Finally getting around to posting about our campout at LBL a couple weeks ago.
The site was excellent for a family hangout. The lake is just down the hill, plenty of sparse woods to play in, the North South trails runs across the road just before the campground, and there was a nice brick outhouse across the road from our site.
The whole family was there: three adults, two eight-year-olds, a twelve-year-old, and a three-year-old. We used three HH Scouts, a Clark NA, a HH Explorer Ultralite, and a Claytor (the toddler slept with her momma).
Temps were down in the low to mid fifties overnight with some wind. All the girls in the their Scouts had Ridge Rest pads and 15 degree sleeping bags. They were toasty as could be. They all adore their hammocks. We could hardly get them out of bed in the morning!
Not a drop of rain, thankfully. The place was rather dusty and would have been a real mess when wet.
My Otter and I both used Gossamer Gear Thinlight pads. She hated it, and looks forward to getting an underquilt. I felt a bit clammy at one point but otherwise I was warm underneath and slept much better than I do in my bed at home.
We swapped out top insulation. We had a forty degree sleeping and a Ray Way quilt. We both agreed the quilt was far superior, in fact I sweated in it.
Otter doesn't really like the HH design. She doesn't like the bottom loading, and though the Explorer Ultralite is designed for folks over six feet tall, she's 5'11" and found it tight, especially at the feet.
I was quite comfy in my Claytor. The ladies tried it out. Otter loved it, and will probably be taking it from me when the new Blackbird arrives from Brandon (assuming the Warbonnet is as great as it looks to be). As has been noted before, the stock tarp is inadequate, especially for its weight.
Ceana loves her Clark North American (just to be contrary, I think) and her Ray Way quilt. She used a Thermarest the first night, a Thermarest _and_ a Ridge Rest the second night and was still cold. Granted, she sleeps very cold.
All in all it was a fine trip and I'd love to get a hangout together there at Sugar Bay in the Land Between the Lakes.
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great pics and trip report i have camped at sugar bay a couple times thru hiking the north south trail.
neo
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