For our first adventure Taz and I will be going on a week long journey into Forbes state forest by Laurel Summit PA. Which is a great starter area for anyone looking to try their hand at primitive camping. Here is a link to the rules that cover camping in Forbes. (https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-forests/find-a-forest/forbes/camping )
Our plan for this trip is to do 3 days of hiking and 1 day of rest and 3 more days of hiking. We will be winging the exact route given our knowledge and experience in the area. We plan to do 4 to 5 miles a day for this first trip! Our eventual goal is to get up to 10 miles + a day when we do the Appalachian Trail. For those hiking enthusiasts out there that doesn’t seem very much distance to cover. However, Taz happens to have tiny little adorable legs! so quit judging!
Our main goal in this trip is to field test the gear we bring, see what we use and what more we may need for longer trips. Food will be a large part of this, both rationing and foraging for additional resources. We will be bringing enough food for 10 days for both me and Taz. During this trip I would like to try foraging and making food from edible plants. Not mushrooms though! I don’t have nearly enough experience with identifying the edible variety to do this safely. I will definitely be getting my revenge on stinging nettle by eating their kind! I will put some references below to show some of the plants I would like to try.
We are also going to be trying different tarp configurations for dealing with rain and storms. Its important to be able to set them up quickly when out in the field. remember proper preparation prevents piss poor performance!
Gear List
Here is the list of the gear we are bringing to the field.
2 tarps
1 ground cover
1 poncho
1 med kit ( customized)
1 water bottle with filter
1 extra filter
1 gear repair kit (needles string and patches)
1 sling shot with spare band
1 pouch of clay ammo for slingshot
1 Firestarter kit ( 4 pieces of fatwood, lighter and ferro rod)
TOOLS
1 auger
1 smaller hand drill
1 marokniv bush knife
1 collapsible saw
1 whittling kit! (finger tape, sand paper, jack knifes for whittling!)
1 sharpening stone
1 leather strop
1 collapsible shovel
1 Gerber multitool
1 grill
1 collapsible stove
1 meal kit with cooking utensils
1 large bush craft knife (alternative to bringing an axe)
1 survival fishing kit (line, weights hooks and bait)
1 bottle of camp soap (biodegradable soap FTW!)
1 collapsible mug and bowl
1 kindle (reading is fundamental)
1 battery bank power charger
my field journal!
SLEEP GEAR
1 0 degree bag
2 30 degree blankets
1 ground matt
1 sleeping bed for Taz (even though he just steals mine)
CLOTHES
1 hoodie
2 tshirts
2 long sleeve shirts
1 sweat pants (to sleep in comfort!)
2 pairs of pants
5 pairs of socks
FOOD
a half quart bag of rice
a bottle of chicken bullion cubes
10 pouches of protein chicken bone broth
a pack of little Cesar’s meals for taz (yes he will have treats and share my food!)
a quart bag mixed with dehydrated fruit melody and nuts for lunch
10 pouches of Kodiak maple syrup oatmeal (these have 12 grams of protein)
Wish us luck in our first adventure!
The-field-journal 
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