- Joined
- Dec 13, 2005
- Messages
- 6,105
Howdy folks-
I found a bit of time yesterday for a quick overnight at the Daniel Boone National Forest. The spot is a favorite area of mine, the Red River Gorge. Lots of great views up there, some more touristy than others. There are also a few world-renowned climbing areas from what I understand; lots of folks travel from as far as Australia to give it a whirl. I'm not a climber myself, as I enjoy both feet on the ground, but there are lots here who are.
I hiked in a couple of miles, then halfway down a small holler. I brought along my .22 in case I found some squirrels along the way but I got to camp a little too late to also go hunting. I didn't bring a tent or anything with me, so I decided to setup a shelter. I'd thought of a lean-to initially, but I didn't like the setup of the trees to use as posts at my camp spot. So I built a nice A-frame shelter before dark hit. I always pack a couple of trash bags with me and they definitely came in handy for gathering up some leaves (which were plentiful) for proper insulation. Some pics and a quick video:
[youtube]6h5HXkydVEM[/youtube]
After it was settled, I setup a fire (firesteel + jute, for those interested). Kindling was plentiful. I'd planned on having some game to add to my Ramen, but here we are! I also brought along some bannock, which had a touch of sugar and cinnamon added. Came out pretty good but the bottom of my pot sure got scorched! Tastes good dipped in the Ramen. The pot, by the way, was my new-ish Open Country 2 quart kettle. It did quite well, and it and my US canteen cup did all my cooking. I was not left wanting!
Made dinner, made some hot cider, smoked a few bowls of a special Virginia blend out of my cob pipe, blowing smoke rings towards stars. :thumbup:
I hit the sack after a couple of hours, into the A-frame. Slept well for a while but a cold front came in somewhere around 2 or 3 am. (I found out just how cold it was when I got back to my truck this morning to find a small sheet of ice on the windshield.) So I moved my bedding out by the fire and slept next to it for the rest of the night, under the stars, getting up every couple of hours to stoke the fire. It was funny to watch the moon crawl across the sky through the night.
Woke up before dawn, got the fire cooking, warmed up my fingers and toes. Brewed up some very strong coffee (bandanna filtered!). More satisfying than my french press with fresh ground beans! I took down my shelter and dispersed the leaves and sticks evenly across the site. Even had time to do some shooting, plinked with my Savage MkII .22 for a while, then tested out my new (to me) S&W 67.
I found a bit of time yesterday for a quick overnight at the Daniel Boone National Forest. The spot is a favorite area of mine, the Red River Gorge. Lots of great views up there, some more touristy than others. There are also a few world-renowned climbing areas from what I understand; lots of folks travel from as far as Australia to give it a whirl. I'm not a climber myself, as I enjoy both feet on the ground, but there are lots here who are.
I hiked in a couple of miles, then halfway down a small holler. I brought along my .22 in case I found some squirrels along the way but I got to camp a little too late to also go hunting. I didn't bring a tent or anything with me, so I decided to setup a shelter. I'd thought of a lean-to initially, but I didn't like the setup of the trees to use as posts at my camp spot. So I built a nice A-frame shelter before dark hit. I always pack a couple of trash bags with me and they definitely came in handy for gathering up some leaves (which were plentiful) for proper insulation. Some pics and a quick video:
[youtube]6h5HXkydVEM[/youtube]
After it was settled, I setup a fire (firesteel + jute, for those interested). Kindling was plentiful. I'd planned on having some game to add to my Ramen, but here we are! I also brought along some bannock, which had a touch of sugar and cinnamon added. Came out pretty good but the bottom of my pot sure got scorched! Tastes good dipped in the Ramen. The pot, by the way, was my new-ish Open Country 2 quart kettle. It did quite well, and it and my US canteen cup did all my cooking. I was not left wanting!
Made dinner, made some hot cider, smoked a few bowls of a special Virginia blend out of my cob pipe, blowing smoke rings towards stars. :thumbup:
I hit the sack after a couple of hours, into the A-frame. Slept well for a while but a cold front came in somewhere around 2 or 3 am. (I found out just how cold it was when I got back to my truck this morning to find a small sheet of ice on the windshield.) So I moved my bedding out by the fire and slept next to it for the rest of the night, under the stars, getting up every couple of hours to stoke the fire. It was funny to watch the moon crawl across the sky through the night.
Woke up before dawn, got the fire cooking, warmed up my fingers and toes. Brewed up some very strong coffee (bandanna filtered!). More satisfying than my french press with fresh ground beans! I took down my shelter and dispersed the leaves and sticks evenly across the site. Even had time to do some shooting, plinked with my Savage MkII .22 for a while, then tested out my new (to me) S&W 67.
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