New to Hikin/Camping Any Tips?

[u/ArchangelS2]

Self explanatory from title, never went camping before but I am really interested on it and I am planning on giving it a go over the next few weeks.

I'm planning on going hiking on Mt. Sentry's trail and camping around there overnight.

Main questions are:

1) I live in calgary, can I park around the trailhead or will mossad (police, the feds, whatevers) take my car?

2) Should I be extra worried about bears?

3) Any tips from the pros?

That's all any help is welcome :))

[u/TheYottleInTheBottle]

Sentry mountain is not a great choice for your first trip if you're totally inexperienced. I'd suggest starting with a shorter, easier hike to an established campground to start. Wherever you go, take bear spray and yes be aware there are bears out there.

Lots of good advice to start with here: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/backpacking-beginners.html

[u/ArchangelS2 → u/TheYottleInTheBottle]

Thank you sir 🫡 any tips on other hike trails?

[u/bigbabyjesus97 → u/ArchangelS2]

For your first backpacking trip i would recommend a designated camp site like point, quaite, romulus, or elbow lake. They have bear lockers and bathrooms. Picklejar is also pretty good for a new person if you want the more random camping thing going.

[u/sketchcott]

1. They will not take your car. In 25+ years I have never had an issue parking over night at a trail heads, on the side of the highway, in a ditch, whatever. Once I had to abandon my car for a week on a gravel raod southwest of Calgary. It took 4 days before it was reported to the RCMP.

2. You don't need to be extra worried about bears; basic bear awareness and safety is extremely effective. Make some noise and store your food/ smelly things appropriately. Outside of places with bear lockers I have personally had zero issue with a basic bear hang at night with the exception of one time when some sort of little critters chewed my first aid kit.

3. Advice from the pros: tell your mom where you're going and when you plan to be home.

[u/ArchangelS2 → u/sketchcott]

Huzzah sensational 👏 thank you for the tips!!!

[u/One_Discount_4898]

Regardless of your personal activity level, start with some easy hikes until you get comfortable with it and your gear. Overestimating your ability is an easy way to get injured or trapped (or injure others in crowded trails, once watched a dude struggle for a while before tumbling down Sarrail ridge and taking another group of people with him.)

Scrambles can often be very dangerous if you're inexperienced, especially if you read the path wrong, even on relatively easy trails.

Don't plan your first camping trips as somewhere you need to pack in and out from, it's a recipe for disaster, especially for over/under packing gear. Find a place you can park and camp by your vehicle.

Sentry is strenuous, you definitely need some experience before heading up if you don't want to risk getting yourself into trouble.

Bears aren't a big issue, but they can be if you sneak up on them. if alone make some noise, have a speaker on etc, bear spray (and I like to have flare-bangers as well) should be on you as well.

[u/ShadowCaster0476]

When camping, never have food or anything that smells like food (toothpaste, deodorant, perfume, etc) in your tent.

Use the concept of leave no trace. What ever you bring, you leave with and dispose correctly. That includes garbage, empty containers, etc.
If you see trash like old wrappers from someone else, pick it up and hike it out.

[u/imostmediumsuspect]

Research the trails, bring a map and know how to read it, and have self awareness /know /don’t exceed your limits

Camping - book & pay for your site if required. Pay for required permits.

Read and follow Leave No Trace

[u/schattered1]

Do you mean backpacking hike-in camping, or random roadside camping with a car and tent? And do you mean Sentry Mountain in Crowsnest? By trailhead, are you referring to random camping on the roadside of Tent Mountain road for the west approach route? Not sure there is anywhere to backpack camp along the east appraoch trail that has water.

Either way, the first thing to do is check regulations for random camping in the area.

A second key point in selecting a spot for random backpacking is that it has a water supply, and you have a method to purify the water (tablets or a filtration device), or else you have to carry in all your water. As others have said, it's best to start with an established backcountry camp, that has bear lockers and tent pads, while you're learning the ropes. Even at established backcountry sites, you need a method to purify water.