There are few things better for the soul than hanging by the campfire.
It’s really hard to say how much time I’ve spent living out of vehicles. During my first season as a river guide, I lived in an old Jeep that eventually burnt to the ground. Then I downgraded to a crappy Pontiac Grand Prix with a hood that was duct taped shut. The year before I became a mountain guide, I made a huge upgrade to a $1000 ’89 Ranger with a canopy that was about six inches longer than the truck bed.
Since moving to Utah, I’ve camped out nearly every weekend during the springs, summers, and falls. Let’s see … 13 years of climbing and mountain biking with, let’s say, 25% of the weekends in the rig, plus four whole summers, is about 700 days of car camping in a little over a decade. In that time, I’ve picked up lots of tricks that can make a campfire next to the car feel like home.
Remember, the more comfortable your camp time, the more energy you’ll have to get after it during the days. Here are a few things to keep in mind…
Arkansas Campground Flash Flood: Learning Lessons from a Tragedy
By: Jeffrey Miesbauer | June 24th, 2010No Comments »
Little Cottonwood Creek, Utah, overflowing its banks
Two weeks ago on the night of Thursday, June 10, a heavy rainstorm moved through southwestern Arkansas, dumping up to 9 inches of rain over a mostly remote section of wilderness. In this area lies Albert Pike Campground, located at the junction of the Little Missouri and Caddo Rivers.
Two to three hundred people were camping in tents, cabins, and RVs on Thursday night when light rain began to fall. The rain picked up around 11pm and didn’t let up until around dawn. The NOAA issued a flash flood warning for the area after 1:30am, but all the sleeping campers heard was the rain pelting the outside of their tents. Read More …
Tags: Albert Pike Campground, Arkansas flood, camp safety, camping, car camping, flash flood preparedness, flash flood prevention, RVing
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