u/BayouBushcraft

I’m solo camping here on a Wildlife Management Area under a gigantic oak tree in South Louisiana. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me can chime in here but I would venture a guess this oak tree could be 300-400 years old, if not older. It’s weathered many a hurricane so I thought it to be strong.

We did get some good rain on the trip but it wasn’t too bad and I found it extremely relaxing to hear the rain on the fly. Even if I get dripped on occasionally. (My tent now is stormproof so that’s extra nice.)

I stayed at this campsite for the weekend while my boat was docked nearby in the river so I could go into the wildlife management area.

Fun Fact: None of the gear pictured is still in existence. The tent I donated. The awning and chair broke. The cooler broke. I guess I still have the cast iron but that’s the way it should be.

Pictured is the Ozark Trail 10 Person Dome monster of a tent. It wasn’t waterproof and only lasted a half dozen more trips before it had to go. The awning is from Academy and that lasted about 3 years before it was also destroyed.

I camped and searched the woods for quarry and never found anything. I wasn’t far from town so I cooked steaks on the campfire in my cast iron pan at night and listened to some outlaw country music while sipping a little whiskey. Don’t worry, all boom boom sticks were locked up in the car. Never mix booze and bullets.

Me and the boys on a long needed reunion. We had the pleasure of visiting the White Mountains of New Hampshire during the off-season and it was beautiful. The snow starting to set in everywhere. The quietness of the towns before the skiing starts. It was awesome.

We went on several day hikes. This was my favorite. 2.9 miles out and back to Arethusa Falls. Beautiful to see half frozen and just an amazing display of nature.

It was a shocking transition to fly from 80 F and humid in New Orleans to sub freezing temps in New Hampshire. I wasn’t sure my gear could handle it.

I wore my Timberland Mt Maddsen boots which have been waterproof for years. I found that an 80% merino sock performed better than a 40% alpaca sock. (Could be due to construction though because I really love alpaca.)

For base layers, I felt warmer in 100% polyester rather than a polyester nylon blend. I’m sure a merino base layer would get the job done but I couldn’t justify the expense when it barely gets cold around here in South Louisiana. (Except the freak “Gulf Coast Blizzard” of 2025! That was crazy!)

I went with polyester cotton pants which worked just fine. I had a merino hoodie as a mid layer and a puffy as an outer layer. I think in hindsight the fleece mid layer was better than the merino because it was thicker.

Clearly the merino beanie performed better than the polyester beanie, but both were too hot at times when hiking.

Of course I was over prepared in my day hiking pack with a first aid kit, multiple fire starters and tinder, emergency blankets, extra socks, multiple flashlights, tarp, hammock, knife, and bear spray. And I had my Zoleo active.

A privileged time of year to visit at the edge of season change.

I can appreciate being able to organize my backpack without getting mud and dirt all over my stuff. (Pictured is Mrs Buschraft’s stuff, btw)

The small Tyvek can also be used under your chair or sit pad for a clean butt and legs. Or you can put it under your hammock at night so you have a dirt-free mat to slip your shoes on when you gotta get up. (I hate getting out of the hammock to pee.)

BONUS STORY: So this very next night of this trip, we’re sound asleep in our hammocks and both of us were startled awake to a banshee sneezing and it was so loud!! Mrs Bushcraft freaked out at first, but immediately upon hearing the terrifying noise, I knew exactly what it was “it’s a deer! It’s okay!”

The deer was snort wheezing at us because she was mad we were in the backcountry campsite and she was drinking PEE! I always knew you weren’t supposed to urinate on a tree, because I was told it could hurt a deer’s tongue. Never in my life have I witnessed it. We peed on the ground out in the woods near the campsite and the deer found those spots and was licking them. For the salt of course.

I had to get out of the hammock and chase the deer off because she was being so ridiculous! Took a while for our heart rates to drop back down to normal and go back to sleep. Fun times!

This was in the Smoky Mountains btw.

For me, you can’t beat a good ‘ol pair of Crocs!

The all rubber construction is great for camping because you can rinse or hose them off if they get muddy. They dry quickly. They’re relatively lightweight and durable. And you can find them for a moderate price so if they get messed up, easily replaceable.

I also like that I can wear wool socks in winter or no socks in summer so it’s an “all-season” camp shoe. Plus, slipping these on instead of lacing shoes every time you need to leave the tent is extra convenient.

I find Crocs to be very comfortable after a long day and my dogs are barkin.

I know they may be “fashionable” these days but I’m old enough to still remember them in the movie Idiocracy and I can’t say I like how they look. But did I recently purchase another pair? Sure did. LOL.

I wore through the bottoms of the pair pictured after using them for about 6 years.

We had a terrible thunderstorm followed by a morning freeze. My $300 canopy collapsed due to the rainfall, but the Jovian performed perfectly. Literally not a single drop got inside the tent. I could feel water under the floor too. Airflow, guy outs, fly coverage, zippers, interior organization… it’s all excellent.

The tent easily fits a queen sized mattress.

For colder nights, I put a Mr Heater Buddy in the vestibule and that works better than necessary.