Thank you dtownral

[Edited on August 17, 2014 at 9:55 PM. Reason : .]

8/17/2014 9:54:53 PM

So like normal camping? Yeah I usually only backpack. Most of the trails I do are in wilderness areas but there are still somewhat established camp sites. They follow leave no trace rules (distance from trail, etc). Usually if you want to camp and there's already what appears to be a camp site then you should use that instead of impacting a new area.

But yeah each day we usually have an idea of how far we want to hike then we just set up camp when we find a sweet spot with a view near water for cooking.

You want to then follow strict leave no trace guidelines. Don't eat where you camp, use a bear bag or canister, etc. One of the biggest issues in Colorado is inexperienced backpackers cooking where they camp, leaving food, or damaging new areas. We've had some recent closures due to bears in some of the alpine lake areas which is really sad but just a few can ruin it for the rest of us.

8/18/2014 10:55:07 AM

normal camping is out of the back of a gas guzzling SUV you hippie

8/18/2014 4:02:15 PM

what do you people like better for warm climate hikes; coolmax material or merino wool/wool blend socks?

8/18/2014 5:02:59 PM

These are my new favorite:

http://www.rei.com/product/805643/wrightsock-coolmesh-ii-double-layer-lo-socks

They have two layers which help prevent blisters on longer hikes and they're very comfortable. Similar to wearing a liner but thinner.

8/18/2014 6:33:57 PM

buy some cheap dress socks to use as liners with some non-cotton socks and call it a day

8/19/2014 2:48:38 PM

Then I have to keep track of two pairs of socks. Easy to just have one decent pair that has liners in it.

8/19/2014 6:15:14 PM

Do those 2-in-1 have enough support? I have a couple pairs of the REI ultra light coolmax socks and while they feel good in casual walking situations they really have no cushion or support.

8/19/2014 8:01:00 PM

If you have the right pair of shoes/soles you don't really need socks with cushion. At least in my experience.

8/19/2014 9:05:43 PM

me and the lady went up to Hanging Rock State Park this past weekend. It was a really neat place. No primitive camping but we had a great time.

we went for one night and slept in the truck. we didnt have a reservation and just chanced it. got to the park around 930pm and the gate was open so we rode around until we found an open reserved campsite and just jacked it. there were several that were reserved but vacated so i didnt feel too bad.

really cool place thats only 2 hours from Raleigh

8/19/2014 10:12:06 PM

how close are the spots, do you have privacy?

8/19/2014 10:37:31 PM

what cooler is everyone (well non-backpackers) using? I have the basic cheap wal-mart cooler but it can't keep ice frozen through the weekend and have no interest in spending $300 for a fucking cooler

(i still love my truck fridge, but i need more capacity when camping with family)

[Edited on August 20, 2014 at 11:05 AM. Reason : .]

8/20/2014 10:57:33 AM

message_topic.aspx?topic=642400


FYI I bought an Igloo MaxCold 70qt shortly after that thread and it won't hold ice for more than 24 hours if the cooler is outside. So i don't recommend it.

8/20/2014 11:25:23 AM

#carcampingproblems

8/20/2014 11:37:23 AM

i'm leaning towards igloo marine or coleman ultra

8/20/2014 11:38:32 AM

i didn't see a ton of difference between the marine and standard other than the white color and a little more sturdy hinges. Perhaps i'm wrong though. Honestly, no cooler will really stand up to the "ice ratings" when they are constantly opened and closed. I would try to find one that has a decent thickness to the walls and a very tight seal when it closes. I think those are the biggest factors.

Quote :

"#carcampingproblems"

well, this thread is called "ANYTHING CAMPING" for a reason.

8/20/2014 11:56:38 AM

Yeah I was kidding. For car camping I got one of these:

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=20545086&lmdn=Brand&cp=4406646.4413993.13243208

Seems to do the job for $55.

Now that I'm Googling coolers I see brands like Yeti for $300-400. Are they worth it? I guess being in Colorado it still gets down to the 30s-40s at night so the ice lasts a little longer even in a cheap cooler.

8/20/2014 12:54:48 PM

Quote :

"If you are going to use them for their true intended purpose then I can see it being a great investment. But for simple weekend camping or just keeping beer cold at the beach or lake, I could never justify spending that much money. But again, to each his own"

8/20/2014 1:19:55 PM

Thanks didn't see that. Getting a 2" hitch for my car. Might consider a cooler stand thingy. Although usually even with four people we can fit all the gear and a big cooler in my car for 2-3 days of camping. Especially because stuff goes in the Thule on top.

8/20/2014 1:23:27 PM

^^^ that's the one I was looking at (or the 70qt version of the same one)

it's interesting that Dicks has it for a few bucks less than Amazon

8/20/2014 1:36:29 PM

Are there any Academy Sports stores in the Raleigh area? Here they have almost 3 times the selection of coolers than Dicks and better prices also.

8/20/2014 2:21:21 PM

No

I already checked Gander Mountain and they have a shit camping section, very little inventory and options. REI has a big sale this weekend, I may swing by and see if they have any deals on coolers otherwise I think the Coleman Xtreme from Dicks is looking like the best option so far.

Someone write an ASME standard to rate coolers plz

8/20/2014 2:31:02 PM

when does Bass Pro Cary open?

8/20/2014 2:47:47 PM

looks like they are open

best options seem to be:
http://www.basspro.com/Igloo-50Quart-Marine-Breeze-MaxCold-Ultra-Wheeled-Cooler/product/12011005011419/
or
http://www.basspro.com/Igloo-Marine-Ultra-54Cooler/product/12011005011420/

8/20/2014 2:52:06 PM

Quote :

" how close are the spots, do you have privacy? "

The some are right on top each other and some are a little spread out. We only looked at one loop and the privacy during the day was very minimal. You would need to use you car to help provide privacy in several that we saw.

It was also extremely busy. I was shocked at the amount of people that were out there. I would still go back tho...very cool place with some challenging hikes

8/21/2014 9:31:35 AM

okay, that's basically how i remembered it but it has been a little while so I wasn't sure if it had changed

What are other good camping options close by (2-3hrs)? Anyone camped at Badin Lake in Uwharrie?

8/21/2014 5:22:25 PM

if anyone's in the market for a half-decent and cheap 2-man* tent, there's a coleman on clearance at REI for $45: http://www.rei.com/product/879265/coleman-tent-max-backpacking-tent-2013-closeout

it's freestanding, has aluminum poles, and a small vestibule...4/5 stars with 25 reviews on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/COLEMAN-Person-Lightweight-Backpacking-Camping/dp/B0067OA54O/

* more like 1.5-man, unless you're a child, asian, or want to spoon your tentmate all night long

10/1/2014 12:52:37 PM

the new field and stream sore in Cary has a decent selection of various camping sundries

10/1/2014 12:54:42 PM

2 night rafting trip down the Colorado near Moab the weekend of the 11th. Can't wait.

10/1/2014 4:28:25 PM

camping in medoc mountain state park today till sunday

10/3/2014 1:10:29 PM

Anyone have any experience filtering water from the Colorado? The government site recommends both a filter and iodine.

10/5/2014 4:08:28 PM

No experience, but I'm guessing it's due to how silty/muddy the water is in the Colorado? Those bacteria and cysts and other nasties can really ride on those sediment particles, not to mention stop your filter up in no time. It's also kinda a high use area with a lot of campers all up and down the river, prob some A-holes aqua-deucing somewhere. Try to pre-filter all your water through a bandanna or cheese cloth or whatever to remove as much sediment as possible. Seems like iodine would be overkill after a filter, but nothing wrong with being super safe, especially if it's just for a couple days.

I know you have To be kinda careful of some of the smaller tributarys running into the Colorado as well. We camped at onion springs, just south of Moab and there were signs recommending not drinking the water due to either pH or salts (can't remember).

10/5/2014 5:11:41 PM

I've got an old Gregory Reality internal frame backpack...was probably made in 2000 and is in decent shape. Is it worth much? http://www.trailspace.com/gear/gregory/reality/

10/5/2014 5:47:38 PM

^^Thanks! I'm bringing my platypus gravity filter I usually bring backpacking then some chlorine tablets for the water just in case the filter gets clogged up. That's a great tip about pre-filtering the water. We'll give that a shot.

10/5/2014 6:43:43 PM

afprino, how is medoc mountain? Any trails or anything to do there?

10/5/2014 7:22:47 PM

Quote :

"I've got an old Gregory Reality internal frame backpack...was probably made in 2000 and is in decent shape. Is it worth much? http://www.trailspace.com/gear/gregory/reality/"

it always seemed to me that camping equipment generally loses value quickly

throw it up on CL for half the price of the equivalent new model gregory and a link to it on REI...someone will probably buy it if you're patient, but it's also starting to get cold enough that a lot of folks are done backpacking for the year

10/6/2014 8:07:48 AM

i'm in the market for a cheap daypack, i didn't think to check CL

10/6/2014 8:22:13 AM

dtownral, there are some pretty decent trails there. nothing too difficult and they all seem to loop back to familiar points. there is a nice stream that runs through and the summit trail has some elevation to it (not like hiking out west in the mountains). there is a large open field that is great for star-gazing on a clear day.

the facilities (shower / toilet, etc.) are recently remodeled, so you'll enjoy that if you make it out there. all of the sites also have partial shade which is nice and you can easily find places to set up a hammock.

I'd recommend you bring cash with you to buy firewood if needed. the gas station nearest to the state park is really sketchy and you may not want to use the ATM there.

10/6/2014 5:16:25 PM

i've never cold weather camped, and want to find someplace close that i can test out a new tent and sleeping bag this fall and winter (and some place to go to get the wife some more experience camping)

how does the campground compare to other nearby areas, any privacy at the campground? I like that hanging rock is so close, but i don't like how you can see 5 different campsites around you.

10/6/2014 6:35:20 PM

the privacy is about average with the other state parks. there was no line of sight between sites, though, so we couldn't directly view our neighbors and there are trees between sites.

10/7/2014 2:34:58 PM

Thx quag

10/7/2014 5:34:15 PM

Not really camping related but I did make a fire last night out of the fire pit and cook baked potatoes for me and my girlfriend and her little son

bake potatoes in a fire or so good

10/8/2014 9:28:35 AM

cube them then add sausage and green peppers and some seasoning, seal in tin foil, throw in the coals by the fire

10/8/2014 9:38:28 AM

^And onions! Add some olive oil as well and spices. So good.

10/8/2014 9:41:12 AM

yup...love me some foil pack (aka, hobo) deliciousness

we throw mushrooms and whole garlic cloves in there, as well

10/8/2014 10:51:13 AM

Yeah it's a rare treat the few times we ever go car camping.

10/8/2014 12:48:47 PM

oh, and carrots

man, now i want one for dinner...they're not as good baked in the oven, so i'd need to whip out the fire pit

10/8/2014 1:00:59 PM

and it didnt cost anything to cook them...lol off the grid man. I needed to burn a ton of sticks that i had been collecting in my yard.

yeah, we make a lot of hobo dinners when we go camping.

almost everything we eat is out of a tin foil pack lol

there is so much you can do its crazy. my girlfriend is always looking on pinterest for new ideas and tin foil desserts.

we made ice cream cone smores not too long ago. they were a big hit. - pack an ice cream cone with lot mini marshmallows, mini Hershey bars, kisses what ever, butterscotch chips, peanut butter and toss in the fire - crazy good

[Edited on October 8, 2014 at 3:04 PM. Reason : fg]

10/8/2014 3:03:44 PM

our go-to dessert when car camping is dutch oven cobbler

2 large cans (15oz?) of pie filling (we usually use cherry)
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter

line the oven with foil, pour in the filling, sprinkle the cake mix on top, and cut the butter into patties to place them over the mix...place the oven on some coals, put some coals on the lid, and enjoy in 45 minutes

10/8/2014 3:37:03 PM

This shit is so good after a day of hiking:

10/8/2014 5:07:56 PM