View this post on Google+

View this post on Google+

This post has been reshared 1 times on Google+
View this post on Google+

I was as clueless as they come when it came to camping and hiking etiquette when I started out. I still have a lot to learn, but thanks to the “Leave No Trace” movement, I have learned a few things already. If I had to write a tag line for Leave No Trace, it would be, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto yourselves” because I think that sums up the Leave No Trace spirit and intent. I want to leave the areas where I hike, camp, and drive my Jeep just as enjoyable as for the next person, as it was for me, perhaps even improve it, if I can. I think most us see the value in that mindset. Conservationism is something all of us can embrace.

There are seven primary principles that Leave No Trace upholds:

1. Plan ahead and prepare.
2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces.
3. Dispose of waste properly.
4. Leave what you find.
5. Minimize campfire impacts.
6. Respect wildlife.
7. Be considerate of other visitors.

I won’t elaborate on the 7 principles because the Leave No Trace movement has some quality education available, instead, this is more of a “keeping it real” post where I will share how I try to uphold some of these principals when I am out hiking or glamping.

Plan Ahead and Prepare

Some things come to people naturally. Planning and preparing come to me quite naturally. I generally have a pretty well established game plan and have spent copious amounts of time planning and researching for my trips.  Planning and preparing is something anyone can and should do and it has never been easier, thanks to the Internet.

Why are all of this research and planning important to me? I have 2 motivations. First, I want to squeeze every ounce of opportunity out of my trips. I am up well before dawn and usually don’e eat dinner until well after sunset. Secondly, the more you have prepared and planned, the better your chances of being able to handle an unplanned emergency. For example, I have never been caught in a flash flood. Part of that reason is because I keep careful watch on the weather and plan accordingly. in 2010, when Danielle and I visited Zion National Park, we missed an exciting hike up the Virgin  River Narrows. As we explored our alternate options, storms from 2 different directions rolled into the area. We were able to take shelter at a museum. However, we were well aware that the various canyons in the park contained many hikers. The Virgin river ran fast, but it did not flood. It would have made for tough hiking, as the hike goes right through the river. We also noticed it was not long after the storm cleared before we saw rescue helicopters overhead with stretchers suspended from them. As it turns out, hikers had been caught in a flash flood and been washed over a waterfall.

Knowing where you are, the conditions, and safety issues is not important for your own safety, but when you are caught unprepared it can put emergency personnel at risk as they try to rescue you. Some things to find out before you go:

• What are the potential weather hazards?
• What are the natural and wildlife dangers?
• What is my back-up plan?
• Where and how can I get help?

Since cell phone communications if very unreliable in a lot of National Parks and other wilderness areas, I carry a SPOT GPS satellite communications device. The SPOT is used for tracking my hikes, communicating, “check-ins” that let family know all is well, to call for non-emergency help, or to send a message that 911 emergency assistance is needed. thankfully, to this point, I have only used my SPOT for check-ins but I have read numerous articles written about SPOT devices being used to initiate a search and rescue effort.

Dispose of Waste Properly

Most of us would not intentionally litter, but we probably have unintentionally littered. TO make sure none gets away, you have to have a plan. I use the Trasharoo for most of my trash. It attaches to my spare tire, has a lot of space, can double as a firewood carrier, and can be hoisted into a tree in bear country.

One thing I didn’t know about before I started hiking and camping was how people deal with bodily waste. There are a lot of ways to deal with this, but the key is, plan ahead. I have invested in the TravelJohn system. It gets great reviews. I have not needed to use it yet, but I know it is just a matter of time. Let’s be honest, no one wants to have to hold their nose at certain parts of hikes due to the stench of human waste. Impacts

The TravelJohn products are nice to keep in the car in case of an emergency as well. For privacy, I use this pop-up tent from Bass Pro Shops, although Amazon has a number of tents available that seem to be very similar in price and quality.

Minimize Campfire Impacts

Campfires were pretty much off-limits for us last year when we camped due to the red flag conditions. It was sad to see so many wildfires ravage the west last year. However, if we had been allowed, we would have used local firewood instead if transporting it from region to region. The Pine Beetle has spread throughout the west and caused massive damage to the beautiful mountain forests. One way they have traveled is via firewood.  in 2011, I saw the damage up close and personally at Sprague Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park as I saw large piles of logs from dead trees that had been felled. We would have also used existing fire rings to minimize the impact. Have you ever come across a campsite with multiple burn scars from campfires? It’s not attractive. Seasoned campers often opt for propane fueled campfires, which are allowable in all conditions, like Campfire in a Can. I just added this less expensive Camp Chef propane fire ring to my Amazon Wish List.

Respect Wildlife

There are a lot of factors involved in respecting wildlife, but I think most of them could be summed up: avoid an encounter with wildlife, watch from afar. I watched senseless tourists approach Bison at the Grand Canyon and try to pet elk during the rut. I have seen people be careless with their food in bear country. Check with local officials to ind out what precautions you need to take to avoid an encounter.

I photographed this bull elk with a zoom lens to avoid an unwanted encounter with him.

I use a Yetti cooler, which, when locked, is bear-proof. I also picked up a bear-proof food storage container from a Craigslist ad for future visits to bear country. Most parks in bear country now have bear-proof food storage containers and require you to use bear vault containers when you are in the back-country. As I mentioned in the last post, I also travel with bear spray which should diffuse an escalated bear encounter.

Continuing Education

I am far from an expert on responsible conservationism and I am always learning more. Online forums provide a great source for informal learning on implementing Leave No Trace and other topics that will make your glamping experience not only more conservationist-minded, but more pleasant.

Take a few minutes to think about how you can create and preserve great camping experiences for you and others by following the Leave No Trace principles.

You might have noticed that I now have a menu item for , “My Gear” and an Amazon search widget on my blog. Why? It’s simple: I’ve commercialized. I am simply looking or additional methods to help generate revenue for my photography. I probably won’t get rich or famous, but if I can bring in a little extra that would be superb.

On the “My Gear” page I will only list things I currently or have used in the past and would recommend to others. Granted, some things would get higher recommendations that others, but, I have not included things I would not recommend for others to purchase on the My Gear page.

I hope this proves to be a fairly unobtrusive change for anyone frequents my site. Most of my friends and family shop at Amazon on a fairly regular basis so I am guessing that translates to the rest of the population. If you order products by following links anywhere from my site or from the Amazon search widget on my site, I will get a small commission. The transaction is handled completely through Amazon – I don’t get any details from your purchases.  The prices are the same as Amazon and all of Amazon’s usual policies are in place. I am simply the referring agent.

I greatly benefit from the reviews others do and I would like to contribute more in the future. I have been successful with reviews in the past. One video review I did of a cell phone had over 110,000 hits on Youtube.

If you have any feedback for me as I venture into a little commercialization, please let me know.  Thanks for your support!

]]> http://jenngrover.com/2013/05/commercialization/feed/ 0 http://jenngrover.com/2013/05/the-digs-is-a-tumblr-blog-from-the-pittsburgh-post-gazette-that-features/ http://jenngrover.com/2013/05/the-digs-is-a-tumblr-blog-from-the-pittsburgh-post-gazette-that-features/#comments Sat, 11 May 2013 03:28:12 +0000 Fotostat http://jenngrover.com/2013/05/the-digs-is-a-tumblr-blog-from-the-pittsburgh-post-gazette-that-features/

The Digs: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
1944: “Mother of the Year Helen Manz reunited with her wounded son Richard.” Mother’s Day has been celebrated for almost 100 years. In the United States, it became a recognized holiday in 1914 because of Anna Jarvis. A native of West Virginia, Anna Jarvis, inspired by her mother, …

View this post on Google+

Glamping: Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
Jenn | Blog, Travel

View this post on Google+

My thoughts have started to drift towards camping as summer draws closer. Honestly, I have never been much of a camper but am evolving into one, primarily due to photography. I camp because it means not getting up as early to drive to a shoot before dawn and because I can save a lot of money.  the thought of the hard ground, however, has held me back for quite a while. Enter: rooftop tents.  The rooftop tent (RTT) discovery revolutionized the entire concept of camping for me, seriously.  Not only was I off of the hard ground, I would also be high above snakes. I found a good deal on an ARB Pilbara last year. It is a mid-range priced RTT and also middle of the road quality. It comes with an OK mattress, which supplement with a sleeping pad gets me on the road to a decent night’s sleep.  Last year I used the Cabellas Ultimate Double, but it was too unwieldy to roll up when I tore down camp. I used my REI discount and dividend towards a Thermarest Luxury Map.  A sleeping pad is not only a kinder, gentler night’s sleep, it is better insulated from the elements, too, which will help when I camp and the snow flies.

Once you have that base layer of plush out of the way, the next component to tackle is a sleeping bag. I have an old EMS mummy bag that I picked up at the local store’s going out of business sale, dirt cheap. I am afraid I was ruined during college for good sleeping bags, though. Nothing compares to the Marine Corps sleeping bag I conned my brother out of for several years. It  was a down sleeping bag that was comfortable, warm, could take a beating.  The EMS bag I have is OK but I have been considering replacing it. I haven’t got much further than Amazon’s best selling sleeping bags yet, though because I keep pining for the military bag.

I spent two summers working at a summer camp and my last semester of college in that sleeping bag. Come to think of it, it was probably due for a good dry cleaning when my brother managed to con me out of it. The down made it like sleeping on a feather bed. One of the summers I spent in it, our camp in the Laurel Highlands started to get overrun with Black Rat Snakes. they were everywhere: around the grounds, in cabins, climbing the walls, in kids beds – everywhere. Although it was hot, humid weather, I pulled that sleeping bag around my head with just a small part of my face showing every night. i hope I never see that many snakes again, ever.

One of the things that bugged me while camping last year was that my pillow slid all over the place. I need to find a good solution for that. I think it woke me up as much as anything else. I have done some research on this but didn’t come up with much as far as solutions. It seems like an invention waiting to happen: a sleeping pad that includes an inflatable headboard.

The other thing that is key to a good night’s sleep is peace of mind. Sometimes that means knowing the weather, and being prepared. Sometimes it means being prepared for an unwanted guest. My first outing with the RTT was at the Erie beach, where I was serenaded by a wind storm all night long. I don’t think it would have improved much if I had been on the ground, but let’s face it: a RTT in a windstorm is like a sail.  The good news was that the tent was fine. The bad news was that I was exhausted.

I have an Eaton Weather Radio that I use when I travel to keep me apprised of  any dangerous weather situations. This is especially important when I am in remote areas that are prone to flash flooding. To fend off any unwanted guests, I picked up a canister of bear spray, which should work on bears or people.

This year, the plan is to mount my tent on an old M416 military trailer that I am working on to get ready to roll. I am looking forward to many good night’s sleep in the tent, and hopefully a number of those will be spent in the dry air of the southwest. With the tent mounted on the trailer it will also allow me try a little winter camping this year, so I just might have to pick up that down sleeping bag, after all.

This post has been reshared 1 times on Google+
View this post on Google+

View this post on Google+