Overnighter

Tonight I am finally going to get into Schramm's Woods and do an overnighter. It will just be a simple set up and sleep over to see how my Modular Sleep System works. I may cool some noodles in the evening and maybe some oatmeal in the morning if I feel like it.

It shouldn't be too difficult or anything. I saw a list on a forum where the guy tried to limit his kit to 15 items. I am going to try the same. Here is what I plan on packing in:

1. Knife
2. Fire Kit
3. Space Blanket (Shelter)
4. Sleeping bag (MSS)
5. Bivi bag
6. Roll mat
7. Cook Kit
8. Cordage
9. Head Lamp
10. Saw
11. Food and water
12. Spork
13. Hygiene kit
14. FAK
15. Rain Gear

All will easily fit into my Medium Alice pack. I hope to head into the woods later in the day when the kids have headed home, so I don't attract any undue attention. Set up should be quick; just a cordage line with the space blanket set up in lean to fashion. Start the fire and enjoy the evening. A few beers should help set the mood. I should take a project to do, if I can think of one.

Today is supposed to be about 60 degrees and it should go into the 40s overnight. Saturday speaks of showers and thunder storms all day long.

Update - 1644:
I have played with the pack a few times; going through the list and just putting what I need in it. I weighed it and it was about 3olbs. Quite a lot for a one nighter that is about 500 yards from my house. The MSS itself is 10lbs. I took everything out, dumped the black sleeping bag and repacked everything and I like the feel a little better now. I put the main sleeping bag inside the Alice (it just wasn't full enough with what I was taking) and wrapped the sleeping pad in the bivi and put that on the outside. Ginger and I will be taking a walk into the woods soon and then I will head in about 1900 or so. Sunset is scheduled for 1945. Let the fun begin.

Michaux State Forest Plan

Something I have been obsessing about lately is taking a trip up into PA and hiking the trails of Michaux State Forest. This looks like a perfect place to spend some time in the bush and maybe do some dispersed camping. I have been pouring over the maps of the area and have a general plan from where to park, what trails I want to take to possible places to camp. I will have to be open to changes as I have never been there and I don't really know what the place is like. The AT goes through the forest and I plan on moving along it for a ways, but then I want to head down towards a lake that is within the forest. I will continue to plan and study the area and hope to get up there within a few weeks. It is only about a 2 hour drive from the house, so it should be easy to get to. I do however will want to spend some time there exploring once I drive that distance. Onwards...

Personal Space (PS)

Here is a picture of my Personal Space aka PS and mostly referred to by me as The Campsite.

I have been playing with the porch on the end of the shelter with mixed results. It kept falling down or was knocked down by the gremlins of the woods, but this time I buried the two front supports about 8 inches or so. It was still a little wobbly until I put up the side supports. I am harvesting bark from nearby dead trees to act as shingles and will probably finish off with leaves and other floor debris.

I have also repositioned the opening of the fire ring to better facilitate putting a lean-to basically right in front of the camera. The prevailing wind comes from the right side of the picture making the position of the debris shelter not the best. The ring is also a little too far from the shelter, but it does have its uses.

Here is another angle that show the bark shingles. It is still a work in progress, but it is going pretty good.

I hope to spend a night here real soon.

Hobo Fishing Kit and Early Wild Edibles

Yesterday I finished up the Hobo Fishing Kit I have been wanting to make for a while. It came out pretty good. Right now the contents are in little plastic bags, but I hope to find small bottle like containers to put the hooks, sinkers, leaders and other assorted items in.


Also, yesterday, as Ginger and I were on our second walk into the woods when I came across some wood-sorrel. I snacked a little on some and Ginger even thought about trying some. I don't think she liked it too much.

So this morning, I brought along the camera and took a few pictures of my findings.

Here is a River Birch tree that I planted in my front yard. The best darn tinder you can use. Mixed with the Broom Sedge makes for an awesome tinder bundle that works great.
On the walk I found some wild chives, dandelion and wood sorrel. Spring has sprung.

Saturday Update

Yesterday hovered in the 40's with sporadic rain throughout the day and evening. I thought about just heading into the woods for a sleep over, just to test the MSS and bivvy, but decided against (chickened out). Not a big deal, but I really need me some overnight in the bush time.

We drove over to the northern side of the city yesterday to have some lunch at Cheesecake Factory with the college going daughter. It was a good meal and the area is cool to visit, but very city like. On the way back I went to Home Depot to return a full set of sockets that I bought when I only needed one size (15/16). Earlier that morning I had watched a video of one of my Pathfinder classmates making a hobo fishing kit and I had that on my "list" of things I wanted to do, so I used the refund to pick up some PVC pipe and connections. As I was putting it together in my mind, I thought of another way to do the frog gig set up and I bought a couple extra parts to try and get that together.

I spent the late afternoon putting together the hobo kit and today I will paint it if weather permits. I also hope to hit Walmart today for some fishing stuff that I don't have already. Namely line and bobbers that will fit into the kit.

This morning it still looks gray out and the temperature is still in the 40's, but Ginger has shown up at the computer room at 0800 sharp and if I make any moves away from the chair, she will take that as an indication that it is walk time.

Well, I guess it is time to hit the woods...

p.s. Also, I did some more research on the Michaux State Forest up in PA. It is about a 2 hour drive, but I think it would be nice to just head up there one weekend to explore and maybe do some dispersed camping bushcraft style.

Woodland Happenings

I think I am going to try and write an entry here at least a few times a week for a while. Just to get down what is happening in the nearby woods I have adopted as my own.

First of all, the trees are starting to sprout their yearly growth and the understory is starting to green up. This will provide my PS with a little more concealment and keep the nasty kiddies away.

Speaking of the kiddies, they have wholeheartedly jumped into their moto-cross trail building. The good thing is they are concentrating on the southern end of the woods, near where we enter and are pretty far from my PS. There are others who still play nearby, but have seemed to stay away from my shelter for now.

I got another idea on what to do with all the hangers I have from dry cleaning my uniforms. Those things sharpen up real nice and are sturdy enough to become a decent frog gig. I did a test assembly on a short piece of stick and I think it would work just fine.

I took four pieces of hanger about 6 inches long and bent about 1/2 an inch at the non sharpened end into a 90 degree angle. I drilled four holes into the end of the stick about two or so inches down. I put the small end into the hole and secure the four prongs to the shaft with para-cord. It seems to be pretty stable and should work. I hope to get a full sized prototype together soon and maybe test it out if I can find a pond with some frogs.

I am anxiously waiting a chance to spend a night in the woods. Just a simple set up to test out my modular sleep system with its bivvy bag. Weather isn't a factor. I can set up and stay in any type Mother Nature wants to offer. I would like to have Ginger with me, but I don't want to wake up to find her gone because she decided to head home and get away from the crazy guy. Still thinking about that one.

Until next time...

Planning a Night in Schram's Woods

The winter wallyball season is done and the weather is getting better. I have been hoping to spend a quick one nighter in the nearby woods, just to do it and maybe practice a little bushcraft.

I might do it this Friday or the one after. I think it will be fun.