Caledon State Park Overnighter

So moot it be...

Moderator: Greg

Post Reply
User avatar
Taurinor
Amrod Rhandir
Posts: 614
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 9:06 pm
Location: Virginia
Contact:

Caledon State Park Overnighter

Post by Taurinor »

Last weekend I finally got around to doing some camping in my gear. Since I wanted my first go at it to be more of a trial run than anything else, I decided to go somewhere with marked trails and a camping area, just to limit the amount of trouble I could get myself into. With this in mind, I decided on Caledon State Park. It's a relatively small park along the Potomac River, but the campground consists of only 6 primitive sites (sand tent pad, fire pit, and picnic table) and is a 3.5 mile hike from the visitor center/parking lot. I also managed to talk one of my friends into coming with me and using modern gear, so if something didn't work I had access to a modern back-up.

Here is what I took:
Image
I also took an emergency blanket (the foil-looking kind), my phone, a back-up pair of eyeglasses, some matches, and some modern first aid supplies.

The hike to the campsite was really pretty, and the trails were well marked. The only downside was that the trails were gravel, which I learned does not play well with turnshoes. Other than that, I was comfortable in my kit and with how the set-up I was using (swag and haversack) worked out.

Here's a picture of all my gear on me:
Image

I have really terrible eyesight, and I wear contacts in my day to day life. However, I felt like taking out and putting in lenses would detract from the experience, so I decided to wear glasses. On the other hand, modern glasses didn't seem right either, so I took a dremel to an old pair, rounded off the lenses, and made a leather frame for them to go in. They stayed on my face with loops of string around my ears, which all worked out surprisingly well. I may switch to using 18th century frames in the future, though, just because they look a little less odd.

You might also notice that I'm carrying my costrel. I don't have much in the way of woodworking skills, so the stopple that I made didn't stay in when I hung the costrel from my belt, so I had to carry it. I'll be making a new one that hopefully will fix that problem.

Another change that I'll be making to my kit is to get a larger belt pouch. I could only really fit my fire-starting supplies in the one I have, and I'd like to be able to keep a few other items close, like my phone.

One problem with using a campsite was that I couldn't really figure out home to set up my tarp without tying off to trees or the like. I fought with it for a little while, then gave up and decided to use it as a bedroll, since I knew it wasn't supposed to rain. I was able to get a fire started with flint, steel, and charcloth, though, with the help of a fire-starter I made by pouring a layer of beeswax over a bunch of wood shavings. This caught really well, and burned long enough for everything to catch.

When it was time to bed down for the night, I made the unfortunate discovery that two layers of canvas and a layer of wool were not enough to keep the ground from sucking the heat out of me. I was comfortable enough sitting up, but one I lay down, I was pretty miserable. Around midnight I gave up, pulled out my emergency blanket to use as an additional barrier between me and the ground, and climbed into my friend's tent, which trapped some body heat and let me get some sleep. Next time I'll make sure to gather up some fallen leaves to put under my tarp. I'm even considering buying a sheepskin to take with me as a ground cloth/insulator.

The next morning I woke up around sunrise and got another fire started. This time, I even boiled some water for oatmeal without shattering my pipkin from thermal shock:
Image

After breakfast, we packed up and hiked out. It was then I realized how bad gravel is when wearing turnshoes - I had bruised my feet on the hike in. By walking carefully and sticking to the edge of the trail, I wasn't too uncomfortable, though.

All and all, I thought it was a really good learning experience, which is what I wanted. I should be able to use this winter to use what I learned to refine my kit. I'm definitely looking forward to trying this again once Spring rolls around!
- Ned Houndswood, Breelander
Richmond Fantasy-Inspired Hiking and Camping (on WordPress and Facebook)
Straelbora
Haeropada
Posts: 937
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 7:00 pm
Location: Indianapolis, IN USA

Re: Caledon State Park Overnighter

Post by Straelbora »

Nice kit, nice pics. Cool idea with the glasses.

And, of course, the standard jealousy of not having been able to be there, too.
Vápnum sínum skala maðr velli á
feti ganga framar því at óvist er at vita
nær verðr á vegum úti geirs um þörf guma
Hávamál
User avatar
Kortoso
Haeropada
Posts: 822
Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2014 9:37 pm
Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Contact:

Re: Caledon State Park Overnighter

Post by Kortoso »

Kudos on your exemplary adventure!
I am curious, however about some things.
It's a State Park, did anyone (other park visitors) see you? There may be regulations about axes and fires; there certainly are in my area. I'm just wondering how you got around that.
I wear contacts as well. But in the wild, one can't be sure of clean hands when it's time to remove them or replace them.
Consider a simple cork for your costrel. There is a brand of tequila that has a cork attached to a small sphere of wood; that's what I am using for mine.
There are no safe paths in this part of the world. Remember you are over the Edge of the Wild now, and in for all sorts of fun wherever you go.
Straelbora
Haeropada
Posts: 937
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 7:00 pm
Location: Indianapolis, IN USA

Re: Caledon State Park Overnighter

Post by Straelbora »

Kortoso wrote:Kudos on your exemplary adventure!
I am curious, however about some things.
It's a State Park, did anyone (other park visitors) see you? There may be regulations about axes and fires; there certainly are in my area. I'm just wondering how you got around that.
I wear contacts as well. But in the wild, one can't be sure of clean hands when it's time to remove them or replace them.
Consider a simple cork for your costrel. There is a brand of tequila that has a cork attached to a small sphere of wood; that's what I am using for mine.
Generally, east of the Mississippi, unless it's summer and there has been some sort of horrible drought, camp fires are allowed in state parks and national forests.

Years ago, I had a friend from near the Russian River in northern California visit me in southern Michigan. It was August. We had a fire pit in the back yard, and around 1 am or so went in the house to get a drink. She asked if I was going to put out the fire, in a kind of panicked/disapproving voice. I told her to squat down and touch the grass. It was thick with dew. As if on cue, a frog hopped by her hand.

And if you're not into tequila, I think Lowe's and Home Depot sell corks in various sizes.
Vápnum sínum skala maðr velli á
feti ganga framar því at óvist er at vita
nær verðr á vegum úti geirs um þörf guma
Hávamál
User avatar
Eothain
Silent Watcher over the Peaceful Lands
Posts: 273
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2013 10:53 pm
Location: Glenwood, Iowa

Re: Caledon State Park Overnighter

Post by Eothain »

Awesome stuff brother!!! I actually love the look of the glasses, haha!

I need to go camping again soon in order to test out my kit as it is, but I get reluctant during the colder months... which probably means I just need to make a winter kit. My biggest problem right now is getting another canvas tarp for a shelter and a new wool blanket... the thing that frustrates me is that my bedroll itself is already pretty wide, and I don't even pack anything in it besides thermals, blanket and bedroll itself. I just added cooking utensils to my kit and found a way to pack it by wrapping it in an old fabric bag and tying it above my "need wallet". If I tried to wrap it in my bedroll, it would almost make it a foot wide while rolled up, and just uncomfortable.

Again, keep at it man! Always good to see other rangers in the wilds!
...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.
User avatar
Taurinor
Amrod Rhandir
Posts: 614
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 9:06 pm
Location: Virginia
Contact:

Re: Caledon State Park Overnighter

Post by Taurinor »

Kortoso wrote:It's a State Park, did anyone (other park visitors) see you? There may be regulations about axes and fires; there certainly are in my area. I'm just wondering how you got around that.
Fires are allowed in the fire rings at that park, as long as there isn't a burn ban going on. Honestly, there was more concern about transporting firewood on the website than the actual fire. As for the axe, I didn't see anything about not having one, especially since a camp axe is fairly standard primitive camping equipment.
- Ned Houndswood, Breelander
Richmond Fantasy-Inspired Hiking and Camping (on WordPress and Facebook)
Straelbora
Haeropada
Posts: 937
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 7:00 pm
Location: Indianapolis, IN USA

Re: Caledon State Park Overnighter

Post by Straelbora »

Eothain wrote:Awesome stuff brother!!! I actually love the look of the glasses, haha!

I need to go camping again soon in order to test out my kit as it is, but I get reluctant during the colder months... which probably means I just need to make a winter kit. My biggest problem right now is getting another canvas tarp for a shelter and a new wool blanket... the thing that frustrates me is that my bedroll itself is already pretty wide, and I don't even pack anything in it besides thermals, blanket and bedroll itself. I just added cooking utensils to my kit and found a way to pack it by wrapping it in an old fabric bag and tying it above my "need wallet". If I tried to wrap it in my bedroll, it would almost make it a foot wide while rolled up, and just uncomfortable.

Again, keep at it man! Always good to see other rangers in the wilds!
A regular sheepskin will keep the trunk of your body warm. If you have or know someone with a Costco membership, for about $115, you can get a sheepskin rug made out of four skins sewn together. I've put down a tarp ($12 for a painter's tarp from Home Depot) and the sheepskin on top of snow and slept in below freezing weather without a problem - they're great, but bulky.
Vápnum sínum skala maðr velli á
feti ganga framar því at óvist er at vita
nær verðr á vegum úti geirs um þörf guma
Hávamál
User avatar
Greg
Urush bithî 'nKi ya-nam bawâb
Posts: 4496
Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2008 8:50 pm
Location: Eriador; Central Indiana

Re: Caledon State Park Overnighter

Post by Greg »

Some great lessons learned there...ones everyone encounters. No shame in anything you did there. Glad you got out and in it!

As has been stated already, most public land out east here you can burn just about anywhere so long as you're a set distance off trails, etc. The tightest restrictions you'll find are either burn ban days or areas that require a fire-ring...not too stringent. As for CA...yeah. Getting a fire going legally requires a contortionist to get through all the hoops.

Sheepskin will absolutely do the trick...but it's bulky. Quite. I'd suggest, next spring, giving it a go with leaves, some pine boughs if you can find them, and other bracken. If you still need the sheepskin after this, then spring for it...but I think with a little work you could sleep comfortably during the non-winter months without one.
Now the sword shall come from under the cloak.
Post Reply