gearupforcamping

Hikers and Backpackers, It’s Time to get in Shape

Mar 262012

On my way back home from coffee I kept noticing people all over town walking their dogs, walking with each other, enjoying this unusual weather this March. It got me thinking about our trip to California last October to visit my buddy and best man that we hadn’t seen in 30 years. As we traveled through the state all we saw were Californians hiking, bicycling and backpacking, on the coast, in the Redwoods, in the Rain Forest, at Yosemite and in the Sequoia National Park. Wow, what a beautiful state.
So, here it is, close to spring in the Midwest and there are those who are encouraging us to get our bodies ready for hiking and backpacking and are offering some fundamental tips. Get in shape they tell you, those lower back muscles, those abdominal muscles. Well I can relate to that. With my bad back I have to do exercising everyday including getting those abdominals hardened. Maybe I’m half way there.
Strengthen those upper back muscles. Use a rowing machine or a stationary bike. Boring; it’s been 80 degrees for three days in a row and all I want to do is ride my motorcycle. Besides, I need to get my butt muscles in shape too for those long rides. Then they will tell you to bicycle or row a boat and get those arms built up and get those legs in shape. Now I can relate to that; leave the boat motor at home, put the oars in the boat, row like crazy down and around the bend in the lake, anchor out and throw the hook and line in and relax. The head needs to be clear too, you know. Besides, after I catch a few fish and winks I’ll just row like crazy back to the dock.
Do some biking or walking or even swimming. Now, I can relate to that also. My favorite position in my swimming pool is floating on my back. It takes some work staying afloat like that. It gets those hands and feet muscles in shape for sure.
Know your physical condition and know your heart. Well, at my age yearly checkups are in order and so far the heart is pumping pretty good.
Put 5 more pounds of weight in your pack and start walking gradually building up to 10 pounds a few days before your hiking adventure. With all the bags of grass seed and compost I haul around my acreage and the wood I cut, split and stack for winter heat I think I just might be in shape.
Find some good hiking boots and try them out before the big hike. Then try different levels of terrain gradually walking steeper hills. Now I’m looking forward to that. I can’t wait to get my hiking boots on and hit the woods for the mushrooms. Truth be said, however, these boots of mine have walked the streets of Athens, the ruins of Ephesus, the trek through the Red Woods, the Rain Forest and up the steps of Moro Rock in Sequoia National Park. Since my feet and heart are ready, now I must get the in-between ready.
I know you Californians have been out and about all winter long and are certainly in shape. Us Midwesterners will have to work at it a bit and it will take some time. But we have time; it’s only march and the camp grounds are not even open here.
Well, I hope you didn’t mind my tongue-in-cheek humor but it has been so nice out here that I have been outside getting things done around the house and my 6 acres and it’s only March. Oh yes, and my back is killing me. In a couple of days I’ll see the back doctor and I’m sure he’ll tell me to do some exercising.
By the way, if any of you are interested in backpacking and hiking gear, visit my website and I’ll be happy to help you.
Now you hikers and backpackers get yourselves in shape. Go out and do the right thing.

Checklist for Getting the Trailer Ready For Camping

Camping Tips 2 Responses »

Mar 202012

Saturday, St. Patrick’s Day, when I went to morning coffee several of the guys were wearing their green outfits, including Woody with his green afro wig. That got me thinking back to the days raising our four daughters and telling them, since their mother was Irish, if they were mostly Irish, that the morning of the 17^th of March their toenails would turn green. Of course it was up to me to sneak in their bedrooms that night and paint their toenails green. So it went for a number of years and they got a kick out of going to school with green toenails showing the other kids they were Irish. Then the two older girls, in their high school teens, said enough is enough, but I had to give it one more try. After painting the two younger ones toenails I attempted the second oldest and she caught me. Well, I was satisfied that I still painted the two youngest and went to bed.

What does this have to do with getting the travel trailer ready for the camping. Not a darn thing, except that on this day of March 17^th we were in our third day of record temperatures and it just seemed appropriate to get the trailer ready.

Last fall in winterizing the trailer I ran anti-freeze through the lines. And before I did that I closed off the water heater so that no anti-freeze got in there. Of course I made sure that the water in the water heater lines were completely blown out. So, my first step is to pump the anti-freeze out. Now, this isn’t something you want to do the day before you go camping. As you know the anti-freeze will sit in the pvc lines of the trailer and the fresh water you put in there will pick up not only the smell, but the taste as will and the taste is horrific. After I pump the anti-freeze out I immediately pump vinegar into the lines and let it sit for a few days. This will be a process.

Next, I will put fresh water into the fresh water holding tank at least half full and let it set for a few days. I want to make sure the tank gets freshened up after sitting empty for 5 or 6 months.

I then replace the smoke alarm batteries, test them to make sure the new ones are working and even test the older ones to see if they still have some life in them. If they do I can always use them for something else for I am a very frugal person. Usually the alarm will tell you if the batteries are low by the beep you hear when you first step into the trailer.

Next, I will check the tandem tires for air pressure and I know over the winter season the pressure will have been down some. I have a 31 foot pull trailer with a slide out so the trailer is fairly heavy on the tires. Since I have my trailer in my pole barn I don’t get the winter weather on it but for those who have their trailer outside all winter a good scrub down is necessary and the roof checked for leaks.

Then I will check the main battery and get it charged up if I already haven’t down that once a month over the winter. Sometimes I just forget. I check the lights in the trailer to make sure they work both on the 110 volt and 12 volt systems as well as the slideout. I then hook up the truck plug-ins to the trailer and check the outside lights, brake lights and turn signals. Don’t wait until the day you leave of your camping trip.

After a few days I pump the vinegar out of the lines and pump fresh water into the lines and at the same time I will empty the fresh water holding tank and fill it with fresh water. I may let the water sit in the lines another week and refill again. It’s really important for me to taste fresh water because when frying bacon and eggs out in the cool morning air of the camp ground I want my coffee to taste as fresh and full of flavor as it was at home or at the coffee club with the guys. I leave the dusting and the sweeping inside the trailer to my wife. By the way, if this warm weather is getting your mind thinking of those camping days and you are thinking of camping gear visit my website, http://www.gearupforcamping.com/ and maybe I can help you with something.

Now back to St. Patrick’s Day. The morning of the 17^th my alarm went off and my feet hit the floor as I got ready to go to work that year. Grabbing my socks from the drawer I proceeded to putting them on my feet only to see 10 toes with 10 green toenails. Raising teenage girls wasn’t easy.

Checklist for Campground Hunting

Camping Tips 1 Response »

Mar 062012

Checklist for Campground Hunting

Years ago I would take my wife and four daughters camping every weekend to different parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and South Dakota. Why every weekend? Well, I would kill two birds with one stone. The family loved camping and I loved fast pitch softball. The team I played for out of Des Moines had about a hundred game schedule and every weekend the team would play tournament games in different cities. We had a big family tent with bunk bed cots and all the equipment for camping. On this particular weekend we headed for Mankato, Minnesota and we were making good time. Everyone in the station wagon was asleep and I was deep in thought when all of a sudden I remembered something. Well, I waited till we were a few miles out of Mankato when I woke the girls and said, “I have good news and bad news. The good news is we are almost there. The bad news is I forgot the tent poles.”

Even after the tenting decade, into the popup camping decade and then the travel trailer era we still managed to take off for a campground or national park without checking the specifics of what they had to offer. As a result, we had some interesting times after reaching our destination. But, in this day and age, with the internet at your fingertips it really doesn’t have to be that way. It only takes a short time to find out what the park and their campgrounds have to offer so you can be prepared.

How many spaces does the park have?

How big are the spaces?

The bigger the camping trailer the harder it is to find the right size camping spot. Choosing the right campground and knowing what is there will enhance quality time of your camping vacation or weekend. Many parks take reservations but do leave some first come first serve spots. Do they have room for your 30 foot travel trailer and the vehicle that you are using to pulling it? You may want to know if the spaces are pull through spaces or will you have to back your trailer into those spaces. Close camping spots and trees around the spaces may make it difficult to back a trailer into the space. At the Kentucky Dam Campground at Kentucky Lake, you can actually view online the camping spaces, the dates that are reserved and the prices.

Do they have running water at each space or are the faucets at different places throughout the campground?

If you are tenting you usually are ready for things of that nature but if you have a trailer it is very difficult to pour water into the trailer intake from a bucket.

What does the water taste like?

We have experienced some bad tasting water on our camping trips. Be ready to have your water tank full traveling to some of these campgrounds. If you are a tent camper be sure to have jugs of water with you and enough based on how long your stay is.

Is electric and sewer provided?

Are there restrooms and showers?

If there are portable toilets only, you will find that over a period of only a few days they will be unacceptable to use, particularly on a holiday weekend when there will be a lot of partying going on. If you are tenting or have a popup camper with no toilet facilities it would be wise to have a port-a-potty on hand. Nothing feels worse than to have unsanitary conditions on your outing.

Is there internet and cell phone service available?

Many campgrounds have internet service available for those who need to be in touch with the world other than the one that is immediately around them. I have found over the years not knowing the news of the day or the week while we were camping really didn’t change my life. To get away from the hubbub of the city really helps clear the mind and recharges the spirit.

Are you prepared for any kind of weather?
Do you have your flashlight?

Camping in the Rockies can be an unexpected adventure. Know the altitude of the park or campground that you are going to be visiting. We were camping just outside of the Yellowstone one year and the heater stopped because the propane tank emptied. It was cold in that trailer. I got up and went out to change the gauge to the other tank but when I grabbed the tank cover it just slipped out of my hands. There was a layer of ice on the cover. We started the day in jeans and by noon we were back in our shorts.

Is there wild life in the area where you are going to camp and do you have pets?

This can be a very serious question for pet owners. Parks and campgrounds do have leash requirements for the safety of your pet and other people. My daughter was camping at Indian Creek Campground in Yellowstone, sitting outside her camper with her golden retriever, when a coyote wandered by. It stopped, took a good look at the dog and my daughter, then, took a wide berth around the trailer. It may not have done that if the pet was a Chihuahua and alone. If you are in a tent you may have to be extra cautious. Be sure you are with your pet when your pet is outside and by the way, grizzlies and wolves eat meat too.

Getting back to Mankato, we spent that first night on our cots, inside our sleeping bags, under the stars, then, we were invited to share a motel room with one of the other ball players family. Man, I miss those tenting days. By the way, visit my website, www.gearupforcamping.com. Maybe we might have something for you. Now, one last question.

Do you have your tent poles?

camping1

CAMPING YELLOWSTONE – MY GET-A-WAY PLACE

National Parks No Responses »

Feb 172012

Yellowstone National Park
I have taken my family camping all over the United States, from coast to coast, from the northern lakes to the gulf and from the Smokey Mountains to the Rockies. We started out with the tent, elevated to the pop-up camper and graduated to the pull trailer. Our budget wouldn’t allow us to the next level. But in all the places we’ve seemed to go there was always a place we always came back to, and that was Yellowstone National Park. It was like every other year we’d head back to see the wonders that the park had to offer.
Yellowstone National Park is set in the Northwest corner of Wyoming and bordered by Idaho and Montana. There are two entrances to the park from Wyoming; the east entrance which is about 50 miles from Cody and in the Wapiti valley area and our favorite place to camp before heading into the park. The south entrance is about 60 miles from Jackson and is in the Grand Teton National Park. The fee to the Grand Teton Park will get you into Yellowstone. There are three entrances from Montana; the west entrance is at West Yellowstone Village, a northern entrance near Gardner and a northeast entrance near Cook City.
Now there are 2.2 million acres of the park and a lot of places to see. Plan to spend at least two days there but three days would be the ticket. Even if you do not camp inside the park there are many places to stay outside and the fee will get you in over a period of time. If you have a large motor home the best place to camp inside the park is at Fishing Bridge RV Park. No matter how big or small your camping unit it is best to call ahead and get a reservation. You can find a camping spot if you are there early without a reservation but it can be touch and go. If you cannot find a camping spot in one campground they will call another campground and hold it for you.
One of our favorite places to camp is at Mammoth Hot Springs. There the campground is out of the way of the small community but close enough to restaurant, gift shop and the hot springs. The camping spots are not packed together and because of the bushes and trees they give you a feeling separation. One year we were sitting in front of our camper and a coyote came trotting by. A heard of elk are in the area and many times they will come right into the community and graze on the grassy area. One thing to remember is that these creatures are wild. I’ve seen people try to send their kids up close to these beautiful creatures so they could take pictures of them. Of course, this is a park ranger’s nightmare and they are Johnny on the spot when elk are in the town. It is quite a hike up the path of the hot springs but it is worth it. If you have someone with you that cannot make the hike you can always drive to the top of the hot springs.
Indian Creek Campground is another nice place to camp. It is a very quiet place to be with a stream nearby, trees to shade you and rolling prairies of native grass. You may even see a coyote wander by also. There are almost 500 grizzlies in the park and if you are on look out you are more than likely to see one even if it is over on the next hill. Pack your binoculars.
At one of the campgrounds one year, we were camped next to a fellow with a night camera which he set up because some kind of cat, a links, bobcat, or bigger, were seen earlier in this campground. Unfortunately, we had no visitors that night.
We have been back many times to see Old Faithful gushing out her hot water and steam from the earth below. We have walked the board walk through the hot, bubbling pools and watch the small geysers unexpectedly erupt from their pot holes. We would go inside the lodge and see how it was put together from the big timbers and I have never have seen a fireplace as big as the one there. We never miss the chance to go to the stores, buy souvenirs, and of course, buy a big helping of that delicious ice cream. Around the lodge area there is an educational center where a ranger will answer questions and there is always a chance for the kids to become a junior ranger.
The Lower Falls are as beautiful and majestic as ever. Pictures can still be taken near Painters Point and you may even see someone painting the falls from that point. At the falls overlook you can hear the pounding of the water over a hundred feet below but on the other side you can hike down to get another view and maybe even see some snow as late as August.

Don’t forget to stop by Fire Hole Canyon and be sure to have your swim suit along. The river is fed by the geysers and the water is comfortable. The river winds through boulders and when the boulders are very close together the river rushes you through them like you are on a water slide. The kids will love it.
There are so many things to do at the park; hike, backpack, fish and visit the museums and visitor centers. Be sure to watch the video of the park fire in 1988 and what effect it had on the wild life there. You will be surprised. If you are ready and able to go camping, by all means, do so, and if you looking for some camping gear, catch my website, www.gearupforcamping.com. I’d love to help you.

My Favorite Camping Spots

Travels 2 Responses »

Jan 302012

MY FAVORITE CAMPING SPOTS

I remember the first time I saw her. She was across the room when I entered. There were a number of others there and conversations were all over the room. I walked across the room to get a closer look at her. She was beautiful! The usual introductions were made but I was mystified to say much more than “hi there”. Our eyes met and we just faced each other looking, watching, and staring, without conversation.

That was the beginning of our relationship. Here I was, happily married; father, and even a grandfather, and I, falling in love again. Do I dare tell my wife my feelings for this person in my life? I have always been honest and open with my wife. She has been my soul mate for years. We have the same interests which include traveling and where ever we traveled it usually involved camping. Visiting the United States was a passion for us and while traveling to places all over America there were some places that we continued to return to. These were our favorite places to visit again and again.

Here I was, imagining myself taking this beauty with me on these trips that I had taken my wife and children, even my grandchildren. I could imagine taking her to Yellowstone to witness Old Faithful gushing out its hot steamy water from beneath the earth. I could take her on a walk along the board paths and around the boiling and sulfur smelling pools of hot water. We could camp at Indian Creek Camp Ground where we could see acres of grassy fields and watch an occasional coyote wander by. We could go for a swim at Fire Hole Canyon where the water is warmed by the geysers and the river rushes through the giant boulders carrying you through them like a water slide.

I could take her to Jackson Hole where we could horseback ride through the many trails or white water down the Snake River in early summer when the water is high and the rapids measure their strength against the rocks and boulders.

We could drive the coastline of California and walk in the sand at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. I can show her the bluffs where I played as a child, climbing the cliffs, walking the paths and digging foxholes. I could show her the place where Jackie Briggs slipped off the lower path and fell 30 feet straight down to the rocks below and broke both legs. I remember running to his house terrified and telling his parents and while his dad and friends went to rescue him, his mother, with loving calmness, helped me take off my silver six shooters, hugged me and sent me home a block away.

We could travel up the Poudre River Canyon and camp at Glen Echo Resort on the Cache la Poudre River. There we could fish for the Brown and Rainbow trout or hike the trails in the Comanche Peak Wilderness, the Rawah Wilderness, the Neota Flat Tops Wilderness or the Roosevelt National Forest. We could hike the trail leading up to the American flag that someone has put up in honor of our vets.

We have seen a lot of each other lately and our relationship has blossomed. I manage to get away and visit her about noon during the week days. I cherish these visits and I drive to her home with anticipation. I enter through the garage and go in the house through the side door and there she is. I walk over to her, take her in my arms and tell her: Olivia, my sweetheart, great-grandpa has you now and mommy can leave for work.

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Hikers and Backpackers, It’s Time to get in Shape

Checklist for Getting the Trailer Ready For Camping

Checklist for Campground Hunting

CAMPING YELLOWSTONE – MY GET-A-WAY PLACE

My Favorite Camping Spots

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