coleendhindman

[coleendhindman]

best car camping cookware

source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJEAeQRK1Sk from Campers Prep Channel http://camperspreps.blogspot.com/2018/10/best-car-camping-cookware.html

[coleendhindman]

best portable led camping lantern

source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcPgc17jGeI from Campers Prep Channel http://camperspreps.blogspot.com/2018/10/best-portable-led-camping-lantern.html

[coleendhindman]

nuclear war survival kit pdf

source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pslnh-Tfr4M from Campers Prep Channel http://camperspreps.blogspot.com/2018/10/nuclear-war-survival-kit-pdf.html

[coleendhindman]

portable camping cookware backpacking cooking kit

source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zBGQNgup20 from Campers Prep Channel http://camperspreps.blogspot.com/2018/10/portable-camping-cookware-backpacking.html

[coleendhindman]

best portable outdoor led camping lantern

source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef5-IA9xEQk from Campers Prep Channel http://camperspreps.blogspot.com/2018/10/best-portable-outdoor-led-camping.html

[coleendhindman]

CampersPrep - Camping Hiking Basic Tips & Safety Essentials

source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm2PVH2eQSs from Campers Prep Channel http://camperspreps.blogspot.com/2018/08/campersprep-camping-hiking-basic-tips.html

[coleendhindman]

CampersPrep - Fun Safe Camping Basics

source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6tk-qyY9DI from Campers Prep Channel http://camperspreps.blogspot.com/2018/08/campersprep-fun-safe-camping-basics.html

[coleendhindman]

Why I Really Need To Go Camping

  Why I Really Need To Go Camping Is it the call of the wild? Maybe it’s just cabin fever? There are many names for it but whatever you want to call it, after a winter such as we just endured, the urge to go camping is mighty strong right about now. Driving is Going to Drive Me to Drive Just driving across town is enough to melt my face. I’m not one of those who normally practices road rage but as they say “Practice makes perfect.” I don’t know about your area but there are just too many darn people around here. Driving in traffic is one of the most stressful l activities you can engage in according to extensive studies performed by, well, all of us every day. Spending just a few days camping can relieve a whole month’s worth of traffic stress. I’m not sure where I came up with that but I’m willing to test it out anyway. Heck if nothing else, at least you’ve parked that car for a few days.

People Who Need People I am a people person. That is: as long as I don’t have to talk to them, shop with them, drive with them or mingle in any other way. I like living in the city because, well, I don’t think I really do like it but that’s where the work is. That and the food is what keeps me here. Camping gives us the chance to get away from it all, or them all, whichever you prefer.

The Heat is On Isn’t it funny how we freeze all winter and dream of warmer days, then once summer hits full-bore, we all whine about the heat? Well, the best way to overcome that heat is to head for the hills, that is assuming you have some nearby. Some may have a lake to go to or a creek to fish in but the idea is to cool off while recreating as far away from civilization as possible.

Stress Test Sometimes, it’s the little things that get to you. Maybe the drive home wasn’t so bad but something will break at home. Maybe the wife is in a good mood too, but the kids are out of control. Heck, maybe it’s something as little as the grocery store being out of your favorite whatever is your favorite and don’t get me started on passwords on the computer. The little things can certainly add up to a big thing. Camping can relieve all that just with a fire, a tent and a little quiet.

Smell That Smell It stinks around here. No, I don’t mean just the traffic or the people, I mean it stinks. On some days it’s fine and others, it’s like nobody showered today or something. When you get out into the wilderness, it doesn’t matter who showered because  you actually smell real things like flowers, trees and fresh air. Sure, I have a tree scented air freshener in my car but it actually smells like evergreen soap. Even burning wood is a relief. As far as smells go, there is nothing better than the smell of a campfire and the taste of food cooked over one.

Get While the Getting is Good The fact that there are so many people here also means there will be more people there. That’s why you need to get out early and often. Don’t wait until the weekend, you may not make it. That’s why we need to get out now. Pack up that tent, that sleeping bag and some grub and get after it. The sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll get there and the sooner you get there the sooner you will be camping.

Michael Ryan

from Stansport Blog https://blog.stansport.com/why-i-really-need-to-go-camping/

[coleendhindman]

6 Spring Hiking Spots for Allergy Sufferers

Spring sneezing season has begun. Unfortunately, the pollen counts across the country tend to rise just as prime hiking season begins and, if you’re living with allergies, it can put a damper on your outdoor experience. We’ve rounded up a few places you can head to get away from the sniffles and take in some pretty incredible views.

Columbia River Gorge, Oregon The Pacific Northwest maintains one of the mildest pollen counts in the United States and is the perfect location to hit the switchbacks. The Columbia River Gorge is arguably the most stunning region in the state and contains some of the most difficult hikes along the Oregon and Washington border. If you can manage to hike in on a rare sunny day you’ll be treated with expansive views of the Gorge and surrounding mountains, but it’s still incredibly beautiful here even when it rains.

Joshua Tree National Park, California Southern California benefits from a Mediterranean-like climate that leans toward dry summers and mild, slightly rainy winters. This is great news for allergy sufferers since it leads to a distinct lack of vegetation in many of the region’s vast natural parks. Joshua Tree is a wonderfully unique place to trek as it houses more boulders and sand than flowers. Spring is the perfect time to hit up the park thanks to mild temperatures that’ll keep you from overheating.

San Juan Mountains, Colorado Telluride is predominately known as a ski town but the surrounding San Juan Mountains and box canyon make for some pretty epic hikes during the latter portion of spring, if the snow gives way in time. Pollen is virtually non-existent at 8,700 feet so you’ll have no trouble exploring the likes of the Hawn Mountain Trail or the Mill Creek Loop, both of which offer breathtaking scenery and the chance to scope out some unique wildlife. If you’re looking for something a little less strenuous the Owl Gulch Hiking trail is great for beginners and offers ample shade from the sun.

Lake Tahoe, Nevada Between the Mt. Tallac Hike and the Skyline Trail, Lake Tahoe South offers some of the most pristinely beautiful sights in the world. The high elevation makes it difficult for pollen to thrive, which will give your allergies some much-needed relief. The Rubicon Trail Hike along the shores of Emerald Bay boasts staggering panoramas along with coves, cliffs, waterfalls and even an old lighthouse.

North Shore, Hawaii Not only does Hawaii’s North Shore host an incredible array of sandy white beaches and ocean landscapes, the warm breeze also works to help keep pollen at bay. Since allergies typically develop after you’ve been subjected to the local fauna for a while, visitors to the state will find themselves sneeze-free while hiking the Lanikai and Ehukai Pillbox Trails. The flowers and blossoms here are radically different than on the mainland, so it’d take a while for you to become allergic to any of them, leaving plenty of time to explore the region.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah Zion National Park sees some pretty hefty pollen counts when the first blooms arrive in spring, but nearby Bryce Canyon has elevations so high that you’ll be breathing nothing but fresh air as you climb to the top. The Peek-a-Boo Loop is worth the 5.5-mile trek it takes to reach the end just to catch a glimpse of the iconic Wall of Windows. If you’re looking for something a little easier, the Bristlecone Pines Hike is only one mile long but reaches 9,100 feet for astounding views of the region.

from Stansport Blog https://blog.stansport.com/6-spring-hiking-spots-for-allergy-sufferers/

[coleendhindman]

5 Ways to Keep Bugs From Ruining Your Outdoor Fun

Spring has finally arrived and with it comes a wave of creepy crawlers and flying pests looking to hinder your outdoor experience. Whether you’re seeking something au naturale or would rather drop some cash for a quick fix, there are plenty of options to help keep the gnats and mosquitoes at bay. Check out these products you can buy or try your hand at making your own.

Lemon eucalyptus oil Lemon eucalyptus oil has been one of the leading mosquito repellents since the 1940s – it’s even approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an effective ingredient to use in most commercial repellents. It’s safe, smells wonderful and one study shows that a mixture with 32 percent lemon eucalyptus oil was 95 percent effective in protecting against mosquitos for up to three hours.

Crushed lavender Not only does crushed lavender emit a fragrant aroma that leaves your campsite smelling positively delightful, but it can also aid in the repellant of adult mosquitos. The babies might still be a threat, but you’ll probably never notice them anyway. As an added bonus lavender also contains antifungal, analgesic and antiseptic qualities. You can apply the crushed flowers to small bites on your legs and ankles to help soothe the skin, or dab on a few drops of lavender oil instead.

Vinegar insect repellant Did you know that herbalist thieves would often use a vinegar treatment during the Black Plague in order to stave of diseases from flies and ticks? They used a combination of dried herbs including, lavender, sage, thyme, mint and rosemary, along with a few gloves of garlic and what we today refer to as apple cider vinegar. These ingredients mixed together and sprayed around the body might leave you smelling a little iffy, but it works wonders for keeping annoying insects away. Check out the recipe over at Wellness Mama.

Citronella Citronella is one of the most effective and popular means of warding off mosquitos and other bothersome bugs. The oil of citronella is an all-natural insect and animal repellent made from the distilled oils of different varieties of grass, particularly lemongrass. It’s labeled as a low-risk pesticide by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and in one study was shown to reduce mosquito landings in the surrounding area by 42 percent. It works by masking scents in the environment, like lactic acid and carbon dioxide, so that insects won’t be drawn to you. While making citronella candles is possible, it’s often easier and cheaper to just buy them!

Bug zapper As much as it would be nice to be able to simply ask bugs to leave us alone, plenty of them are insistent on being as obnoxious and persistent as possible. Those suckers need to die. A lantern bug zapper is a highly effective, quick and safe method for eradicating a nuisance at your campsite at night or around the backyard. Sitting around an open flame is a good way to attract every bug within a five mile radius, so hang an LED bug zapper from a tree so they’ll head toward that instead. They’ll meet a well-deserved if not untimely end, and you’ll enjoy your camping experience without scratching dozens of bug bites on your ankles and neck.

from Stansport Blog https://blog.stansport.com/5-ways-to-keep-bugs-from-ruining-your-outdoor-fun/

[coleendhindman]

How to Pick the Best Camp Lantern

  Having light when you will be camping is a very real concern. From telling ghost stories to hiking out for a late night restroom trip, there are many situations in which you might need a little bit of light. Not all camping lanterns are cut from the same cloth, however. Read on for some factors to consider when searching for the best camping lantern for your next outdoor excursion.

Brightness Brightness can make or break a lantern. Obviously, when you are buying a camping lantern, the single most important factor is how much light it puts out. Brighter isn’t always better, however. Instead, look for a lantern that provides adequate light, but won’t have you squinting when it’s on. According to Outdoor Gear Lab, “unless you are in need of a floodlight effect, we highly recommend models with non-glaring, frosted plastic.”

Both the type of bulb used, and the number of lumens will affect how much and what kind of light a lantern will put out. The higher the lumens, the brighter the light. According to Mountain Warehouse, “in most cases a luminosity of around 100-150 lumens will be more than adequate.”

Camping lantern bulbs come in three varieties, incandescent, halogen, LED, and Xenon. Incandescent bulbs are what most people are most familiar with. They give off a soft, yellowish light, and are powered by a delicate filament. Halogen and LED bulbs produce a harsher, white light and are more durable than their incandescent counterparts. LEDs can be colored—red LED bulbs will give off a red light that, while less bright, will help preserve your night vision. Xenon bulbs are highly efficient but give off a distinctive blueish light that some people may find undesirable.

Ease of Use When it is pitch-black and three o’clock in the morning, the last thing you are going to want to do is fumble around with the proper settings on your lantern. Look for a lantern that is easy to switch on and off. A hook for hanging, and a flat, sturdy base so that it can easily stand on its own are also important. Some lanterns come with different lighting modes. Make sure you know how to use these before you set out on your trip.

Features There are a lot of different features that camping lanterns can be equipped with. These features are what really sets one lantern apart from another. If you will be in an area with lots of water or will be exposed to the elements, look for a lantern that is water proof. If you will be gone on a long trip and can’t pack extra batteries or you are looking for a lantern to serve as back-up light, try a wind-up model. Take some time and think about what you will be needing your lantern for, and this should give you a good idea as to what features will be most important to you.

Conclusion In the end, as with most camping equipment, what you should look for in a lantern really depends on your personal preferences and on what you will need the lantern for. Small lanterns, for instance, are perfect for the camper looking for a bit of light inside their tent, while larger lanterns are great for setting on a table to provide lots of light for a group. Looking into each feature of a lantern and considering how it will be useful for you will go a long way in determining what you should purchase for your next camping adventure.

from Stansport Blog https://blog.stansport.com/how-to-pick-the-best-camp-lantern/

[coleendhindman]

How to Pick the Best Ultralight Tent

  When you are backpacking, weight matters. After all, anything that you put into your pack will be lugged across every sort of unforgiving terrain. It makes sense then that packing an ultralight tent could save you a lot of headache—and backache as well. Keep reading for our list of the 3 main things to consider when buying an ultralight tent.

Occupancy This one is simple, but it’s easy to overlook. The more fabric your tent is made up of, the heavier it will be. A tent for two people will be larger than a tent for one person, and so on. In general, a two person tent should be less than three pounds while a one person tent should be less than two pounds. Make sure you are using the smallest tent-size possible for the number of your party. If weight is really important to you and you are trying to shave off pounds, consider having everyone in your party sleep in their own tents. Or, if being cramped isn’t a problem, you can squeeze two people into a one person tent. If having more room is most important, buy a tent one size larger than what you need.

Rainfly color The color of your rainfly may seem like the last thing you need to be thinking about, but it actually makes quite a difference. Your tent space is probably going to be limited, so to avoid feeling claustrophobic, try purchasing a tent with a brightly colored fly. “Light, bright fly colors transmit more light inside, making the interior brighter,” according to REI. “That will make a tent feel more spacious and make it a more pleasant place to be if a storm keeps you tent-bound for an extended time.”

Freestanding vs. Non-Freestanding There are two basic tent types: freestanding and non-freestanding. Traditional freestanding tents use tent poles to build a framework on which your tent hangs. This gives you extra stability and an easier set-up, but it comes a price. Weight. Non-freestanding tents are lighter than their freestanding counterparts. They are mostly fabric and generally utilize a system of guylines and stakes along with your trekking pole to hold them upright. According to Greenbelly, “without tent poles, these puppies can almost get down to a scant pound.” Whether you choose a freestanding or non-freestanding tent really comes down to personal preference and backpacking conditions. If you are okay with something more minimalist and really want to shave off every possible ounce, non-freestanding tents are worth checking out. If you are planning on being out in any type of harsh weather like wind or snow, having a tent with a bit more stability may be the way to go.

Conclusion Choosing an ultralight tent ultimately comes down to being aware of the compromises you will make by exchanging features—and in some cases comfort—for a lighter pack. Make a list of your have-to-haves and think hard about the conditions in which you will be camping, as well as what you are willing to give up. In the end, you are trading comfort on the trail with comfort in your campsite. By taking a hard look at all the factors of your trip, you will be able to decide what is most important to you.

from Stansport Blog https://blog.stansport.com/how-to-pick-the-best-ultralight-tent/

[coleendhindman]

Winter Gear for Driving on Snow

Photo by Cameron Kirby

Winter Gear for Driving on the Snow In some countries like Finland for example, you have to take a winter driving course to be allowed on the snow with your car. While that seems a great idea, I don’t see it happening here. I’m sure making that a requirement would meet stiff resistance in the States because we reserve and respect the right to make idiots of ourselves. Other nations have way stricter laws on snow tire usage which basically means, “Use them.” You can do your best though to prepare you and your vehicle for winter driving, even if, or actually because, the other guy doesn’t.

It All Starts on the Ground Floor Snow tires make all the difference in the world, at least in the winter-time world. All season radials do an acceptable job, especially for city driving. Special snow tires are a step up and studded snow tires reign supreme. With my studded snow tires I feel they make me the Snow King, a master of the frozen world. Okay that may be stretching it just a bit but I do feel I can anywhere at any time when the roads are covered in snow. It’s a pretty good feeling and a lot better than the one you get when you are turned sideways on the highway without wanting to be sideways on the highway. Snow tires do need to be swapped on and off with your regular summer tires, though this usually reminds me to have the oil changed killing the proverbial two birds with one stone.

What the Heck is a Cassette Tape Case A good snow/ice-scrapper is priceless when your windshield is covered in snow and ice and you prefer to be able to see out your windshield while driving. Believe it or not, some folks who move from the north actually miss this ritual. I had a buddy come back from Southern California and was exited and insistent that he get to scrape my windshield on a recent visit. That excitement lasted approximately three and one half minutes until his fingers froze and he quit. Those more experienced and yes, older of us who have had to use old cassette tape cases (google it if you don’t know) in emergencies will attest to the need for a good snow/ice –scrapper. A preventative measure is to pop your wipers up and away from the windshield when you park. It won’t stop snow from accumulating, nor ice if it’s cold enough but it will keep those wipers from freezing right onto you windshield.

Cable is not Just for Viewing One of the biggest enemies for your car battery is cold weather. The other one is forgetfulness as in, “I forgot that battery is 10 years old.” Batteries die, and they rarely are considerate enough to give you any warning or maybe even wait for a nice sunny day. They can be brought back to life but unless you have Triple A or a great roadside assistance program, you’re going to need to get a jump start. That is why it’s always good to keep a pair of jumper cables in the back of your car. You can usually get someone to give you a jump, especially if you already have the hood up, the cables attached, and are just waiting to clamp onto your savior’s battery terminals. Just remember red goes on positive, black goes on negative and don’t cross mix them or you and not your battery will get that needed jump start.

A Blanket Statement Throwing a large wool blanket into your car makes sense in case of many emergencies, Not only will It keep you warm if your car breaks down but sometimes just throwing a blanket under a spinning tire will give it traction enough to get out of a slick spot. That may be reason enough to make it an older blanket but don’t skimp too much as you never know when an unexpected picnic could break out and there you go.

The Basic Emergency Supplies A wool blanket is a nice to have (for more reasons than just getting your car out of a pinch) but some things are have to have’s. Think bugout bag items including first aid kid, emergency food, water, firestarter, crank radio, flashlight, paracord, and multitool. In the worst case scenario, which hopefully never happens but that’s why it’s called worst case scenario, be prepared.

-Michael Ryan

from Stansport Blog https://blog.stansport.com/winter-gear-for-driving-on-snow/

[coleendhindman]

Brother Can You Spare a Campsite

Brother Can You Spare a Campsite? One of the most popular songs to come out of the American Great Depression was Brother Can You Spare a Dime. Later made famous by Bing Crosby, it seemed an appropriate way to start this article because campsites are getting just about as hard to find these days as a job was back then.

You May Have Reservations Have you been camping lately? If you have you’ve seen how hard it is becoming to set up a tent these days. Campgrounds are getting harder to come by lately and there are several reasons why. Not only do you need reservations in established campgrounds but even the dispersed camping areas are filling up earlier and earlier.

Population Explosion The population has exploded in the front range area of Colorado so much it’s hard to go anywhere without reservations or waiting in line. Add in the fact so many people are enjoying outdoor recreation these days, which should be a good thing and we start to love these places to death. Hiking trailhead parking lots are full by 9 AM around here and some of them like Hanging Lake in Glenwood Canyon and many spots in Rocky Mountain National Park require either permits, or shuttle buses to get you there. Established campgrounds require reservations with some weekends totally booked before the season even starts. The most popular parks in the National Park system from Yosemite to The Great Smoky Mountains and from Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon have had required reservations for years but now, even lesser known spots are filling early.

It’s a Conundrum The Conundrum Hot Springs which is an 8.5 mile uphill hike from the trailhead outside of Aspen has gotten so popular that you need a permit to camp there starting this season (2018). It wasn’t that long ago that only locals even knew of this hike and camp adventure which at one time was out of the way, hardly anyone went up there.

Who Wants to Get Social? Social media and cell phones have either enhanced everyone’s ability to find the out of the way gems or ruined these areas, depending on who you ask. So many pictures of places like Hanging Lake which is just a hiking trail, or Conundrum that includes camping have been posted online that now everybody not only knows about them, they want to go too.

The Beetle Kills Certain areas in the Rocky Mountain have been decimated by the Pine Beetle epidemic. Millions upon millions of trees have died, not only scaring the landscape but closing campgrounds. Several sites were closed in the last few seasons due to the danger of these dead trees falling on people. One of our favorite sites from years ago which is north of Silverthorne, Colorado called the South Fork campground now looks like a nuclear event occurred there. What was once a shaded campground surround by towering pines is now completely devoid of trees. This particular campground is now reopened but who wants to camp there now? As the Forest Service clears the dead trees, many of these spots will re-open but they are not near as desirable, leaving many more folks to crowd into the ones that are. It’s All About the Money Money is always tight but the Forest Service is scrapping too. Very few if any new campgrounds have been built in the Colorado Mountains that I know of in years. Though the population has more than doubled since I’ve been here, we are left with the same small number of options as before. With no new spaces, but more than twice as many people, of course there will be a logjam up there.

Go Early and Often There are so many people camping these days that even un-established spots in the National Forests and on BLM land are filling quickly. We usually just pick an area and go exploring for a spot in our 4-wheel drives but last year it was almost sunset before we found an un-occupied area and that was on a Monday. This year I think we’ll have to start earlier in the morning on a weekday to grab a dispersed spot. For established campgrounds, you can go to sites like ReserveAmerica.com for reservations in advance but do it early or you’ll get left out. They always leave a few sites open for first-come, first-serve and of course week days are easier to find spots but be prepared to be left looking. Michael Ryan

from Stansport Blog https://blog.stansport.com/brother-can-you-spare-a-campsite/

[coleendhindman]

Why Spring is Tough on Wildlife

Photo: Nathan Anderson

Spring is when nature comes alive. Squirrels frolic, flowers bloom, trees pop leaves. Birds show up from the south. It’s a great time to feel nature’s warm embrace. Right?

Not so fast. According to a famous poem, “April is the Cruelest Month”. It wasn’t a reference to taxes. Spring is a surprisingly tough time for nature. Behind the seasonal bounty is a lot of stress, hard work, and tough conditions.

Waking Up Hungry If you’re a critter that hibernates—from bears to ground squirrels—you’re going to wake up hungry. And some hibernators never wake up—shutting your body down for that long is risky metabolically. The critters that built up enough fat in the fall to sustain themselves will have burned it by the time they emerge. Everyone’s ravenous. The competition for food is intense—famished rodents venture out when they shouldn’t and become prey for famished predators.  Defending your food takes more energy…which means you need more food. Tempers flare.

Keeping Warm For both plants and animals, spring can be colder winter. As any skier knows, cold and dry are more comfortable than cold and wet. Snow insulates plants and animals from the wind: that’s why mountaineers learn to build snow caves. When that white blanket starts to melt, the wind dehydrates as well as chills. Cold rain soaks fur and feathers instead of just brushing off.

Long-Haul Trucking Migration seems sweet: just skip winter entirely. But if you think that sounds cushy, remember the long journeys there and back. Birds take huge risks on 3,000-mile flights, often with sea crossings. Tiny hummingbirds wing it across the Gulf of Mexico. Many don’t make it. Stories abound of ships at sea being covered in birds seeking any shelter from a storm. Spring is when “vagrants” show up: birds that took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up off course. The risks of migration are great, but rewards are big too—food all winter, and a bonanza at the northern end…if everything works out the way it should.

Is the Cupboard Bare? But sometimes not everything does. Much of migration and critters waking up from hibernation is triggered by the lengthening of days. If a hatch of bugs is late or a frost kills early leaves you were planning on munching, you’re in trouble: you’ve burned all your energy reserves getting through the winter or crossing the high seas. A miscalculation can be deadly. The thaw-late-freeze-re-thaw can kill plants quickly, and can also pull the rug out from all the critters that depend on those plants for food.

Waiting…or Speed Dating Even if you make it back through migration or a winter of hibernation, now comes the reason for spring: to mate and have kids. If you’re a critter that mates for life like Osprey, you have to find your mate, who’s spent the winter apart. And if your mate doesn’t show up, how long should you wait before following the biological imperative to pass on your genes with someone else? Critters that have a different mate each season go through a frenzy of mating, claiming and defending territory, and elaborate displays to attract mates. The woods become= a giant, loud singles bar.

Finding a Good Contractor At some point, you’ll shack up, and you’ll need a nest, den, tree hollow, or some other spot to raise a family. Competition for good nesting spots is an overheated real estate market that rivals San Francisco or Manhattan. Critters spend a lot of their energy building a nest or digging a den, securing the spot, making sure rivals don’t claim it and keeping it safe predators in the season to come, when they’re raising vulnerable young.

So be glad when you see the first flowers open. But remember—spring is full of hard work and risk too.

By Neil Schulman

from Stansport Blog https://blog.stansport.com/why-spring-is-tough-on-wildlife/

[coleendhindman]

Spring Camping Tips

Spring can be a mixed bag. Well, it can be a sopping wet sleeping bag, or it can be gorgeous and sunny. Snow can cover trails well below the mountains, or deserts can be popping with wildflowers. Here are some tips to getting out earlier in the year, well before anyone else….and having a blast doing it.

Go Low The most obvious factor about spring camping is that the camping bug hits long before snow melts. It’s not only in the high country, which frequently isn’t snow-free until after July 4th. Snow can often linger well below treeline late in the year, especially in deep shady canyons and north-facing slopes. Unless you want to camp on snow and struggle to find the trail through the trees, best to plan your trips for lower elevation.

Go Dry And plan for trips to drier places. If you live in my part of the country, spring is notoriously wet—remember that thing about April showers? The frequent trick is to head for the high desert, where it may be colder-especially at night—but days tend to be sunny instead of rainy, and often good temperature for hiking during the day. And you’ll get a great view of the stars.

Go Coastal As much as we flock to the beach in summer, Jack London’s claim that the coldest he ever got was a summer in San Francisco rings true. Summer means coastal fog, followed by wind. The coast is often better for camping in the spring and fall. And it’s less crowded. Yes, it can be rainy at times (especially in the soggy Northwest) but if you pick your window right, it can be the most pleasant time of the year.

Follow The Winged Beasts If you’re not sure where the best spots for your spring fling are, follow the birds. They know. They’re lives depend on it during spring migration, one of the riskiest endeavors in the natural world. They’ll land where the food is, and that usually means it will be an area that’s snow-free, somewhat sheltered from the weather, and where there’s vegetation or temperatures warm enough for insects to be active. You can even nerd out and monitor the migration online. They’ll lead you to some places that may not be on the “usual” camping destinations, like protected coastal bays and deltas and big marsh complexes like Malheur and Klamath Wildlife Refuges. And finding new places are part of the adventures.

Rig Heavy, Play Light Plan like you’re camping in winter, or near-winter: bring heavy sleeping bags, lots of warm clothes, extra tarps for a place to hang out of the rain, wind or snow. Be ready to build a warming fire. When it comes time to actually hit the trail go relatively light. It’s early in the season, and if you load yourself up with a heavy pack for a day hike, you may be in for a hard entry to the season. Don’t bite off a ton of miles of the bat—the days are still short and you may be transitioning into summer form while the season does too.

Know Your Tarpology Tarps sound like a good idea until you try and put one up in the wind, and realize you have no idea how to keep it from flapping around. Learn your knots, and how to rig a tarp for both protection from the rain and snow and as a windbreak. Hint—you’ll want to know the truckers’ hitch and the tautline hitch, and you’ll need more sections of line and stakes than you think you’ll.

Watch Stream Crossings Spring is notorious for dangerous river crossings. Rain and snowmelt can cause rivers to swell, making for dangerous footing, strong currents, and the possibility that rocks and logs have shifted position Be careful, and if it looks questionable, find a different spot or turn around.

Have Plans A-C Any time I go camping early in the season, I have a set of different plans, based on weather, elevation, and where the best chance of having fun and seeing wildlife watching and photography opportunities are. But shoulder-season plans are far less reliable than summer or winter. Have a plan if the forecast is sunny, rainy, or windy and have figured them out beforehand so you don’t end up struggling to figure out what to do with your weekend.

Have a Map—A Real One You’ll want actual maps—not just your phone. Forest Service roads may be under snow or washed out, and you’ll want to be able to find alternative routes, campgrounds, and public land open to primitive camping on the fly. Much of this information isn’t on Google maps, and cell coverage may be nonexistent. Trails will vanish under snow or high water, and routes can be hard to find. Topo maps, Forest Service fire maps, and the ability to read them are critical to staying found.

by Neil Schulman

from Stansport Blog https://blog.stansport.com/spring-camping-tips/

[coleendhindman]

Free Portable Camping LED Hanging Light bulb

source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiGAjIrKz5Q from Campers Prep Channel http://camperspreps.blogspot.com/2018/03/free-portable-camping-led-hanging-light.html