Outdoor Club at Virginia Tech

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Intro to Backpacking - Rice Fields Shelter

Trip Leader - Nate Merrow

Trip Date: Saturday, Sep 27, 2025
3:30:00 PM - 12:00:00 PM
Max Attendees: 7
Trip Type: Backpacking Pets:Pets NOT Allowed
Attendee Restrictions:Open To EveryoneDistance/Difficulty:5 Miles - Moderate
Driving Required:No


Description

Disclaimer: This trip is targeted towards relatively inexperienced backpackers (with 0-1 previous experiences) who are interested in exploring the world of overnight outdoor adventures. Given the limited spots, if the above description doesn't apply to you, I'd appreciate it if you didn't sign up for this trip. Thank you! This trip will be ~5 miles total, 2.5 miles up Saturday evening and 2.5 miles down on Sunday morning. There is the Rice Fields Shelter at the top of the hike for people to spend the night in, though there's also plenty of space for tents and hammock camping too. We'll carpool from campus at 3:30 pm on Saturday and then we'll get back to campus between 10 am and noon on Sunday. Should be a fun trip!


Location

Rice Fields hike (~30-40 mins west of campus)


Driving Directions

https://maps.app.goo.gl/CfJJZEhgp8HXToKE8


What You Should Bring

A comprehensive list of things to bring will be sent once a GroupMe group chat is made, but the main things that you may need to rent from Venture Out or buy include: Sleeping bag, sleeping pad, tent or hammock, a backpack, and a stove + cookware if that is needed for your food. Other essentials include: 3-5 L of water, food for Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast (and other snacks if you want), headlamp, good hiking shoes, clothes for campsite and sleeping (expect temperatures of ~40 degrees at night), tissues/toilet paper, any utensils you may need for eating, and anything else you might need personally.


The signup period for this trip is over