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Mike's Backpacking World

I've tried to keep this site brief to only include the most important things about backpacking.

These items will be of great help when backpacking in the wilderness.

FOOD
You need a lot of high energy food when you're out. Lots of rice is perfect to include in your meals and lots of chocolate for snacks.

FLASH LIGHT
Don't go camping in the back country without a very good flashlight, or two not so good ones.

STEEL WIRE
I always bring some steel wire in my backpack just in case something breaks. Steel wire is great for fixing stuff.

FIRE TOOL
You need to be able to make fire. The easiest way is to bring some cheap disposable plastic cigarette lighters with you. Always bring a few for backup even though they rarely break, not even if they get wet. I usually bring three but I have never even had to use the backup lighters, but since they weigh practically nothing it's OK.

WATER FILTER
I've been using my MSR water filter for years, and even though most hikers agree that this is the best water filter money can buy it sometimes breaks down just like anything else that has moving parts. For those times it is absolutely necessary to bring a very light weight wood stove with absolutely no moving parts such as the Trailstove and a small pot to boil water in.

TARP
A lot of hikers will tell you that there's no need for a tarp, but a small one is really good to have around for all kinds of things such as making a quick rain shelter.

STOVE
The Trailstove is the best camp stove there is and one of the cheapest too. It runs on wood, it is incredibly simple, there's absolutely nothing that could go wrong with it.

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.

Homestead National Monument of America

Beatrice, NE

The cry was FREE LAND!! The Homestead Act of 1862 was one of the most significant and enduring events in the westward expansion of the United States. By granting 160 acres of free land to claimants, it allowed nearly any man or woman a chance to live the American dream. Visit the park and gain understanding on how the Act changed the lives of all Americans and the land.

CONTACTS

Email - Todd_Arrington@nps.gov

Fax- (402) 228-4231

Write to
8523 W. State Highway 4
Beatrice, NE 68310

Phone
Headquarters - (402) 223-3514

TRAVEL BASICS

Operating Hours, Seasons
Open every day except Thanksgiving Day, December 25, and January 1. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the visitor center and buildings are open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. From Labor Day to Memorial Day, the visitor center and buildings are open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and weekends from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Getting There
PLANE - Airlines, Amtrak, and buses reach Lincoln, Nebraska, 40 miles north. There are no regular carriers to the monument.

CAR - The park is 4 miles west of Beatrice on State Highway 4. Enter Highway 4 from Highway 136 at the west edge of Beatrice. Turn north at the Educational Service Unit.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - There is no public transportation available.

Weather & Climate
Summers are moderate and humid. Winters are cold with occasional snow.

Accessibility
A wheelchair is available at the visitor center information desk. Exhibits, the auditorium, and restrooms are accessible. The film, "The Free Land," is captioned. The 2 1/2 miles of trail are wheelchair and stroller accessible.

Getting Around
Hiking trails only! No dogs are allowed. During the winter, cross country skiing is available along the trails.

FEES/PERMITS

Entrance Fee
ENTRANCE FEE
Free!

FACILITIES

Visitor Centers
HOMESTEAD VISITOR CENTER
Open All Year 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Phone - (402) 223-3514
Special Programs - In addition to the trails, there is a regular movie about the Homestead Act and movement, showings of other productions, and periodic living history presentations. There also are school programs and special events. For more information about both, see below, check the expanded home page, or call the park.
Exhibits - Monument museum exhibits explain the life of homesteaders and show the tools they used in home and field. The park also has videos, a bookstore, a pioneer cabin, an old schoolhouse, picnic tables, and nearly 100 acres restored tallgrass prairie, the second oldest such project in the United States.
Available Facilities - There is a bookstore in the visitor center lobby managed by Eastern National. There is no park camping, but Beatrice has two campgrounds in addition to lodging.

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

FOOD		You need a lot of high energy food when you're out. Lots of rice is perfect to include in your meals and lots of chocolate for snacks.
FLASH LIGHT		Don't go camping in the back country without a very good flashlight, or two not so good ones.
STEEL WIRE		I always bring some steel wire in my backpack just in case something breaks. Steel wire is great for fixing stuff.
FIRE TOOL		You need to be able to make fire. The easiest way is to bring some cheap disposable plastic cigarette lighters with you. Always bring a few for backup even though they rarely break, not even if they get wet. I usually bring three but I have never even had to use the backup lighters, but since they weigh practically nothing it's OK.
WATER FILTER		I've been using my MSR water filter for years, and even though most hikers agree that this is the best water filter money can buy it sometimes breaks down just like anything else that has moving parts. For those times it is absolutely necessary to bring a very light weight wood stove with absolutely no moving parts such as the Trailstove and a small pot to boil water in.
TARP		A lot of hikers will tell you that there's no need for a tarp, but a small one is really good to have around for all kinds of things such as making a quick rain shelter.
STOVE		The Trailstove is the best camp stove there is and one of the cheapest too. It runs on wood, it is incredibly simple, there's absolutely nothing that could go wrong with it.