Hikers/Back packers/Firetowers

[quercus21]

Last summer, when we did the Cranberry 50, we came across a couple that used them. That was a different evening we had. It was raining (more like pouring), so we invited them to share the lean-to, they declined. Instead they came over for supper and to get warm by the fire. They turned us on to mushrooms they found along the way (they ate them first and had a reference book ). They really enjoyed their hammocks. Theirs had the rain fly, plus they were under tarps. They said, when the wind blows, you rock/swing back and forth. They are light weight and easy to set up. I personally never used one for camping. I have slept a few times in the backyard variety. I have heard that the make 2 people ones, I don't think that would work for us.

 

[amillecay]

Yeah my brother has one for two people and it does not work at all because you just get squished. I enjoy falling asleep swining in them it's just soothing the one thing you have to to make sure of is that you keep warm enough underneath other wise you run into some problems with being to cold they are super light to carry in your pack so you have more room for several other things.

 

[happycountryhens]

The hammocks are interesting. It was a good artical on them.
What would be fun is to backpack with someone that uses them.

 

[quercus21]

Yeah my brother has one for two people and it does not work at all because you just get squished.

one thing you have to to make sure of is that you keep warm enough underneath other wise you run into some problems with being to cold

This could be a problem with me. Between squishing her, and she's a cold blood person, she'd be sleeping on top of me.

 

[quercus21]

The hammocks are interesting. It was a good artical on them.
What would be fun is to backpack with someone that uses them.

The couple we came across really enjoyed them. We just move onto using those form pads a few years back.

 

[Ole and Lena]

It's good to see other people still use a compass. The majority of the time, that's all we use. On occasions, we'll use a altimeter with the compass. No GPS here.

I still use the compass for primary navigation. It doesn't need batteries and won't quit working if it gets soaked. I've reaquainted plenty of people with their actual location when the GPS they were relying on as their sole navigational aid, no maps or compass, quit working or ran out of batteries many miles from the nearest road. The record was 14 miles from where they thought they were and in the wrong country by a mile! The GPS can be a usefull tool though. I use it to mark hunting, fishing, trapping, mushroom and berry spots and keep a log of the best campsites. It's also very useful to guage travel time when traveling water routes so you don't get caught setting up camp in the dark. I went to forestry school, I can use a ranger compass to tell time, guage altitude from a known benchmark, guage distance by triangulation, etc. Kind of a lost art these days along with properly swinging an axe and cooking real food on a wood fire.

 

[quercus21]

I still use the compass for primary navigation. It doesn't need batteries and won't quit working if it gets soaked. I've reaquainted plenty of people with their actual location when the GPS they were relying on as their sole navigational aid, no maps or compass, quit working or ran out of batteries many miles from the nearest road. The record was 14 miles from where they thought they were and in the wrong country by a mile! The GPS can be a usefull tool though. I use it to mark hunting, fishing, trapping, mushroom and berry spots and keep a log of the best campsites. It's also very useful to guage travel time when traveling water routes so you don't get caught setting up camp in the dark. I went to forestry school, I can use a ranger compass to tell time, guage altitude from a known benchmark, guage distance by triangulation, etc. Kind of a lost art these days along with properly swinging an axe and cooking real food on a wood fire.

You sound a bit far more experienced them I am with the use of the compass. On some of the bush wacks we do, you have to find a "canister" on the summit. The canister is a 4" x ~8" pvc pipe with caps on both ends, paint a slate gray. Once you get to the top of the mountain, finding the "actual" summit can be a chore, other times we have just walk right up on it (call it lucky, we do). Most of our hikes, I use 1 or 2 points, but we have done some with up to 4 points to reach a summit.
I was once a arborist NYSISA-206, I see to many to count "lost arts". The better half hates it when we follow bear tracks through rocky out crops. To me, they know the easy way.

 

[happycountryhens]

You sound a bit far more experienced them I am with the use of the compass. On some of the bush wacks we do, you have to find a "canister" on the summit. The canister is a 4" x ~8" pvc pipe with caps on both ends, paint a slate gray. Once you get to the top of the mountain, finding the "actual" summit can be a chore, other times we have just walk right up on it (call it lucky, we do). Most of our hikes, I use 1 or 2 points, but we have done some with up to 4 points to reach a summit.
I was once a arborist NYSISA-206, I see to many to count "lost arts". The better half hates it when we follow bear tracks through rocky out crops. To me, they know the easy way.

I'm with your wife. Follow the bear - you might find the bear.

 

[quercus21]

I'm with your wife. Follow the bear - you might find the bear.

Nothing to worry about if you can out run the person you are with

Now if there was cub tracks, we avoid them. Mama bear doesn't really take kind to getting spooked. You really just have to check out the tracks to see how old they are.
I am more concerned about people dogs on the trails. I have had a few with their hair standing up and the owner saying "he/she wont bite" as it is barking at you.

 

[happycountryhens]

Yes, I hear you with the dog thing. I hate when people yell out how friendly their dog is in a park where the dog is supposed to be on a leash. My dog does not like other dogs. (She like people, not dogs.) Thus, I do appreciate the dog is friendly, but do not appreciate it approching my dog and starting some unintended trouble.

Bought backpacks today. On sale at Gander Mt. Gregory z55 backpacks. One for me and one for my oldest son. I will have to let you know how we like them once we have started using them regularly.

Ooooooh....so excited to go hiking/camping now! Work really interferes with my life.