backpacking camping gear Dispersed camping/primitive camping in MA?
I want to go with a buddy of mine for a short backpacking camping trip in MA i live in newton which is about ten minutes away from the city of boston, and i am willing to drive like an hour to two hours away from there. preferably if fires were ok there, it would be good. anyplace you can think of is fine doesn’t matter if its got mountain views or anything i just need to get out and into the woods for a night or two. free would be awesome. i am an experienced hiker so is my friend, i just usually go to places further away and for longer periods of time, but no time this weekend as i am coming home from school for a 4 day weekend and don’t want to spend 2 days driving. also i have new gear to test so if i wasn’t 3 hours away from home in the berkshires to find out a sleeping bag sucks it would be nice this time.
Try Massachussetscamping.com if they’re still around.
camping grand canyon What are some tips for desert camping at the Grand Canyon?
Ok, a friend and I are planning a trip to the Grand Canyon for early June. We are staying in a tent for a week or maybe a little more, probably at Mather Campground. What are some good camping tips for that area? What is the wildlife situation? We are on a tight budget so does anyone know fun, cheap things to do within hiking distance? (We wont have a car as we are arriving by train.) We can only take so much on the train so is food cheap at the local store? ANY info, especially from people who previously stayed at Mather would be greatly appreciated!!
First off, if you are camping at Mather campground on the rim, than you will not really be camping in the desert. The South Rim is at an elevation of 7,000 feet (a half-mile higher than Denver Colorado) and so has very cold and snowy winters and mild summers. The area is covered with pine trees and high temperatures on the South Rim rarely top 90 degrees during the summer.
Mather Camground is a nice drive-up style developed campground with designated spots that each have a place to pull in your vehicle, a picnic table and fire pit. There is a bathhouse with showers and toilets. It is a large campground and spots are fairly close together, so you won’t exactly feel like you are out in the solitude of the wilderness, but it is a nice area (lots of trees) and generally does not feel too crowded given its size. The South Rim is pretty developed (there is a whole little community there called ‘Grand Canyon Village’) and there is a free shuttle that runs in a loop and connects all the lodges, the visitor center, the shopping plaza and the campground and RV parks, so getting around the village area without a car is pretty easy.
Wildlife-wise… even though Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim is pretty developed, it is not uncommon for deer and elk and sometimes coyotes to wander about amoungst the buildings, but none of those generally cause trouble unless people deliberately try to approach them. Squirrels and chipmunks and ravens are also quite common. You don’t need to worry about bears or mountain lions around the campground area, but you should not leave food out unattended as ravens, squirrels and chipmunks might take an interest in it.
There is a small shopping plaza area near Yavapai lodge that is a short walk from Mather campround (or you can ride the free shuttle) and it has a small grocery store. The prices are perhaps slightly higher than a grocery store in a big city, but it is definitely cheaper than eating at any of the South Rim restuarants (remember the South Rim is off the major supply lines and businesses have to provide employees with housing). If you do feel like a cooked meal while you are there, the cafeterias at Maswik Lodge and Yavapai Lodge are the cheapest.
As far as things to do… once you are in the park there are lots of things to do and most are free. Of course, hiking the big thing and you should try to do at least a short hike while you are there since being ‘in’ the canyon is a much different and deeper experience than just looking from the rim. My favorite short-n-easy day hike, is going the 1.4 miles down the South Kaibab trail to Cedar Ridge rest stop which has stunning views and a good chance to see condors and perhaps big horn sheep. Bright Angel and Hermit trails are also good for day hikes. Remember to wear comfortable shoes and a broad-brim hat, carry plenty of water and remember it is twice as much effort coming back up as it is going down. You should be careful how far down you go for a day hike – especially in summer – because temperatures get much warmer as you deeper into the canyon and at the bottom temps can easily break 110 degrees in summer (don’t ever try to go to the bottom and back in a day).
Other fun and cheap activities include taking the free shuttle out to Hermit Rest and back (you can get on and off at various stops and overlooks along the way), listening to the ranger talks (which are usually pretty good) that are held along the rim and at the Shrine of Ages (near Yavapai Lodge), vegging out along the rim (especially at sunrise and sunset when the canyon looks most dramatic) and checking out the many historic buildings like the famous 1905 grand El Tovar lodge, the 1905 Hopi House curio shop (made to look like an indian pueblo) and the Lookout Studio (which often has free art exhibits). There is also a nice little geology museum and overlook at Yavapai Point (which can be reached via either the rim trail or by the free shuttle).
Lastly, keep in mind that Memorial Day through Labor Day is peak tourist season at the canyon and it can get crowded. You can make reservations for Mather campground (see link below) and it is highly recommended that you do so long before you leave as the odds of just showing up and finding an open spot in June are small.
Have fun!
Tracey Thorn – Grand Canyon (Dirty South Remix)
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home backpackers Travel insurance won’t pay for stolen bag!?
I’m not sure if anyone can offer me any advice but just in case I thought I should ask.
I have been backpacking around Asia for the past year and 6 months into my trip someone stole my bag. Now that I’m home I sent off the claim with the police report saying exactly what was in the bag with the value etc. I also sent them all the receipts of the things I had to buy to replace what was in the bag. Now obviously, I was backpacking for 6 months and so most of the things in my bag I had bought on my trip and therefore didn’t have the original receipts for. So now my insurer is saying they can’t reimburse me for the replacement things.
I bought backpackers insurance and wouldn’t anyone assume that backpackers can’t carry around receipts of everything they buy just in case their bag gets stolen?
Is there anything I can do? There was £1000 limit to how much I could claim and I only claimed about £450… I’m not trying to cheat them and just think they are being unfair.
You need to check the conditions in the policy.
It is unusual for an insurer to get away with requiring you to have recipts for the original items lost – who keeps all their receipts?! But they may well expect two things:
1. that you inform them before replacing items – you could have done this by phone from anywhere in the world as they typically have reverse charge numbers (my annual insurance does)
2. that you have the original receipts for everything you replaced
If you cannot come to agreement with your insurer and you believe you satisfied the conditions in the contract, contact the Insurance Ombudsman.
Feel At Home Backpackers in Singapore… SIN$ 14.00 per night stay
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hunting and outdoors okay a nice normal paranormal question for ya! LOL!?
Why would a ghost try to go out of their way to hurt the living…even a person,that they don’t even know and never did in life?
What’s really happening with this?
Would any of you happen to know,and what do you do, if this happens again and again?(say it happened while you were ghost hunting..outdoors…what would you do about this?)
thanks!
A spirit which has not passed over correctly, into the light, the next level, Heaven or whichever way through your belief’s you wish to call it. The reasons why they remain behind are diverse; unfinished business, ( a message need be told to a loved one, finger a murderer, etc. ), afraid of passing over, ( fear of being judged, Hell, what’s on the other side, the unknown, etc. ), a sudden or unexpected death, ( leaves the spirit confused, or in denial of their own passing ), guilt or grief, ( not wanting to leave that special someone or loved one, the grief of a loved one of whom they wish to comfort ), etc. Once a spirit is satisfied it has accomplished it’s goals it will eventually move on, or remain because it simply likes where it’s at, and comfortable is the area in which it haunts. They are not bound to that place or area, and can move on when they wish, but that, entirely depends on them, and if they wish to, or not, leave this world, or plane of existence
Goose Hunting MHF Outdoors
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