You still got out there; that counts more than anything. Sounds like you were at ICSP. Backpacking there is on my list this summer too.
You still got out there; that counts more than anything. Sounds like you were at ICSP. Backpacking there is on my list this summer too.
Welcome and that was a great story. The critters getting close is one of the big advantages to bringing the pooch along. They will just naturally avoid coming in close to a dog most of the time. We have only a few bears in this area, but lots of feral hogs, possums, coons, etc. My dog seems to be a natural mammal repellent and i am always glad to have him near me. In addition although he is not mean, he does bark at strangers. Now days in SW Mo, I am more afraid of two legged predators than four legged. Probably just me, but knowing my dog is a barker, helps me sleep. But, it does mean at a group hang, he would have to stay home.
Welcome again, and please keep the trip reports coming.
MW
Last edited by Miquel Westano; 01-30-2018 at 17:58.
Next time you tell that story you need to change the "nudging my backside" to "licking my face" just for the entertainment value.
HOLY COW on the shelter critters.
"...in Florida, she felt air conditioning for the first time, and it was cold and unnatural upon her skin."
Not a bad little spot for us locals!
Great trip report. I was almost afraid of what might happen next. Setting up in high wind isn't my specialty either, so I was amused knowing I gave up once after the 3rd tarp blowdown & went tarp less for the night. No rain, so I was fine, although I'd never swung in a hammock as much as I did that night.
Welcome to the forum of those seeking a better sleep while doing what I love, backpacking. I never woke up from a tent feeling as well as I do now in a hammock. I failed my couple of nights, hangle, pad, lay. It wasn't till my 1st wookie uq arrived and with my tq, I found much comfort sleeping outdoors. Sounds like you're hooked and through experimentation you'll find your happy place too
Welcome aboard! Great post. We all have plenty of stories -- adventures are when things don't quite go as planned. I am still wondering what the shelter critter was. The way to get experience is to do things, learn from your mistakes and keep doing things!
I got back into backpacking and decided that if I couldn't figure out how to do it without carrying the heavy packs I used to carry, I was done with it. But chance sent a great ultralight "guru" my way and now I combine hammock camping and ultralight backpacking and am enjoying being outdoors more than ever. One nice thing on a trip like you describe is that you can often rig a hammock almost anyplace -- or in a lot of places that are impossible for a ground camper, which can give you options in a situation like yours where the sun is going down and your original plan isn't working out. And I am not always officially ultralight -- but that isn't the point -- I am using ultralight methods and drastically lighter than I used to be.
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