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18th. Century Camping in the woods.
October 16th 2019,
Fall seems to be starting here in No. Florida. Yes the trees are starting to change color, not as brilliant as further up north.
Out in the woods today for some Dirt Time. With my Long Hunter Style, 18th Century lean. Set-up the camp with a rope between two trees and a stake to tie out the fly.
Brought along a few more items than I would normally use on a walkabout treck but this is just the first time out trying it wanted to be comfortable on the first night sleeping on the ground under the stars and sky and all God's creation with no mosquito netting or rigid structure on the outside just a little canvas lean-to over part of my head to give me a little sense of home it”s been long time since this 68 years bones have been on the ground sleeping out, no air mattress, sleeping bag or other modern camping equipment. Yes like 200 years ago. Why just because I can, ,modern times aren't always the best. Camping was done out of necessity, 200 years ago now we camp for pleasure. Many modern conveniences, some not always good idea. I like to get back to simpler style an time. As crazy as it seems I like to just lay out on the ground. Sleeping by the campfire, laying out under the stars. One of life simpler pleasures, solitude an tranquility.
Took some pictures today hopefully I camouflage the non period. Items such as the bright yellow handle shovel for fire control and the plastic bottles with water gallon size got to have water.
Cooked dinner over the campfire tonight, not a first I usually cook in the fire when camping. Had some mixed vegetables with potatoes squirrel stew “Allah no Squirrel” very good. Dishes washed up relaxing after camp smoking on my pipe kicking back waiting for the old sun to go down and the moon to rise should be just a couple of days after full moon should be very bright when it gets up maybe 10 or 11 and very bright all through the night.
Brought along some flutes and a rattle and I'm going to play later after I get seriously enough relaxed and there's not a lot of background truck traffic. The highway mile and a half behind me that you can hear very good when that dies down I'm going to set up and play a little flute and rattle and hopefully I can flute and rattle together at the same time I don't know if I'm that ambidextrous.
Sun starting to go down cooling off a few high clouds but otherwise very clear sky hopefully I will be able to see some stars tonight. Possibly still may be reflection from the clouds, and the loom of Palatka. May act like a big fluorescent light and blind out all but the brightest of stars seen that before.
Little flute playing around the campfire, lean configured for the evening starting to get cool and damp out so I need to close it up a little bit from how I had it open when sun was out and it was nice and breezy. Starting to get pretty dark now as I figured the, loom of Palatka acts like a giant fluorescent light and the sun going down and the moon coming out the sky is pretty bright so all but the very very most brilliant of Stars are visible. Big clusters are drowned out by the sky being so bright.
Night noises large mammals wandering around in the woods could be a anything deer raccoon bear possum Hunter stumbling out of the woods.
Hopefully I have some pictures to go along if they came out. Overall pretty quiet here, not a lot of the highway noise this time of night, wasn't too bad this afternoon can be rather loud at times even though it's a mile and a half to 2 miles away it still gets pretty noisy.
And then the train seems like you can hear the train forever all the way through Palatka cross the river Welaka San Mateo all the way down east side Lake George for Westside whatever however the way crazy thing goes it's so quiet at night you just hear that train rumbling and it's about four and a half miles at the closest point.
But I swear you can hear it for 15 miles on either side of that.
Cooling off nice now no bugs! Camp is quite cozy I think I'm going to sleep very well tonight overall feeling good no aches and pains back doesn't hurt feet nothing hurting haven't had a headache and years no aches and pains not bad for a 68 year young old fool still sleeping on the ground like a two year old.
Still building forts in the backyard. Been doing it my whole life I hope when I die it's in a fort in the woods somewhere that I build of course.
Well it finally had the time I got around to finishing my moccasins long overdue project really fit good feel great on my feet and sure is far cry of stumbling over the ground barefoot no matter how tough your feet get there's always something's going to poke you. Sure is nice when you're out here walking around campfire watching the moon come up. It's hard to imagine how trappers loggers in upper peninsula Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, D-kotas, Montana, Idaho, long hunters running your trap line.. In below "0" temperatures and living out like this winter after winter. They did have Buffalo hides.
Friday morning,
Great night sleep straight out on the ground under the lean-to, I wished that I would have closed the flap all the way as it got a little damp.
Overcast and Sprinkling rain very light just was not counting on it until Saturday. We have tropical storm Nestor brewing. So packing up while every thing is relatively dry. Found nice spot out of the weather under a group of 3 Cedar trees. Campfire still burning nicly, letting the wood burn down reading to break camp.
Hope to be back out very soon with tweak of the set-up, I would like to do an overnight hike with the long Hunter setup. It's hunting season now so camping in the woods is limited to designated campsites. I will need to wait until the end of general gun season. in order to just wander off in the woods. May bring along my 50cal mussel loader and some shot it's small game season. bow season also.
Things that needed fixing on this trip my bedroll, I slept very well an comfortable but the blanket that I had was pretty hard stiff and scratchy not comfortable at all on you skin, but it kept me very warm and I slept well none the less. I'm going to continue working on the bed roll and tweek with a little softer blanket and hopefully I'll be able to use the duster as my pillow and also. I'll have the duster as my heavy coat around the camp just general everything you use your duster for.
I plan to be out very soon in the next couple of days and if all goes well this is going to be a two or three-day trip with the modified bedroll and the very primitive Camp I'm not going to bring any luxuries or modern equipment along.
I will bring my phone because I need pictures and I have a great notepad app that does talk to text very well so I won't have minimal typing and I can get down everything I want to say.
It does mess up words sometimes!
If all goes well, I could decide to pack up and take a hike across the other side of the lake nice place to Camp. I believe it's about seven or eight miles, nice walk through the woods if it's not too wet from the rain that we've recently
from Tropical Storm Nestor, there is some low swampy spots between my two favorite spots. St John's Trail Head and West side of Oclawha River.
All depends on how my configuration works out with the chair as the backpack frame the lean-to tent and the bedroll. I work this all out at camp and see what I can carry and how I can carry it.
Weather should be nice low to mid-80s during the day and mid sixties low possibly into the 50s at night great sleeping weather great hanging out at the fire weather during the day. No real rain likely camp at night, warm days cool an nights. But when is camping not damp!
October 16th 2019,
Fall seems to be starting here in No. Florida. Yes the trees are starting to change color, not as brilliant as further up north.
Out in the woods today for some Dirt Time. With my Long Hunter Style, 18th Century lean. Set-up the camp with a rope between two trees and a stake to tie out the fly.
Brought along a few more items than I would normally use on a walkabout treck but this is just the first time out trying it wanted to be comfortable on the first night sleeping on the ground under the stars and sky and all God's creation with no mosquito netting or rigid structure on the outside just a little canvas lean-to over part of my head to give me a little sense of home it”s been long time since this 68 years bones have been on the ground sleeping out, no air mattress, sleeping bag or other modern camping equipment. Yes like 200 years ago. Why just because I can, ,modern times aren't always the best. Camping was done out of necessity, 200 years ago now we camp for pleasure. Many modern conveniences, some not always good idea. I like to get back to simpler style an time. As crazy as it seems I like to just lay out on the ground. Sleeping by the campfire, laying out under the stars. One of life simpler pleasures, solitude an tranquility.
Took some pictures today hopefully I camouflage the non period. Items such as the bright yellow handle shovel for fire control and the plastic bottles with water gallon size got to have water.
Cooked dinner over the campfire tonight, not a first I usually cook in the fire when camping. Had some mixed vegetables with potatoes squirrel stew “Allah no Squirrel” very good. Dishes washed up relaxing after camp smoking on my pipe kicking back waiting for the old sun to go down and the moon to rise should be just a couple of days after full moon should be very bright when it gets up maybe 10 or 11 and very bright all through the night.
Brought along some flutes and a rattle and I'm going to play later after I get seriously enough relaxed and there's not a lot of background truck traffic. The highway mile and a half behind me that you can hear very good when that dies down I'm going to set up and play a little flute and rattle and hopefully I can flute and rattle together at the same time I don't know if I'm that ambidextrous.
Sun starting to go down cooling off a few high clouds but otherwise very clear sky hopefully I will be able to see some stars tonight. Possibly still may be reflection from the clouds, and the loom of Palatka. May act like a big fluorescent light and blind out all but the brightest of stars seen that before.
Little flute playing around the campfire, lean configured for the evening starting to get cool and damp out so I need to close it up a little bit from how I had it open when sun was out and it was nice and breezy. Starting to get pretty dark now as I figured the, loom of Palatka acts like a giant fluorescent light and the sun going down and the moon coming out the sky is pretty bright so all but the very very most brilliant of Stars are visible. Big clusters are drowned out by the sky being so bright.
Night noises large mammals wandering around in the woods could be a anything deer raccoon bear possum Hunter stumbling out of the woods.
Hopefully I have some pictures to go along if they came out. Overall pretty quiet here, not a lot of the highway noise this time of night, wasn't too bad this afternoon can be rather loud at times even though it's a mile and a half to 2 miles away it still gets pretty noisy.
And then the train seems like you can hear the train forever all the way through Palatka cross the river Welaka San Mateo all the way down east side Lake George for Westside whatever however the way crazy thing goes it's so quiet at night you just hear that train rumbling and it's about four and a half miles at the closest point.
But I swear you can hear it for 15 miles on either side of that.
Cooling off nice now no bugs! Camp is quite cozy I think I'm going to sleep very well tonight overall feeling good no aches and pains back doesn't hurt feet nothing hurting haven't had a headache and years no aches and pains not bad for a 68 year young old fool still sleeping on the ground like a two year old.
Still building forts in the backyard. Been doing it my whole life I hope when I die it's in a fort in the woods somewhere that I build of course.
Well it finally had the time I got around to finishing my moccasins long overdue project really fit good feel great on my feet and sure is far cry of stumbling over the ground barefoot no matter how tough your feet get there's always something's going to poke you. Sure is nice when you're out here walking around campfire watching the moon come up. It's hard to imagine how trappers loggers in upper peninsula Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, D-kotas, Montana, Idaho, long hunters running your trap line.. In below "0" temperatures and living out like this winter after winter. They did have Buffalo hides.
Friday morning,
Great night sleep straight out on the ground under the lean-to, I wished that I would have closed the flap all the way as it got a little damp.
Overcast and Sprinkling rain very light just was not counting on it until Saturday. We have tropical storm Nestor brewing. So packing up while every thing is relatively dry. Found nice spot out of the weather under a group of 3 Cedar trees. Campfire still burning nicly, letting the wood burn down reading to break camp.
Hope to be back out very soon with tweak of the set-up, I would like to do an overnight hike with the long Hunter setup. It's hunting season now so camping in the woods is limited to designated campsites. I will need to wait until the end of general gun season. in order to just wander off in the woods. May bring along my 50cal mussel loader and some shot it's small game season. bow season also.
Things that needed fixing on this trip my bedroll, I slept very well an comfortable but the blanket that I had was pretty hard stiff and scratchy not comfortable at all on you skin, but it kept me very warm and I slept well none the less. I'm going to continue working on the bed roll and tweek with a little softer blanket and hopefully I'll be able to use the duster as my pillow and also. I'll have the duster as my heavy coat around the camp just general everything you use your duster for.
I plan to be out very soon in the next couple of days and if all goes well this is going to be a two or three-day trip with the modified bedroll and the very primitive Camp I'm not going to bring any luxuries or modern equipment along.
I will bring my phone because I need pictures and I have a great notepad app that does talk to text very well so I won't have minimal typing and I can get down everything I want to say.
It does mess up words sometimes!
If all goes well, I could decide to pack up and take a hike across the other side of the lake nice place to Camp. I believe it's about seven or eight miles, nice walk through the woods if it's not too wet from the rain that we've recently
from Tropical Storm Nestor, there is some low swampy spots between my two favorite spots. St John's Trail Head and West side of Oclawha River.
All depends on how my configuration works out with the chair as the backpack frame the lean-to tent and the bedroll. I work this all out at camp and see what I can carry and how I can carry it.
Weather should be nice low to mid-80s during the day and mid sixties low possibly into the 50s at night great sleeping weather great hanging out at the fire weather during the day. No real rain likely camp at night, warm days cool an nights. But when is camping not damp!