How we backpack and camp - Pocahontas State Park - May 10-11

Evening everyone. I hope you're looking forward to next weekend. The weather forecast looks ideal. Lows in the low 50s.

I'll follow-up tonight's email with additional ones as we get closer to next Saturday. But here is the overall plan.

1. Meet Saturday 12:30 PM on the south side of Pocahontas in the horse trailer parking lot. We'll count heads, assign folks to their campsites for later and do a 3+ mile hike to Camp 7.

I'll have handouts of the weekend schedule, trail maps and locations for our campsites ready on Saturday morning.

2. After completing the hike around 4:00, we'll move to the north side of the park and into the campground to our campsites. The center of our group will be in B1 &2, a buddy site surrounded by 4 other campsites. We will set up camp and discuss everyone's equipment configurations as part of learning.


I'm anticipating multiple styles of camp equipment from hammocks/tarps, to two person backpacking tents to four person car camping tents.

Note there isn't room for pop up campers on this trip. Tent or hammock only.

3. After setting up camp, we can look over each other's shoulders as we prepare supper. I'll bring several cooking equipment setups to demo plus some of us will certainly have examples of their own to share. After supper, for those interested we'll hike to Beaver Lake and watch the sun set.

4. Sunday morning we'll get up, make breakfast, break camp and move nearer to Swift Creek Lake parking lot to do another hike north of Swift Creek Lake. We'll use portions of the Forest Exploration and Co-op trails. Except this time you'll lead the hike. Your fault if we get lost. :-) We'll take trail food for snacks.

5. We should be finished by early afternoon.

Equipment for the weekend:

Clothing and hiking equipment
Comfortable hiking shoes/boots
Hiking socks (we'll discuss sock liners and foot lubricant for longer hikes)
Hiking clothes
Lightweight jacket. What do you need to be comfortable in the upper 40's at night.
Fleece pullover
Hat
Hiking poles optional for this weekend. I'm bringing mine but these aren't a necessity. Our terrain is moderate.
Lightweight backpack
Sweat rag

Camp gear
Tent or for hammockers tarp and hammock.
Ground sheet under tent (tent ground cover)
Sleeping bag pad for tenters (this provides cushion and insulation from coolness of ground)
Sleeping bag (need to be at least 40 degree if not a 20 degree. Always good to over insulate when sleeping on ground. I'm bringing my 20-degree hammock underquilt and 40-degree top quilt. Never like being chilly.)
Head lamp
Small flashlight (I'll bring camp candles to demo)

Cooking gear
Pot to heat water for coffee and freeze-dried meal
Spork for eating (fork or spoon)
Stove for cooking. Propane, alcohol types. I'll bring a small Solo stove that uses twigs for fuel to demo. Works fine.
Hankerchief for potholder
Matches

Food
Packable lunch for Saturday hike
One supper - freeze dried or something from grocery store. We'll discuss menu options for next time.
Breakfast - I generally use PopTarts but freeze dried is fine. Instant oatmeal good also. I bring instant coffee Medaglia Dora
Trail snacks - protein bars, granola, dried fruit
Canteen for water. I'll bring a cooler with ice for soft drinks, bottled water this trip.

Personal items
Toothbrush/paste
Anti-inflamatory (aspirin, Ibuprofen)
Soap and wash cloth
Insect repellant (mosquitoes beginning to get out)