My wife was kind enough to get me a gift card at Academy Sorts and I decided to use it to get me some camping gear. I did not get a lot, but I think I did okay for the amount I spent.
First thing on my list was a tent that I could set up by myself. While my Cabin tent would be nice, it is just too big to manhandle alone. With that, I decided to get a hikers technical tent. I chose the No Limits Kings Peak tent. While it states it is as two man tent, I figure it is more like a "one man plus his gear" tent.
The next thing on my list was a way to cook if a fire was not possible or practical. I saw the Timber Creek stove for $20 so I picked it up. I also picked up a bottle of propane for it as well.
I thought about getting a mess kit but I thought that I would wait on that (PapaKilo plans on cleaning out his gear and he told me that he would give me some of his older stuff he does not want) and get a cheap cookware set instead. I got a Timber Creek branded one similar to this sans the bowls and a little lower quality. Oh, mine is black instead of blue.
Before I left the store, I realized that I did not have the "footprint" (ground cloth/tarp) for my tent. Usually manufacturers sell the footprint separately, but I could not find one for this model so I picked up a 6x8 poly tarp instead. It would have been nice to find a construction site with so leftover Tyvex (I have read that Tyvex makes great footprint material) but that was not an option, although I will try to keep that option open in the future.
So after looking at what I have already, I think I am ready for a solo trip out.
Camping in January, anyone?
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Camping Crazy
When I was a child, my parents took us camping frequently during the summer. Being poor, camping was our vacation and I knew no other until I moved to NC when I turned 24. I stopped camping when I became an adult with the exception of one time with my then girlfriend (who now just happens to be my wife) back in 1994.
Last spring the guys at church decided to camp out on some land owned by one of the guys in-laws. "The Farm" as it is know, is used mostly for weekend getaways (it has a nice cabin on several acres of land) and is far enough out that you do not hear any traffic and there is no glare from city lights.
I enjoyed the time spent with the guys and it gave me the itch to go out again. I really enjoy the outdoors but my wife is not so fond of the idea. That first time while we were dating was enough for her. My friend PapaKilo had e-mailed me a few times about trying to get together for a weekend of camping but we could never get our schedules to mesh. However, in mid October we both had a free weekend so we planned a trip out. PK has a lot of gear so he told me only to concern myself with a sleeping bag and my personal food/toiletries and that he could provide the rest. So with that in mind, he packed up his truck with a good but of gear and we headed out to Eisenhower State Park, on the Texas-Oklahoma border on Lake Texhoma. I had a great time. The tent he brought was a little breezy for my tastes (I later learned that PK, and experienced camper, did not like it much either) but I managed nonetheless. My cheap Wal-Mart sleeping bag that I had owned for several years was warm enough for the 45 degree nights while sleeping in just my underwear and a tee-shirt. I had a couple of changes of clothing (long sleeves, spare socks, underwear, and jeans) as well as a jacket but not much of that was really needed.
PK and I spent a large part of that trip thinking about camping with less and possibly even backpacking in someplace to spend a few nights. The thought was appealing. While I like to camp, I am not one to take more than I really need, although I do like to be prepared. The thought of spending a couple of nights in a small, light tent in a sleeping bag with just a mess kit to cook/eat out of, a multi-tool, an axe, MRE's or dehy food really sounded like a lot of fun. It was then I began to start looking at "minimalist" camping and what I found was pretty incredible. I know that one can survive with very few supplies in the bush but the lengths minimalist campers go to is really amazing. I read of one guy who got his pack down to about 15 lbs, that included shelter and water. I had no plans to go that far, but it did give me ideas on how I could camp and take less.
The week before Christmas, PK and I, along with his 10 year old grandson decided to head back to ESP (Eisenhower State Park) for the weekend. The weather forecast was for clear skies (no rain) with highs in the mid 40's and lows in the low 30's. PK asked me to bring my tent this time (a cheap "5-6 man" tent from Target...which really sleeps three people comfortably) and he would provide the rest. PK packed a bit lighter this time to allow for his grandson's gear and a little more wood since the weather would be cold, but he still packed quite a bit of stuff.
Knowing my sleeping bag was not really rated for those cold temps, I went to Wal-mart and bought a fleece sleeping bag to use as a liner for mine. I was glad I did. That along with a foam pad and a self inflating (very thin) pad kept me mostly comfortable.
PK liked my tent with one exception. The zippers tend to get stuck in the weather guard over it. It caused a few issues getting in and out of the tent but all ended well.
We arrived after the sun was down so we had to set up camp in the dark. PK and I set up the tent while his grandson looked for tinder and kindling. Once the tent was set up, I started working on a fire while PK and his son unloaded the truck. It was not too long until we were able to enjoy a cup of hot cocoa by a roaring fire.
That trip went very well. We had MRE's for lunch one day and brats for lunch the next. For dinner we had steaks and campfire potatoes. Breakfast is almost always instant oatmeal and dried fruit with coffee. While camping, I like to keep my meals pretty simple, but if you are out with a group, having a large meal at night is very nice.
The only real issue that came up during that trip was at approx 3 AM the last morning we were there, an SUV pulled into the park (we were the only ones in this section) and started making a lot of noise. It was also at this time I had to go take a leak (I am not sure what it is with me and needing to take a leak at 3 AM every morning) and realized it was really cold. I had slept in thermal underwear bottoms and a long sleeve tee-shirt and was comfortable the first night, but at that moment I was cold! There were still embers in the fire pit so I got close to get warmer and then jumped back in the sleeping bag. When I finally got out of bed at 7:00 AM, I noticed that the entire camp was covered in a thick layer of frost. One of the water bottles we had left out had about .5 inches of ice on top. It obviously got below freezing. Later on I found out that it was 25 degrees at ESP that night.
Last spring the guys at church decided to camp out on some land owned by one of the guys in-laws. "The Farm" as it is know, is used mostly for weekend getaways (it has a nice cabin on several acres of land) and is far enough out that you do not hear any traffic and there is no glare from city lights.
I enjoyed the time spent with the guys and it gave me the itch to go out again. I really enjoy the outdoors but my wife is not so fond of the idea. That first time while we were dating was enough for her. My friend PapaKilo had e-mailed me a few times about trying to get together for a weekend of camping but we could never get our schedules to mesh. However, in mid October we both had a free weekend so we planned a trip out. PK has a lot of gear so he told me only to concern myself with a sleeping bag and my personal food/toiletries and that he could provide the rest. So with that in mind, he packed up his truck with a good but of gear and we headed out to Eisenhower State Park, on the Texas-Oklahoma border on Lake Texhoma. I had a great time. The tent he brought was a little breezy for my tastes (I later learned that PK, and experienced camper, did not like it much either) but I managed nonetheless. My cheap Wal-Mart sleeping bag that I had owned for several years was warm enough for the 45 degree nights while sleeping in just my underwear and a tee-shirt. I had a couple of changes of clothing (long sleeves, spare socks, underwear, and jeans) as well as a jacket but not much of that was really needed.
PK and I spent a large part of that trip thinking about camping with less and possibly even backpacking in someplace to spend a few nights. The thought was appealing. While I like to camp, I am not one to take more than I really need, although I do like to be prepared. The thought of spending a couple of nights in a small, light tent in a sleeping bag with just a mess kit to cook/eat out of, a multi-tool, an axe, MRE's or dehy food really sounded like a lot of fun. It was then I began to start looking at "minimalist" camping and what I found was pretty incredible. I know that one can survive with very few supplies in the bush but the lengths minimalist campers go to is really amazing. I read of one guy who got his pack down to about 15 lbs, that included shelter and water. I had no plans to go that far, but it did give me ideas on how I could camp and take less.
The week before Christmas, PK and I, along with his 10 year old grandson decided to head back to ESP (Eisenhower State Park) for the weekend. The weather forecast was for clear skies (no rain) with highs in the mid 40's and lows in the low 30's. PK asked me to bring my tent this time (a cheap "5-6 man" tent from Target...which really sleeps three people comfortably) and he would provide the rest. PK packed a bit lighter this time to allow for his grandson's gear and a little more wood since the weather would be cold, but he still packed quite a bit of stuff.
Knowing my sleeping bag was not really rated for those cold temps, I went to Wal-mart and bought a fleece sleeping bag to use as a liner for mine. I was glad I did. That along with a foam pad and a self inflating (very thin) pad kept me mostly comfortable.
PK liked my tent with one exception. The zippers tend to get stuck in the weather guard over it. It caused a few issues getting in and out of the tent but all ended well.
We arrived after the sun was down so we had to set up camp in the dark. PK and I set up the tent while his grandson looked for tinder and kindling. Once the tent was set up, I started working on a fire while PK and his son unloaded the truck. It was not too long until we were able to enjoy a cup of hot cocoa by a roaring fire.
That trip went very well. We had MRE's for lunch one day and brats for lunch the next. For dinner we had steaks and campfire potatoes. Breakfast is almost always instant oatmeal and dried fruit with coffee. While camping, I like to keep my meals pretty simple, but if you are out with a group, having a large meal at night is very nice.
The only real issue that came up during that trip was at approx 3 AM the last morning we were there, an SUV pulled into the park (we were the only ones in this section) and started making a lot of noise. It was also at this time I had to go take a leak (I am not sure what it is with me and needing to take a leak at 3 AM every morning) and realized it was really cold. I had slept in thermal underwear bottoms and a long sleeve tee-shirt and was comfortable the first night, but at that moment I was cold! There were still embers in the fire pit so I got close to get warmer and then jumped back in the sleeping bag. When I finally got out of bed at 7:00 AM, I noticed that the entire camp was covered in a thick layer of frost. One of the water bottles we had left out had about .5 inches of ice on top. It obviously got below freezing. Later on I found out that it was 25 degrees at ESP that night.
Of Texas And Snow
As the year 2009 is coming to an end, we have had (to my knowledge) three snowfalls this year in the North Central Texas area. None have been significant. All have come over the past three months.
The first was just snow spittle and did not accumulate at all. The second came on Christmas Eve and totaled about one inch. It stayed until the next day when it began to melt some. It was completely gone by the 27th.
The third came yesterday and was the most beautiful on of all. It started as rain and slowly changed into medium sized flakes. It had accumulated to about an inch or so before I went to bed that night. I was hoping to get a picture but decided to wait until the next morning. Bad decision. This is all that is left of our snow:
Yessirree folk, the snow melted overnight as temps stayed in the upper 30's. It is forecast for a high of 50 degrees today and in the mid 40's the rest of the week. with lows in the mid 30's.
This is how North Central Texas gets snow. My wife, not liking cold weather, loves it. Me? I miss the WV snows of my youth of which, by the way, revisited as my mom reports the last snowfall was 15 inches. Nice.
The first was just snow spittle and did not accumulate at all. The second came on Christmas Eve and totaled about one inch. It stayed until the next day when it began to melt some. It was completely gone by the 27th.
The third came yesterday and was the most beautiful on of all. It started as rain and slowly changed into medium sized flakes. It had accumulated to about an inch or so before I went to bed that night. I was hoping to get a picture but decided to wait until the next morning. Bad decision. This is all that is left of our snow:
Yessirree folk, the snow melted overnight as temps stayed in the upper 30's. It is forecast for a high of 50 degrees today and in the mid 40's the rest of the week. with lows in the mid 30's.
This is how North Central Texas gets snow. My wife, not liking cold weather, loves it. Me? I miss the WV snows of my youth of which, by the way, revisited as my mom reports the last snowfall was 15 inches. Nice.
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