As vehicle access to good camp grounds becomes restricted, bike camping emerges as a good alternative.

“Bike camping is this simple: What do you need to spend a night outside? Food, clothes, shelter, flashlight, harmonica, book, pen and paper – everyone’s list is different. Just put it on your bicycle and ride somewhere nearby to sleep out.

On my first trip, I brought all the gear I owned – a sleeping bag. My pal and a group of his friends rolled me over the Golden Gate Bridge, down through Sausalito and up into the Headlands.

As dusk settled, I was on a dirt path in a meadow, following road bikes and cruisers as the people riding them debated if skunks were stalking or avoiding us. Soon we arrived at a dark campground, where we had the place to ourselves, and we ate and drank and talked and laughed. I had no idea where I was.

I awoke in a warm sleeping bag on the green and gold ground of a quiet valley, a lifetime away from the pavement and buildings of San Francisco. At a picnic table, my new friends were chatting and making coffee. A breakfast feast emerged from bicycle baskets and panniers.

I can’t list everything I learned, but a Frisbee doubles as a plate – and always carry a handkerchief. The biggest eye-opener was how simple it was. Regular folks – bike commuters, not weekend warriors – easily escaped town for a night. Go ride, sleep out, feel refreshed, ride home. Now I’m doing that once a month – and living better for it.

What to take

Pack heavy or pack light, cook a feast or feast on takeout – it all works. On a recent overnighter, I took a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, travel pillow, cook stove, fuel can, big cup/small pot, spoon, pocket knife, coffee cone, books, headlamp, paper and pen, camera, bike and personal toolkits, long underwear, hat and not much else. Food and water – refilled frequently.

Other items to consider: flashlight, rope, tarp, binoculars, maps, music, raingear, newspaper, candle lantern, field guide, kindling, sunscreen, knitting project, deck of cards, bandana and definitely wool clothing.

Getting it there

A commuter bike can probably take you bike camping. The bike needs a rack or two, or a big basket that you’re used to pushing around full.

Ideally you have panniers – a.k.a. saddlebags – for big, easy carrying capacity. If not, make a pile on your front or back rack and strap it down with bungee cords or old inner tubes. Make a platform of big items like tent, pad and bag as a base. Don’t pack top-heavy; it’ll make the bike feel tippy.

With a full load, ride a tad slower than usual on the hills – shift sooner, sit up, look around at birds and clouds. But don’t sweat the extra weight – if it weren’t easy and fun, we wouldn’t be doing it.”

Where to go
Good first trips include:

– Angel Island State Park: Great ferry ride from San Francisco and a short bike ride to camp. The ridge sites have bridge and city views; sunrise sites are on the east side. Water, pit toilets, no campfires. Go now, or book now ($30 per site) for summer weekends.

– China Camp State Park: About 11 to 15 miles from Larkspur Ferry Landing, serving San Francisco’s Ferry Building. Lovely wooded walk-in campground; open weekends only through March. Shared hiker-biker campsite is $3 per person; great site but small. Miles of bike-legal dirt trails. Water, bathrooms, campfires.

– Samuel P. Taylor State Park: About 15 miles from Larkspur Ferry. Big drive-in campground. But: cool redwoods, great bike path and huge hiker-biker site – $3 per person – with multiple food boxes, tables and tent spots that are easy to share.

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The Carlsbad Caverns in Southern New Mexico has been a favorite camping spot for families for generations.

Whether in-spite of the slow economy or because of it, attendance of campers to Carlsbad Caverns is up.

If you are planing your family’s next trip in the area of New Mexico, you may consider Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

Tom Sawyer did

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The good people at Hi Mountain seasonings have released a DVD series on the proper processing of harvested game.

“Riverton, Wyoming — Working in conjunction with Outdoor Edge and renowned meat processor Brad Lockwood, Hi Mountain Seasonings is pleased to announce the immediate availability of three new instructional DVDs that will help you process your own big game harvests.”

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As North America prepares for another record cold winter *darn you Al Gore!*, you may find it useful to remember the basics for camping in the cold.

“Stay dry. Sounds like a no-brainer, but when you don’t have a house, car or camper in which to take refuge, this requires some preventative strategy. Your clothing should be synthetic fibers that shed moisture. Cotton does the opposite, so leave it at home. Have rain gear with you. And prepare your tent site. Find a place that doesn’t turn into a gully if the rain gets heavy. If you fear water may flow down to your site, dig a water trough around your tent to divert runoff and keep it from coming underneath. Keep your sleeping bag dry; if you think your hike may involve getting rained on, be sure to wrap your sleeping bag in a trash bag or some other waterproof sack before it goes into your backpack.

Stay hydrated. Water does the body good. And hot drinks warm your core temperature.

Eat fatty foods before going to bed. Again, to help your body stay warm.

Avoid alcohol. Alcohol dehydrates you, slows things down and makes you colder. Even if alcohol makes you feel warmer, don’t be fooled.

Get into your sleeping bag when you’re warm. It’s easier to stay warm than it is to get warm. Also, for the same reasons, put on extra layers before you get cold.

Make a hot water bottle. Got a Nalgene? Or some other water bottle? Boil some water, fill the bottle and put the bottle in your sleeping bag. Make sure it’s sealed tight so it doesn’t leak. This will warm up your bag. If you wear pants to sleep, you can keep the bottle in the bag with you to help stay warm. A hot fireside rock wrapped in a shirt can do the same thing, but be careful with that one.

Share a tent. A tent that has the maximum amount of people that it’s designed to shelter can be significantly warmer inside than outside. Body heat, plus the warm exhales of your breathing, will help keep the inside of a tent warmer. And that trash bag to keep your sleeping bag dry? Slip it over the bottom of your bag to help insulate the bag’s footwell.

Don’t hold it. If you have to pee, take care of business. If you don’t, your body will expend heat trying to keep the fluids in your bladder at body temperature. If it’s really cold outside, have a pee bottle inside so you don’t have to go out. Ladies, bring a funnel. Make sure the bottle is sealed tight when you’re done.

Wear a hat. Something like a knit cap or beanie. You lose a lot of heat through your head. A hat will retain that heat.”

Cold

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“The sluggish economy has pointed budget-minded Americans to the great outdoors.

Most campgrounds in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests have been full this summer, said Trisha Spear of Recreation Resource Management of America Inc., a private company that operates campgrounds in the forests.

“I’ve been doing this for 17 years, and I’ve noticed that every time the economy goes down, we notice an increase in visitation because it’s a cheaper vacation,” Spear said.

She saw this on Fourth of July weekend, which she spent at Big Lake in the White Mountains.

Tell the tick-infested hippies you are decreasing your carbon footprint.

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This year the ‘RV’ celebrates it’s 100th anniversary.

The RV Industry Celebrates 100 Years of Exploration and Innovation

“A century ago, the popularization of the automobile, improving roads, and America’s passion for exploration gave rise to mass-produced, manufactured recreation vehicles, and the RV industry was born. In 2010, Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) and the RV industry will mark this centennial with an array of special activities celebrating the 100-year journey of a uniquely American product.

In 1910, there was no TV, no air conditioning and no phone, but there were RVs. Through war and peace, booms and busts, fuel lines, fads and the cyber revolution, the RV lifestyle has endured and is still going strong, even in today’s challenging economic times.”

The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association divides RV’s into 8 categories.

Travel trailer

5th-wheel

Folding Camper

Sport Utility

Truck Camper

Type A

Type B

Type C

Happy Birthday

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The Boy Scouts of America has teamed with the revered Boone and Crockett sportsman club to form the Montana High Adventure Base.

Based in Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, the camp promises to give Boy Scouts access to world-class sporting facilities in events they call ‘wilderness treks’.

“The camp will meet national certification requirements of the BSA for high adventure camps, and Scout-trained leaders will direct the program.

More than 140 Scouts were expected to visit this summer. Participation could expand in coming years.

In one-week programs, Scouts will learn about backcountry safety and preparation, orientation, conservation and wildlife. They’ll also have opportunities to experience supervised backpacking, fishing and more. Wilderness treks lasting four to five days are possible.”

Trek

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The good people at Go Camping America maintain a list of campfire cooking recipes.

My favorite is the “CAMPFIRE HOBO BREAKFAST”. Hobos are resourceful and they get a lot of practice camping so they know what they are doing.

High life

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For decades, the Boy Scouts of America has been helping good boys mature into good men.

“Scouting is helping 11-year old Shawn Roth reach the stars. The sixth-grade Richland Elementary School pupil said he is taking his lead from former Scouts who went into space exploration.

“Since the first 26 astronauts were Eagle Scouts, I’m thinking maybe I’ll study space exploration,” he said. “I’ve always been interested in studying the stars.”

Shawn was one of 20 Boy Scouts from Johnstown-area Troop 100 who spent a week at Camp Seph Mack at Yellow Creek State Park in Indiana County.

In all, about 200 people representing 12 troops spent the week shooting rifles, sailing, rappelling, building campfires and earning merit badges. More than 1,000 Scouts are expected to attend the seven-week summer camp.

Shawn is making himself at home. “Rifle shooting is one of my priorities,” he said. “They’ve got new .22s this year. Just today we learned how to clean them.”

The group spent a few days constructing a fence and a jungle gym as part of a pioneering project, said Mike Fisher, 12.”

Good to see this tradition continues.

Scout

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Bass Pro Shops has just launched a comprehensive outdoors online resource OutdoorSite Library:

“Our OutdoorSite is designed to be your one stop shop for fishing, hunting and outdoor information needs. We have highlighted a few of the sections inside the library so that you can see some of what it offers.”

The OutdoorSite Library you can find:

I found this site fascinating for two reasons…why Bass Pro or any other major retailer has not done this before and the excellent job they did in their first launch.

Among my favorites where the large selection of hunting stories in the video library and the user generated content of the ‘braggin’ board’ and the talk forums.

My only complaint is that their video library does not offer the embedded videos feature.

*WARNING* Impact hunting shots

Cooler online

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