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Backpacking Techniques for Lightweigh Backpacking

These lightweight backpacking tips and techniques are options or ideas, not recommendations. I tend towards the extreme side of ultralight backpacking, and if you don’t know yourself or your skills, some of these techniques will get you into trouble.

A good example of this is the “natural mattress” that allows you to leave your sleeping bag behind. With this technique, I’ve slept with no pad, and only a five-ounce sleeping bag liner, on a night when it was near freezing. It took fifteen minutes to collect enough bracken ferns to make a two-foot thick mattress, but it was comfortable and warm.

You can use leaves, pine needles, dead grass or dry bracken ferns. All you do is make a pile big enough to set your tent or bivy sack on. This could damage the enviroment in some areas, so use common sense, and collect only DEAD vegetation. Also, scatter your materials in the morning, so they won’t smother the plants underneath.

An important point here is that you have to know your enviroment, so you know you’ll be able to find proper mattress materials. Otherwise, you could have a very cold night or worse. Also, gloves make it easier and safer to collect the ferns or grass. Try this first near home.

Knowledge Reduces Weight

Learn certain backpacking techniques, like the one above, and you can carry a lighter sleeping bag, less clothing, and even less food. Wilderness survival knowledge can help you reduce weight, but it also lets you travel the wilds more safely.

Learn which berries are edible, and you can eat as you hike and bring less food. I’ve eaten half of my calorie needs in the form of berries on some days in the wilderness. During a hike to Grinnel Glacier in Glacier National Park, my wife and I ate nine types of wild berries.

Researching the climate, and timing can help you reduce weight. You can leave rainwear home, for example, if you’re in the eastern Sierra Nevadas in September (bring a garbage bag for emergencies). I sometimes plan trips to coincide with the full moon. I enjoy getting up at four in the morning and hiking by moonlight, and since I’m up and moving at the coldest time of the night, I can get by with a lighter bag.

Money Reduces Weight

Money will buy you lighter gear, and expensive backpacking gear is generally of very high quality. I didn’t enjoy paying over $200 for my sleeping bag, but I’ve never yet been cold in it, and it weighs just 17 ounces.

Concentrate on the the larger items. A sawed-off toothbrush could save you 1/4 ounce, but a lighter shelter can save you pounds. Consider small things last. Buy dual-purpose items, like a poncho that can double as a shelter. Drink soup and tea from your pan, and you won’t need a bowl or cup.

Leaving Things Reduces Weight

This can be the tough part of lightweight backpacking. Ask of every item; Can I get by without it? Stoves aren’t necessary if you bring ready-to-eat food. You don’t need a change of shirt or pants on a three-day trip. If you’re not sure you’ll be happy as a minimalist, go back to the money solution. Start replacing your things with the lightest alternatives you can buy. There are many ways to go lightweight backpacking.

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What to Consider When Choosing a Campground

Are you interested in taking a camping trip? Whether you are interested in going camping alone, with your family, with your romantic partner, or with a group of your friends, you will need to find a campground to camp at. While many individuals just choose to go camping at the nearest campground, you may want to think about not doing the same. In the United States and probably even close to your home, you should have a number of different campgrounds to choose from. So, why not just take the time to make sure that you choose the best one for you and your needs.

If you are interested in taking the time to find the “perfect,” campground you may be wondering exactly how you can go about doing so. In all honesty, it will depend on your own wants and needs, as well as the wants and needs of the rest of your camping party. Although not everyone wants to get the same thing out of their camping trips, there are a number of important factors that you may want to think about taking into consideration, when looking for a campground to camp at.

One of the many things that you will want to take into consideration, when looking for a campground to camp at, is the cost of doing so. In the United States, you will find that most campgrounds require the payment of an admission fee or a camping fee and occasionally even both. The cost of the admission fee or camping fee will all depend on the campground in question. For instance, many smaller campgrounds charge smaller fees. Also, you will likely find larger fees for campgrounds that have more onsite activities.

Speaking of onsite activities, activities are something else that you may want to think about taking into consideration, when choosing a campground to camp at. When it comes to the onsite activities of a campground, you may want to take a look at the scenery. If a campground has on onsite lake or pond then there is a good chance that swimming, boating, and fishing are activities that you may be able to enjoy. Campgrounds are also often home to hiking trails, biking trails, playgrounds for children, and much more.

How reservations are taken is another factor that you may want to think about taking into consideration, when choosing a campground to camp at. For instance, there are some campgrounds in the United States that randomly assign you a camping spot. On the other hand, there are campgrounds that allow you to handpick your camping spot out of all available locations. Many campers prefer choosing their own camping spots, as it tends to give them some freedom over their camping trip and how much fun they have. If you are picky about where you would like to camp, you may want to find a campground that allows you to choose your own camping spot.

Although it is nice to know what you should look for in a campground, it is also important that you know how to find them. If you are interested in camping locally, you may already know of a number of local campgrounds. If not, you should be able to use your local phone book or ask those that you know for recommendations. As for campgrounds that are located a ways away from your home, you may want to think about using the internet. A large number of popular campground parks have online websites and a standard internet search should them you find those websites, which could be used to learn more about the campground in question.

As a reminder, you may want to think about taking the time to research a number of different campground parks. It is important that you remember that no two campground parks are the same. To ensure that your next camping adventure is as memorable as possible, you may want to make sure that your intended destination is perfect for you and the rest of your camping party.

For more information on backpacking and camping visit Backpacking Trip Planner

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Some Good Tips and Advice for Catching Crappie in the Ice

If there was ever a fish custom designed for ice fishing, crappies are it. They are plentiful, somewhat active all year, and wonderful table fare. They are also relatively easy to catch, once you locate them. To be consistently successful, all you need to do is learn a few trick of the trade.


The hardest part of crappie fishing, no matter what season, is locating them. Needless to say, a portable depth-finder is almost a necessity, and an underwater camera is also a good addition to your arsenal. In winter, crappie will seek out the warmest water they can find.


Without delving deeply into the science of Hydrology, as a rule of thumb, the warmest water will be found in the area that contains the largest mass of water. This will be the part that freezes last. There will also be other areas of warmer water, but this is a good place to start.


Once you have found this area, the other considerations are depth, structure, and oxygen content. Crappie will be found in the warmer water at depths from 15′, down to around 50′, suspending in some relation to structure. So, submerged timber in 30-40′ of water, near a channel or riverbed is good place to start. Shallow water can become oxygen depleted when the lake turns over in winter.


Most likely, you will catch smaller crappie in shallower water. Also, what holds true for crappie also appiles to other species, so be prepared for some added bonus fish, such as bluegills, smallmouth bass, and walleyes. In fact, another trick to locating crappie is that if you find yourself catching large bluegills at a certain death, try dropping your bait down about 5′-10′ deeper. Often crappie will be suspending right underneath them.


The best times of day for ice fishing are late morning and early afternoon. Crappie will often move along lines of structure from deeper to shallower water at these times, in search of food, warmth and oxygen. They will follow riverbeds, channels and other contours, from one area of structure to another.


When selecting tackle, the key word is Light. Long rods are not necessary for ice fishing. There are several specialty crappie combos, many with line counters and depth line locators that can be purchased for a nominal outlay. These are perfect, since you will be almost exclusively vertical fishing with tiny jigs and small bait. Any light, or ultralight rod around 4 to 5 long will work. The reels can be very simple. A light spinning, or spin-casting reel is adequate. You need to use nothing larger than 4 lb. test line.


One of the best rigs is a double hook, or jig rig with s lip bobber. These will detect the lightest of hits. Many times, the only indication of a bite will be the bobber moving around slowly, or maybe laying on its side.


Another trick is to make a strike indicator from an old guitar low string. Simply tie a 4 length of the string to the last section of your rod, with the ball-end even with your tip guide. Then, bend the string up until it makes a 45 degree angle with the rod. Run your line through the ball-end, then through the tip guide. This will detect the very lightest of bites.

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best crappie fishing information possible. Get more information on Catching Crappie in the Ice here: http://www.askcrappiefishing.com/

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Learning More About Angling

Angling can take on many different forms and can be as simple as catching perch with a cane pole, as complex as flyfishing, or high pressure like tournament bass fishing. However, each type of fishing requires different fishing gear.


Angling equipment depends on the type of fish you want to catch and where you’ll be fishing. For ponds or small lakes, an ultralight to medium weight pole is just fine. Keep in mind what size of fish you can expect to catch, as bigger lakes may have bigger fish, requiring sturdy poles.


Catfish, walleye, lake trout, and bass may need a heavier weight rod. Heavier fishing gear provides more control when you’re trying to reel in your catch. Also, angling with heavier rods and reels allows you to use bigger lures with more weight, making it easier to cast farther.


Likewise, the type of fishing boat you have has a big impact on your fishing experience. For the most part, recreational boats like ski boats, speed boats, and pontoons don’t make a good fishing boat. Many of them are too large and cannot be safely maneuvered around structures to allow successful angling.


If you are fishing a lake or other large body of water, especially if there are many waves or rough water, a fishing boat whose bottom has a V shape will usually fare better than a flat bottomed boat. In V bottom boats the V shape helps to stabilize the boat against waves when fishing and it cuts through waves when moving between fishing spots.


The weakness of a V bottom boat is that it cannot go into shallow water. This is usually not a problem on many lakes, but it makes taking a V bottom boat on many rivers somewhat risky. A flat bottom boat, on the other hand, if the motor is fitted with a ‘jet’ instead of a prop, can make it through water only a few inches deep.


No matter what type of fishing gear you kit yourself out with or how much money you sink into a fishing boat, you won’t find the perfect equipment to catch fish. Of course, trying to use the most appropriate gear for a great catch while you’re out angling is the best thing to do.


Just keep in mind the type of fish you’re trying to catch and which area you’ll be angling in. Also, try not to be too specific in your equipment. Many fishing boats are built for angling only in certain conditions, which leaves you high and dry the rest of the time.

Visit Mike Selvon fishing portal for more information on angling, and leave a comment at our fishing blog. Don’t forget to claim your FREE Salt Water Fishing Secrets gift.

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Some Things to consider when choosing a campsite

Are you interested in going on a camping adventure? If so, did you decide where you would like to go camping? If you have yet to choose a camping park camping, you might want to think of it soon. In the summer months, camping is a popular activity, therefore, you want to make sure that they are able to get a camping reservation camping in the park of your choice.

Another of the many reasons why you may want to consider making your camping reservations in advance is because many of the parks camping allows guests handpicked campsites they want. Of course, not all camping parks allow you to do this, but you’ll find a great number of them do. In terms of getting a good place to camp or camping, is that the sooner you book, the campsite that you have to choose.

Speaking of the choice of a camping spot, also commonly known as a campsite, you may wonder what you should look into one. In all honesty, perfection, “” camping vary from person to person. Actually, it depends on your wishes and needs and desires and needs of people in your group camping. While there may be some variations of what you’re looking, you may want to take some of the factors listed below into account when choosing the perfect campsite.

One of the first things you want to do is the patch that goes camping with. If you are camping with children, namely young children, you may want to think about making sure that your camping site is a good distance from all bodies of water or any dangerous hiking trails. You will also find that many of the camping parks have play areas on the site and such. If you are camping with children, may be a good idea to try to get a camping spot that is near a playground or other places that are designed for children.

In addition to the security of which he was camping with, preferences are also something to be taken into account when choosing a camping spot or a campsite. If you are a lover of water regularly and would like to spend their time sailing, fishing or swimming, you may want to consider getting a camping spot that is near water. On the other hand, if you prefer to spend their time walking, you may want to try to get a camping spot that is near the camp trail, and so on.

The size is another factor you may want to consider when choosing a campsite. When reviewing campgrounds, you’ll find campgrounds camping parks have different sizes. Often the largest campsites are designed for those with multiple tents or trailers. Before agreeing to rent a campsite in particular, you want to make sure the site in question is large enough for all of your camping group members. This is important, not having enough space could put a brake on their camping adventure.

The above factors are just some of the many factors that you may want to consider when choosing a camping spot for the adventure of camping. As a reminder, not all camping parks allow you to choose a good campsite, but a large number of them.

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