In association with Hikercentral.com
and Goingoutside.com
In association with Hikercentral.com
and Goingoutside.com
Paddling and canoeing is all I ever think about and now I've gone ahead and made a web site about it to.
You want to make sure that you have all these things before you head out on a long paddling trip.
| MULTI PURPOSE TOOL | Such as a Swiss army knife or a Leatherman tool. You will need this to fix broken equipment, cut branches for a shelter, cut wood for a fire. This item will always be used and if you don't have at least a knife you might not make it. | |
| STOVE | The wood powered
Trailstove is my all time
favorite camp stove. Sure it cooks a bit slower than a gas stove, and yes
it does get a bit smoky. But it is the lightest stove in the world if you
include the weight of fuel, and since it runs on wood you don't ever have
to spend a penny on fuel. And you don't have to worry about different
nozzle sizes when you travel abroad. And you don't have to worry about
carrying explosive and poisonous substances around. I could go on and on
about all the advantages of the Trailstove. | |
| TARP | Not necessary to bring but it will make your stay much more comfortable. You can make a good shelter to hang out under in the daytime if it rains. | |
| CAMP SAW | Camping saw or camping axe, that is the question. Saws are light, axes are heavy but faster and easier to use. If you go alone, just bring a saw to save weight, but if you are in a group it's good if one person brings an axe. | |
| MOSQUITO PROTECTION | Mosquitoes are the one thing that suck with the outdoors, bring something they don't like such as mosquito coils. | |
| LAMP | A good flashlight is an absolute necessity on every single trip to the backcountry. | |
| STRING | If you've ever gone on an over night canoeing trip and didn't bring string you probably ended up wishing you would have brought some string with you. String is very useful every time. |
How to make a quick snow shelter
Find a flat sheltered spot for your shelter. Don't go too close to trees or
big rocks since blowing snow tends to accumulate around them.
Dig a hole in
the snow, about a foot longer than your body and about 3 feet wide, use the snow
from the dig to build walls around the hole. Try to get one of the short sides
downwind.
Keep digging until the hole is 3 ft from floor to upper edge. Keep
in mind that the smaller your shelter is the warmer it will be.
Leave a
1.5x1.5 ft opening in the downwind upper short edge with a connecting corridor,
this will be your door.
If you plan to use a stove in the shelter you must
also make a vent opening in the side opposite to the door. This opening should
be about 6x6 inches.
If possible, try to make a block of hard snow
1.5x1.5x0.5 ft to use as a door block, place this block inside the hole when
you're done.
Cover half of the floor on the opposite side of the
opening with soft branches to provide extra insulation from the cold snow
beneath. This will be your sleeping area, you will later cover the branches with
your sleeping pad. If you don't have a sleeping pad with you, make a thicker
layer of branches. If it is snowing while you are building your shelter, you can
do this step later, after the roof has been put up so you won't get snow on your
branches.
Place a number of tree branches over the hole. Keep in
mind that these branches may have to carry some heavy snow loads. You can use
skis and ski poles for this purpose as well but keep in mind that you won't be
able to use them again without ruining the shelter.
Cover the hole
with your tarp. Attach edges and corners as well as possible with stakes made
from tree branches or string to a nearby tree. Don't rely on weights such as
rocks or big chunks of wood, they will start sliding. You want to make sure that
there's no way that the tarp will start sagging or slip down through the
openings in the ceiling.
Cover the tarp with a layer of snow for insulation.
If there is powder snow available try to get a coverage of at least 3 inches. If
there is no powder use wet snow or hard snow to make blocks 1.5" thick to form a
sheet on top of the tarp, try to rest the blocks on the support poles and not on
the tarp. If it is snowing heavily you can let nature take care of this step.
Move in to the shelter. Put your sleeping pad on the
branches and sleep with your head away from the door. You can block the door
opening to keep warm but you must have at least two small air vents on opposite
sides of the shelter to ensure an adequate air supply.
SOME THINGS
TO KEEP IN MIND
When you're using a stove in the shelter you must open both
the door opening and the vent opening. Make sure that the vent opening is kept
clear from falling snow on the outside, poke around with a stick periodically if
needed.
If you need to urinate
during the night, don't go outside in the cold. Just go on the floor inside the
shelter. The urine will seep down through the snow, there will be a stained
crater left but you can just cover that with some snow.
Hopkins, SC
The monument rests on a floodplain of the Congaree River and is not a true swamp. This remnant preserves, in a wilderness state, the largest intact tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the United States. The monument was authorized as a unit of the National Park Service on October 18, 1976.
Three features give national significance: some of the tallest trees in the East with one of the highest canopies in the world, broad biodiversity, and old-growth forest. The monument is recognized as an International Biosphere Reserve, National Natural Landmark, Wilderness Area, and "Globally Important Bird Area."
CONTACTS
Email - cosw_information@nps.gov
Fax- 803-783-4241
Write to
Congaree Swamp National Monument
100 National
Park Road
Hopkins, SC 29061-9118
Phone
Visitor Information - 803-776-4396
TRAVEL BASICS
Operating Hours,
Seasons
Operating hours 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. daily except for
Christmas Day.
Getting There
PLANE - Columbia Airport - 30 miles away.
CAR - Take exit #5 off I-77. Follow signs to entrance of monument (approximately 15 miles)
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - Taxi, approximately 20 miles from Columbia.
Weather & Climate
Hot, humid summers & cool, mild
winters. Pleasant Spring and Fall seasons.
Accessibility
2.3 mile boardwalk loop trail is accessible to
persons in wheel chairs.
Ranger Station and restrooms are accessible to persons in wheel chairs.
Getting Around
Hiking on boardwalk and trails. Canoeing &
kayaking on Cedar Creek.
FEES/PERMITS
Permits
CAMPING
PERMIT
Free! for 14 Days
Free camping permit can be picked
up at Ranger Station.
CAMPING
Backcountry
Camping
Open All Year
Camp in wilderness area of park 100 feet
away from backcountry trails and water, 500 feet away from visitor center
and boardwalk. Primitive camping-no facilities. Obtain free camping permit
at Ranger Station.
Bluff Campsite
Open All
Year
Designated Group Camping area. Porta-Johns, fire rings, and picnic
tables. Large enough for several large groups. Obtain free camping permit
at Ranger Station.
FACILITIES
Ranger
Stations
HEADQUARTER'S BUILDING
Open All Year 8:30 a.m. - 5:00
p.m.
Phone - 803-776-4396
Location - Monument is
located 20 miles southeast of Columbia, South Carolina
Closures -
Christmas Day
Special Programs - NatureFest in April, Owl
Prowls in Spring & Fall, monthly guided canoe trips, Harry Hampton
Memorial Walk in November, and spring nature walks.
Exhibits -
Few exhibits in Ranger Station.
Available Facilities -
Restrooms accessable by wheel-chairs. Boardwalk loop, 2.3 miles,
accessible by wheelchair. Over 20 miles of marked hiking trails 18 miles
of marked canoe trail (primitive conditions with numerous tree falls
accross creek.) Picnic tables near Ranger Station.
Visitor
Centers
HARRY HAMPTON VISITOR CENTER
Open All Year 8:30 a.m. -
5:00 p.m.
Phone - (803) 776-4396
Some content donated by Hikercentral.com and the National Park Service