An Adventure Through Time

    Backpacking along the C&O Canal is not only a trip into one of Maryland's last remaining wild land areas. It's a trip into the past. The last great battle between Man and Animal VS. Man and Machine happened right here. And as Man and Machine continued into the Wild West, time on the C&O Canal began to slow down and eventually came to a stand still.

    Like a great time capsule the C&O Canal offers a look into the life of America itself. It's a look at the triumphs, failures, and the turmoil that nearly tore the country apart. The C&O Canal is 184.5 miles of towpath with a thousand miles of adventure. With hundreds of miles of side trails and scenic byways there's is never an end to the adventure and discovery.

    My first backpacking experience along the C&O Canal was with the Boy Scouts when I was 10 years old. I had already camped on the canal many times with friends but backpacking was a whole new world for me. I learned many things the hard way and made a lot of mistakes over the years. After more then 35 years I think I can safely say I have a clue to this backpacking thing. Maybe I can show you a trick or two I've learned over the years. Maybe you can teach me something.

    In no way do I claim to be some perfect backpacking/camping "specialist" because I'm not. I just know what works for me. It comes down to the basics of camping. It's the little things that make the experience a good one or not. Tents, sleeping bags and ground mats are all a matter of taste and although I will talk a little bit about these items, I'm not really concerned with what type you have for camping on the C&O Canal.

    The links above deal with what I consider to be the main issues when backpacking alone the C&O Canal. There are many aspects of backpacking that are not as important on the C&O Canal as they would be on the Appalachian Trail so this is by no means the last stop for backpacking information.