I think i'll try the llama herd lol. If I wanted to canoe in is there somewhere i can go rent a canoe for the night?
Lower Forge camping
- Thread starter Adam Buchler
- Start date
Adams canoe rental is close to your starting point, Hampton Furnace.
http://www.adamscanoerental.com/
http://www.adamscanoerental.com/
Does anyone ever camp at "non-desiginated" spots? If there is no camp fire involved is that really an issue?
yes, really an issue. fire or not you are to camp in designated areas. they can ticket you.
just curious. i assume you ruled out Lower forge and Mulica river as it would be close to impossible to get gear in, but what is wrong with the other 10 local camps?
KK
I looked into car sites and there are available spots but the lady informed me that there are a lot of other people at those sites as well this weekend. 230 boy scouts at Bodine tomrw lol. I live in philly so its nice to go out there and not see anybody else. I'll probably end up at Godfrey bridge and have to drive to where I will be bigfooting.
I've always liked Atsion Campground. Nice location and easy access to Quaker Bridge Road for exploration.
Mountain House makes some real good freeze dried foods. Carry them in my E-Kit while on the road. SPAM, a staple in the field in the '70's Army! Still eating it today. Somethings we just acquire a taste for...
rats! maybe we'll choose another one then. I walked out there yesterday, it was a bit cramped. I think boy scouts or something.
Buttonwood has no water either. You can supposedly get it by walking across the street to Crowley's Landing (or if you're early enough by filling up at Batsto in the sinks), but I've always just packed in an extra water bottle in my pack. Buttonwood is nice because there are only five sites, so there can only be so many people. However, you will be listening to traffic on 542 all night. The three or four times I've stayed there, there always seems to be some massive truck that comes through at 4 AM. No idea where they are going, but it sounds like they're going to run you down.
Lower Forge doesn't have a pump, but you can treat water out of the river easy enough.
Weekends anywhere in the pines are going to be pretty full from now until it gets cold again. I prefered Bodine this time of year because it's big enough that you can spread out, but we'll see how it is once they are done chopping it up.
Lower Forge doesn't have a pump, but you can treat water out of the river easy enough.
Weekends anywhere in the pines are going to be pretty full from now until it gets cold again. I prefered Bodine this time of year because it's big enough that you can spread out, but we'll see how it is once they are done chopping it up.
Ha! thats so funny, I just realized you have that wordpress page! I was JUST checking that out to get some info on the batona trail. Great site, btw! anyway, we might have to just cut down the amount of days we'll take to hike the trail. Our packs are getting bigger with the amount of food/water/etc. Looks like I have to choose bw walking quick and packing light or carrying half my body weight, but taking my time.
Thanks! Yours is fun too, lots of places I haven't been in a long time, brings back memories!
You shouldn't have to carry half your weight in gear to do the Batona (depending on what time of year you are planning to go), just pack smart and do without some stuff. The last time I did it, I got down under 30 pounds of gear, and that included my ridiculous 4 pound camera (if I'm working that hard, I want good pictures!). I don't own any expensive super-lightweight camp gear, I think my pack is the only thing I spent more than $100 on.
If you're worried about water refills, don't be. Two 1-liters water bottles and some iodine tablets for purification ($6 or so at any sporting goods store) should get you through the whole trail. Plenty of rivers, streams, pumps, and sinks along the way to refill at, and the bottle of iodine tables doesn't weigh much (throw out the bottle and put it in a ziplock sandwich bag and it weighs even less). The only stretch that is remotely hairy is between Batona Campground and and Brendan Byrne, which is a good 15 miles or so. Drink a good amount of water and top off at either Brendan Byrne or Batona (depending which way you are headed) and you should be fine unless it's a really hot summer day. If you're worried, keep an empty disposable plastic bottle in your pack and fill it only for that stretch.
You shouldn't have to carry half your weight in gear to do the Batona (depending on what time of year you are planning to go), just pack smart and do without some stuff. The last time I did it, I got down under 30 pounds of gear, and that included my ridiculous 4 pound camera (if I'm working that hard, I want good pictures!). I don't own any expensive super-lightweight camp gear, I think my pack is the only thing I spent more than $100 on.
If you're worried about water refills, don't be. Two 1-liters water bottles and some iodine tablets for purification ($6 or so at any sporting goods store) should get you through the whole trail. Plenty of rivers, streams, pumps, and sinks along the way to refill at, and the bottle of iodine tables doesn't weigh much (throw out the bottle and put it in a ziplock sandwich bag and it weighs even less). The only stretch that is remotely hairy is between Batona Campground and and Brendan Byrne, which is a good 15 miles or so. Drink a good amount of water and top off at either Brendan Byrne or Batona (depending which way you are headed) and you should be fine unless it's a really hot summer day. If you're worried, keep an empty disposable plastic bottle in your pack and fill it only for that stretch.