I have been slowly purchasing all of my backpacking gear over the last month, but unfortunately realized I have no friends who want to adventure with me. I hike a lot, but have almost no camping experience, so I have been too scared to head out on my own.
I was looking at guide companies in Southern California but all looked a little too intense for me. I feel very lucky to have come across Andrew @ The Backpacking Coach. His guided one-nighter geared completely towards teaching beginners was exactly what I needed for my first time backpacking.
He went over basically everything I could have ever wanted to know. Andrew went through all of my and the other students' gear, talking about the pros and cons of everything, as well as making suggestions for upgrades when applicable. He also showed us all of his gear, which was cool to see as a beginner.
The location is really nice in the mountains of Laguna Beach. Not much in the way of trees but plenty of ocean views and an amazing sunset. The hike to the campsites was a few miles and not too bad, although my bag was WAY too heavy. With Andrew's advice I think I can cut a ton of weight though.
The class was small, I think there were 6 students, so we were able to ask as many questions as we wanted. It was also really cool getting to meet fellow beginner backpackers and I even planned a trip with someone I met!
Highly recommend The Backpacking Coach! read more