spectr17
06-05-2002, 06:56 PM
May 31, 2002
Charlie Farmer, Springfield News Leader (Mo)
Wilderness areas good for camping
Forget the television and its doomsday message. Heading into June there are better things to dwell on.
Finding the perfect campsite near a gurgling Ozark stream can soothe minds and bodies.
Wilderness areas provide a wide variety of primitive campsites. Depending on how far you want to hike, chances are good that your nearest camping neighbors will be miles away. It’s up to you to find the locations that satisfy your personal tastes, whether they be pine-studded ridgetops or bottomland hides close to water.
Here are some tips to make your experience enjoyable.
• Locate your camp on high ground (as opposed to bottomland that is flood prone) at least 150 feet from water’s edge or an established trail.
• Look for live, healthy trees, boulders and land depressions that block high wind yet allow sufficient breeze for keeping biting insects at bay.
• Test the ground for slope by lying down prior to pitching the tent. While a slight slope is favorable for drainage in case of rain, too much slope may disrupt sleep.
• A tent that faces southeast will be warmed by the rising sun in the morning and shaded in the afternoon.
• Avoid large, dead trees that could topple in heavy wind and rain. Avoid tall grass, thick brushy areas, swamps and bottomland during warm weather. Black flies, gnats, chiggers, and mosquitoes commonly breed and thrive in these areas.
• During periods of little or no rainfall, dry grass and brush can pose fire hazards around camp. Avoid gullies and canyon areas. Flash floods can wash away everything, including tents and humans, within minutes.
• While bluffs or cliffs can be beautiful, it’s best not to camp directly under them. Be able to identify poison ivy and poison oak in order to prevent setting your camp in the “itchiest” part of the forest. Avoid camping on the tops of primarily bare hills or mountains with one or two tall trees nearby. These spots are susceptible to lightning strikes.
There are common sense precautions for piece of mind. For instance, when utilizing trailhead parking areas for extended back country trips, make sure all valuables left in the vehicle are hidden out of sight. It’s a good idea to tell family, relatives or friends where you are going and when you plan to be home. Be precise in describing a particular trailhead and camping destination in case of emergency.
Pay attention to weather conditions, and use common sense in waiting out severe storms. Stow food bags in places where birds and mammals are not likely to reach and either eat or contaminate your supplies. Unless the Missouri Ozarks suddenly attracts a lot more black bears than it has now, bear problems in camp are rare.
Set your own hiking or backpacking pace. Choose partners with skill and conditioning levels that closely match your own. Remember to stop and smell the roses. Backpacking is not a race to see who gets there first.
As most hikers know, it is no longer advisable to drink water from streams, springs, rivers, ponds or lakes regardless of how clear and clean they appear. Giardia and cryposporidium have infiltrated the continent’s waterways.
You can boil water or you can use one of several different purification systems to render water safe to drink. Specialty outfitting, hiking and camping stores in the area carry a variety of reliable water purification systems.
Charlie Farmer, Springfield News Leader (Mo)
Wilderness areas good for camping
Forget the television and its doomsday message. Heading into June there are better things to dwell on.
Finding the perfect campsite near a gurgling Ozark stream can soothe minds and bodies.
Wilderness areas provide a wide variety of primitive campsites. Depending on how far you want to hike, chances are good that your nearest camping neighbors will be miles away. It’s up to you to find the locations that satisfy your personal tastes, whether they be pine-studded ridgetops or bottomland hides close to water.
Here are some tips to make your experience enjoyable.
• Locate your camp on high ground (as opposed to bottomland that is flood prone) at least 150 feet from water’s edge or an established trail.
• Look for live, healthy trees, boulders and land depressions that block high wind yet allow sufficient breeze for keeping biting insects at bay.
• Test the ground for slope by lying down prior to pitching the tent. While a slight slope is favorable for drainage in case of rain, too much slope may disrupt sleep.
• A tent that faces southeast will be warmed by the rising sun in the morning and shaded in the afternoon.
• Avoid large, dead trees that could topple in heavy wind and rain. Avoid tall grass, thick brushy areas, swamps and bottomland during warm weather. Black flies, gnats, chiggers, and mosquitoes commonly breed and thrive in these areas.
• During periods of little or no rainfall, dry grass and brush can pose fire hazards around camp. Avoid gullies and canyon areas. Flash floods can wash away everything, including tents and humans, within minutes.
• While bluffs or cliffs can be beautiful, it’s best not to camp directly under them. Be able to identify poison ivy and poison oak in order to prevent setting your camp in the “itchiest” part of the forest. Avoid camping on the tops of primarily bare hills or mountains with one or two tall trees nearby. These spots are susceptible to lightning strikes.
There are common sense precautions for piece of mind. For instance, when utilizing trailhead parking areas for extended back country trips, make sure all valuables left in the vehicle are hidden out of sight. It’s a good idea to tell family, relatives or friends where you are going and when you plan to be home. Be precise in describing a particular trailhead and camping destination in case of emergency.
Pay attention to weather conditions, and use common sense in waiting out severe storms. Stow food bags in places where birds and mammals are not likely to reach and either eat or contaminate your supplies. Unless the Missouri Ozarks suddenly attracts a lot more black bears than it has now, bear problems in camp are rare.
Set your own hiking or backpacking pace. Choose partners with skill and conditioning levels that closely match your own. Remember to stop and smell the roses. Backpacking is not a race to see who gets there first.
As most hikers know, it is no longer advisable to drink water from streams, springs, rivers, ponds or lakes regardless of how clear and clean they appear. Giardia and cryposporidium have infiltrated the continent’s waterways.
You can boil water or you can use one of several different purification systems to render water safe to drink. Specialty outfitting, hiking and camping stores in the area carry a variety of reliable water purification systems.