You should always have weapon when camping; unless you're in a highly controlled area. Didn't you ever watch Deliverance?!?!
first a weapon? you must be camping in some pretty dangerous areas. word of advice: the Cincinnatti Botanical Garden is not for camping.
I used to do a lot of hardcore backpacking. One time we got drunk [okay we usually got drunk]. We had gotten in after dark and immediately broke out the 151. Later I decided to take a swim. As I dove into the water, it felt like I was hitting rocks. WTF?!?!? Oh... it was ice. The water was 32 degrees F but not completely frozen. We came a hair's breath from falling down this once. I actually saved the guys life [my best friend for years] but we almost went down together. We were sitting way out on the bolder just to the right of the falls. He went too far and started to slide. I stuck my leg out for him to grab, but then we both started to slide. And the farther down you went, the steeper it got. We were past the point of no return and on our way to certain death. I reached back behind me blindly grasping for anything. I had no hope because we were on solid granite. But, as it turned out, there was a crack in the granite. And in that crack a Manzanita bush had grown and died. About two inches of the stump was left and I just happened to grab it at the last possible moment. Years later he introduced me his family as the man who saved his life. But in fact we owed our lives to a long dead bush. How's that for luck? Feather Falls, CA
Very nice Ron. I'd recommend instead of the hatchet to get an ESEE-6 or an ESEE Junglas. They are multi-purpose tools, particularly the Junglas which can be used as a machete as well as chopping/batoning wood for a fire. A good kukri is a good trade off between knife and axe too. Also great at creating small shelters. I carry a SoloStove. Very light weight, very efficient, very clean and safe way of cooking.
having worked in the woods for 4 years, i know that a machete is too dangerous. seen too many folks cut themselves with one.
One time when camping on a beach, we pitched out tents on scorpion nests. Of course we didn't know that until the next morning, when many of us awoke with scorpions in out tents and even in our sleeping bags. PS, This is a good camping weapon. They are great for shooting scorpions.
I used to live and work in Yosemite Nat'l park and would spend the odd weekend guiding tourists on backpacking trips for extra cash. I once took a couple up to may lake to a site I often used with a big enough bolder for food storage. I would always explain to everyone I took the importance of having nothing in the tent that did not smell like dirt. After catching and cooking trout for dinner I settled into my sleeping bag under the stars while they crawled into their tent. About 2am I heard some snorting and knew a bear was approaching so I slid my hand into the sleeping bag pocket to assure my weapon was there and handy. It was clear to me this was a sow and likely there were cubs nearby, so I lay very still as it walked into the firelight. The bear began sniffing at their tent so I unzipped my bag and drew my weapon. The most effective weapon ever found for the Black Bears that were all over the park, As I depressed the plunger the sound echoed throughout the whole area and all that could be heard afterward was the thrashing of underbrush as she bolted as far away as she could as fast as possible. Let it be known that Ballgame Airhorns scare the bejeezus out of black bears.
Sprained both ankles hiking up San Gorgonio, CA. Hiking down was a nightmare. Even worse, we had a huge bag of dehydrated pear slices. NEVER NEVER NEVER eat an entire bag of dehydrated pear slices!!!!
Took my first fiancee backpacking once. I became concerned when I found unrecognizable poop near our tents. We were very remote and I didn't know what it was, but it wasn't bear or deer or any small animal. And no one else had been around for days. My next thought was that we had a cougar in the area. I didn't know what cougar poop looks like but what else could it be? At that point I became very guarded. Luckily we were getting ready to hike out when I found it. I was very relieved to be out of there. Months later my fiancee admitted it was hers. On another trip, we were down at the river. I had stripped down and was about to dive off a rock when I heard a bunch of giggling. Just then I saw an entire troop of Girl Scouts hiking past. It caught me off guard and I just stood there for a moment. The troop leader started yelling at the girls to keep their eyes straight ahead and to keep walking. But her instructions were mostly ignored until I dove in. My fiancee thought it was hilarious.
I've seen more people hack their foot with an axe. There is no safer way to cut wood than by batoning it. The kukri is the best of both worlds anyway.
My hiking buddy and I were both immune to poison oak. We had encountered it many times but never suffered any ill effects. One day we came to an area completely overrun with poison oak. We had to crawl through a poison-oak tunnel [carrying 60 Lb packs] for perhaps 1000 yards. That was on our way in. By the time we made camp that night, my buddy had realized he was no longer immune. He was breaking out everywhere. And before he knew that, he had peed and done duty, and spread the toxic oils all over his body. He broke out in places no guy wants to imagine. And he had to hike out 5 miles or so of hard hiking the next day to get out. He was literally a very unhappy camper! Lucky for me, I never lost my immunity.
On another occasion we hiked in late at night. We fell short of our destination, so we put our bags down in a beautiful meadow. It was warm and dry so no need for a tent. The next morning, when we awoke, we found ourselves lying in the middle a huge heard of cows - hundreds at least. They had been walking all around us but none stepped on us. One time we ended up having to put our bags down on a fairly steep hillside. The next morning I found myself about a 100 yards down the hill. Apparently I just kept rolling on down all through the night. Luckily I didn't roll off the rock ledge leading to a 20 foot or so fall. Nasty way to wake up!
While hiking in the high desert in 100 degree weather, long before GPS, we were counting on the many streams and creeks shown on maps, for water. Much to our dismay, one after another came up dry. On top of that, we got lost. We realized we were hiking the wrong ridge line. After 4 or more hours with no water, we started getting a bit desperate. Our final destination showed a river, so we kept betting on that, but at this point we didn't know what to expect. Most of the creeks were supposed to be there year round. One of the guys in our group of 4 was very big and very strong. He started talking about taking water from anyone we encounter, by force if needed! Things were definitely getting dicey. But after perhaps 8 or so hours with no water, and all climbing uphill, we arrived and found a rushing river. Whewww! At that point we were literally beginning to fear for our lives. But in the end, all was well and it was a great trip.
We tent camped in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. We pitched our tent and a thunder storm hit at 2300. Every clap of thunder echoed back and forth for 10-15 seconds on the canyon walls. The tent kept us dry and I slept like a baby. I heard a noise outside the wall of my tent. I slapped the wall and hit a raccoon when he went by me. I had been watching it. We heard coyotes hunting in the bottoms about 50 yards from us. They were surrounding an area and leading everything to the other group by making noise. It was pretty intense. We heard wild hogs in the nearby creek bed. The next morning, a doe came into the camp site and let us hand feed her graham crackers. We hiked the Lighthouse Trail and saw a horned toad. I hadn't seen one since I was a kid. My youngest almost stepped on a rattle snake. It was in the base of a shrub about 12-18" from his foot. Just outside the park is a ranch down in the canyon. They host horseback rides down into the canyon. They open carried their revolvers, so I concealed carried my 9mm. It was a fun ride. The lady who ran it with her husband was hauling her 6 month old baby on the tour. The only way they have to get into the canyon is by horse or 4wheeler. They built their house themselves and it looks like something out of a western movie. The state want's their ranch, but the family hosts tours to keep it in their family. This was all on one 4 day trip. I know it's cheating, but I always take hand sanitizer on camping trips. It's good for hands, but it's great as a fire starter under your kindling wood.
Of course we did. But we ran out and the creeks were all dry. You can't carry three days of water in a backpack. I guess this is all new to you...?
In backpacking, you can't carry too much water--maybe 2 liters as water weighs 2.2 lbs per liter. In the desert, that should be maybe 4 liters. While backpacking, the idea is to find water, and then filter/purify it. Saves a lot of weight, but in the desert that can get dicey. I've never backpacked in the desert, so I haven't had that problem when backpacking.
