Not Winter & Not Summer

I have a difficult time keeping focused this time of year.  My mind has drifted away from deadlines and spreadsheet to kayaking and camping.  It’s true that there is still a little snow on the ground right now, but this year was a complete wash when it comes to snowshoeing.  We only had one or two good days of snow since October and that is most unusual for New Hampshire.  I’ve been hoping for snow for months but it seems I’m just not going to get my wish.  So I’ve decided to spend my free (and some borrowed) mental energies on looking forward to summer.  This year I really want to do some remote camping. 

There’s work to do!  There are two modes of thought when it comes to remote camping.  The first involves reserving (and paying for) a remote campsite on a lake inside a state park.  The second method requires hours of searching on Google Earth for small abandoned or uninhabited islands.  Both methods have drawbacks and benefits. 

Paying to stay in a state park or state forest allows me to give back to the agencies that maintain the lands and waters I love so much.  It also provide me with a semi-safe place to leave my car for two or three days without it getting broken into or stolen.  But I also risk losing my money if the campsites close due to bad weather.  Then there’s the thing I really don’t like about state parks; other campers.  It’s hard for me to consider it a “real” camping experience if there are families running around in matching T-shirts, screaming at their kids and basically just going out of their way to annoy me.  This is why I prefer the art of “dark camping.”

Dark camping demands stealth, planning and the acceptance of a little risk.  This works best if you can have a friend drop you and your boat off while you keep your car at their place.   I prefer small wooded islands in the middle of rivers or lakes; this makes it difficult for anyone to stumble upon you by accident.  It also greatly reduces the chance of anyone landing on the island after dark and if they do they’ll probably be so drunk you’ll hear them way before they stagger onto the island.  On the other hand, there are times when you will run into others doing exactly what you’re doing; and you thought you were the only one.  Timing is key; you’ll want to land at dusk and quickly conceal your brightly colored kayak or canoe.  You can either drag it deep into the woods or throw a brown tarp or blanket over it.  I prefer the drag method because the kayak contains all the camping gear anyway.   At this stage your biggest threat are the houses on shore.  Those houses contain old, nosy, retired people with nothing better to do but watch kayakers and canoers.  If you land on your island too soon they’ll notice what you’re doing.  If you land too late you won’t be able to see well enough to set up your campsite safely.  If you think you might be visible from shore, just use a brown tarp as a visual barrier to break up the pattern of your campsite and hide your movements.  This is what all those years of setting up living room forts was all about; it prepared you for this day!  As darkness falls, it’s time to fire up the stove.  If you’re in a dry area with a lot of dead wood laying around, I recommend skipping the camp fire.  A small gas stove can provide you with quite a meal if you’re an experienced camper.  After all is eaten and cleaned it’s time to relax.  Take your chair and head to the edge of the water with a book and a small glow stick or just lie back and listen.  I recommend glow sticks over flashlights because they’ll burn all night without a battery, they are completely waterproof and they are less noticeable by people looking at the island.  If you need to douse the light quickly you can just stick it in your pocket.  If rain should roll in, just use your brown tarp as a roof instead of a wall by tying all four corners to trees.  Just remember to tip the tarp in the direction you want to water to flow so it doesn’t pool up and flood your tent or sleeping area.  The rain can be a friend a friend.  It reduces the visibility of others as well as making all the local boat traffic disappear.  

There is the risk of running into a land owner or a law enforcement officer.  If you claim ignorance the officer will usually let you slide.  Claiming ignorance to a land owner usually only works if you package it with fifty bucks.  This is about the same amount of money you would have spent on one of those “official” camp sites anyway…so, nothing lost.   Surprisingly I’ve found that the biggest threat on these little islands at night is ants.  Island ants are very territorial and very hungry.  Plan ahead and bring an enclosed tent or a hammock.  Yeah, I’m ready for summer.