Anybody have outdoors plans this weekend? I noticed REI's anti-black-Friday marketing campaign encouraging people to "opt outside" rather than shop, and it sounded like a good idea.
Anybody have outdoors plans this weekend? I noticed REI's anti-black-Friday marketing campaign encouraging people to "opt outside" rather than shop, and it sounded like a good idea.
Anybody have outdoors plans this weekend? I noticed REI's anti-black-Friday marketing campaign encouraging people to "opt outside" rather than shop, and it sounded like a good idea.
I might see if I can take my daughter out for a hike, somewhere pretty. Weather looks to be sunny and clear, just darn cold. She's at an age where being lugged around in a backpack carrier, while a darn good workout for me, is starting to get a little frustrating for her, so I'm trying to figure out how to go hiking with her.
Anybody have outdoors plans this weekend? I noticed REI's anti-black-Friday marketing campaign encouraging people to "opt outside" rather than shop, and it sounded like a good idea.
I'm cooking my trukey in a hole. Just as we use to do when i was a wilderness counselor. I love pit cooking. See the link for a kind of how I do it reference.
I might see if I can take my daughter out for a hike, somewhere pretty. Weather looks to be sunny and clear, just darn cold. She's at an age where being lugged around in a backpack carrier, while a darn good workout for me, is starting to get a little frustrating for her, so I'm trying to figure out how to go hiking with her.
This seems like the perfect opportunity to shamelessly plug one of my favorite organizations, Hike It Baby. If you have littles and want to go on hikes/walks with other parents, it's a really great resource. Some hikes are fast-paced for carriers/strollers only, but it's pretty common to have toddler-led hikes as well. They've been growing crazy fast over the last year, and now have branches all over the place. They're encouraging all of their branches to do a hike on Black Friday, so I'm sure they will have at least one in your area. They started in Portland, so the Pacific NW branches are pretty active.
Anybody have outdoors plans this weekend? I noticed REI's anti-black-Friday marketing campaign encouraging people to "opt outside" rather than shop, and it sounded like a good idea.
I was going to get out, but instead I'll be driving back from my folks' house.
Jonman wrote:I might see if I can take my daughter out for a hike, somewhere pretty. Weather looks to be sunny and clear, just darn cold. She's at an age where being lugged around in a backpack carrier, while a darn good workout for me, is starting to get a little frustrating for her, so I'm trying to figure out how to go hiking with her.
This seems like the perfect opportunity to shamelessly plug one of my favorite organizations, Hike It Baby. If you have littles and want to go on hikes/walks with other parents, it's a really great resource. Some hikes are fast-paced for carriers/strollers only, but it's pretty common to have toddler-led hikes as well. They've been growing crazy fast over the last year, and now have branches all over the place. They're encouraging all of their branches to do a hike on Black Friday, so I'm sure they will have at least one in your area. They started in Portland, so the Pacific NW branches are pretty active.
Damn.
I mean, DAY-UM!!!
That is a brilliant resource. My wife would rather shove hot pokers into her eyes than go hiking, so I'm often lacking for hiking company (not that I let that stop me 
)
Thanks - that's a splendid tip off. I'm re-posting it in the parenting thread.
Awesome! I luckily found out about them pretty soon after the Jabberwocky was born, and I've been hiking with the KC chapter since she was about a month old. It was a really great way to get out of the house and get some social interaction while I was on maternity leave. Plus hikes tended to be a guaranteed nap, which is always a bonus. It's been a wonderful organization and I've been really happy to get involved with it!
Granted, most of the "hikes" around here end up being a walk around a park, but we're still getting outside with our kids, so I think it counts!
My family is actually doing their Thanksgiving on Friday, so I think I'll do my Black Friday hike tomorrow
I'd planned on posting some pictures of my outings from fall, but uploading them is proving a hassle at the moment.
Anyway, I plan to start backpacking (and sometimes kayak camping) once the weather breaks here in MA. I've bought a lot of gear, spent a lot of money on it, and I have some gear-related questions. Also some just involving logistics. For reference, I did a good amount of camping as a kid, no backpacking.
Bear canister? Trying to wrap my head around where that kind of bulk fits comfortably in my pack. Hanging stuff from a tree starts to sound like a better idea, but the internet tells me that's outdated thinking.
Tent stakes - Y style, V style, or shepherd's hooks? Ground around here is pretty average I'd say.
Also, I believe I saw some people in MA post in the thread - know a good group I can get started with?
Finally, I have a leatherman PS4 Squirt attached to my keychain for everyday use. Should I get a bigger one for backpacking? Kinda like the look of the Leatherman Signal. It's full size, has an emergency whistle, a sharpener and firestarting rod, and a hammer. Plus mine's too small for a saw, which the Signal has.
Personally, I'd carry a normal multitool (pliers, screwdrivers, knife) and have the other stuff separate. Most of what you'd use it for is minor repairs on equipment. For other random things in general... pump style water purifier with a carbon cartridge if you can manage it--the ceramic gets rid of bio nastiness and the carbon part helps with chemicals. A small med kit. A compass and map. Phone (turned off). A handful of some kind of backup food like cliff bars. A good emergency whistle. And enough non-cotton layers to be warm in far colder weather than you expect to see. Plus duct tape and some paracord. And a good lighter, preferably a zippo, since those can stay lit for long periods of time easily. Of course a headlamp.
The survival type stuff is cool and I suppose can be comforting to have, but for your typical backpacking trip I think most of it is just wasted space. Maybe one of those silver space blankets if you plan to leave your main pack behind and go on day hikes. But for most weekend style backpacking you're rarely more than a hard half day's hike from a road. As long as you know where you are and you aren't seriously injured, you can always just find the shortest route to civilization.
I'll defer to someone else on the food. Really, so long as you don't keep it in the tent with you I think it's generally all good. I've hung mine before, but never tried the bear box. But then I've never backpacked in bear-heavy country. However, don't leave snacks like trail mix in a sealed bag or backpack either. Mice will smell it and chew through the pack the get it. Get it somewhere they can't reach or leave the pack open so they can share. Food problems with small critters like this is far more likely than bears, in my experience.
I have a six day camping trip in central Victoria planned with my wife and two year old daughter, it's our first real family trip solo since Ruby was born (we camp yearly with extended family on the Murray river). My wife isn't exactly the outdoorsy type, but she always enjoys it more than she thinks she would (fancy resort is more her speed).
I've managed to accrue the odd creature comforts for camping, but I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations for must haves in terms of drive-in camping for keeping the less rugged among us (and kids) happy?
I'm excited to try out a new coffee setup and might be bringing along a closed top BBQ to cook up a storm on the odd night, especially if I manage to catch any fish...
RE: Bear canisters.
I am a regular hiker in the adirondacks and have had a few encounters with bears. I also have a bear canister and use it regularly. I don't remember the brand off hand but it is black and requires a coin to open it. I have seen bears crush and open the clear ones with screw tops here in the ADKs. So I recommend the ones that have recessed lids and need a coin to open the latches. Mine fits in the top part of my pack but is large and annoying to pack around it. I fill it with food first and then my backpacking stove, etc if it is a shorter trip and the canister isn't full. Line the cannister with a trash bag and seal everything in side, incase it rains or a bear decides to play with it in the lake/stream. I recommend sticking some brightly colored stickers on the cannister as well so it is easier to find it after the bear has played golf with it in the woods but take it from me and don't paint it. The paint rubbed off all over my gear in my backpack, ugg. It also cannot be understated that the cans are also great with rodents. I had a bag of dried pineapple break in the top of my pack and even after thoroughly cleaning mice chewed holes all through it. I have also had chipmunks/squirrels chew holes all through my bear bags while they are hanging as they have little trouble climbing down the hanging line.
I don't always take one depending on where I am going and the type of trip I have planned. In the High Peaks in the ADKs they are required so I take it. In other places it depends on if I have long days and all I want to do when I get to camp is eat and sleep then I take the can as it is easy. If I am doing shorter days and have time before sunset in camp I'll take the bear bag and hang it. I enjoy the challenge of finding the perfect tree and making a good hang but that takes time and light. If you plan to hang a bear bag learn about it and practice it before you go. It is easy to do poorly and I have seen several get torn down and ripped open by bears. Never use you pack as a bear bag either. I saw some guy tie his pack full of food up a tree (like 10ft up and against the tree). In the morning he had a hard time figuring out how he was going to carry his gear in a shredded pack and he had no food.
Never use you pack as a bear bag either. I saw some guy tie his pack full of food up a tree (like 10ft up and against the tree). In the morning he had a hard time figuring out how he was going to carry his gear in a shredded pack and he had no food.
Bummer that he lost his pack, but I did get a chuckle out of this. Thanks for the info on bear canisters, it's really helpful.
I did a hike in New Mexico years ago. We used a bear bag in store our food and any other smelly items at night. Some of the guys I hiked with weren't careful enough when eating dinner and spilled food on their clothes, so those had to get stored away at night lest the critters check their tent. By the end of the trip they were reduced to standing around in shorts and socks after the bear bags went up. 
RE: Bear canisters.
I am a regular hiker in the adirondacks and have had a few encounters with bears. I also have a bear canister and use it regularly. I don't remember the brand off hand but it is black and requires a coin to open it. I have seen bears crush and open the clear ones with screw tops here in the ADKs. So I recommend the ones that have recessed lids and need a coin to open the latches. Mine fits in the top part of my pack but is large and annoying to pack around it. I fill it with food first and then my backpacking stove, etc if it is a shorter trip and the canister isn't full. Line the cannister with a trash bag and seal everything in side, incase it rains or a bear decides to play with it in the lake/stream. I recommend sticking some brightly colored stickers on the cannister as well so it is easier to find it after the bear has played golf with it in the woods but take it from me and don't paint it. The paint rubbed off all over my gear in my backpack, ugg. It also cannot be understated that the cans are also great with rodents. I had a bag of dried pineapple break in the top of my pack and even after thoroughly cleaning mice chewed holes all through it. I have also had chipmunks/squirrels chew holes all through my bear bags while they are hanging as they have little trouble climbing down the hanging line.I don't always take one depending on where I am going and the type of trip I have planned. In the High Peaks in the ADKs they are required so I take it. In other places it depends on if I have long days and all I want to do when I get to camp is eat and sleep then I take the can as it is easy. If I am doing shorter days and have time before sunset in camp I'll take the bear bag and hang it. I enjoy the challenge of finding the perfect tree and making a good hang but that takes time and light. If you plan to hang a bear bag learn about it and practice it before you go. It is easy to do poorly and I have seen several get torn down and ripped open by bears. Never use you pack as a bear bag either. I saw some guy tie his pack full of food up a tree (like 10ft up and against the tree). In the morning he had a hard time figuring out how he was going to carry his gear in a shredded pack and he had no food.
Most people aren't aware that black bears are pretty good tree climbers. They've also gotten very good at opening certain types of canisters.
Y-style aluminum stakes are my favorite. They don't bend, last forever, and hold extremely well. My preferred brand is groundhogs. They cost a bit more, but you'll never need to buy replacements.
Equipment wise, I do a lot of rambling/hiking and one thing I always carry is a spare pair of gloves in a dry bag. There is not much worse (being attacked my a bear is probably slightly worse) than having soaked gloves on a bitterly cold day. If you leave the gloves on your fingers are in icy water. If you take them off your wet hands are immediately freezing cold (this may be more of a winter in the UK thing.)
Whistles are good if there are a few of you and there is a chance you'll get separated.
On a recent ramble a woman broke her ankle on a high hillside. One guy had an small emergency tent on him and they got her inside it just before it started raining but that was a very, very rare event.
Next up... GPS receivers vs. smartphones.
Now, I know I need to learn to use a map and compass to navigate. i'm going to get some instruction on that before I go on any trips where I'll really need it. Bearing that in mind...
A little backstory. I went kayaking on the Ipswich River near Topsfield, which I'd hardly consider "backcountry." My phone's GPS stopped tracking very early in the trip. I went about 3 miles downriver, then back up. There were not a lot of branches off the river, so I had no trouble getting back, but it really gave me pause. On another occasion, I went up and down the Contoocook River, which is in a sort of rural area of New Hampshire. The phone's GPS did a passable job, although my actual cell coverage was pretty spotty. This was all just using Google Maps, I didn't think to grab a GPS app or topo maps beforehand.
I did a little research and decided on a whim to buy a Garmin Oregon 600 GPS receiver. Got it for $238, It was listed at $399 retail, and Amazon tracking sites had that as a very low price, so I pulled the trigger.
I can return it until January 31, thanks to Amazon's holiday return policy.
Does anyone have considerable experience with standalone GPS units for hiking/backpacking, etc? I haven't had the opportunity to test the GPS due to the Massachusetts winter, so I really don't know if the Garmin would have performed any better than my phone during those two trips. Any guidance or input would be greatly appreciated.
I don't have one but I know if there is ever anyone in the group with a dedicated GPS device it's damned useful.
I don't have one but I know if there is ever anyone in the group with a dedicated GPS device it's damned useful.
They're great. A phone just isn't viable IMO. Their range is always questionable and the battery life isn't sufficient.
But please, always have a map and compass even if you are using a GPS.
And know at least the basics of triangulation with a topo map. It's easy and fun. Which I guess means adding a pencil or pen to the list of stuff to pack.
Speaking of map skills, I could do with brushing up on mine. Anyone got a link to a good tutorial handy? I'm considering taking a class run by REI, but I suspect that the novice class will be too novice for me, and I could probably save myself the $60 fee by spending an hour with Youtube.
Has anyone done any camping with young kids (Toddlers) and have suggestions?
I did a lot of camping until I got into the working world and would like to get back into it with my family now. My 19 month-old loves being outside and I'd like to keep that a big part of her life.
We'll probably stick to car camping versus long-distance hikes, although I'd love to do that at some point in the future again.
What gear is a must-have? What should we avoid?
Has anyone done any camping with young kids (Toddlers) and have suggestions?
I did a lot of camping until I got into the working world and would like to get back into it with my family now. My 19 month-old loves being outside and I'd like to keep that a big part of her life.
We'll probably stick to car camping versus long-distance hikes, although I'd love to do that at some point in the future again.
What gear is a must-have? What should we avoid?
Only a touch. We car-camped with 18-month old Olive last year in September. It was a mixed bag. She loved the daytime part of it. But sleeping at night was another issue. She couldn't settle, at all (and she has been a champion sleeper since day 1 otherwise). Might have been a warmth issue, might just have been not being able to relax enough with Mama and Daddy sleeping inches from her. I ended up getting out of the tent around midnight, putting her in her car seat, and sleeping in the car myself. She slept just fine in her car seat.
I'm definitely going to have some backyard campouts this spring to try and acclimatize her to tent-sleeping before we get back out there again this summer.
Speaking of map skills, I could do with brushing up on mine. Anyone got a link to a good tutorial handy? I'm considering taking a class run by REI, but I suspect that the novice class will be too novice for me, and I could probably save myself the $60 fee by spending an hour with Youtube.
Jonman wrote:Speaking of map skills, I could do with brushing up on mine. Anyone got a link to a good tutorial handy? I'm considering taking a class run by REI, but I suspect that the novice class will be too novice for me, and I could probably save myself the $60 fee by spending an hour with Youtube.
Looks to be a little too specifically geared to military maps and operations for this civilian.
I'm sure there are orienteering primers online. I'll poke around once I'm not on my phone.
Only a touch. We car-camped with 18-month old Olive last year in September. It was a mixed bag. She loved the daytime part of it. But sleeping at night was another issue. She couldn't settle, at all (and she has been a champion sleeper since day 1 otherwise). Might have been a warmth issue, might just have been not being able to relax enough with Mama and Daddy sleeping inches from her. I ended up getting out of the tent around midnight, putting her in her car seat, and sleeping in the car myself. She slept just fine in her car seat.
I'm definitely going to have some backyard campouts this spring to try and acclimatize her to tent-sleeping before we get back out there again this summer.
Sleeping is my biggest concern. Rose isn't a great sleeper, but does like sleeping in the bed with us. It doesn't allow us to get much sleeping done, though.
I was thinking of just building her a little bed in the back of the car to sleep in, but wasn't sure if there were some unknown safety issues.
Jonman wrote:Only a touch. We car-camped with 18-month old Olive last year in September. It was a mixed bag. She loved the daytime part of it. But sleeping at night was another issue. She couldn't settle, at all (and she has been a champion sleeper since day 1 otherwise). Might have been a warmth issue, might just have been not being able to relax enough with Mama and Daddy sleeping inches from her. I ended up getting out of the tent around midnight, putting her in her car seat, and sleeping in the car myself. She slept just fine in her car seat.
I'm definitely going to have some backyard campouts this spring to try and acclimatize her to tent-sleeping before we get back out there again this summer.
Sleeping is my biggest concern. Rose isn't a great sleeper, but does like sleeping in the bed with us. It doesn't allow us to get much sleeping done, though.
I was thinking of just building her a little bed in the back of the car to sleep in, but wasn't sure if there were some unknown safety issues.
Don't leave it running!?
Good Tip!
We've done a lot of traveling with kids and some camping as well. One thing we've done is, the kids have had the same bedtime routine every night practically since birth. So even when we're not at home, so long as we follow that same routine, the whole situation feels familiar enough to them that they do pretty well. You obviously have to make some compromises for camping, but if you have storytime every night at home before bed, then I suggest doing that while camping as well. Let them bring a favorite blanket or stuffed animal or whatever and try to make the sleeping situation feel as familiar as possible.
As far as camping goes, the key factor is where you are with respect to potty training. Once the kid is out of diapers, they aren't likely to want to do the midnight hike through the dark to a common bathroom if they wake up and have to go. To that end, if you're tent camping I very much suggest bringing one of those little emergency potties--the fold-out seats with a bag and absorbent thing inside (we just take a stack of puppy training pads, line the bag with it, and let it soak up all the wet).
What we've mostly done with our kids, which is comparatively expensive, is go to a nearby KOA and rent a cabin. The bigger KOAs have tons of activities, and you can do the cabin with or without a bathroom. Even the nice ones don't have a stove so you're still doing all the cooking outside, but the sleeping situation is close enough to being at home that it's a pretty safe first step when you aren't sure how the kid will handle the experience.
One thing I really like about the cabins is simply that they're already there, so you can roll in after work on a Friday evening and not stress about setting up a tent and cooking dinner and watching the (hungry and stressed out) kids all at the same time and basically in the dark. Some campgrounds have those canvas frame tents on a platform which serve a similar purpose as well.
So... my advice would be for the first trip to be something kinda cabiney and play it by ear from there.
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