who cares how each person prefers to experience the outdoors?

just be prepared if someone asks for a recommendation on gear, that R-Values, BTUs, stoves that work well at altitude, cold temps, and in the wind, weight, temperature ratings, all those are values are objective, not subjective. yes, poly/nylon is far superior to cotton in almost every way, except cost, get over it. it's factual information that determine the difference between gear. as technology advances, these numbers help the consumer compare and contrast different gear to make the most informed choice on balancing cost and comfort.

things like fuel availability, how many people are in the group (determines how much gear gets split up), how far the hike is, how much weight a person feels comfortable hiking with, how much people are willing to spend on gear, that's all SUBJECTIVE. general rules-of-thumb typically apply, like the lighter the better, certain gear for certain types of trips... but trying to convince a 180lb. male to drop his pack weight down from 20lbs. to 15lbs. is a completely different discussion than trying to convince a 120lb. female to drop 5lbs. of pack weight.

[Edited on May 22, 2011 at 8:02 PM. Reason : .]

5/22/2011 8:01:51 PM

i do not enjoy the arguing over gear in this thread. offering suggestions is awesome, but quit getting into pissing contests over your opinions. not fun

5/22/2011 8:28:08 PM

OK back on topic.

Thoughts on campgrounds near the beach? Specifically Oak Island this time (Long Beach Campground?) but any other reviews of oceanside campgrounds would be great for future trips.

5/22/2011 9:51:16 PM

I too would be interested in knowing about camping at the beach. For some time now I've wanted to take some kayaks out at the coast and find some remote camping. Anyone do this?

5/22/2011 10:01:24 PM

Here is my quick experience on beach camping

1. Carolina Beach North End: Best if you have a vehicle so you can drive up on it and camp. Generally my experience is you can find a spot all to your self if its not a big weekend. If camping gets old you can always roll into town or the pier right at the southern end of the area and find a good time. Can have bonfires below the high tide line.

2. Carolina Beach state Park: a good alternative to the North End. Campsites in the woods, sometimes can be really hot and buggy with no sea breeze during the night. You will have to drive to the beach but its still right there.

3. Hammocks Beach State Park, aka bear Island. I've only been once but I thought this island was very cool. It has beaches, Big dunes several rows deep, and then maritime forest behind that. It was probably less than a mile paddling through protected marsh to get out there but I think they also have ferries. I think it has designated camping spots and may require a permit but can't quite remember. It also has latrine facilities.

4. Shackleford Banks or Cape Lookout: Great spot, especially Shackleford. Shackleford won't be busy unless its a holiday weekend, it also has wild horses which ups the coolness factor. Lots of ferry services out to either of these leaving from harkers island. This paddle felt like much further than the paddle to bear island, I'm gonna guess 4-5 miles? It was also a much more open water paddle than anything I have experienced, some currents were noticeable. Both islands have beach, big dunes, and maritime forest.

5. Huntington Beach State Park. near myrtle beach
its ok, you can camp right near the beach. most awesome part for me was the Atalaya. which is some old winter home for some artist. Its almost like a castle.


areas I've never been:

-The northern parts of Cape Lookout (portsmouth, etc). some ferries run up here. Probably less visited than shack or the southern part of cape lookout.

-Masonboro Island. Never been here but have hear good things. 2 mileish paddle? I'm not sure if any ferry services run there or not.

-Cumberland Island, Georgia. Don't know much about this but is supposed to be pretty cool

5/22/2011 10:45:32 PM

Quote :

"3. Hammocks Beach State Park, aka bear Island. I've only been once but I thought this island was very cool. It has beaches, Big dunes several rows deep, and then maritime forest behind that. It was probably less than a mile paddling through protected marsh to get out there but I think they also have ferries. I think it has designated camping spots and may require a permit but can't quite remember. It also has latrine facilities."

I've done this one as well and it's awesome, about the right distance from shore and plenty to explore, not many (I don't remember seeing any) other people there either. nice and remote. Except I did it with canoes. There's a boat ramp where the ferry is. (More like State Park patrol, not really a ferry, only goes to the island like 2 times a day I think)

[Edited on May 22, 2011 at 10:52 PM. Reason : .]

5/22/2011 10:51:16 PM

Hammocks Beach rocks. The campground near Buxton is also great, as long as you go when they don't allow driving on the beach. Otherwise it's right by the off road beach access and can get noisy due to that

5/23/2011 8:36:15 AM

I'm going to be doing a lot of camping this summer, and I need ideas for meals. Two categories - car camping with double burner propane stove and backpacking with a JetBoil. Stuff I've done/considered recently:

Car Camping:
- pre-marinated chicken and cous-cous (way easy to make in the woods)
- steak strips and black beans with rice
- hot dogs/brats (duh)

backpacking:
- dehydrated meals (got the scoop from a guy at REI on which ones are good)
- soup (duh)
- rice and beans, canned chicken
- tuna and noodles

5/26/2011 12:00:46 AM

backpacking
http://www.packitgourmet.com/ their food is GREAT (and i'm a damn picky eater)!!! it's the only kind i've had that didn't have some weird texture or off taste. it tastes like real food. also, they sell millions of individual ingredients so you can make up whatever you want. it costs a little more, but you couldn't pay me to eat mountain house & the like that they sell at rei anymore. instant potatoes, instant oatmeal, pitas are good too.

car camping
potato + tinfoil + fire. we usually cut up steak & vegetables into kabob sized pieces before we leave, bring the marinade & sticks. a pretty easy, real meal. spaghetti is another easy one.

[Edited on May 26, 2011 at 12:10 AM. Reason : ]

5/26/2011 12:07:24 AM

^^ for tuna/chicken/salmon, I like the foil packs. Then you don't have to pack out a can.



the easiest food is just pasta with some olive oil and whatever toppings you care to bring. Sun dried tomatoes, rasins, pesto, peanut butter, sharp cheddar (sharp cheese lasts longer without refrigeration), and beef jerky are all good. Adding instant mashed potatoes is nice to thicken things up. Powdered milk is good too, then you can do alfredo sauce on pasta and tuna! YUM!

this website has a lot of really good recipes, you need a food dehydrator but you can get a fine one for $25 at wal mart. I use it for other recipes too (make your own jerky, etc) so it's not a waste.

http://www.backpackingchef.com/backpacking-recipes.html

5/26/2011 12:44:03 PM

They used to make frozen dinners that came in boiling bags. Swedish meatballs and the like. My parents would use that a lot when car camping. Do they still make those?

5/26/2011 1:02:59 PM

i wish i wasn't so damn picky. it'd be a lot easier to eat on the trail. i don't like tuna (or any other seafood) or jerky. jerky would be an awesome thing to be able to eat. i've tried it several times. it's horrible

5/26/2011 1:03:43 PM

Thanks for that link nerdchick! I don't know why I've never thought of boxed mac and cheese before. I think I'll do that next weekend!

I know he suggests dehydrated ham but I am not running out and buying a dehydrator. You think you could use country ham and just soak it at the campsite? I'm assuming real country ham doesn't need to be refrigerated.

5/26/2011 2:12:35 PM

expiditionportal.com

5/26/2011 2:30:40 PM

Quote :

"They used to make frozen dinners that came in boiling bags. Swedish meatballs and the like. My parents would use that a lot when car camping. Do they still make those?"

If you're referring to freeze-dried food, ya, they have stuff like this:

http://www.rei.com/product/768689/mountain-house-beef-stroganoff-with-noodles-4-serving

It's the stuff that se7entythree is complaining about above. I really like the beef stroganoff, and the other meals I've had have been pretty tasty. My only problem with them is the cheese--once it starts to cool down it congeals on everything and is hard to clean.

5/26/2011 3:05:52 PM

^^^ yeah I think country ham is a great idea! just tear it into smaller pieces and soak it for a bit before cooking! soaking should take out some of the salt too (it's always too salty for me)

5/26/2011 3:07:09 PM

Yeah my main goal with soaking would be to cut the sodium load.

5/26/2011 3:17:34 PM

Doing the North Harper Creek Loop this weekend. 13.6 mile loop. Should be fun! I love all the creek crossings.

5/27/2011 1:21:47 PM

^ 4 no not freeze dried food. You could buy it at Harris Teeter and the like. I remember them usually being Marie Callender's.

5/27/2011 1:26:52 PM

repost of page 7, n/m

[Edited on May 27, 2011 at 2:04 PM. Reason : .]

5/27/2011 2:01:15 PM

Yeah we've done the lower one a couple times. I think we discussed this a couple months ago in this thread.

5/27/2011 2:02:29 PM

yea, just looked back.... page 7 i said nearly the same exact thing, lol.

anyhow, have fun.

5/27/2011 2:03:53 PM

Going to Grandfather Mtn tomorrow for the first time (Yes, I know, I am a terrible North Carolinian ). How scary is the giant bridge of giantness keeping in mind that I am acrophobic?

5/27/2011 4:04:47 PM

So I know I got into a heated debate a few months ago about using an iPhone/smartphone as a dedicated GPS versus a Garmin but I broke down and bought a Garmin 62s. It was crazy on sale at REI (anniversary sale) and I've always wanted one.

For maps: I really don't mind spending $60 on the 100k scale Garmin eastern map. Is it worth it? Does it include trails? Can I find a similar one for free? I found this site:

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/state/nc

But I'm not sure if they're 100k or just the typical 25k scale maps. Advice?

I'm typically 95% alright using a map and compass but it's nice to have as a backup and I'm a gadget guy.

5/27/2011 8:23:26 PM

If I just bury my trash, that's the same as packing it out, correct?

5/27/2011 9:51:18 PM

no

5/27/2011 11:41:08 PM

just did a 40 miles on the AT in Shenandoah...I really really wish i hadn't. I got so discouraged I ended up packing out at 10pm last night instead of staying the rest of sunday like I had intended.

Anyone who wants to "get away"...stay away. It was beautiful, no doubt, but the trail runs along side skyline the entire time and not only can you hear cars/trailers/trucks/people screaming, the trail crosses the road like every 2 miles...and the bears. OMG..the BEARS...

Why can't people figure out to hang their food AWAY from shelters and tents?!

If you're section hiking, save this part for last...and use your vacation to see the more wilderness/away parts of the AT /rant.

5/29/2011 9:40:43 AM

BTW the Gravityworks Platypus system is amazing. It's light and fast and much better than a hand held pump. Just finished up a trip with 3 people. 2 of us were intending on using the Platypus while the 3rd had a pump. He never took out the pump once. You fill the 4 liter bag up then hang it and let it sit. A few minutes later you've got 4 liters. Pretty neato.

http://www.rei.com/product/813799/platypus-gravityworks-water-filter

5/29/2011 5:09:03 PM

where's a good place to camp around Lake Lure/Chimney Rock?

weekend of 6/25

6/2/2011 8:29:04 AM

So after my first run in with a black bear (not too bad, actually)...I'm getting kinda antsy about heading to Colorado in 2 months.

Does anyone have any suggestions/tricks/advice for grizzly bears? Avoiding attacks/what to do if you see one/differences in hanging food etc?

6/2/2011 1:30:28 PM

Don't worry about black bears, worry more about brown bears

The real dangers are:

1) surprising a bear, make a lot of noise
2) approaching a bear with cubs, avoid that
3) in brown bear territory shortly before hibernation where bears start to become aggressive in food storage

I'm not sure about CO but in Alaska you tend to have a gun on you at all times in the backcountry (moose are more dangerous than bear)

6/2/2011 2:13:59 PM

my quick tips


- when on the trail be reasonably loud especially if in a dense vegetation area -- you don't want to sneak up on them. I think this one is hard to do, I guess I prefer to trudge in silence.

-Use a bear bag unless the park you are going to recommends something else. I recommend practicing a few times before you get out there to figure out a system that works for you. Send all smellables up (I usually just send up my entire backpack minus what Im sleeping in) and make sure your bag is a decent distance from camp. Don't keep food in your tent!!!

-if you do see a bear, consider yourself lucky and just make loud sounds so they know you are there. Slowly back away and leave. The bear will probably high tail it out of there.



if you are really worried I have seen people do things like

-cook dinner at a different spot from where you are going to camp. So you would basically stop, cook dinner, eat,pack back up and then walk a bit further (mile or two?) and set up camp.

-Have clothes that you only sleep in (and never cook or eat in). I do this a lot of times anyway depending on weight and weather.

Don't use chapstick, brush your teeth, or put on deodorant after a certain time of day (like 7pm). I always thought this was way over the top.

6/2/2011 2:24:21 PM

i've never backpacked anywhere near grizzlies and i've never really worried much about black bears, so i don't have one of these...but if you're really worried, a $4 bear bell might not be a bad idea:

http://www.rei.com/product/721998/coghlans-bear-bell-with-magnetic-silencer

the truth is that making noise (singing, clapping, banging sticks/pots/pans) is the cheapest and loudest option, but my opinion is that it's not much more effective than a bell (since bear and moose can hear better than we can), so the bell is probably a bit less intrusive on your solitude...even then, you can't control what a bear will do, whether it will be curious and stick around or lumber off before you get there

and it's kind of hard to "prove" that the bell works for bear and/or moose, since if it works, there's no proof

aside from that, do as recommended above and hang everything you don't need (especially anything with a fragrance) as far from your camp as you're willing to go...FWIW, i prefer the PCT method to hanging a bear bag:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8FXRJldcpE

if you are truly concerned (and i'm not saying you shouldn't be), you may want to get bear spray (about $30 or so per can)...personal defense sprays (mace) aren't really an option because the biggest advantage of bear spray is, if nothing else, the distance and duration of the spray (personal defense spray doesn't go nearly as far and can only be used in short bursts)...also, i think there's a higher percentage of oleoresin capsicum in the bear spray, but i could be wrong

6/2/2011 3:13:16 PM

i read somewhere that grizzlies are very common/non-existent in colorado. i don't remember where i read that & i can't find it now. so yeah that wasn't very helpful

-bear spray
-noise
-gun

6/2/2011 3:16:36 PM

Don't worry, there aren't grizzlies in CO any more. But black bears can still be dangerous, so you should always follow the tips people have posted.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grizzly_bear#Range

Quote :

"Don't use chapstick, brush your teeth, or put on deodorant after a certain time of day (like 7pm). I always thought this was way over the top."

you should also put anything "smelly" like toothpaste, etc in your food bag

6/2/2011 3:32:13 PM

^thats just what the bears want you to think

[Edited on June 2, 2011 at 4:30 PM. Reason : but seriously I had no idea ]

6/2/2011 4:30:22 PM

okay, so a gun shouldn't be necessary...a $4 bell and/or $30 can of bear pepper spray seems to be cheap insurance against the more curious and bolder black bears, though

6/2/2011 5:11:35 PM

yup I use a bear bell (and also put one on my dog) to make noise....its kind of annoying after a while but better than my singing

6/2/2011 5:17:10 PM

I would rent or buy a bear canister as well. The REI's here in Colorado rent them for cheap. It's a requirement in some National Parks where bears are present to have a bear bag or canister.

6/2/2011 6:58:46 PM

i prefer bags for the sake of convenience, but a well-arranged canister in a well-organized pack is probably better overall

6/2/2011 7:09:49 PM

I always read that bear cannisters are heavy? Mind you, I'm 5'2 and maybe 115lbs wet and 30lb pack seems to be my limit before it affects my hiking :/.

But thanks, I feel better. I had a run in, literally, with a black bear last week, don't want to repeat it!

6/2/2011 11:35:17 PM

^ did the bear take off running or did it hang around?

6/3/2011 12:27:49 AM

Canisters contain the scents better, but yea, they are about 2-3 lbs.

Again, they may be required in certain parks out west:
http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/bear+resistant+canisters.html

6/3/2011 11:00:17 AM

Umm...it was busy eating food thrown to it by some onlookers in CARS...right at the trailhead...sigh...

But a lot of shouting send it scurrying, it didn't put up much of a fight, though I swear it gave me the stink eye.

6/3/2011 12:38:48 PM

Set the cars on fire if you see them do that again, they're going to cause someone to get hurt or the life of that bear

6/3/2011 12:43:48 PM

wheres a good place to camp within 30 minutes of Asheville? was planning on heading there this weekend...

6/16/2011 1:00:14 PM

did grandfather this past weekend...haven't been camping there since the 90s or even visited since the state bought the place in 2008

a great deal of the grandfather trail is crazy with the ladders, boulder fields, and the scaling of scree-covered crevices...my wife stayed home to work on the house, and so i didn't have the dogs, which is good because they wouldn't have been able to go with us on the day hike to the bridge (the profile trail would have been fine, though)...one of the couples had their miniature schnauzer and they ended up having to carry her by the handle on her harness

this was my first time backpacking with just a hammock...had a blast! i'll post pictures a bit later...had to ghetto-rig a tarp due to the rain, and i was a tiny bit nervous about being mauled by a bear while i slept, but all-in-all, i'll be doing it again soon

6/16/2011 4:17:40 PM

Just got back from doing Konnarock Crew! Did some side-trail rerouting on Bear Mountain (Roan, NC/TN) area.

It was incredible, highly suggest it for all you back packing lovers!

6/21/2011 11:40:41 PM

went to grandfather mtn / blowing rock last weekend and got washed out....rained all day sat and sun only managed to see linville falls before we gave up. so disappointed.

6/22/2011 8:08:28 AM

Leaving for the John Muir Trail in 13 days!!!

6/24/2011 1:58:27 PM