@Bruce - true, but I can return it even after it's used for a year. Honestly, I'd like to avoid buying stuff right now.

@glatt - Amazon says 7 pounds. Honestly, it's not really the weight that worries me (I'm stronger than I seem ;) ), it's the ease of carry. The tent isn't made to pack down small. It's long, fat and awkward in the case. Maybe a stuff sack would help. I have a duffel bag, but I don't know what the trail is like. I've asked in my hiking groups, though.

It's not until November, so I have some time to play around. Maybe I'll pack everything in the duffel and see how it does. I can walk around the local park. There's a .4 mile trail I can do twice to see if I can carry it.

Is the tent in its own nylon bag? If so, just strap it to the outside of your duffel.

It's not ideal to have lots of loose stuff swinging around on the outside of your pack, but for a mile, you can tolerate just about anything. My daughter a year ago carried two gallon jugs of water in her hands to a hike in site a mile from the lot. It looked uncomfortable, but she said it was no big deal.

It's in a bag. Not a very nice/good bag, but a bag. Just about everything is in some sort of bag or can be. I love putting things in things. It's just that then you have a bunch of bags of things that need to be put in a bigger thing.

The good news, I suppose, is that I was actually looking to get a bigger pack for winter hiking (I need the room for the extra layers). I only have a 20L now. Maybe this is the perfect excuse to buy another one!

I was gonna suggest a frame pack. For all those things inside things.

I used a frame pack in the Boy Scouts that my mother bought for me. ( I never appreciated her enough) I used it alot as the troop camped twice a month. It really came in handy at Philmont. Maybe find a used pack from a former scout. Most hikers on the AT have a bell jingling on the pack for bears. Bears will be concentrating on a log or berry patch and are upset at a surprise hiker. Someone is behind a door jumps out and scares you. They are laughing, are you happy?

Crowder Mtn is a beautiful place. I hope you take advantage of what is there.

Ugh - I just don't know. I am really tempted to rent just to make it easier on myself. I also kind of like the idea of hiking everything in with a big duffel so I can say I am strong like bull :sweat:

But, I just got my new air mattress which is 8 pounds. Plus the tent at 7 pounds. Plus the clothes and sleeping bag and food.

Maybe if I walk around with it once a week from now until then, I'll be strong enough :lol2:

Amazon sells basic generic backpacking packs for under $40. They aren't the best by a long shot, but they will get you there.

I'm a fan of buying good quality things that will work for a long time, but at the same time, a mediocre pack for $40 that will easily handle a mile hike in to a site might be good to have on hand. It will at least teach you enough about what you like and don't like. You'll learn what to look for in a real pack.

You have rope. You can lash the tent and pad to the top of the pack if they don't fit inside. Or carry one under each arm. A mile is only half an hour. You can do that.

I checked out the park at the link you provided and looked at it in Google Earth. The trail to the camping area is pretty much all wooded with a little bit of up and down, but not much. Looks like a nice place, and the trail that goes to the bluffs looks really cool. After dropping your stuff off at the site, you should check that out.

Maybe I am just grumpy today, but it seems to me that camping and walking a mile (or many) to get there is sort of what humans did with little fanfare for 99% of our time here.

An eight pound air mattress!?

Betcha only use that on one backpacking trip.

Don't forget the trail-mix...

I prefer external frame frame packs as well. They're just a lot handier for packing and you don't need to go down the rabbit hole of super expensive compressed gear.

An 8lb air mattress is a little heavy better to buy a roll up foam mattress. Go to Walmart and buy the container of bungee cords for strapping sleeping pad, tent and sleeping bag to the pack.

@glatt - I'm like you. I hate buying something that is not good quality. I cheaped out on the tent and I'm pretty sure it already has holes. I'll look into them, but since it is one trip, I'm leaning towards muscling it or rent. I am also asking the one friend I have that may have a bigger pack I can borrow. Then, I'll figure out the rest as I go.

@BigV - it is only supposed to be for car camping, but to offset the cost, I'm taking the smaller/lighter air pad back to the store. Also, I was kind of joking :)

@Bruce - already done - http://cellar.org/showpost.php?p=1013200&postcount=316

The funny thing is that the more money you spend on a tent, the lighter it will be and the easier it will be to get holes because the fabric will be thinner and lighter.

But, I wonder if that's just for backpacking tents? Regular camping tents don't usually worry about weight since you aren't hauling for a while.

Good News everyone! My one friend has a pack big enough for 3+ days AND is willing to let me borrow it! I'm excited. I'm going to try to sleep in the hammock this weekend, but it might just be too cold for that by then. I'll need to carry in the tent and I have a cheapo sleeping pad I always forget about that I can use. The rest of it should fit in the pack!!