Camping, backpacking, hiking, et al

[Freed Roger]

Great pics, Freed. Getting together with my high school buds right after Labor Day in Saugatuck Michigan for a long weekend of biking, beach, golf, bowling, boating, chartered salmon and steelhead fishing on Lake Michigan, and late night drunken card games. Not up where you were - it's basically directly across from Racine - but should be fun. And not completely roughing it as we're staying in cabins.

You are going to Sausagetuck?!

...seriously though -I've stayed around South Haven and driven through Saugatuck a few times. Nice place and that should be a good time. You'll have some pretty great local beer choices available (Bells Founders etc) Checkout beer from Short's brewery if its around. My opinion of Michigan brews is right up there with your great Colo brews.

[Popeye_Card]

Re: SteriPen, I do the vast majority of my backpacking in the mountains, which usually have crystal clear yet bacteria filled streams. So I don't filter. If you're in the midwest, both are recommended. If you use tablets, I'd recommend taking along some single-serve packets of Crystal Light (or better yet, some vitamin-infused drink) to mix in to mask the taste.

I personally don't mind the foam thermarest pads, if you can handle the bulk. The self-inflating are heavier, and IMO more uncomfortable (at least the lightweight ones).

I used to carry a small stool, but have instead now switched to a small inflatable "pillow" and rocks. Or my bear cannister works if I'm in the mountains.

I also pimp equipment from GoLite, although they seem to be maybe going out of business. They make (made) some very good lightweight clothes and packs. Some are still available on Sierra Trading Post.

[Freed Roger]

Re: SteriPen, I do the vast majority of my backpacking in the mountains, which usually have crystal clear yet bacteria filled streams. So I don't filter. If you're in the midwest, both are recommended. If you use tablets, I'd recommend taking along some single-serve packets of Crystal Light (or better yet, some vitamin-infused drink) to mix in to mask the taste.

I personally don't mind the foam thermarest pads, if you can handle the bulk. The self-inflating are heavier, and IMO more uncomfortable (at least the lightweight ones).

I used to carry a small stool, but have instead now switched to a small inflatable "pillow" and rocks. Or my bear cannister works if I'm in the mountains.

I also pimp equipment from GoLite, although they seem to be maybe going out of business. They make (made) some very good lightweight clothes and packs. Some are still available on Sierra Trading Post.

Thanks for the advice. I doubt I will be many places with crud-filled water either, though sediment could still be in there.

And these things.

Until this trip I never understood their advantage over regular water bottles. I had a good Nalgene for water, but unfortunately half the vodka leaked out of a cheapo water bottle I had.

As far as bear and pest proof containers -does a tough bear-proof bag exist? It seems a bag would be easier to pack than a canister.

[Popeye_Card]

Not aware of any bag that exists, but you have the option of placing everything in a dry sack, and hoisting it up in a tree. I have avoided that because it just so happens that where there are bears, there are no good trees around with branches you can use. Evergreen trees generally have really crappy branches for trying to pull something up with a rope.

I concur that the cannister is not ideal. Nor is it light when you are counting ounces.

[Freed Roger]

Great pics, Freed!

Were there many other campers? I've been looking for a cheap, beach front camping situation for next summer but hadn't considered the great lakes. My only prerequisite is that I want to see as few people as possible.

Here are some pics I took from a day trip to the Cascades when I was in Seattle.

[SHOW]

The fog was really thick, like a ceiling at 5,000 feet. The volcanic black sand on the river banks was really cool too.

Finally got around to looking at the pics (firewall at work blocked). Damn nice. Another place I have to see. I've been nowhere near the Northwest - a major void in my travel experiences.

[Freed Roger]

Interesting article about the clothing-gear worn by the old-timers - specifically the Mallory Everest expedition
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5076634.stm

The presumption often is that us modern folk are genius with utililization of modern gear etc. I always think whenever I'm out in the middle of nowhere - how did those old-timers do it? Then you read about how people hunkered down thru winters in wilderness, without a stitch of gore-tex or fleece.

I still think the modern stuff is overall better, but am wondering how much old-school gear and ingenuity is lost, stuff that works and is perhaps at times better than what people fork out big bucks for today.

[Hungary Jack]

Great pics, Freed!

Were there many other campers? I've been looking for a cheap, beach front camping situation for next summer but hadn't considered the great lakes. My only prerequisite is that I want to see as few people as possible.

Your best bet might Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness in Michigan, just north of Ludington. It has about 6 miles of shoreline on Lake Michigan and you can pretty much walk in and pick your spot. This property adjoins Ludington State Park to the south, and I have actually combined the two by entering from LSP's trail system to the south, wandering across some open dunes and then through forest until I reached the Nordhouse Wilderness, and then returned via the shoreline to LSP and its lighthouse. This was a great 2-night trip.

I haven't visited yet, but Newport State Park in Door County, WI has some highly regarded walk in sites along Lake Michigan. Nearby Peninsula State Park has lots of camping too.

JW Wells State Park in Michigan has some great sites right above Green Bay/Lake Michigan. For state parks, it's a bit pricey ($20, I think) but really nice. You can probably avoid crowds mid-week.

If you are willing to farther up into the UP, there are some great drive-in campgrounds at Pictured Rocks Nat'l Lakeshore at Hurricane River and Twelvemile Beach. This is one of my favorite places. You can also take a short ferry out to Grand Island and camp at Trout Bay.

Just east of Munising, MI is a NF campground on Lake Superior called Bay Furnace, which is pretty nice.

[Freed Roger]

Yeah I am on top of Bell mtn as its called. Drsank all the bourbon. Just me and the big galoot-and he has already sacked out for the night. Just awesome that the man allows people to randomly camp at places like this. So so many stars. Didn't haul enoiugh booze. Damn my wife is nice to let me be odd. Little freed is pissed she coulddnt go because off soccer.good cell tower up here

[thrill]

Wilderness drunk is a good drunk.

[lukethedrifter]

I've got a long weekend with my daughter in two weeks and I'd love to take her camping only the woods will be crawling with hunters of varying shooting abilities and judgments.

Is there anywhere in Missouri or Illinois that is safe that weekend?