Intro to Backpacking w/ Christina Mesiti

Join Christina Mesiti at Artemisia Nursery for an introduction to walking deep into the backcountry on your own two feet with everything you need on your back – and in your head. This skill building workshop will cover topics such as gear and where to find it, what to eat and how to cook it, water treatment, trip planning, and first aid. Workshop attendees will have the option to participate in a guided, one-night backpacking trip in the Angeles National Forest the weekend of April 4-5 to practice our skills together in the wilderness. 

Note:

For the camping portion of this workshop, we will be hiking around 7 miles round trip with an elevation change of 600 feet. Participants should feel comfortable hiking on a moderate, well-maintained trail carrying a pack that weighs 25-30 pounds. Think like a vigorous but not brutal Sunday morning hike at Griffith Park, each way lasting around 2.5 hours.

Although the workshop itself is free, participants will need basic backpacking gear if they want to join the subsequent trip. We will go over affordable ways of assembling your kit through renting, sharing, and used gear swaps, but be aware that there could be additional costs for gear.

About Christina Mesiti 

Christina is an artist and teacher based in LA. Her practice incorporates many different processes for exploring the edge where her body meets the world, whether through sculpture, drawing, meditation or very long walks in the mountains. Backpacking alone is one of the best ways she has found to restore her sense of agency and strength. She is Wilderness First Aid Certified and a graduate of the Thomas Coyne Survival School.