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Page Design by Brian J. Mull |
Tent Camping on the island
Weight - Everyone needs to realize that we are not camping at a campgrounds. There is a world of difference from driving up to a campsite, taking your gear out of a car and carrying it a few feet on a hard surface to a tentsite. For Horn Island every pound that you bring has to be unloaded from your car and then carried from the dock onto the schooner, down a ladder and stored in the hold. Upon arrival at the island, the weight is brought up the ladder to the dock, lifted overboard into a small boat which may be rising and falling with the waves. Then it is taken to shore where it will be deposited on the beach for your arrival. It will be your privilege to carry your gear to wherever you select for a tentsite. The sand may be very soft and perhaps the sun will be warm so the hiking may be strenuous.
The less weight you bring the better. Treat this outing as a backpack - not a car camping trip. You will be a much happier camper if you do.
Tents and accessories for camping on Horn - Because on Horn Island we may be exposed to strong winds and blowing rain and sand, I recommend that you bring more than a tent for your shelter. To really be dry and sand free, bring a tent, tarp, sand stakes, 100 foot of quality cord, knife and trowel for your shelter. Besides your tent bring a tarp, preferably nylon, that can cover your tent. It if really storms or the winds blow sand, the tarp will be your first and much appreciated line of defense against these elements. To secure the tarp and tent, bring 100 foot of paracord or other quality line and a knife. Also bring a trowel to use to dig “deadmans” – pieces of wood or lumber that are buried to serve as anchors for your tent and tarp combination. Finally bring ten to twelve of the longest and strongest metal or plastic sand stakes you can find. After the first breakfast a class will be held on how to secure their tents and tarp combinations.
Dry bags - Two sizes will be furnished. The large one is for overnight gear – tent, sleeping bag and pad. The other is for day time items – clothing, lunches, personal kit (soap, toothbrush, etc), flashlight, binoculars and books.
Mark everything with your name, PLEASE!!!! After every trip, there are often valuable items left behind.
Ice chests - Because of all the lifting, storing, portaging and carrying please do not bring a personal ice chest. The kitchen site will have a large ice chest with ice for community use. Use this chest to store your drinks but be aware that sometimes the cooks sample whatever they find in the ice chest.
Lunches - What to bring - Bagels or bread in tupperware boxes, canned meat, peanut butter and jelly, fruit especially apples and oranges, cheese and summer sausage and trail mix (nuts, candy and raisins). Bring nothing that needs to be refrigerated.
Drinking water - Bring two gallons per person for your personal drinking and use (brushing teeth and washing up). Mark them with your name. Do not put them into a dry bag but keep them separate.
Camp chairs - If you bring one, select a model that is light and compact – no aluminum lawn chairs because they take up too much room. There will be numerous boxes to sit on around the campfire.