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Camping Trip this Weekend!

“There’s no such thing as bad weather, just soft people.” – Bill Bowerman

With that in mind – let’s get ready to have some fun!  This camping trip will prove to be the best one yet because all who go will have wonderful memories about how they had fun despite the frozen tundra to share with their family and friends upon their return.

If you have signed up and are thinking about not going because of the cold, buy some hand and foot warmers and just try to stick it out for one night – if nothing else for the adventure – and to show your son that you can do it!

An hourly forecast can be found here

Friday night be sure to get dinner on your own before you come.  We have reserved camp sites 96-99-100-101-102.  Everyone will help set each other’s camp up as well as the cooking area.

If you plan on coming out for the day on Saturday that will be great too – the more the merrier.  The plan is to go for a morning hike @ 9:30ish to the museum and gift shop for a movie about Kings Mountain, then a hike along an historical trail.  The hike will involve completion of answers in a workbook that will earn the kids a Junior Ranger badge. Lunch will be sandwiches in the parking lot followed by a carpool back to camp for leisure time and dinner prep.

Sunday is a light breakfast with a short service, then break camp to head home.

Remember what to pack with Camping 101

Driving Directions :
From I-85 Southbound (coming from Charlotte): Take exit 8, turn left onto Hwy 161, go across NC/SC state line and park entrance will be on the right.

From I-85 Northbound (coming from Spartanburg): Take NC exit 2, onto Hwy 216/Park Road. Turn right and travel approximately five miles through the National Park and the park office will be on the right.

From I-77:Take exit for Hwy 5 toward Rock Hill. Follow Hwy 5 through Rock Hill to York. In York, turn N onto Hwy 321, then bear left onto Hwy 161, entrance will be on the left.

 

Kings Mountain web site

Cold Weather Camping Top Tips (more info – and exhaustive list – can be found here)

  • Stay hydrated. It’s easy to get dehydrated in the winter. You aren’t visibly sweating, so you don’t think to drink water, but since the air is so dry, you lose a LOT of water through breathing. Drink lots of water!  But drain your bladder before you go to bed. Having to go in the middle of the night when it is 5 degrees out chills your entire body. Drink all day, but stop one hour before bed.
  • Remember C O L D:
    Clean – dirty clothes loose their loft and get you cold.
    O Overheat – never get sweaty, strip off layers to stay warm but no too hot.
    L Layers – Dress in synthetic layers for easy temperature control.
    D Dry – wet clothes (and sleeping bags) also lose their insulation.
  • Do not bring cotton. Staying dry is the key to staying warm. Air is an excellent insulator and by wearing several layers of clothes you will keep warm.
  • Bring extra covering – mittens are warmer than gloves; bring 2 changes of socks per day.
  • Keep your hands and feet warm. Your body will always protect the core, so if your hands and feet are warm, your core will also likely be warm. If your hands or feet are cold, put on more layers, and put on a hat!
  • Eat a high-energy snack before bed, then brush your teeth. The extra fuel will help your body stay warm. Take a Snickers bar to bed and eat it if you wake up chilly in the night.
  • Dress right while sleeping. Change into clean, dry clothes before bed. Your body makes moisture and your clothes hold it in – by changing into dry clothes you will stay warmer and it will help keep the inside of your sleeping bag dry. Put on tomorrow’s t- shirt and underwear at bedtime. That way you won’t be starting with everything cold next to your skin in the morning.
  • Put tomorrow’s clothes in your bag with you. This is especially important if you’re small of stature. It can be pretty hard to warm up a big bag with a little body, the clothes cut down on that work.
  • Most cold weather bags are designed to trap heat. The proper way to do this is to pull the drawstrings until the sleeping bag is around your face, not around your neck. Don’t burrow in – keep your mouth and nose outside the bag. Moisture from your breath collecting in your bag is a quick way to get real cold. Keep the inside of the bag dry.
  • Put a trash bag over the bottom half of your sleeping bag to help hold in the heat. A zipped up coat pulled over the foot of a sleeping bag makes an extra layer of insulation.
  • Put a couple of long-lasting hand warmers into your boots after you take them off. Your boots will dry out during the night.

 

And have FUN!

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