Knife
Pocketknives and all-in-one tools can be invaluable in the event of a mishap.
Map & Compass
Some of the more remote trails are heavily overgrown with brush and easily lost to slides and fallen debris. A map and compass may help you find your way home.
Important Hiking Gear
Backpack
The ideal daypack should have enough room to carry survival essentials, ideally somewhere between 1000 and 2000 cubic inches of volume. Overnight packs should provide between 3000 and 4000 cubic inches.
Flashlight
Whenever possible, avoid hiking in the dark, as trails are steep, slippery, and lined with poison oak in places. However, if you’re delayed or tire unexpectedly, you may end up hiking in the dark. Be prepared and always carry a flashlight. Hands-free headlamps are preferred over handheld flashlights.
Essential Overnight Gear
Sleeping Bag
Temperatures can drop dramatically at higher elevations along the Santa Lucia Range. Choose a sleeping bag with a temperature rating of 20°F or lower to ensure a warm and restful night’s sleep. Be prepared for temperatures to occasionally drop below freezing from late fall through early spring.
Sleeping Pad
Inflatable and foam sleeping pads keep you off the cold, hard ground. They also provide spots to sit and lounge at camp.
Tent
Too often hikers leave tents at home, particularly in summer when rainfall is unlikely. However, fog creeps inland and can saturate a sleeping bag with condensation by morning.
The Kitchen Sink
Be sure to pack plenty of food, spices, cooking supplies, and utensils. There’s nothing like eating gourmet in the backcountry. Don’t forget the chocolate and warm drinks.
Camp Wear
Backcountry hiking can be a sweaty slog. When you arrive at camp, it’s wonderful to hang out beneath the stars in a set of comfortable camp clothes (e.g., long underwear, comfortable fleece pants, and slip-on shoes). Again, those extremely sensitive to poison oak should store the previous day’s clothes in a plastic bag.
Other Necessities
Don’t forget a wide-brimmed hat, polarizing sunglasses, sunscreen, a towel, toiletries, a warm knit cap, waterproof backpack cover, duct tape, and trowel.
If there’s still room in your pack, bring a camera, binoculars, a Frisbee, cards, and small travel games.
The Wilderness Ethic
TREATING BIG SUR’S PUBLIC LANDS as a precious resource will ensure they remain unspoiled for future generations. Please refer to the following commonsense guidelines:
Group Size
Visit in small groups. Although US Forest Service guidelines allow groups of up to 25 individuals at backcountry camps, most backcountry camps only have room for up to 10. You’ll find designated group camping at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Kirk Creek Campground, and Arroyo Seco Campground.
Camping
Camp at an established site. Keep your camp clean and never leave food out. Scout the area to be sure you leave nothing behind.
Fire Safety
Careless campfire use has sparked devastating blazes. Where fire use is authorized, please observe the following measures:
Campfires are permitted only in established fire rings and must be kept small, using as little wood as possible. Use only dead and downed wood. Always make sure your fire is completely extinguished before you break camp.
Regardless of the time of year, a fire permit is required for backcountry camping. The permits allow full campfires during the wet season (November through April) or the use of camp stoves the rest of the year. East side campers should contact the Los Padres National Forest Headquarters in Goleta at (805) 968-6640. West side campers can obtain a permit either at Big Sur Station, a half mile south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, or at Pacific Valley Station, 5 miles north of Gorda.
Noise Pollution
Respect the natural peace, fellow hikers, and neighboring campers by keeping all trail and camp chatter down. Raucous behavior may also spook wildlife.
Camp at established sites to minimize your impact and “leave no trace.”
Sanitation
Keep soap and detergent away from all natural water sources. If you’re susceptible to poison oak and need to wash with medicated soap, do not bathe in the streams. Such products contain toxic chemicals that pollute water. Wash with water from a pot, and rinse at least 100 feet from any water source.
Also refrain from washing dishes or clothing in natural water sources. Wash using minimal water and dispose of wastewater at least 100 feet from any water source.
If a pit toilet is unavailable, dig a hole at least 6 inches deep, make your deposit, and cover it with the soil you removed. Do not bury toilet paper or trash, as an animal may dig it up.
Garbage
If you pack it in, you must pack it out. Before leaving camp, clean up and pack out any trash left by inconsiderate campers. Leave the site looking as lightly used as possible.
Pack Stock & Horses
Hikers must yield right-of-way to all pack and saddle animals. Forage is often scarce, so be sure to pack plenty of food for your animals. Such animals can severely damage trails and camps if not properly handled. Avoid tying animals to trees, as they may dig up roots and strip bark.
Wildlife
Do not feed wild animals. They will associate humans with food and may become aggressive pests. Juvenile animals may never learn normal foraging behavior, instead becoming dependent on handouts that are not part of their natural diets. Wild animals may also congregate in unnaturally high numbers, which might increase chances of disease transmission.
Conservation
WITH LITTLE MONEY ALLOCATED for maintenance, the US Forest Service is unable to devote much attention to trails within the Ventana and Silver Peak Wildernesses. Fortunately, groups of dedicated volunteers have taken responsibility for rebuilding trail networks and caring for this backcountry that belongs to us all. Many of these volunteers work for the following listed conservation groups, grass-roots organizations dedicated to protecting, preserving, enhancing, and restoring public lands within the Santa Lucia Range.
Let us leave a splendid legacy for our children … let us turn to them and say, “This you inherit: Guard it well, for it is far more precious than money … and once destroyed, nature’s
