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I'm fixin' to go on my first solo overnighter tonight on the Cuivre River trail, and it's going to be a cold one! I've got to test my new DIY TQ, UQ, and pillow, along with Christmas goodies: balaclava and Steripen. I'll report back tomorrow with the results, assuming the coyotes don't get me. Wish me luck!
Good luck dude.
Watch out for bigfoot!:)
Josh
Good luck brother!
Good luck! Try to stay warm.
Good luck and have fun.......
Well, I'm back earlier than I expected. There were multiple things that did not go quite as well as I had hoped. First, the visitor center was closed, so I couldn't get any trail info (water availability, routes). The trail map I got stinks. I hiked for about 3 hours yesterday, which was fun, but the trail was in pretty bad shape due to horse use. Alas, there was no sign of water except a dry creek bed, so no Steripen test. I got set up around 4:30, ate some dinner and lounged in the hammock for a bit before deciding to turn in for the night. Problem was, I just couldn't sleep. I normally like to bring Advil PM camping, but I forgot it this time. I dozed off for an hour twice, then was awoken by mice rustling around. I laid in my hammock until 2:00 without sleeping, so between that and the fox screaming 50 feet from me (creepy!), I decided to pack it up and hike out. I got to my car at about 3:30.
I hadn't done much real night hiking before, it's pretty cool with all the little mice and creatures running around. I also heard some great horned owls and coyotes howling. Good stuff.
While laying awake for several hours, I was able to do a proper gear warmth test :D. It got down to 28 degrees, and I was toasty. Took me awhile to alleviate CBS by fiddling with the UQ, but it was warm when I figured it out. I found it exponentially better than a pad. I also had the shock cord shoot through the cord lock and into the channel twice, which is a pain in the butt to fix when it's cold and you don't want to get up, but I solved that problem. I got too hot once or twice and had to vent the TQ.
Overall, not a successful trip, but I learned some things. Always bring advil, extra water, and earplugs. Also, horses poop an unbelievable amount. Stunning.
I only have a couple pics; I didn't charge the camera battery beforehand (oops) but it wasn't that pretty anyway. MO in winter is mostly just brown trees :laugh:
I think I'm starting to ramble. To the pics!
(chuckling) Yes. They don't call 'em horse apples for nothin'.
Glad you survived and learned some invaluable things. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
:)
BullDawg--any trip you come back from is successful--it just may not have been the lessons or experiences that you intended. Knowing that your setup will go to that temperature is a positive, knowing that you can night hike out when necessary is a positive, knowing what to add or subtract from the list next time is a positive. I hope the next trip goes 'better' and that you get to learn a whole new set of lessons.
By the way, which hammock were you using? I just got an ENO DN yesterday with a gift card, so I'm curious how you like yours.
Put it down to one of lifes endless learning experiences....you'll do better next time !
Les Rust: Good point. I did make it back. :D
I used my DIY hammock for this one, but the ENO is super comfortable. I usually carry my DIY just for weight savings, but if I'm car camping or not hiking far it's the eno for sure.
There are good trips and others not so good for sure. Spring is around the corner. Glad you had a chance to mess with your gear. That's always a plus.
Have you been to cuivre river before, just Curious about how you like the park other than this experience. I've been meaning to head over there and have heard good things about it.
This was my first time there, so I'm not a good judge. It looks like a good place to go off-trail, as there are good-sized wild areas.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhino
First night out in a hammock is always like that for me. Second night I sleep much better. I like to hike more so I get really tired, that helps. Also the ear plugs are a must for me. I also like to pull my fleece hat over my eyes to make it darker.
Keep going out there you"ll get dialed in soon. Maybe you were hyper sensitive because you were alone and in a strange place? Try a more familiar place for your next solo.
You learned some things, it was a good trip. You just didn't sleep that much.
S
You still got to get step into the woods for a bit. A good learning experience I'm sure. Next time around will be better. Sorry you missed out on the steripen. We used ours this summer while kayaking in Alaska. Prior to that we had wondered down to a spring fed creek at the back of my parents property for our first testing. Used a homemade filter for the big stuff (dirt, leaves and such) and the pen for the important stuff. I love it and I'm sure you'll be happy with it. Good luck with your future trips.
Sunny
Go to www.baxpax.org for trail information before you go backpacking anywhere in Missouri.Quote:
Originally Posted by BullFrog