Just how long does it take. It's go time!

[Lamont]

Let's assume you don't have your rucksack packed, but you know an area you can go -no pre scouting required. Might not be the best spot ever but it is within walking, driving distance. Does anyone decide on the day it's go time?
For example it's Friday morning before work, the weekend is yours, you didn't plan on going walking but now you've thought about it the only thing stopping you the packing? Is it go time, or forget about it- I need to plan this a day, week, month, year before. I am currently sitting by a fire in the bush with a heap of muesli bars and savoury shapes and almonds and dates (and just finished my last beer) to live on until Sunday. I think I've got everything but tomorrow will tell. It was go time this morning for me and just got me wondering who else has done it from unpacked and spur of the moment and what is the normal plan.
Really wondering what is the absolute minimum time you need for planning?
Any major stuff ups when you just decided it was go time on that very day.

[north-north-west]

Planning? When I enter my trip details on the AMSA page it's a list of ten possibilities, of which none are guaranteed to happen. I can head out the door thinking about Mt Cameron and end up doing ten days on the Tarkine Coast.
It can take me as little as an hour to go from "Oh &*$% I need to get out for a walk" to driving off for a two week wander. Often my planning consists of no more than looking at a map and thinking "Hmmmm, that looks interesting..." I don't like to obsess on schedules and *&%$#! like that. A lot of the beauty of bushwalking is the freedom. Sometimes putting a bit of effort into logistics helps make it better, but spontaneity is generally my preference. Not that I'd advise that approach for others.

[Huntsman247]

When you know what to expect I think 1-2 hrs is plenty. I have my stuff nearly organised when not in use so it's just stuffing what I'd need or want into the pack. The longest task would be figuring out how may courses I want at meals and which whisky to fill the flask up with.

[Mark F]

Not a common occurrence for me but I do take off at short notice occasionally - mainly spur of the moment day walks but have disappeared to Tassie for a 10 day walk after about 3 hours of the decision - something else was cancelled at the last minute. My partner travels a fair bit for work, usually a couple of weeks or more at a time, so that is the other time I may shoot off for 3 to 4 days and get back before the garden dies. I have a stash of food at home so I usually get a 3 or 4 day trip put together within a couple of hours.

[Zapruda]

When all you think about is bushwalking, getting packed up and going somewhere quickly is easy. I always have a trip or several in mind and being in Canberra I am so close to the alps. I have a container full of food for walks so I just dip in to that and pack. My maps are always in the car as well so I can make up my mind when driving there.

Enjoy your trip Lamont

[Lamont]

Thanks ZS off to bed now, I do have my last couple of tuna in a pouch for tea tomorrow with savoury shapes ha ha. Having that stock pile is the key, you are right. Mark that is impressive, that's DOUBLE GO TIME credit I reckon.

[ChrisJHC]

I’ve definitely done “spur of the moment” motorbike/camping overnighters. Probably takes 2 hours to get organised but that’s taking my time. I’m sure I could do it in an hour if I had to.

This is where checklists are really useful!

[crollsurf]

For anything over 3 days I have a check list and go rain, hail or shine unless extreme weather/fire risk is forecast.
For weekend/long weekends, I'm a bit of a Snowflake. Any forecast of 60%+ chance of rain and over 4mm on the Thursday night for the weekend, I abandon or look for other options.
Otherwise I pack 48 hours in advance (Thursday night) and that gives me 24 hours to add anything I've fogotten.

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[north-north-west]

My maps are always in the car as well so I can make up my mind when driving there.

It's the best way to go - keep maps and copies of all guidebooks in the car, then you just have to add gear, food, water and yourself. And when you know your gear you can pack and load quickly.

[Orion]

This is just another version of "how long does it take you to get ready in the morning?".

The time from idea to action is a function of how efficient you are at gathering your stuff together, which in turn is related to how organized you are to begin with. It usually takes me at least a couple of hours to get everything together for a 2-3 day trip. Rushing risks forgetting something, hopefully not too important. For a longer trip I have to go shopping for food, but longer trips are a lot less likely to be done on an impulse.

[trekker76]

I'm ready to go at short notice, have 1 day and 3 day packs of food ready. Longer than that requires supermarket visit but they aren't short notice. In fact your post stimulated me to go for a walk today.

[Lamont]

"I'm ready to go at short notice, have 1 day and 3 day packs of food ready". Wow.
Oh yes, the super. The only way I knew I could get out on Friday after work, after my "go time moment" at 7 am on Friday, I left for work 40 minutes later, was to visit on the drive to work. I had some stuff stashed but the idea of buying muesli type bars for a couple of meals appealed (just home, let's just say it doesn't any longer) and shapes -cheddar crumbled 50 gm with stashed tuna pouches 85 gm X 2, was a top meal, ta ZaprudaS. Ideas for lunch non meaty? Non bready? Maybe you should just write me a 2-3 day menu! Ha ha.
I didn't hurt that my first walk at 4-30 pm on Friday was only 3 ks from the car so I could get some cold Furphys tinnies and carry them in. Made the decision easier.
No paper checklist-just took the punt-been out a bit lately testing the Duplex and Sonder so it was all in my addled head.
"Spontaneity" NNBNW yep you are right on that. Having been out and walked for seven hours yesterday and three this morning out of the dark, I am feeling very glad I went, I nearly piked it at least three times on the drive after work.
"Maps in car" excellent point! Helped me a bit (to Go Time) that I knew more or less where I was walking, bit boring but got out and covered 47ks.
"Rushing risks forgetting something, hopefully not too important". Point of my post really.
Maybe reread my post? All contributions cheerfully accepted.

[trekker76]

"I'm ready to go at short notice, have 1 day and 3 day packs of food ready". Wow.

yes, not trying to sound like a ninja lol, its just cyclone season coming up.

[wildwanderer]

Returning to this topic.

I find it takes about me 2 hours for a 2-3 day trip but can be 6 hours or more for a 7+ day trip. My biggest time suck is food prep.

At one stage I had all my menus planned and I stuck to it but then my tastes changed/improved so now I come up with new menu varieties each trip, measure it out, get rid of excess package/decant into zip locks etc. It makes it efficient and easy on the trail but wow the prep takes ages...

I know some people like it more simple.. I've seen some just load a bunch of pasta packets, a box of saos,cheese, salami, oats and powdered milk in a sack and call it done..

I've also drifted quite a bit from my packing checklists. It used to be quite standardised..

this is summer, this is winter list...

but now I find I'm tweaking more and more each trip depending on length and conditions or how much I feel like carrying..

Do I bring the tent or the tarp?, which tent? Ground sheet? Down jacket or fleece? shoes or boots, gaiters? Which pack.. do I want to carry my chair? Smaller or bigger solo pot? The decisons go on and it adds to the prep time.

I suppose I should one day write more checklists to cater for more scenarios.

I still do a final checklist review to make sure I have the the vital stuff.

[Moondog55]

It's been 6 months and my winter trip hasn't entered the planning stage yet, so I must take a lot longer than average. If I had some stuff organised tho I could be away and out of the house in an hour, provided I've already had coffee; it's food that mucks me about, and because we don't drink instant I have to go shopping for Gold Blend or I'm unable to wake up in the morning.
It does take a while to get the tents and sleeping bags compressed into the carry bags and decide which tent pegs to take

[stry]

I don't know how long it takes.

Everything used regularly, except tent and bed, is in one tub, so that's easy. Food (I have too much, particularly since last years stuff didn't get touched) is in a couple of boxes and a freezer.

I simply chuck stuff in a heap over a few days or a week or more prior to departure. I do this as things pop into my head. Menu is set so it's a quick check to knock up a list for however many days and pile it up from the stash. Chuck chosen tent and bed on heap.

Close to start time, I lay it all out in categories and carry out a visual check to make sure it's all there. Some time after the check, I'll pack. The delay between checking and packing seems to let my auto pilot highlight omissions unnoticed in the check.

Again, no idea how long it takes, but my system seems to minimize problems caused by forgetfulness, although I did take a mid on at least one walk without a pole

[Ms_Mudd]

Thanks ZS off to bed now, I do have my last couple of tuna in a pouch for tea tomorrow with savoury shapes ha ha. Having that stock pile is the key, you are right. .

I have a food stockpile in a plastic tub. I also have my regular walking gear in another plastic tub, a tub each for the kids. I do own other gear, but it is in - yet another- plastic tub so I can pick and mix through it for more specialised trips. I can be packed within the hour I would say and on the road.

Hope your tuna and shapes got you through.

[Lamont]

Time flies! I forgot I put this on here. Yes, the shapes and tuna filled that gap. All the important food groups-salt, sugar, flavour enhancers and that cheeky bit of protein. How could a person go wrong?!

[ribuck]

Packing takes less time than logging everything at lighterpack.com

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

It can take me as little as an hour to go from "Oh &*$% I need to get out for a walk" to driving off for a two week wander. Often my planning consists of no more than looking at a map and thinking "Hmmmm, that looks interesting...".

Brilliant. Wish I could say the same


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[scroggin]

Food. Takes me too long to organise food ~days. Why is every bushwalker better at organising better prepared and more scrumptious food than me.

[puredingo]

I can have an idea and be in the car in 20 minutes. But I do camp pretty rough compared to most so anything forgotten won't be a major deal.

In fact a lot of the excitement of my walks are diving into my pack on the first night and seeing just what I have and haven't brought. It's a lucky dip?

[stry]

Food. Takes me too long to organise food ~days. Why is every bushwalker better at organising better prepared and more scrumptious food than me.

I'm not better at it, so you're now only second last

Every time I'm tempted to just grab a few bits and pieces (after it's not for long, is it ?) I revert to form and start faffing around.

[ChrisJHC]

This is where lists make it easy.

Decide to go (or more realistically the wife gives me a leave pass ) and I can pull up the checklist on my phone, get my pack ready (less food) in about 30 mins.

Now to food:

If it’s an overnighter, I’ve probably got 90% of everything I need already at home.
A quick stop at the supermarket on the way out and I’ve got everything I need.

Longer trips need more planning (usually so I don’t get bored eating the same thing each day) but it’s unlikely I’m going to undertake a hike of more than 5 days as a last-minute decision. Although I have done it with one day’s planning when another activity got cancelled at the last minute.

[Petew]

A last minute overnighter, about half an hour including food.

For a trip of a week or more I take months......

[Kott]

for a quick weekend getaway - 1h...2h tops if I need to sort out food.