Hikers/Back packers/Firetowers - Page 5

We have a campout and hike in Ava in a couple of weekends.  Will try to get some pics.  Not sure what we are doing next weekend.  May have to plan something in.  Maybe check the calander of the Tramp and Trail Club and see what they are doing.  Also, gotta get the tires changed on the ten speed bike or trade up to another bike. (Whatever is more economical.)

Need...more...time!

Also, we want to plan a Brookfield hike this year.

Maybe one near Hudson, NY.

Really want to try one where we backpack in with the tents.

Day Hike in Brookfield - hosted by Rogers Enviornmental Center.  They did a great job educating everyone. 

So where did you go?  We did bike care and upkeep and rode bikes around the driveway and yard.

Finally packed the gregory z55.  Had to watch a u-tube video to get it right.  Like where does the sleeping bag go?

I did notice that the guy in the video had a sleeping bag packed in something that takes up about a third of the room that ours does.

Hmmmm....can we say compression pack?  Sigh...I am trying to purchace things a little as a time, upgrading as we go.  The foldable cups and bowls look cool.  Regular ones take so much pack space.  And where do I hang my coffee maker?  Don't people realize this is a must have??

Anyhow, we passed muster for the trip this weekend, so hopefully will have some pics of that.  

So, it was a nice trip Ava.  A bit cold and drizzly.  The boys did all the cooking and cleaning (yeah...that was cool).  There was only short hikes last weekend, so it was a nice excersise in preparation.  Ended up with the stomach flu on Saturday night, so I went home to be sick all Sunday.  Yuck.

This weekend we went on an overnight trip to the observatory.  Stopped at a museum on Saturday and a park on Sunday.  Walked a couple miles by the river at the park.  Saw some geese in a soccor field on the way back.  It was a nice weekend.  A nap would be good now. :-)

Thanks for the tips on packing.  We do have a ceramic single cup coffee maker to be used with boiling water.  Just gotta figure out how to pack it.  The sleeping bag is the problem, it just takes up so much room.  We have our med kits in plastic ziplocks and our clothes in platic Hannaford bags, but everything else is unprotected.  We shall have to fix that. 

We have a large first aid pouch that I carry and the boys all carry smaller first aid pouches.  We do carry firestarting kits, whistles, compass, maps, emergency rain gear, flashlights, water, snacks and extra carabeeners.  Always extra socks (wool) and shoes in case of wet feet.  I will add to this based on your suggestions of some dry fire starter and space blanket.  I will always be open to any pearls of wisdom.

Working this weekend, so no trips.  Got my bike back yesterday so will be riding it starting Friday.  Will have to plan something for next weekend.  Hopefully it will be a nice weekend.  I try to avoid miserable weekends to keep the family really enjoying this.  The weather suprises us on a regular basis enough to give us some wet weather experience.  (Example:  last fall at the campgrounds it rained every day we tented.  Had to restart the fire twice daily due to heavy rain.  Thankfully, I was keeping the wood in the car to keep it dry.  Never packed such a dripping wet tent in my life as when we packed up from that camping trip.  Then it rained every day and I couldn't get the tent up to dry for over a week.  Poor tent may never be the same.  It is a large cabin tent so there was no putting it up in the garage.)  

PS:  I would put instant coffee with cremora in small letters too.    Have you tried the coffee bags by foldgers?  They look like teabags, but have ground coffee instead.  They don't take up much room, although you would still have to pack the cremora.