. The schedule below. If you want to PM me.Link to more info
The weekend of Oct. 15 and 16 BPA.com will sponsoring backpacker/hiker workshops at Horseshoe Bend Park, five miles from Dierks, AR.
Here are Coordinates for HSB. 34.14142583 -94.093311658
The workshops are below:
8:00 to 9:00 Registration, thinking about having coffee.
9:00 to 9:45 Make Your on Backpacking Meals, Mark Adams (trailrelic), Discussion after.
10:00 to 10:45 Backpacking Stoves, White Gas, Canister, Alcohol, Wood, Esbit. Differences, pros and cons of each. I will demonstrate the NEW SOTO Micro Regulator stove, the canister stove that can be used in very low temps and use all of a canister. Discussion after.
by Tom (ouachitahiker)
11:00 to 11:45 Pitching a Tarp and Ultra Light Gear. Jim Ennis (ULhiker), discussion.
12:00 to 1:00 Burger lunch cooked by Tom and Janet. Payment by donation. I won't turn down anybody. I know some will be on a budget. Bring your own drink. Since this is will be a family oriented event I will encourage all to refrain from drinking Alcohol except on your on camps sites, which is legal here.
1:00 to 1:45 Hammocks and keeping warm in a hammock. Mike (Smokehouse). If you have a hammock you are encouraged to put it up around the pavilion so everyone can tryout a backpacking hammock. Mike will do the talk.
2:00 to 2:45 DIY Gear", or "Backpacking on the Cheap. Bill will do a presentation on how to build a cat food stove. Bring your empty cat food cans! Plus he will bring some of his DIY gear, if you have some of your own bring it also!
3:00 to 3:45 Leave No Trace, Chris Akins
4:00 to 5:00 Open to prepare you meals for the potluck.
5:00 to 6:00 Potluck, dutch oven cooking at the pavilion
6:00 (or when ever) Fitness Challenge awards presentations and prize drawings.
When the awards presentations are over and all of the prizes are drawn we will gather around the campfire and talk backpacking!
The gear swap will actually go all day. We should have plenty of room to have all set up there gear. Place their name and asking price. Most of the workshops will either run from thirty to forty five mins. Folks can get with each other in the between time or after the awards presentations. I will at a later date place a separate area of the forum for you to list what you will be bringing with you for the gear swap. This will be the perfect time to "clean out" the closet, so to speak and help some new folks get into backpacking without breaking the bank.
Sunday the 16th, for those that want to hike, Janet and I will lead a hike in the Caney Creek Wilderness Area. We will go in from the WEST trail head, ford the Cossatot River, normally low, and hike to the first crossing of the Caney Creek which is approx. 2.2 to 2.4 miles. Take a break, snack and head back. This is a different area than the East and not hike as often.
If there are any other topics that you would like discussed we can have a session on Sunday morning before the group hike. There are just so many things that can be covered in a days time and I don't want it to be wall to wall instruction. I want as much "hands on" as possible.
Prize Breakdown by Division:
In State Day Hiking Winner:
1-Trail Hanky Wicking shirt
2-Tim Ernest Guide book of your choice
3-Trail Hanky Map Set of your choice
4-Dry Ducks Rain suit, donated by Ulhiker
In State Backpacking Winner:
1-Trail hanky Wicking shirt
2-A set of ERL maps donated by ouachitamaps.com
3-Trail Hanky map set of your choice
4-A ENO hammock donated by Ouachita Outdoor Outfitters
Out of State Backpacking Winner:
1-Trail hanky Wicking shirt
2-Trail Hanky Map set of your choice
3-A Tilly Hat donated by Ouchita Outdoor Outfitters
4-A Out of state map set of your choice from ouachitamaps.com
In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. John Muir
