- Joined
- Mar 19, 2007
- Messages
- 7,443
This year, as the kids are old enough to enjoy it, we decided to camp out for Thanksgiving. My wife precooked a turkey breast, I sliced it, and we brought it along in the cooler for dinner. If you look in the distance, you can see our tent. A Kelty Yellowstone 6 that I just picked up off Craigs list for 1/3 the price. I had to make some repairs, but it is working fine. I really like the tent - it is HUGE, easy to put up, and fits all of us and our crap.
We found Birch Creek State Park (on Lake Sommerville) very quiet on Thursday when we checked in and picked our spot out. It was a great spot that made for awesome views, fishing, and hiking.
I got a chance to use my GB Small Spliltting Axe that day when making fire and quickly realized I would never go anywhere car camping without it. When you cannot pick up twigs at the state park for firewood, it can be very hard to get a fire going without using accelerants. I simply split my wood down to manageable sizes and then made some feathersticks with my Koster in 01. A little fatwood and I had a fire with one match.
The next few days we went hiking, I was either wearing my PSK:
Or my Osprey Day pack:
(Looking at that picture I can see I need more trail time as I have certainly gained weight).
The kids and the wife enjoyed the trail and we put on about 10 miles in two days (that is a lot for 4 year old legs!).
We even found a small pond to try my fishing kit out in. It was very muddy in a recent rain, and I am not sure there are fish in that little pond - but it was fun to practice my casting:
All in all we had a great time and can't wait to get out in the woods again.
My PSK:
Maxpedition Fatboy with Strap extension pack.
Wayfinding:
1) DeLorme PN-30 loaded with USGS for the park
2) Suunto MC-2G
3) Button Compass on my match case.
Water Collection and Preparation:
1) Klean Kanteen 18 oz
2) Two Large Ziplock freezer bags secured with ranger bands.
3) Iodine drops
4) Water purification Tablets.
Signaling
1) 2X3 Glass signal mirror.
2) BCB Whistle
3) Fenix LD-10
4) Button LCD light.
Fire Making:
1) Custom made match case with Ferro rod inside - Strike anywhere matches.
2) Doan Magnesium bar with Fatwood chunk attached.
3) Lighter.
4) Prometheus Tinder Kit - Fatwood, Jute, Charcloth, Ranger Bands, Cotton Balls soaked in PJ.
First Aid:
Small first aid kit, bandaids, various pills and perscriptions, Iodine and the like.
Misc:
1) 2 Bandanna's
2) 2 55 gallon trash bags
3) Solar Blanket.
4) Extra batteries for Flashlight and GPS
5) Fishing Kit - tube that holds hooks, bait, sinkers, 2 reels of spyderwire, 60 yards of mono filament, and more
6) 50 yards of 550 cord.
7) Buck Paklite Skinner and sheath
8) Space Pen
9) Rite in the Rain booklet
We found Birch Creek State Park (on Lake Sommerville) very quiet on Thursday when we checked in and picked our spot out. It was a great spot that made for awesome views, fishing, and hiking.
I got a chance to use my GB Small Spliltting Axe that day when making fire and quickly realized I would never go anywhere car camping without it. When you cannot pick up twigs at the state park for firewood, it can be very hard to get a fire going without using accelerants. I simply split my wood down to manageable sizes and then made some feathersticks with my Koster in 01. A little fatwood and I had a fire with one match.
The next few days we went hiking, I was either wearing my PSK:
Or my Osprey Day pack:
(Looking at that picture I can see I need more trail time as I have certainly gained weight).
The kids and the wife enjoyed the trail and we put on about 10 miles in two days (that is a lot for 4 year old legs!).
We even found a small pond to try my fishing kit out in. It was very muddy in a recent rain, and I am not sure there are fish in that little pond - but it was fun to practice my casting:
All in all we had a great time and can't wait to get out in the woods again.
My PSK:
Maxpedition Fatboy with Strap extension pack.
Wayfinding:
1) DeLorme PN-30 loaded with USGS for the park
2) Suunto MC-2G
3) Button Compass on my match case.
Water Collection and Preparation:
1) Klean Kanteen 18 oz
2) Two Large Ziplock freezer bags secured with ranger bands.
3) Iodine drops
4) Water purification Tablets.
Signaling
1) 2X3 Glass signal mirror.
2) BCB Whistle
3) Fenix LD-10
4) Button LCD light.
Fire Making:
1) Custom made match case with Ferro rod inside - Strike anywhere matches.
2) Doan Magnesium bar with Fatwood chunk attached.
3) Lighter.
4) Prometheus Tinder Kit - Fatwood, Jute, Charcloth, Ranger Bands, Cotton Balls soaked in PJ.
First Aid:
Small first aid kit, bandaids, various pills and perscriptions, Iodine and the like.
Misc:
1) 2 Bandanna's
2) 2 55 gallon trash bags
3) Solar Blanket.
4) Extra batteries for Flashlight and GPS
5) Fishing Kit - tube that holds hooks, bait, sinkers, 2 reels of spyderwire, 60 yards of mono filament, and more
6) 50 yards of 550 cord.
7) Buck Paklite Skinner and sheath
8) Space Pen
9) Rite in the Rain booklet
this year we had a fire and ate in our backyard..
I know there is always risk of fires as everything is bone-dry, but you would think picking up all the dead stuff on the ground would make it less prone to fast spreading ground fires. I've only been here a few years (second time in TX), but it never made sense to me. 
