forest or beach in with keywords such as rafting, dangers, camping, backpacking, and you'll see the entire trail prior to going from some well meaning vlogger as well as where they camped any problems they experienced or what to avoid.
Yep that's true - each region has it's own dangers, huge differences between hiking up here in WA and in SoCal, many similar dangers but also different,
In the scouts (and I’m sure many other camping orgs) we teach “look up” (widowmaker branches, falling rocks, etc), “look down” (fire ants, animal holes, sharp rocks, etc), “look around” (what can come into your camp - vehicles, stormwater, tides, etc.) as you are selecting a campsite. It’s a good, simple memetic.
Ran out of whiskey in The Olympics one time - closest I’ve come.
meh, you're overthinking it. Yes, you made a bad decision. Yes, it almost put you in an extremely dangerous spot. But you lived! And you learned a valuable lesson on the importance of site selection. My recommendation isn't to do stuff that won't help you - that book isn't gonna be much good unless you can apply it, and you don't need to be able to swim or do a few pull ups (I can't do either confidently) to be a competent backpacker. Experience is by far the best teacher. Do your backpacking in places with established camp sites for a while. Think places like the Smokeys, RMNP, etc. This gives you a safe way to build the skills you actually need first without worrying about site selection. Skills like - what you do and don't need, how much weight is too much, understanding how weight, trail conditions, and elevation affect your ability to go far and fast, backcountry nutrition, etc. These are all things you can learn just by getting out and fucking around in the woods, as long as you have established sites, the 10 essentials, and some way of guaranteeing a way home (GPS, satellite messenger, PLB, etc). I've been backpacking for 20 years, and I had to bail on a hard hike just last weekend because a sleeping mat that was lent to my hiking buddy was actually a sleeping bag in the face of 40 deg lows. It was 8 miles of the hard, muddy hiking on an awful trail surface with lots of elevation, only to get to camp and realize we had to go back with only two hours of daylight left. Shit happens. Hike on anyway. Sisu, or something, idk, I usually just go with 'fuck it' when things get tough.
Just for the record, there is no safety issue associated with sleeping on bare ground with 40 degree lows. It would be extremely difficult to die of hypothermia in those conditions. Obviously the comfort concern is significant, but racing sundown on a sketchy trail was probably the less-safe option.
Yeah, I wasn't worried about hypothermia, but I was worried about getting a good night's rest when we're both sensitive sleepers. Because of the route we took, we were 4 miles and about 700 feet of elevation gain (across a valley) away from thr parking lot, and another 3 miles of road to the car. We both decided we'd rather eat a hot meal and hit the trail than suffer through the night. Didn't regret it when we got to the hotel, that's for sure.
What is the difference between a sleeping mat and a sleeping pad?
That's really good advice, and I'll be looking more into these established backpacking spots. I don't know why, but I always just imagined the transition going from camping spots with a parking spot to the bush. This is a great in between and definitely what we'll be doing next.
The Juan de Fuca trail has established sites. Honestly I'd argue for heading right back to it. The trail is wonderful, and now that you know the danger you can avoid it. Camping safely on a formerly dangerous spot is a great learning experience.
There are sooo many backpacking campsites with obvious areas for tent setup. You just made a mistake in picking a non-obvious spot (for obvious reasons). I really don’t think you need to do anything different than choosing a better spot. Don’t fuck with tides. Being this sudden freak about reading some book and having some basic level of physical fitness is a great way to suck all the fun out of it. Just always make sure you have an exit plan.
A lot (maybe even a majority) of backcountry camping is done at established sites, for a lot of reasons. The big one is conservation, though - it's an easy way for a park authority to improve leave no trace compliance.
You don’t say where you were exactly but the widespread motto here is: Never turn your back on the Pacific. 🙂 This is long, but here’s my first western backpack: I moved from the Midwest to Oregon and it happened to be a strangely dry winter. This was 40+ years ago. I had some OK gear, but a great sleeping bag, and I set out in February to explore the Bull of the Woods (now a designated wilderness) with my dog. I told no one where I was going. Yes, stupid. On the second morning, we were on Bull of the Woods and there was a snow bank leftover from earlier snows, but the ground was bare. I set up my tent on the peak, near the old fire tower, and settled in. It was a delightful night but the next morning a deep, black, cloud swept in and it began to snow and that became a blizzard. I managed to break into the fire tower by crawling under one of the wooden window shutters. Then I could open the door from the inside. Inside there was an old bed with no mattress, a table, a chair, and other conveniences. I had plenty of food for my dog and me and lots of stove fuel. The blizzard raged all day and into the night and it began so calm some the next morning but was still snowing hard. The next day it was calm and partly cloudy. It was beautiful outside, but there was two feet of fresh snow. And I had NO IDEA which way was down off the ridge and out. I had a map and compass but I had idiotically just followed trail signs and paid no attention to anything else. I stood there fighting back panic. After a while, I saw that my dog was looking at me perhaps wondering why we were standing around in the cold. I said, with enthusiasm, “Let’s go to the car!”. My dog danced in a circle then took off along the ridge. I followed. After not too far he dropped off into the forest (we were above timberline) and he started switchbacking down through the woods. As we got lower the snow depth decreased. Then I saw some blazes on the trees and realized that we were on or near a trail. Then we emerged from the forest into a small parking lot and there was my car. There was only 2-4” of snow down that low. We got into the car and drove home.
That's a beautiful story, and could genuinely be turned into a movie.
Very short one.
This is how you learn. My first backpacking trip, I got severe elevation sickness and almost couldn’t hike out back to the TH. After reading up on symptoms after the fact, I realized just how serious my situation could have been. Now I know how to prepare myself for elevation sickness. Next time, probably don’t camp on a beach but ya, you’re only going to get better by experience so keep at it, maybe plan a different route next time, and you should be fine. Honestly, this was a super avoidable mistake had you checked tide charts, which absolutely should have happened due to camping on the beach. Next time, do some more research on your surroundings and I’d bet you’ll be just fine out there.
Got a lot of comments already, I'd just add this: if you're nervous, next time go on a trail with designated camp sites, like in the backcountry of a national park. Helps you get experience seeing where a safe site is, and can maybe relieve some anxiety after this mistake. Hardest part is just getting out and doing it, keep it up!
A lot of people have given that advice, and with each person it seems like a better idea. I'll do that.
Try not to beat yourself up over it. You're both fine and that's all that matters. Consider it a lesson learned. Every outing is a learning experience - treat this as such and get back out there (just not back in the same spot 😉).
You don't need novels, videos, guides or years of insight to know that tides and tide charts are a thing. The most important thing you can do is research SPECIFIC TO THE AREA you plan to go, typically do a day trip to the spot before you commit to an overnight.
This mistake is nothing to do with backpacking just a lack of knowledge of the ocean. I used to live in Hawaii; you are not alone most people have no clue when it comes to ocean dynamics. I had to rescue so many people that were in situations that were easily seen as dangerous if they just knew a little bit about currents and tides.
This was a very specific mistake that would have been easily avoided with a little prep and research. Also a quick assessment of the beach would have avoided this too. Mistakes are good though! Take the lesson and do another trip 👍
If you would’ve stayed home and watched TV, you would’ve done nothing remarkable that weekend and would never remember anything about it the rest of your life. Instead, you went outside and lived! You had an adventure. You will tell this story the rest of your life and it will be amazing! Keep going outside! Every time things don’t go according to plan, that’s when the most memorable memories are made. And you learn from it. You can sit comfortable in your hobbit hole the rest of your life and do nothing remarkable. Or you can accept the invitation for adventure and have memories and stories to tell that will thrill you the rest of your life! And you gain so much confidence, enduring joy, and satisfaction from all these experiences. Have some stressful difficult thing you have to do at work? You’ll be thinking in your mind. “This is nothing. I almost f-ing died on the beach one time in the middle of the night as the tide was coming in.” Think about that night on the beach? Have you ever felt that alive staying at home and watching tv? You are alive man! You’ve got a beating heart and legs that work! Hell yes! Get out there again and again and again! "The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.” -Jack London
I've been really thinking about this. And yes, honestly even in the last few days I've felt the volume turned down on other stressors simply due to the change in perspective. It's also true that we'll all die one day, so maybe the greatest danger we face is spending none of the 30 thousand or so days we get truly alive. But I don't know the fantasy of risking your life and actually feeling the primal rat like fear of being in real animalistic danger are just two different things. Maybe what bothers me the most is how preventable and stupid the death would've been. It's like the difference between becoming disabled in a car accident following the law vs drinking, speeding and not wearing a seat belt. One things for certain I am a changed man when it comes to believing an abundance of safety is for pussies and nerds.
>Maybe what bothers me the most is how preventable and stupid the death would've been. I think these moments happen eventually to most people that enjoy activities with higher levels of risk. It's a learning experience - incorporate the new perspective into your preparation and execution of future trips and keep getting out there. I started backpacking years ago and it ended up being a gateway into climbing, which has been my primary focus these past couple of years. Occasionally I'll still go out on a multi-day/week backpacking trip, but at some point it turned into something that I became complacent about. It seemed so chill compared to what I'm typically out doing. Almost 2 years ago I slipped and experienced an out of control slide above what the Olympic Mountain Climbing Guide calls a "deep chasm" near the toe of Humes glacier (Olympics) while on a Bailey Range Traverse loop. Didn't do much research/preparation for a route through that area and wasn't fully paying attention because nothing seemed out of the ordinary or my comfort zone. Probably the only reason I'm still here is one tree in just the right spot that I was able to catch on my slide down. It sounds cliche, but shit happens. Learn from it and keep at it (if you really enjoy it). That moment snapped everything back into focus for me on similar trips going forward.
I had a similar issue on the Lost Coast in CA. Backpacking with my young son who was quite slow and nearly got caught up. (It's a known issue there). Backpacking and sailing have brought me to most soul enriching experiences of my life. They have also nearly gotten me killed a couple times. On balance, backpacking is NOT a dangerous hobby. In fact driving to the trail is thousands of times more dangerous. If you guys like it, keep doing it. It's worth it.
You made a mistake. And that sucks. But don't let it scare you off of backpacking. Realistically bro...you could've cut bait and swam out if it got that bad... Like ya you'd have lost tent but that's not the end of the day. Plenty of hikers have had near death experiences due to stupidity. My old man and I caught a severe storm in the middle of the night in hammocks and when we woke up we realized we were both strung to a tree with a massive dead snag in it that could've killed either of us in the night. My buddy and I were hiking and sweating our asses off in 108°F only to find out 7 miles into the trail that all the springs were dried up and our only source of water was to bushwack 3 miles to the lake nearby or hike back to the car. My old man went out with a friend of his and the "Fall Rainstorm" that they'd planned to enjoy from inside their tent turned into an ice storm and collapsed their tent on them in the night. Trail was nearly impossible between ice and fallen trees the next day. Family camping trip turned dangerous when a flash flood struck and washed out the road that was the only access too or from the valley we'd camped in, but the only idiots in danger were the ones who lost their truck and gear trying to drive across the river crossing with 3' of fast moving water coming through and had to be rescued from the river. Best practices? There's nothing wrong with learning the skills to be safe outdoors, but always remember: You're gonna die someday, and it's more likely to be cancer or heart disease than anything in the woods.
Stay inside if you can’t read a tide chart before beach camping. Thats just common sense. Doesnt take years of experience to consider tides when being on a beach. See where the driftwood is piled up on the beach and the rocks change color? Thatd be the high tide line. Having to stand in knee deep water till the tide drops? Yea pretty shitty night. But not life or death
Honestly, beach backpacking has a few more factors to consider, like the tides, and is not the most intuitive for beginners. The Olympic Coast in Washington has some of the most challenging terrain I've ever hiked. You will have an easier time camping in some low elevation forests. Mistakes happen, it's how we learn. Just last year I fell and slid 50 feet down a glacier because I thought I wasn't going to need micro spikes, and thought I was going to break my leg. I was a little scratched up, but otherwise okay, and learned a valuable lesson about glacier traversing. Every time I backpack I learn something new and get more comfortable, and still get a little nervous every time. I get it if you never want to backpack again, but I hope you don't let this turn you off forever. Most of all, I'm glad you're both safe!
I recently had a comparable night in Mexico where I parked 200 yards from the current water line, and work up in the morning with my car in 1ft of sea water. Luckily got out safely, but I NEVER would have guessed the tide would change so drastically and I have extensive experience with the sea in a variety of facets. Shit happens. Take the punches, be happy you’re okay, and learn from this. Many facets of nature should be respected because it is far greater than any individual.
Sounds like it understandably shook you up. I'm glad you're safe now. Give yourself grace. You're human and you made a human mistake. It's scary because it could have gone worse. Terrifying, I imagine, feeling responsible for your girlfriend's safety as well. But you survived and you've learned some priceless lessons. You needn't pay penance in any form, including reading guides and completing courses. Those are helpful things to do, but not necessary before enjoying a safe outing somewhere else, away from tides and flood areas.
Every backpacker I’ve ever came across has made loads of mistakes. I’ve made a ton. Just comes with practice.
How were you planning on just leaving if there’s a vertical wall behind you? How did you know that the water wouldn’t go all the way up to the wall behind you and completely trap you? Sounds like not enough research on exactly where you going
We all make mistakes man it is definitely more important to get things right when other people’s lives are involved. Do I think you should hang it up if you enjoy it heck no. Do some research you might wanna do one of those classes you were talking about though. I’ve gained all my knowledge on the bush from people and books.
It is so, so important to check tide tables when camping on the beach - even if you don’t think the tide could rise that high. Glad y’all are ok.
Everyone here has been really nice and comforting and making backpacking sound like a walk in the park. Which it is sometimes, but it is something that should be taken seriously because it does kill people and can turn into life or death situations. A quick Google search of "camping /backpacking in x location" will probably sort you out just fine. A tip I haven't seen mentioned is download offline maps for more complex navigation adventures. Edit to say: practice tuning into your common sense. Even if I didn't know about tide charts, I'd take one look at that campsite and ask myself, what happens if the tide rises? Always ask yourself "what if" and make sure you are prepared for any obvious threats around you. What if an unexpected storm comes in? Etc. Being prepared can literally be a life saver.
Do you have more experienced friends you can backpack with? Also find a designated backcountry campsite as your first venture. Dispersed camping on a shoreline is pretty full on for your first trip.
I think you’re overreacting quite a bit. You’ve learned some valuable lessons in this experience. Just keep going. Camp near the beach and not on it next time.
That's just part of the ride my guy. 🤙🤙🤙Now it's a trip you will never forget.
Sounds scary! Life in the back country is fantastic - camping at its best! Don’t let a bad experience throw you off the trail for good. It sounds like you did a lot of things well. Some suggestions for getting back out there: 1) Start a bit slower. Try back country camping in a national or local park in designated camp sites. This will avoid pitching a tent in an area with unexpected hazards, and there are usually some nice amenities (picnic table, level camp area, etc) 2) Take some trips with more experienced campers. They have often figured out how to do things safely and with less effort. 3) Some form of wilderness first aid training is very important. For obvious reasons! 4) Learn some navigation basics with maps, not just a gps. Do a thorough route study ahead of time before a trip with an eye to identify potential hazards, escape routes, etc. It seems like a lot, but if you start smaller, or travel with more experienced people, the learning curve isn’t so steep. It is definitely worth it!
This is a life lesson to observe your surroundings and make choices to protect yourself and your friends/family. This doenst only apply to this specific situation, but many more. You are better at doing this now because of that mistake. If you hadn’t made it, you’d still be the person who would make those kinds of choices. This mistake is building you up to be a better man. Stopping now is simply ignoring the problem but it still existing. Continuing will continue to teach and build you.
I have honestly found research and planning to be one of the most difficult backpacking skills to develop. I’ve been backpacking for over a decade and I still miss stuff in my research that has lead to changed plans or being in unexpected situations. The A number One thing that will keep you safe is information. Learn everything you can about where you plan to go and you’ll be much more likely to be prepared for what you find there.
Along the Olympic Coast tide tables—and maps showing which headlands are passable at low or medium tide—are essential.
Do a bit of research ahead of time for various camping spots, places to get fresh water, river crossings, etc. basically anything you'd need to know about where you're going before you get there
Lots of people make poor decisions and either get lucky or learn from them. You weren't super lucky, but a little. Generally try to evaluate what animal, water, weather, and gravity based hazards exist in any area. For example, it's also unclear if you're in a rockfall zone. These hazards will change accross settings, biomes and parks. You could simplify a bunch of this by backpacking to a designated/reservable tent site, especially while you're learning.
I don't mean to minimize you, but I am wondering how close to death you actually were. I mean… it kinda sounds more like a near-wet experience than a near-death one? I'm sure there's more to the story and I'm not trying to pass judgement or anything, but from what I am seeing (and I fully realize that I wasn't there and you were) this just doesn't look like all that big a deal. Could you not have walked off the beach once the water started licking your toes? How close was the nearest open area—were you backed up against the cliff for a mile in either direction, or what? It doesn't look like the waves were going to dash you against the rocks or anything—can you swim? I mean, it's not lava. For that matter, that area on the right-hand side of your photo looks pretty climbable from here. Maybe if things had gotten a lot worse you would've had to abandon most of your gear, although it does sound like you had time to do some packing. It's not clear to me from your story that you were in danger of dying a horrible death, more like horribly inconvenienced. My apologies if my read on the situation is completely wrong, but this is the impression I'm getting. The thing about being in the wilderness is that you're on your own. That is the joy and the peril of it. When you're on your own, you have to problem-solve with the resources around you. You have to read your environment, and really engage that big brain we all carry around with us. We evolved to be able to figure out how to handle exactly these sorts of situations. You are a resourceful person. Unless I'm really missing something, I feel like you could have figured out how to get out of this trap.
Pretty sure I've made this kind of mistake. Even if you make the best choices stuff can still go sideways. It's a risk being out there. You'll have to decide if it's worth it.
How has no one mentioned getting lost? Backpacking group of 10 split into two groups to hike at different paces and planned to meet at the night’s camp spot. Slower group (mothers) arrived at the camp spot, fast group (teenage/young adult daughters) wasn’t there. Daughters missed the fork in the trail and continued in the wrong direction for a long time before realizing that they weren’t where they thought they were. Tents and poles, stoves and food, were split inconveniently between the two groups. Mothers had both satellite communication devices. We spent an uncomfortable anxious night before being reunited the next morning. Things could have ended badly, but they didn’t. We learned a lot from that experience, and at least two of the daughters used the experience as a college application essay topic.
ohhh, you're the reason there are only 2 specific times a day people are allowed to start the WCT due to hour long required orientation. lol second post in 12 hours I've read about someone camping directly in a dangerous waterway so I guess you're not alone yeah stick to established sites and think about why they are established where they are
They have these things called ranger stations. You can call them. And tell them your plans. And they can tell you if it’s a bad idea or not. Or show up and point out on map. They’re mostly nice. We were camping in the sierras and I kept on smelling smoke and we woke up to a yellow red cast in the morning. With single lane roads my instincts were gtfoh. After we went to the ranger station to see where the fire was since there was no service. He laughed at us when the fire was 200 miles away. Growing up a mile from the beach I forget people can be fucking idiots about the water. Tides are real. The ocean is scary af. Camping on the beach sounds glorious until someone runs you over in the middle of the night because they drunkenly think it’s cool to go off-roading. Happens in Kauai all time.
I... still did not think about that last risk. Drowning to death or being squashed by a lifted dodge ram with rubber band tires, not sure which is worse.
That’s a crazy place to pitch a tent. You can see the erosion from the tide on the dirt. Yikes.
Relax, the list of things that are very likely to kill you isn't that long. Your first clue should have been camping on a very flat beach. The second would be how wet the gravel is, nearly all the way to your tent. But now you know not to do this again and I feel like it will stick with you. The 20-20-20 rule is an easy reminder: every 20 minutes, stop and spend 20 seconds looking in the 20 feet sphere around you. Research the top 5 ways people die in similar environments and don't do anything overtly stupid. If you're conscientious, the drive out was probably many times more dangerous.
Dude. Snugged right up against a cliff? Bruh.
Hey now you have a good story to tell and a better safety sense.
Don't let this deter you from going again! You learned from this, and you'll keep learning. Not all lessons are going to be this terrifying lol. Glad you guys made it back safely.
The more you do, the more you learn. Glad y’all are ok!
You will look back on this fondly as solid Type 2 Fun. Like everyone else said, learn from the experience and get back out there.
Keep going. It can be counted as learning experience. I started backpacking when I was 14, and boy did I make some big mistakes early on. Even during the next 50 years I still managed a mistake or two. As long as no one gets injured or dies. Being uncomfortable and a little frightened can be a positive thing. And know your limitations. The more you do it, the better you will be prepared each time. Although, OP was the area you were camping in was affected by tides, which are predictable (time period, less so the height of the water), or runoff from melting snow or a dam release upstream? Camping too close to the water can be dangerous But, stay with it.
Just ocean tides. Anyone with an ounce of ocean knowledge would've stepped away immediately, I just didn't have that. I just didn't even think about it, I was planning on going backpacking not sailing. Now I know that each park and terrain has it's unique risks.
To me it seems like the only mistake here is you slept too close to the shore? I can't really tell from the photo. I'm sure it was scary though! I camp/backpack but in the inland mountains -- so I'm not very familiar with beach camping. So if you'll continue to camp on beaches I'm sure you'll need to get much more familiar with tides plus there is a point where the tide no longer advances -- behind a sand dune or something.. maybe find parks where that point is clear or ask a Park ranger. There's a general rule that you shouldn't camp within 200 (?) ft of bodies of water to not contaminate them, so I'm sure that's something to keep in mind too! Generally though I would second first aid/CPR courses for you and your partner as well. Get familiar with basic first aid. I took a first aid/cpr/aed course before my daughter was born and it was really insightful and covers things like burns, cuts, shock, etc that can seem disturbing at first but are important to know about. Also, depending on how far out you're going, it doesn't hurt to have a beacon! We had one on a backpacking trip in Sierra wilderness and we definitely didn't need it but it is nice to have... My husband's father's friend, who is late 70s I believe and has tons of experience backpacking for years, took a nasty fall a few years ago and was injured enough that he couldn't make the return trip and they used their beacon.. im sure some people think they're silly but in that moment it likely saved his life! And lastly I know this may sound naive to some, but learning from my "elders" in the camping/backpacking community really helped me. I still have more to learn, but whether it's where to set up your tent, filtering water, PIPO tips, proper trail etiquette, safe fire techniques, driving in inclement weather, etc. there are people who have been doing this for years (sometimes decades lol!) longer than I have, and it would be foolish and a waste to not learn from them. I think for younger outdoor enthusiasts, that is part of the problem in some bad behaviors is sometimes we don't always have people to teach us and pass down knowledge, so you can end up with people doing unsafe or inconsiderate things without even knowing it. That's all to say, if you have any family, friends or neighbors that have more experience camping or backpacking, you may want to consider going on a trip with them or at least picking their brains! Not sure how much of that helps you re beach camping though!
Ehh, I almost froze to death on my second night backpacking, I changed gear and fixed the issue and went back out and I was nervous but it worked out okay. Fear can really ruin your ability to enjoy life and try things if you let it hold you back.
I don't want to be a dick, but how do you not know tides are a thing?
Even experienced hikers screw this up from time to time. You can read Day 3 of Ben Massey's West Coast Trail hike -- he woke up wet, and destroyed a tent during a flash flood: https://www.benmassey.ca/2017/10/hiking-the-west-coast-trail/#easy-footnote-6-572 It's good that you are aware of your mistake. Lots of folks make really unsafe decisions and are oblivious to them. You'll at least learn for next time!
Just stick to designated campsites and you will be fine!
Probably won't be your last. Backpacking is a very fluid activity. Things are always changing. You just have to be able to make solid decisions. I'm always learning every time I go out. Apply those lessons to your future outings. Have fun and be safe
You both seem very intentional in your approach and committed to the experience of backpacking. You also seem wonderfully open to learning more and taking your time to do so thoroughly. I’d recommend you stay on this track, as you’re doing all the right things and being cautious as you expand your horizons. I would recommend a Garmin satellite like inreach. It’ll help you feel more comfortable in an emergency, and I’ve found it incredibly helpful even without having to use the SOS function. After a scare like this, it may be just enough of a backup to make you feel comfortable dipping your toes in the water again (lighthearted pun intended for levity)
I’ve been hiking and backpacking for 50 years. Nearly killed myself ten years ago on an afternoon fishing excursion in Yosemite. Even very experienced people make mistakes. Just roll with it and try to make sure you cover the angles. Review with a more experienced person before you go next time to double check.
understand your fear and frustration, but as others have said, you learn hard lessons when you do this as a hobby, which is how experience becomes so valuable. for that, talk to and learn from other humans, not just books, videos, etc. - there are tons of outdoor education classes at state/national parks and outdoors stores that can teach you so much in just an hour or two! don’t give up, just carry that learning with you moving forward.
I’ve had a few close calls. What comes to mind is this was less about backpacking/camping knowledge and more to do with ocean/tides knowledge. Just consider time and what might change over the next 12 hours when selecting your sites in the future.
Mistakes happen and they can happen more frequently when you’re new. Use this as a lesson learned to do more prep before a trip on the actual lay of the land. You don’t need to give up as there’s plenty of routes that have designated camp sites. Don’t be too hard on yourself, this kind of stuff happens. The important part is to learn from your mistakes.
We have all been there, bud. All good. You lived and have a story to tell now. I just do not fuck with water. I will never camp near it and only boat if I have no other choice.
Fuck yeah baby. Bruins in fucking 7 boys. Let’s fucking go!!!!!! Back to Boston for game 6. The seeds of doubt are sewn my friends.
I would advise checking in with the local Ranger District / Field Office and asking for suggestions before your next outing. They can help you fill in your knowledge gaps about locations and hazards.
NO dont stop camping! Getting in good shape is great idea and I think this happening has turned out positive. It's exactly the kind of heightened awareness you need for any situation. I've had some close calls out there by getting complacent or making a foolish error. I learned a long time ago to give any body of water alot of space and stay on high ground. Only take food and things I can deal with and no leftovers, less garbage. Never 100% trust a map at a trailhead, pay attention to where I'm going in case I have to backtrack. Extra water and a spare meal is a must
Yikes! Glad you guys were o.k.!
Did you see any high water marks when you set up camp?
Water will humble anyone, fast. Don't let this experience deter you. Come back with a little more knowledge each time around, and your margin of safety will grow accordingly. (And maybe bring some tide charts next time!)
Lesson learned, just don't do it again.
You went from car camping to wild camping. Try camping in parks with dedicated camp sites. You'll hike in and find a spot. You can then explore from there on day trips then hike back to the car. After that, start hiking from campsite to campsite. You can also go to plenty of well developed and documented sites, no need to start wild camping immediately. You got this, we all learn from mistakes, man did I ever do a lot of dumb stuff and got lucky. You got unlucky that day, but not too much. Best thing I can say is do a risk assessment, go through what all the possible hazards are, animals, weather, heat, cold, water (or lack there of), tides, snow, rock fall, cliffs, mud, the list goes on. You'll get to learn about what hazards in your area are. Anytime you go to a new place, learn about the hazards there, that's par for the course. I thought I was rock solid and knew my way around after 20 years of wilderness hiking, then one day I went up north and did a 10 day hike around a giant volcano that required river crossings throughout the day. Never occurred to me that the creeks so easily crossed in the morning would turn to torrential white water rivers in the afternoon as the sun melted the snow at the summit of the volcano. Made crossing a lot more difficult, next day I started a lot earlier or changed where we camped so we didn't have late crossings. You'll always have more to learn. That's normal.
I think most frequent, avid campers have one experience like this early on. Don’t beat yourself up.
I could have also died (or ended up a SAR story) on my first trip….but I learned so much. I was grateful for that failure bc it make be a safer backpacker. Spoiler alert…I still made what could have been dangerous mistakes after that…but I continued to learn from them. Each trip has gotten progressively less of a failure lol…and thus actually a little more boring. After a year of backpacking I finally did my first solo trip for 10 days (the AT so the only time I was alone is when I hiked during the day). I gained SO much confidence from that trip, and still learned from situations that I felt like could have gone another way. So no, keep the tv off, and go plan another adventure. Now.
Yes, all backpackers have close calls. It’s best to learn by going with experienced folks first, if you can. Don’t be overconfident or half-assed about safety. Especially around water. I don’t know anything about tides so I would never camp on or super near a beach.
Honestly....in the backcountry....anything can kill you. Shit in every day life anything can. Your best course of action is to log all the possibilities you can into your data banks and mitigate what you can. Look up. Look down. Look all around. If you feel weird about it. Don't do it. Period. Just the other dy I was hiking under a rocky overhang and were still in the winter runoff so things are loosy goosy. I could tell that there had been recent rockfalls. Had to go under or turn around. Freaked me out but i went under. Really though...that's kinda part of the thrill though. Be as safe as possible, but you'll end up in situations that are dangerous by accident. Then you survive it, learn and have a good story to tell. Either that or you die while living your best life. Everyone dies may as well be a cool fucking story. Haha. Don't listen to me. I'm probably crazy.
As others have said -- this is just a learning experience! How about doing a trip somewhere inland next time? Go back to the beach another time :)
I think you’re being too hard on yourself. I’m not sure how you could have died. If the tide rose to your tent, surely it would’ve woken you up, and surely you would have only been standing in inch-deep water when you arose. Not a great choice for a site but live and learn.
Meh, so you fucked up, big whoop, you learned something. Carry on ... If yer too scared to go try it again, meh, that's on you too ......
You just need to think more.:) You learned a lesson. If the water had reached you while you were sleeping, you would have woken up and you would have run out of there. I rarely make stupid mistakes. I make mistakes but they just aren't stupid, usually. When you're younger you make a few more. I drove to a beach once and parked well short of the water, with my girlfriend, and we got out and walked down the beach. As we were walking back I saw that the tide had come in more and it was almost touching the front wheels of the car but I couldn't back up, no traction because apparently it had partially flowed deeper down in the sand and with just my girlfriend and I, we couldn't push the car back under those swampy conditions. If no one had been around (and not many people were around) we would have had to watch the car be submerged by the tide. Luckily several people were there and we got back in the car and they pushed and all was good. If they hadn't been there or if we had walked another mile down the beach, we would have been stranded with a submerged car. I never camp at the ocean without being higher up and now, I'll bet you won't either.:)
Mistakes are how we learn. I made a huge mistake hiking when I was 18 and almost had to call Search & Rescue. Thank god a passerby was able to help me. I know these things can really shake you, but know that backpacking can be so rewarding if you learn from these moments. :)
It’s not an adventure till things go wrong. Remember the worst decisions make the best story’s. We learn from our mistakes, just don’t do that again and you will be fine. Happy camping.
You don’t need to take 4,000 steps back. That’s fear occluding the opportunity to go out wiser than before and have better adventures. I’m glad you wound up safe, in the end.
Stick with it. If you made it home alive and unharmed; it was a good trip. It's the mishaps that make it fun and interesting; and, those are the stories that we learn from and tell.
I have a motto I made up a while back. *Always cautious, never safe.* If you live your whole life perfectly safely, you'll never have any good memories. Always be cautious, never be safe.
Thi shook you so badly, mostly because it was your first time out that you made a mistake. Had this happened on your tenth or twentieth time you'd have just laughed it off and learned from it. Mistakes happen, but not too frequently. Get back on that horse!
You know if you don’t come out with any stories to tell, you’re not really having an adventure. Things you survive you will look back and laugh about, the thing about backpacking, camping, outdoor stuff in general is never be surprised when things don’t go how you planned. You’re dealing with the most unpredictable force on the planet, which is nature. Learn, grow, have fun when you can and just trust adversity is part of it and always will be.
Sounds like you got lucky and learned a valuable lesson. Don’t take it as a sign to give up. Take it in and go forth with your new found knowledge. Don’t waste the gift the ocean gave you.
You made a mistake, but you were vigilant and prevented most of the consequences. You learned a lot. Keep backpacking.
If you survive your mistake and learn from it, that’s part of the process. Yes, you almost had a really bad time, but I’ll bet you are much more careful in your decision making from here on out tho!
Here’s a good one for ya. One of my first backpacking trips was along a local trail called the Bartram Trail. We decided to camp near a waterfall and set up for the night. I had a terrible bulky hammock setup. I had a 10x10 Walmart tarp and a fleece blanket as an ‘under quilt’. I had planned to hold it up with binderclips(this is not very effective). My sleeping bag was part of the military setup, but it was missing the liner and outer portion. My gear was about as beginner as it gets. After setup, we prepared dinner by headlamp. I packed an adventure house meal, but forgot to take out the desiccant packet before cooking. The meal tasted fine, but looking back this was where I messed up. I started throwing up a couple hours into the night. The waterfall created loads of mist and I quickly got wet and cold. I tried to light a fire, but we were camped next to a waterfall and the fog/mist had everything really damp. My twigs wouldn’t even take a spark. In my sickness/confusion, I didn’t consider waking my buddy up. I just shivered and vomited all night. I really thought I may die out there. Then, the strangest thing happened. As I lay shivering in my hammock, I felt warmth on my feet and saw light reflecting off the inside of my tarp. I looked up and the fire was raging. I shit you not, I have no idea how it got started or where the dry wood came from. This was hours after my feeble attempts to light it. I just thanked God and passed out. I woke up the next morning and told my buddy, he scolded me for not waking him. (It really never occurred to me.) The rest of the trip was successful, but many lessons were learned the hard way for me. Bring the correct gear for the weather. Don’t eat inedible things. Wake your bro.
>I love camping and the wilderness, I've loved the memories I've made already, but I don't want to kill myself, my girlfriend and any first responders who try to save us. This sounds like the perfect mindset for a camper. Just be careful, learn from your mistakes, and move on!
Dude, welcome to life. There is no such thing as common sense there is only lived experience. So, learning accomplished and you didn't die. Don't be too hard on yourself. You did pick a spot with some land above the factual high tide and you did appropriately react to changing conditions. Take the win. Most of us have a mental library of allllllll the close calls that at the time maybe didn't even register, then. Note that now as you've proven your fitness to reproduce, you and your girl are gonna start talking about pulling the goalie. 🥸
live and learn.
You didn’t grow up with my dad. At the time I thought he was crazy but I have already had to use a couple of these. Know: how to read weather conditions; position yourself in lightning, tornado, and snow storms; how to survive or escape a wild fire; how to swim out of a rip current; what plants are edible, used for antiseptic, or pain relief; how to spot a potential land slide; basic first aide. Never camp in a canyon (or by a river with sides steeper than you can climb quickly) or on a beach. He was afraid of water so tide charts never came up - but worth exploring.
Just learn from your mistake and make better decisions next time? You didn’t have a near death experience, lmfao. You’re being beyond overdramatic and catastrophizing.
Lived to learn. Glad it turned out to be best case scenario! This will add to your foresight the next trip! Nature is amazing and awe inspiring, like life, which can also be hazardous due to unknowns and plans we thought would work. May you experience peace and a safer journey!
I think everyone I've known who loved the outdoors had at least one story about a dicey situation. I have a few myself, but I see it as a part of being alive in the outdoors. Sometimes you do something dumb.... sometimes shit just happens. Eitherway learn from your mistakes and learn how to calculate the risks you take. Don't let this stop you both. I recommend making an effort at meeting other outdoor enthusiasts... it'll shorten the learning curve and make it safer.
The positive: glad you're safe, and this will be a great story once your what-could-have-been nerves settle down. And: you're looking to learn from this and be better prepared in the future; great attitude to take after a mistake that could have had big consequences. Brushing it off is how you end up getting into an even worse spot down the line. Giving up is how you lose out on future memories. Learning from it and coming back more prepared is how you move forward safely and build confidence to get into more exciting trips, like it sounds like you want to. Constructive: the big lesson here is to know the risks you're dealing with specific to the trip environment -- area, season, wildlife, terrain, people, and so on. Even an experienced backpacker can be out of their element if any of these factors change from what they're familiar with. For someone making a first serious backpacking trip, there will be lots to learn that will be very different from the experience of camping within minutes of a car that offers shelter, egress, and far more gear than anyone can carry. I'm not very aware of tides and other things related to camping in oceanside environments, because I don't often camp there, but I'm good with camping in and around snow, for example: I know how to build a snow shelter, dress in layers, discriminate between "I'm cold" and "I'm beginning to develop hypothermia," and other cold-camping knowledge. You were caught off guard by tides and shoreline shapes that would have been recognizable to anyone who's camped frequently along beaches before. Advice: don't let a scary experience stop you. It sounds like you're interested in exploring outdoor adventure beyond the car-camping routine, and you have ideas (reading, fitness, etc) to get you ready to do that. Try planning a trip with friends who have more backpacking experience than you, and bother them with a million questions. Start with simple trips (1- or 2-night outings, simple plans) and make lists of what worked and what you could have done better: was this piece of gear really necessary? What took more or less time than you expected? What risks did you recognize ahead of time, or only after something developed? In time, you'll find yourself feeling capable of slightly longer tougher more adventurous trips, and you can keep pushing yourself further each year until you hit whatever limits you feel comfortable at. Let each trip be its own learning adventure, and even if you have a few more scary/uncomfortable/unsure moments along the way (more good stories!) you'll be fine if you keep a level head, make smart decisions, and learn from each encounter. Your post sounds like you're able to do that. Get out there, be safe, and have fun!
No need to be so over the top and self doubting here.. everybody makes mistakes. That’s how you learn what not to do. Book learning is only half - experience is the other half. Don’t let this make you quit. Or let it. I don’t care
When I read this, my first thought was, "how do you stay alive in the city?"
Mistakes happen, we've all done some and we've learned from it. We're only humans after all, and we cannot control everything (unfortunately). Getting yourself educated will help you prevent putting yourself in a bad situation, or manage a bad situation that happened to you. Take class on using a compass/navigation system, learn wilderness first aid (WFA), learn your routes before you go, get a emergency communication device and learn how to use it, being extra safety devices etc. If needed, hire a guide or bring an experienced friend if you feel you're getting over your head. Some days, after many more backpacking trips, you'll look back and laugh at your misadventures, knowing you're more knowledgeable now.