Re: Campsite Photos Everyone!
Hello Fellow Campers!
It's been 2 months since my last trip. It was time for me to get out there....so I did this weekend. Temps Hi: low/mid 40's, Low: right around 32 both nights. Mostly cloudy skies---boooo-----I missed my chance at camping in the cold night air away from the city lights to watch the Leonid Meteor showers Saturday night. No go---oh well. My wife and Willa-Dobie came along for the cold weather fun. The kids stayed at home---their choice. lol
Since it was forecast cold, I took along a couple of new pieces of gear for their initial trip: a Cabelas Instinct Alaskan Guide 8P tent and a Mr Heater Portable Buddy heater. These were adds for getting out more in the winter/off season. My wife and I enjoy the quiet of camping during the off season. We almost have the parks to ourselves. No bugs, no artificial noise at night. The rest of our camp gear this trip we tried to keep as simple as possible...considering the weather (and everything....but the tent...should/could be packed/rolled/stuffed inside the tent or vestibule). We're trying to be as efficient as possible camping when the temps drop.
Our trip took us back to Brown County State Park (our previous camp trip destination) at the same site in the Taylor Ridge camping area. At this time, however, there are no restrooms or running water in this entire section. Of the couple hundred sites in this section, 8 were occupied---all but one (a small pop-up) by tent campers. We had no one around us....at all. 1st Note: I was aware of the lack of amenities in this section before we reserved. 2nd Note: the first camping area, Buffalo Ridge, has a heated, fully outfitted, shower/restroom building (20-30 RV's were parked huddled around the building in various sunny sites). This is a great state park, our largest in IN.....if you happen to be going thru southern IN/Bloomington area....you do need to stay at night or two here.
The Instinct Alaskan Guide 8P set up slowly...as this was my first time pitching it. But a tent is a tent and we had it up in under 30 minutes. I did not guy it out as forecast called for winds...light and variable. The tent is fantastic as it allows both of us room to stand up and spread out (a necessity sometimes during winter camping and the weather/wind). A large front vestibule can be utilized for "careful" cooking (for me that is strictly water boils...but it's a good size space). The 8 pole structure appears strong....promises 50 mph sustained wind and snow load. Conditions this trip didn't provide much of a test. lol. Hopefully, the next trip will have some snow fall.
The camping, hiking, enjoying the park, was great. Temps were decent enough for hiking/staying warm during the day....cool enough at night to appreciate the fire and a hot meal, and cold enough at night to love the Buddy heater (only during awake times...but wow it did a nice job of heating that big tent even with windows open!) and finally really cold to love our down quilts and blankets at night. Willa-Dobie did fine camping and hiking. I do believe she has become quite skilled at "camping....dog perspective". She at least appears to be having a ball. She also seemed to appreciate my old REI down blanket to bury into at night and the special camp treats.
Keep getting out there.
Hello Fellow Campers!
It's been 2 months since my last trip. It was time for me to get out there....so I did this weekend. Temps Hi: low/mid 40's, Low: right around 32 both nights. Mostly cloudy skies---boooo-----I missed my chance at camping in the cold night air away from the city lights to watch the Leonid Meteor showers Saturday night. No go---oh well. My wife and Willa-Dobie came along for the cold weather fun. The kids stayed at home---their choice. lol
Since it was forecast cold, I took along a couple of new pieces of gear for their initial trip: a Cabelas Instinct Alaskan Guide 8P tent and a Mr Heater Portable Buddy heater. These were adds for getting out more in the winter/off season. My wife and I enjoy the quiet of camping during the off season. We almost have the parks to ourselves. No bugs, no artificial noise at night. The rest of our camp gear this trip we tried to keep as simple as possible...considering the weather (and everything....but the tent...should/could be packed/rolled/stuffed inside the tent or vestibule). We're trying to be as efficient as possible camping when the temps drop.
Our trip took us back to Brown County State Park (our previous camp trip destination) at the same site in the Taylor Ridge camping area. At this time, however, there are no restrooms or running water in this entire section. Of the couple hundred sites in this section, 8 were occupied---all but one (a small pop-up) by tent campers. We had no one around us....at all. 1st Note: I was aware of the lack of amenities in this section before we reserved. 2nd Note: the first camping area, Buffalo Ridge, has a heated, fully outfitted, shower/restroom building (20-30 RV's were parked huddled around the building in various sunny sites). This is a great state park, our largest in IN.....if you happen to be going thru southern IN/Bloomington area....you do need to stay at night or two here.
The Instinct Alaskan Guide 8P set up slowly...as this was my first time pitching it. But a tent is a tent and we had it up in under 30 minutes. I did not guy it out as forecast called for winds...light and variable. The tent is fantastic as it allows both of us room to stand up and spread out (a necessity sometimes during winter camping and the weather/wind). A large front vestibule can be utilized for "careful" cooking (for me that is strictly water boils...but it's a good size space). The 8 pole structure appears strong....promises 50 mph sustained wind and snow load. Conditions this trip didn't provide much of a test. lol. Hopefully, the next trip will have some snow fall.
The camping, hiking, enjoying the park, was great. Temps were decent enough for hiking/staying warm during the day....cool enough at night to appreciate the fire and a hot meal, and cold enough at night to love the Buddy heater (only during awake times...but wow it did a nice job of heating that big tent even with windows open!) and finally really cold to love our down quilts and blankets at night. Willa-Dobie did fine camping and hiking. I do believe she has become quite skilled at "camping....dog perspective". She at least appears to be having a ball. She also seemed to appreciate my old REI down blanket to bury into at night and the special camp treats.
Keep getting out there.
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