Beckers in the Woods -- A Trip Report (Pic Heavy)

MarriedTheMedic

MarriedTheMedic

Joined
Oct 7, 2017
Messages
512
@91bravo and I have had a serious case of cabin fever lately. We were determined to get outdoors this weekend, so that's exactly what we did! Some of you may remember our little piece of heaven which we call "Creekside Camp". For those of you who've never seen it before, it is on private property, which borders the Talladega National Forrest near Mt. Cheaha. It's a great little private place with a creek running nearby. The perfect location in the middle of the woods. :)

We stopped by the scenic overlook on our way in:

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Loaded up and ready to go!

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Trail and creek shots:

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Arrival at our home for the night. It has been a while since we were here, a lot of leaves had fallen, so we decided to get it cleaned back up and make it cozy.

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First order of business after cleaning up is fire prep!

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A hefty little grub was hiding inside a piece of wood.

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Gathered up some sticks and got the Emberlit ready to go. This is an awesome little stove, but it is a wood-eating monster!

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Before setting up the tent, I built up quite a decent leaf bed for extra cushioning and to provide some insulation from the cold ground.

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My BK2 showing the thickness to the leaf bed:

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Testing out the hammock...

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Hiding from the wind:

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Snack time:

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Once everything was prepped, we decided to play in the woods.


HDFK and a waterfall

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Tree Hugger

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First ride on the hip:

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We've had people ask us how to spot a fatwood tree stump. Here is a good example of what one looks like before tapping into it:

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Sticky pine-sap covered wood on the inside:

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Pumping some water from the nearby creek for camp use.


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It was getting a bit chilly after our exploration, so we got the top-down fire ready to go.

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Fatwood shavings:

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Time to get it going!

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I have created fire! :D

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After all the hard work was done, we shared a little toast to the first camping trip of the season:

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Time to get some food cooked up!

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Yummy!

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Enjoying the warm fire:

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The wind was hellacious last night. It whipped and gusted all night long. We found ourselves running circles around it because the wind was shifting so much. It also burned up our wood quite fast. Here's a shot that shows how much the wind was blowing embers around:

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It also started raining pretty good around 9 o'clock, so we hit the sack early. It rained most of the night, and was sprinkling when we awoke this morning. The only dry spot left on the ground was underneath the tent:

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We skipped the morning coffee ritual, packed up, and headed on out.

And now for some gear shots:

My Woods EDC:

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My sweet hubby gifted me a new headlamp before leaving on this trip:

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Jonny's pocket dump:

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Camp tools:

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This thread is so full of win, I don't know where to begin. I could smell the forest, I could feel the fire. As much work as it is to prep a good fire, there's nothing quite like the work that goes into it. I never tire of it. I love everything about fire, from doing all the prep work, to watching the last dying embers, to the smell of my clothing after being baptized in smoke. The food looked awesome. Wind schmind, rain schain, who cares? All part of the experience. I know you guys know that, just sayin'. Well worth it. Thanks for sharing, I appreciate all the effort that went into this. We all needed a thread like this. A good thread by two good people. Happy Birthday again 91. Thanks MTM.
 
About time you used this thing:

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You're right, the Emberlit does go through the wood, but damn, what a great stove.

I didn't realize the HDFK was that size. Great looking blade.
 
Looks like a great weekend ... and a beautiful site you have to spend time. Appreciate all the great pictures to allow us to share in it. I've been having that urge to get out to hopefully the chance will come soon.

Nothing to relax and recharge like a couple days in the woods with good company ... and of course good knives.
 
Now there’s a great way to spend your birthday. What a beautiful place you guys have access to. Loved your fire prep pics. Looked like a wonderful time; thanks for taking us along!
 
The Warrior said:
This thread is so full of win, I don't know where to begin. I could smell the forest, I could feel the fire. As much work as it is to prep a good fire, there's nothing quite like the work that goes into it. I never tire of it. I love everything about fire, from doing all the prep work, to watching the last dying embers, to the smell of my clothing after being baptized in smoke. The food looked awesome. Wind schmind, rain schain, who cares? All part of the experience. I know you guys know that, just sayin'. Well worth it. Thanks for sharing, I appreciate all the effort that went into this. We all needed a thread like this. A good thread by two good people. Happy Birthday again 91. Thanks MTM.
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Thanks, my friend, for your very kind words! The goal behind our trip reports is to bring the reader along with us. I’m so glad you got that feeling. Fires are the heart of any camping trip, and we love it right along with you! Wind and rain didn’t bother us a bit. I actually sleep better with the noise than in the deafening quiet. Lol!



Creaky Bones said:
Glad you guys got out and Happy Birthday 91bravo 91bravo !!
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Thanks, CB! :)


Xr6x said:
Looks like you both had a Great time :) Thanks for sharing :thumbsup:
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We absolutely did. Thanks for commenting!


JJ_Colt45 said:
Looks like a great weekend ... and a beautiful site you have to spend time. Appreciate all the great pictures to allow us to share in it. I've been having that urge to get out to hopefully the chance will come soon.

Nothing to relax and recharge like a couple days in the woods with good company ... and of course good knives.
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Thanks for commenting! I hope you get your chance real soon. There really is something about being out in nature that feeds the soul.


DerekH said:
Awesome thread, thanks for sharing!
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Thanks, Derek!


rmitch65 said:
Thanks for letting us enjoy along with you - great pics, and beautiful looking place!
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Thank you, Mitch!


Aikiguy said:
Now there’s a great way to spend your birthday. What a beautiful place you guys have access to. Loved your fire prep pics. Looked like a wonderful time; thanks for taking us along!
Click to expand...

I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for looking and commenting!
 
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