So as many of you probably know, I have loved the ranger culture for a long time, but up until this point I have primarily been a "ren-faire-ranger," if you will. In other words, I've always loved ranger themed costuming, crafting, reading, writing, and general "ranger appreciation" activities, but I'm not actually much of an outdoorsman. Unfortunately, this means I have never actually had the opportunity to embark on an honest-to-goodness ranger trek of any kind, let alone a full-blown primitive camping trip.
Sooooo...
I have apparently taken leave of my better judgement and decided to plan a ranger hiking/camping trip with my good friend Bryan for early July of this year. Our goal is to hike into a somewhat remote (ish) location somewhere up in the mountains and make camp for at least one night (but possibly two) in full ranger gear (garb, weapons, the works). I would like to do this with as minimalist of a set-up as possible, while still staying safe, enjoying the experience, and coming home again to tell the tale. With that in mind, I would love any and all advice I could get from you guys about what the heck I should be doing in preparation for such a trip. What skills do you recommend I practice? What tools and provisions do you consider to be essential? Etc. Etc. Mind you, I'm not looking to do anything TOO hard-core, considering this will be my first outing of this kind (and admittedly I do plan to have a few "cheats" with me, such as a cell phone, just in case), but I definitely could use some advice so my first *real* ranging experience is a totally positive one.
Thanks in advance for all the awesome, exceptional, super-great advice
Last edited by Manveruon on Mon Jul 06, 2015 9:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Maerondir Perianseron, also called “Mickel,” Halfling Friend - Ranger of the Misty Mountains
How do you plan to make fire? Flint and steel? If so, practice. It isn't hard, but it can be tricky at times, especially in inclement weather.
Expect inclement weather...regardless of what the weather forecasts say.
Will it be in tick country? You can get herbal repellents or carry a cheat of deet....lyme is no reward for rangering.
If you are aiming for minimalist, a bedroll does the duty well enough. A good wool blanket, which your cloak can augment. Change of socks, or hose, whichever. Moleskin in your first aid kits in case of blisters. Some kind of first aid kit is a must.
How do you plan to cook, if you are going to cook? A copper corn boiler or even a good steel pot will cover most things well. Practice cooking over a fire if you haven't done already.
Bring a knife (more useful than a sword or dagger for 'work'), and if you can, a belt axe or hatchet.
Twine and some kind of rope is no bad idea.
You might consider moccasins as a sort of camp shoe....if your main footwear gets wet you can get it off, let it dry, and still have your feet covered. They weigh very little and can be a serious comfort, but of course, entirely optional.
What food are you planning to eat? Try it now simply prepared to see if it is what you expect and will eat.
That will do to be getting on with. Others will come up with more I have no doubt.
First of all, congratulations on your decision to get out in the Wilds! We all want you to have an enjoyable time, so now, some suggestions.
Ditto what E. said^ about not trusting the weather forecast--to me, Colorado is second only to Kentucky in terms of rapid and unexpected changes in weather. Be prepared for anything.
Conditioning! Even if you're not mountain climbing, it's still a good idea to get yourself in shape as your trek nears. Even brisk walking an hour a day does you good and builds stamina and stretches your legs. Speaking of walking, what footwear do you plan on wearing? If it's not something you wear everyday, wear them during your conditioning exercises--moccasins or other light shoes will make you walk/run slightly differently and work different sets of muscles.
Once you decide what kind of gear you'll be taking, load it up and wear it around before you get on the trail. Learning what pinches, flaps, or swings so you can tweak it before it counts is a big plus.
Sleeping! What kind of bed gear will you be taking? You're lucky in the West that you have access to lots of evergreens--which you can use to build up a 'mattress' and reduce the amount of bedding you take with you. Pine needles, balsam boughs, &c. all make a comfortable bed. Dig hip and shoulder holes in the ground if you need to.
Have at least two ways to make your water drinkable. Iodine, bleach, tablets, mechanical filter, boiling, &c. Take your pick.
And have two ways to make fire, too!: matches, glass lens, flint & steel, modern ferro rod, &c.
Personae: Aistan son of Ansteig, common Beorning of Wilderland; Tungo Brandybuck, Eastfarthing Bounder, 3018 TA; a native Man of the Greyflood, c.850 SA
Thanks guys! I couldn't have asked for two more experienced and seasoned rangers' advice! It's greatly appreciated! Let me try to respond to your points in as much detail as possible:
- I have a very basic flint and steel fire starting kit at least partially put together already. It includes a flint, a beautiful Norse-dragon-shaped striker that sparks quite well, a large handful or two of wood shavings, and a huge amount of hemp fibers which I pulled apart from some narrow hemp rope a while back. I have attempted striking a fire with it onto the hemp fibers and found it fairly straightforward, but I suspect I will need further practice before I'm totally comfortable doing it in the field. I also have a pretty cool ferro rod that's set into a piece of antler, and that thing sparks like crazy. I may bring some matches along as well though, just in case (assuming Colorado isn't under extreme fire danger, and I can actually make a fire without getting in serious trouble... which could very well be the case).
- As both of you mentioned, yes, definitely expecting inclement weather, because Colorado has, as Udwin very correctly pointed out, just about the most schizophrenic weather anywhere in the world. That being said, the summers here are usually fairly hot and dry, but I will be watching the forecast closely coming up on the date, and planning accordingly.
- I am planning to design a bedroll with the option of hanging it as a hammock. I know there are mixed feelings about hammocks around here, and all the points I've seen against them have made plenty of sense to me, but I want to give it a try. I know I will have to insulate more this way, because I won't have the ground underneath me to do that. Still, I get a little squeamish when it comes to the idea of getting covered with creepy-crawlies as I sleep, so if I can manage to get myself up off the ground, I would like to. That being said, if the hammock idea doesn't work, I can always lay the fabric down as a ground covering. And of course, I plan to bring some rope for this purpose, which may also come in handy in other ways.
- I do have a very pretty (and functional) trade knife with a 6" or so blade that I generally wear with my garb anyway, and I will be bringing that along as a utility knife. I also have a serviceable camp-tomahawk with a hammer-poll back that I'm planning on bringing along. The shaft got a little splintered at an SCA event last year when I was using the hawk for throwing, but I will either repair it with some wrapped leather or just get a new shaft altogether before the trip.
- Of course, I will definitely be bringing a first-aid kit as well. The contents of which, however, I haven't entirely decided on yet, so I am open to suggestions.
- As far as eating goes, I haven't decided if we're going to be planning to do any cooking, or just eating "trail-rations." If we're only doing an overnighter, I figure trail-rations might be possible without actually having to cook, but I know I'd probably love to have the option of cooking while we're out there. I don't want to bring too much cooking and eating gear though, if possible, because I have a feeling I'll find it rather bulky. Either way, I'm planning on making a good stock of "lembas bread" cakes before we head out, which I've made before, but I want to refine the recipe a little to make them an even better source of energy and nutrients.
- Bug repellent! Good point! We don't have a ton of nasty bugs out here - at least not as many as a lot of places - but we do have some ticks and mosquitoes, etc. Lyme disease isn't very common out here, but it's still something to take into consideration, and quite a bit of West Nile has been recorded here. I will DEFINITELY be taking some bug repellent! I would love suggestions for "period" style repellents.
- WATER. So hopefully I plan on packing in quite a bit of water, but it's heavy, and I know I probably won't be able to carry enough for a 2-day trek, let alone any longer. I have been thinking about this a while, but I've never had to use natural water sources before, so I've never had to use purifiers. What do you guys like the best? What do you think works the best?
Anyway, I think that's all my thoughts for the moment. I will definitely be following up as the date approaches. I always love to hear any insights folks around here may have!
Last edited by Manveruon on Wed May 13, 2015 6:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Maerondir Perianseron, also called “Mickel,” Halfling Friend - Ranger of the Misty Mountains
Manveruon wrote:- WATER. So hopefully I plan on packing in quite a bit of water, but it's heavy, and I know I probably won't be able to carry enough for a 2-day trek, let alone any longer. I have been thinking about this a while, but I've never had to use natural water sources before, so I've never had to use purifiers. What do you guys like the best? What do you think works the best?
Boiling water is the least compromising to authenticity you can do. And it is the best for killing the nasty living things that make you sick actually. However it wont remove chemicals or heavy metals (something they didn't have much worry about in Middle Earth). If you feel you need to worry about either, then you should bring a filter that has an activated charcoal filter in it. If it is not a worry, then I would suggest bring a pot to boil water in and another container you can keep water in to cool down and carry it with.
Practice sleeping outside on the ground in your yard,,,really. Like Udwin said, try to make yourself a bed put of leaves, pine boughs, etc. Also if you want to try the hammock thing, make sure you have the set up down pat before you go. It's not pleasant realizing that your sleep system is totally ineffective miles into the woods at midnight. Especially someplace like Colorado where it can get pretty cold at night. No sleep can make for a totally miserable,,,although sometimes authentic experience.
Last edited by wulfgar on Thu May 14, 2015 1:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
Trail rations are okay for a day or two....but they will also very likely plug you up, which is nice in the bush, but rather less so at home. Pursuant to that, ensure you have a small spade and something to clean yourself with. Leaves are all well and good....but if you get the wrong ones, as a friend of mine did, well....there you go. Unsavory perhaps, but visiting the necessaries is not optional so must be planned for. Ensure you are a couple of hundred feet from any water source when the business needs doing.
Water is heavy. Pack some in to start, but if you can, find a local source and boil it. It won't hurt to bring halazone or something...call it some magical herbal water treatment if you like...or if you don't mind cheats, a Lifestraw or similar. Intestinal troubles due to parasites in the water will make a wilderness trip an agony rather than a pleasure.
Haha, yeah, I had actually been thinking some about "the necessaries" already. That, and the potential for bugs, are probably my two biggest personal phobias about camping (primitive or otherwise), but I'm trying to get over them. I am probably going to bring along some kind of toilet paper, because that's one area where I'm totally willing to deviate from authenticity in favor of comfort and cleanliness.
As for rations and... um... blockage... good point, haha. I will attempt to at least bring along something that's not quite such a "binder," heh. Any suggestions on camping food for this purpose? I just want to make sure that whatever food I bring takes up as little room and is as lightweight as possible.
I've often thought about getting a LifeStraw, actually, but I've never had occasion to need one. I think I may finally make the investment, because it seems like it might be a good one. I figure it's not that big of a jump from just drinking straight from a given water source, like could have been done once upon a time. Authenticity is all good and well, but parasites or other unsavory side effects of drinking untreated water are a much higher priority, for sure. Otherwise, I will certainly be taking along a filter of some kind and something with which to boil collected water, at the very least.
Wulfgar: I totally appreciate your suggestions as well, but alas I have no back yard in which to practice these things, living in a condo/townhouse. However, there are a couple upcoming SCA events at which I may be able to do so, and at those I can always drag along a modern tent, just in case. Otherwise I'll probably find some time to go somewhere where I can at least practice rigging up the hammock.
On another note entirely, you guys wouldn't happen to have any suggestions as to WHERE would be a good place to do this, would you? I mean, obviously none of you live in CO, so that might be kind of a difficult bit of advice to give, but if anyone has insight into what KINDS of places to be looking for, that would be great. Ideally, we want to find a place where we can hike in a fair distance, carrying swords, bows, etc. and also build a fire. It also needs to be secluded enough that we won't be tripping over weekend tourists or outdoors enthusiasts every five feet. We could always go up into Rocky Mountain National Park, and there are some very secluded sections where we would be unlikely to run into other campers or hikers, but sadly they do not allow swords or bows in the park (though they do allow firearms... because that makes sense). Unfortunately, I'm not quite sure where to look other than that.
Maerondir Perianseron, also called “Mickel,” Halfling Friend - Ranger of the Misty Mountains
Manveruon wrote:I've often thought about getting a LifeStraw, actually, but I've never had occasion to need one. I think I may finally make the investment, because it seems like it might be a good one. I figure it's not that big of a jump from just drinking straight from a given water source, like could have been done once upon a time. Authenticity is all good and well, but parasites or other unsavory side effects of drinking untreated water are a much higher priority, for sure. Otherwise, I will certainly be taking along a filter of some kind and something with which to boil collected water, at the very least.
Something to note, Lifestraw is ... well a straw filter. It is good for immediate filtering from a source to drink right then and there. But not so good if you want to cook with water, or filter extra water for later drinking.
You might want to look at the Sawyer Mini filter the Sawyer Mini can be used like a filter straw, squeeze bottle filter, or a gravity feed filter. So you can prefilter water to then safely drink later.
With the bag and backflow syringe it is about the same pack size as the Lifestraw. Lifestraw and Sawyer use the same tech to filter. So you get the same level of filtering. Though it should be noted, the micron size for this tech is smaller than needed. Which can cause issues of clogging if you don't prefilter turbid water.
I actually don't use the Sawyer Mini myself, but have a lot of friends who do. I personally invested in Katadyn ceramic filters. Since they will last me my lifetime, and got them before the Sawyer filters came on market, I never needed to get a Sawyer. The Katadyn filters are the only filter on the market that have actual real world field testing of usage life. Filters from the 60's and 70's still working today! However they are not cheap filters as you might imagine. But the Sawyer is. So since you aren't likely going to need a filter that could out live you, the Sawyer is a good inexpensive choice. Though it should be noted Sawyer makes a very large claim of filter life. They claim 100,000 gallons filter life. However I would suggest you take that claim with some skepticism. Their filters have not been around long enough to actually prove this in real life testing. But for the price of the Sawyers, it is not a big deal if it only lasts a few years.
Man, your best resource is a book called, no joke, How To Shit In The Woods. It's definitely worth looking up.
Eat lots of fiber in the days leading up to your trip!
Personae: Aistan son of Ansteig, common Beorning of Wilderland; Tungo Brandybuck, Eastfarthing Bounder, 3018 TA; a native Man of the Greyflood, c.850 SA
Manveruon wrote:On another note entirely, you guys wouldn't happen to have any suggestions as to WHERE would be a good place to do this, would you? I mean, obviously none of you live in CO, so that might be kind of a difficult bit of advice to give, but if anyone has insight into what KINDS of places to be looking for, that would be great. Ideally, we want to find a place where we can hike in a fair distance, carrying swords, bows, etc. and also build a fire. It also needs to be secluded enough that we won't be tripping over weekend tourists or outdoors enthusiasts every five feet. We could always go up into Rocky Mountain National Park, and there are some very secluded sections where we would be unlikely to run into other campers or hikers, but sadly they do not allow swords or bows in the park (though they do allow firearms... because that makes sense). Unfortunately, I'm not quite sure where to look other than that.
I really don't know much about Colorado law, so please check up on all this, but Virginia (where I am) has Wildlife Management Areas, or WMAs, which are pieces of land owned by the state that can be used for hunting, fishing, hiking, etc. if you have the appropriate licences/use permits. Some of them also allow primitive camping. I don't know if Colorado has something similar, but it could be worth looking in to.
You may have a difficult time carrying a bow on any public land. Again, I don't know the laws in Colorado, but in the Virginia WMAs you can only carry a bow if you have a licence for bow hunting during a hunting season when archery is allowed. You can't carry them in Virginia state parks at all, as far as I know.
I haven't tried carrying weapons when I camp (unless you count my utility knife and camp axe, which I don't), so others with more experience may be able to give you better advice.
Manveruon wrote:I've often thought about getting a LifeStraw, actually, but I've never had occasion to need one. I think I may finally make the investment, because it seems like it might be a good one. I figure it's not that big of a jump from just drinking straight from a given water source, like could have been done once upon a time. Authenticity is all good and well, but parasites or other unsavory side effects of drinking untreated water are a much higher priority, for sure. Otherwise, I will certainly be taking along a filter of some kind and something with which to boil collected water, at the very least.
Something to note, Lifestraw is ... well a straw filter. It is good for immediate filtering from a source to drink right then and there. But not so good if you want to cook with water, or filter extra water for later drinking.
You might want to look at the Sawyer Mini filter the Sawyer Mini can be used like a filter straw, squeeze bottle filter, or a gravity feed filter. So you can prefilter water to then safely drink later.
With the bag and backflow syringe it is about the same pack size as the Lifestraw. Lifestraw and Sawyer use the same tech to filter. So you get the same level of filtering. Though it should be noted, the micron size for this tech is smaller than needed. Which can cause issues of clogging if you don't prefilter turbid water.
I actually don't use the Sawyer Mini myself, but have a lot of friends who do. I personally invested in Katadyn ceramic filters. Since they will last me my lifetime, and got them before the Sawyer filters came on market, I never needed to get a Sawyer. The Katadyn filters are the only filter on the market that have actual real world field testing of usage life. Filters from the 60's and 70's still working today! However they are not cheap filters as you might imagine. But the Sawyer is. So since you aren't likely going to need a filter that could out live you, the Sawyer is a good inexpensive choice. Though it should be noted Sawyer makes a very large claim of filter life. They claim 100,000 gallons filter life. However I would suggest you take that claim with some skepticism. Their filters have not been around long enough to actually prove this in real life testing. But for the price of the Sawyers, it is not a big deal if it only lasts a few years.
I'll give thumbs up on the Sawyer filters. My wife and I use it on our modern backpacking trips. In fact, this weekend we're doing a 3 night treck into the Cranberry Wilderness. It packs very small, is inexpensive for walter filtration, and with the ability to backflush the filter means it will never need to be replaced.
As for where, depending on CO law, you may find fewer restrictions on campsites and fires by searching for a federal wilderness area near you.
Wow, that filter is perfect! It's just what I was looking for! Thank you for pointing me in that direction, guys! I could even turn the bag into a sort of water-skin by disguising it with leather. In fact, I already have a couple of "soft water bottles" like that, and had planned to do that with those as well.
Udwin: I've heard of the book, and had planned on trying to nab a copy actually, haha. It's supposed to be really useful.
Otherwise, thanks for the tips on where to trek! I will start looking around. I feel like there has to be somewhere I can make this work.
Maerondir Perianseron, also called “Mickel,” Halfling Friend - Ranger of the Misty Mountains
Go, do, enjoy, repeat. After a while you will find it has become easier and easier and each time you return you will have learned things to make the next trip more succesful. I am so glad you are getting the opportunity to do this, You have been such a wonderful Ranger in so many ways and the opportunity to stregnthen your outdoor skills will just help ground and inhance your character that much more. Luck to you my friend!
I am Ringulf the Dwarven Woodsman, I craft leather, wood, metal, and clay,
I throw axes, seaxes, and pointy sticks, And I fire my bow through the day.
Come be my ally, lift up your mead! We'll search out our foes and the Eagles we'll feed!
Step one: rid yourself of the concept of a "totally positive" first rangering experience.
Something will go wrong. Will.
You'll sleep on a rock funny. You'll not have enough bedding. A squirrel will get into your food. You won't pack enough food, and will come home famished. You'll leave your water bottle at home (did it for the distance trek with Odigan a year back.)
This is how we learn!
The best advice I can think of would be to not try to cover too much distance so you can spend a little extra time at camp getting things situated to make your night as positive as possible.
