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and Goingoutside.com

David's Backpacking Page

If you're a backpacker you've come to the right web site.

You have to bring all the stuff below when you're going hiking.

As any well experienced hiker will tell you the best way to enjoy the outdoors is to live off the land just like our ancestors. That means you eat fish you catch and you do all your cooking on a wood stove. The only acceptable wood stove that is light enough for hiking is the Trailstove. There are some other ones that have a battery operated fan, crazy if you ask me. What if the batteries run out? What if one of the moving parts jam? You don't want any kinds of batteries, motors, pressure valves, etc… when you're hiking.

CAMP STOVE

In most states you're not legally allowed to fish with a net without a commercial fishing license, but in a life and death emergency who cares. With a fishing pole and a hook you could spend all day and still not get any fish. With a net you will catch fish within minutes, I guess that's why it's illegal.

FISHING NET

Rubbing alcohol is great for everything. Get it at your local supermarket or drugstore. Disinfect an open wound. Start a fire real quick. Make sure you get 97% or higher concentration. You can usually get 70% concentration at a bargain price but it's not worth the savings.

RUBBING ALCOHOL

Just use a regular cheap disposable cigarette lighter for starting fires but carry a magnesium block for emergencies.

FIRE

Of you don't have any string with you, you could end up in some trouble. String is good for all sorts of things such as trapping animals, making fish traps, fixing broken gear to name a few.

STRING

MAKE A SHELTER

Find two 4 foot sturdy branches with "Y" shapes at the ends.

Find an 8 foot sturdy branch.

Pu the branches together into a pyramid with the longer branch towards the wind, make sure that they're securely joined, tie something around the top if you need to.

Line the two long walls with ribs consisting of branches resting against the long branch.

Cover the two long ribbed walls with smaller branches.

If you want to and you have plenty of time you can prepare the ground under the shelter ahead of time by digging down a few inches and burning a fire on the ground for a few hours and then covering the coals with the dirt from the dig. This way the ground in your shelter will be warm and dry all night long.

Montezuma Castle National Monument

Camp Verde, AZ

It's not a castle and Montezuma was never here.

Nestled into a limestone recess high above the flood plain of Beaver Creek in the Verde Valley stands one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America. The five-story, 20-room cliff dwelling served as a "high-rise apartment building" for prehistoric Sinagua Indians over 600 years ago. Early settlers to the area assumed that the imposing structure was associated with the Aztec emperor Montezuma, but the castle was abandoned almost a century before Montezuma was born.

With heightened concern over vandalism of fragile southwestern prehistoric sites, Montezuma Castle became a major factor in the nation's historic preservation movement with its proclamation as a national monument. The Castle was described in the December 1906 establishment proclamation as "of the greatest ethnological and scientific interest." Acreage: 840.86, federal: 16.83, non-federal.

CONTACTS

Email - MOCA_Administration@nps.gov

Fax- 928-567-3597

Write to
2800 Montezuma Castle Road
Camp Verde, AZ 86322

- or -
P.O. Box 219
Camp Verde, AZ 86322

Phone
Visitor Information - 928-567-3322
Headquarters - 928-567-5276

TRAVEL BASICS

Operating Hours, Seasons
Open every day of the year, including Christmas day. Winter hours: 8 AM to 5 PM; Summer hours: 8 AM to 7 PM.

Getting There
PLANE - Nearest commercial airports are locted in Flagstaff (50 miles), Prescott (55 miles), and Phoenix (100 miles)

CAR - Montezuma Castle is located 3 miles off Interstate 17. Use Exit Number 289 and follow signs.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - Tours are available from Flagstaff and some surrounding communities.

Weather & Climate
Summers generally hot and dry, with mild winters.

Accessibility
The visitor center and most of the paved trail are accessible to wheelchairs. A portion of the Castle trail is too steep for wheelchairs and is marked with a sign. The picnic area is not accessible to wheelchairs. Please contact a ranger for more information. Audio cassettes and braille text are avaialble for the visually impaired.

Getting Around
The monument visitor center contains exhibits and information regarding your visit. The 1/3 mile Castle trail will take the visitor on a leisurely walk to view Montezuma Castle and other prehistoric dwellings.

FEES/PERMITS

Entrance Fee
ENTRANCE FEE PER PERSON
$3.00 for 7 Days

INDIVIDUAL
$3.00 for 7 Days

FACILITIES

Visitor Centers
MONTEZUMA CASTLE VISITOR CENTER
Open All Year
Phone - 928-567-3322
Location - Visitor Center located 1 mile from entrance gate.
Exhibits - Exhibits depicting the life style of the Sinaguan Indians
Available Facilities - Southwest Parks and Monuments Association Book Store, restrooms, and picnic area

Some content donated by Hikercentral.com and the National Park Service

As any well experienced hiker will tell you the best way to enjoy the outdoors is to live off the land just like our ancestors. That means you eat fish you catch and you do all your cooking on a wood stove. The only acceptable wood stove that is light enough for hiking is the Trailstove. There are some other ones that have a battery operated fan, crazy if you ask me. What if the batteries run out? What if one of the moving parts jam? You don't want any kinds of batteries, motors, pressure valves, etc… when you're hiking.		CAMP STOVE
In most states you're not legally allowed to fish with a net without a commercial fishing license, but in a life and death emergency who cares. With a fishing pole and a hook you could spend all day and still not get any fish. With a net you will catch fish within minutes, I guess that's why it's illegal.		FISHING NET
Rubbing alcohol is great for everything. Get it at your local supermarket or drugstore. Disinfect an open wound. Start a fire real quick. Make sure you get 97% or higher concentration. You can usually get 70% concentration at a bargain price but it's not worth the savings.		RUBBING ALCOHOL
Just use a regular cheap disposable cigarette lighter for starting fires but carry a magnesium block for emergencies.		FIRE
Of you don't have any string with you, you could end up in some trouble. String is good for all sorts of things such as trapping animals, making fish traps, fixing broken gear to name a few.		STRING