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and Goingoutside.com

Tony Miller's Backpacking Site

Got some info for you here if you're into backpacking.

Don't head for the hills without these things.

MOSQUITO PROTECTION

It's a good idea to bring some bug protection, mosquito candles are the best but mosquito coils are lighter.

CAMP SAW

With a camp saw you will be able to quickly cut down branches to make a shelter or for firewood. You can do this with your multipurpose tool too but having a real saw will save you a lot of energy and frustration. You can also use a camp saw as a snow saw to cut hard snow into building blocks for a snow shelter.

LAMP

Make sure you have a good flash light with you in case you have to walk in the dark. It's also a good idea to bring an LED flashlight just to make things easier. LED flashlights use Light Emitting Diodes instead of light bulbs and last up to 1000 hours on a set of batteries.

MULTI PURPOSE TOOL

I haven't made my mind up yet if I like Leatherman tools better than Swiss army knives. Leatherman tools are better for big stuff while Swiss army knives are better for more detailed work.

STRING

String weighs almost nothing and you always need it when you're out in the woods. Make sure you always have some in your backpack.

STOVE

Have you ever put your nose close to a backpacking stove gas tank? You can always smell some gas seeping out, it absolutely dangerous, and there ugly accidents involving those things every year. Don't be the next victim of these dangerous stoves, get a wood stove instead. I recommend the Trailstove, it weighs a bit less than a pound and is small enough to bring, I've used mine for quite some time and I only have good things to say about it.

TARP

As any hiker knows, a tarp is incredibly useful. You can make a simple shelter with it to sleep under. I normally don't bring a tent with me, I just sleep under the stars. But once in a while the weather turns ugly and then that tarp is real good to have around.

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.

Quinebaug & Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor

Putnam, CT

The Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor in northeastern Connecticut and south central MA has been called "the last green valley" in the Boston-to-Washington megalopolis. Close to Hartford, Providence, and Worcester, but far enough away to avoid urban sprawl, this 1086 square mile region remains predominately rural. It’s rivers wind through rolling hills linking region’s many small towns, farmlands, forests and mills.

The past 50 years have brought many changes to the Corridor. Factories have been recycled into housing, antique and craft shops, and high-tech industry. Despite this, the region has retained its fundamental character, with farms, lush woodlands and clean waterways, authentic sites representing distinct periods of American history, and opportunities for individuals and families to enjoy a rural, small-town lifestyle.

The Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor is a special kind of park. It embraces 35 towns, numerous villages and a total population of about 300,000. The federal government does not own or manage any of the land as it does in traditional national parks. Instead, citizens, businesses, nonprofit cultural and environmental organizations, local and state governments, and the National Park Service work together to preserve and celebrate the region's cultural, historical and natural heritage.

CONTACTS

Email - quinebaug.shetucket@snet.net

Fax- 860-928-2189

Write to
Quinebaug-Shetucket Heritage Corridor, Inc.
107 Providence Street
Putnam, CT 06260

Phone
Visitor Information - 860-963-7226

TRAVEL BASICS

Getting There
CAR - Major access roads are I-84 from Hartford and I-395 from the New London area and Worcester. Within the heritage corridor, a 32-mile section of Conn. Route 169 is a National Scenic Byway and 19.5-mile section of Conn. Route 49 is a State Scenic Byway.

Weather & Climate
New England weather is notable for rapid change. Temperature during the summer is 70-80s F., winter 20-40s F. and spring/fall 50-70s F. Wear appropriate clothing and shoes for outdoor activities based on the season.

FEES/PERMITS

Entrance Fee

Free!
No admission fees to the Corridor or to most of its regular programs and events. Some of the private nonprofit historical and environmental sites of interest do charge admission or accept donations for special events and programs.

LODGING

The Heritage Corridor offers a full range of privately owned motels, country inns, bed & breakfasts, campgrounds and recreational trailer parks. A brochure on accommodations may be received from Connecticut's Quiet Corner.

FACILITIES

Visitor Centers
STATE WELCOME CENTER
Available Facilities - The State Welcome Center, westbound on I-84 in Willington, has free brochures, maps and information available. The Coventry Visitor Center, 1195 Main St./Route 31 in downtown Coventry, provides free travel information from May to September. Connecticut's Quiet Corner supplies racks of brochures in each of 21 towns in their district. The Norwich Tourism Office is located at 69 Main St. in Norwich.

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

MOSQUITO PROTECTION		It's a good idea to bring some bug protection, mosquito candles are the best but mosquito coils are lighter.
CAMP SAW		With a camp saw you will be able to quickly cut down branches to make a shelter or for firewood. You can do this with your multipurpose tool too but having a real saw will save you a lot of energy and frustration. You can also use a camp saw as a snow saw to cut hard snow into building blocks for a snow shelter.
LAMP		Make sure you have a good flash light with you in case you have to walk in the dark. It's also a good idea to bring an LED flashlight just to make things easier. LED flashlights use Light Emitting Diodes instead of light bulbs and last up to 1000 hours on a set of batteries.
MULTI PURPOSE TOOL		I haven't made my mind up yet if I like Leatherman tools better than Swiss army knives. Leatherman tools are better for big stuff while Swiss army knives are better for more detailed work.
STRING		String weighs almost nothing and you always need it when you're out in the woods. Make sure you always have some in your backpack.
STOVE		Have you ever put your nose close to a backpacking stove gas tank? You can always smell some gas seeping out, it absolutely dangerous, and there ugly accidents involving those things every year. Don't be the next victim of these dangerous stoves, get a wood stove instead. I recommend the Trailstove, it weighs a bit less than a pound and is small enough to bring, I've used mine for quite some time and I only have good things to say about it.
TARP		As any hiker knows, a tarp is incredibly useful. You can make a simple shelter with it to sleep under. I normally don't bring a tent with me, I just sleep under the stars. But once in a while the weather turns ugly and then that tarp is real good to have around.