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Thread: Backpacking in the Old Days

  1. #21
    Boolit Master

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    From the ole days to the now-a-days - times have changed.

    Last set of pictures shows how ole age makes one just a tad smarter - younger days we just picked up the boat/canoe fully loaded and carried it across the portage to the next lake - now we cut poplars into 40" lengths and push/roll the boat on the poplar - just get er done!

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    Last edited by ole 5 hole group; 08-10-2014 at 12:34 PM.

  2. #22
    Boolit Buddy
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    I'm not saying I was rich, but back in the 1960's when I first started camping my uncle would fly me an some friends into the woods on one of his helicopters. We had a great time running through the forest, shooting guns, and swimming in the streams. I miss those days now that I sissy camp with a camp fire, tent, clean water, and tasty food. But its like you say, most of my joints don't like roughing it as much as my mind does.

  3. #23
    Boolit Bub
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    Combat Diver,

    De Oppresso Liber

    Irag: 91,03,04,05,06,08,09' & 15'
    Afghanistan: 09,10, 11' & 14'

    Just want to thank you for your service. Wow.

  4. #24
    Boolit Grand Master Artful's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lead Freak View Post
    Like just about everyone else, I did lots of heavy backpacking from the 70's (in northern Michigan), continuing through the late 90's (in Big Cypress Swamp in S. Florida). I basically wore out both knees and had them both replaced. Not wanting to quit "getting out there", I bought an off-road "Bob Sport Utility" stroller on Craig's list and hit the trail again. It has 3 large 16" inflatable tires that roll easily over most small logs and is narrow enough to fit past most obstacles on the trail. Living in Florida is a plus, because there are very few hills to worry about and central to north Florida stays reasonably dry. It also has an 85 lb. carrying capacity which covers most of my trips. Check out my pictures from a short overnight on the 4th of July weekend...Attachment 76444Attachment 76445
    Working smarter not Harder - I like it
    - I do that with guns and a Golf Bag Hard case set in a Caddy.
    You can get half a dozen rifles in Soft cases up to the line in one go.
    And if you have a Cart/wagon you can haul your ammo in one go also.
    je suis charlie

    It is better to live one day as a LION than a dozen days as a Sheep.

    Thomas Jefferson Quotations:
    "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."

  5. #25
    Boolit Master

    TCLouis's Avatar
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    I used to have a link to a company, Dickinson, Dickerson (or something like that)Roller pack. Do not know if they still exist.

    The rig had a single wheel that helped support Pack weight. Would not be acceptable in a wilderness area I guess, but for an old broke down person like me it might be just what I would need
    Amendments
    The Second there to protect the First!

  6. #26
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    I was always small, lightweight, 135 lbs dripping wet. Me and backpacking just did not mix.

    But I had a lightweight aluminum Canoe, my dad helped me set it up for transport upside down on a light weight boat trailer. Bunks on each end and a strap over each bunk, so it could not go anywhere.

    I LOVED canoe camping. Any lake within 100 miles of me with an undeveloped island got explored.

    No tent, stick the canoe in between 2 tree's upside down. Small tarp or some brush on the back side. Fire on the downwind side. More than once I spent a rainy thunderstorm night under my canoe.

    Once I left my fishing rod within reach and caught breakfast before I climbed out of the sleeping bag. Crappie, full of fight and fresh from the cool spring water. They ate mighty well.

    Then there was the night I was camped out on an island full of beavers. They was workin overtime getting their winter food put away. Nothing like a tree coming down in the middle of the night to get your head imagining things.

    Good times.

  7. #27
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    My knees are TOAST, maybe even Tostada Non Grata, since 11 years ago. Still waiting to get knee replacements done, they want to delay it (vs. I want to be out in the WOODS more) - so I fake it.

    When I camp I've been using a stripped infant carrier (removed the nylon parts that held the kid in the frame), I probably will move over to a game cart though, larger wheels so it should roll better in the muck and mire. Also so I don't have to tie my belongings on with 100+ feet of 550 cord. Moving to some rubbermaid-like large containers that stack etc., which will fit easily on the cart and tie down very easily. I carry a camp chair & take a break when I need to, then get back going once pain's lessened.

    Later I'll go more to a quad or something, but this helps for now

  8. #28
    Boolit Master

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    In 1991 I went to South Dakota with another guy to shoot prairie dogs for a week and deer hunting in the Black Hills for another week.
    I told Jim to bring cloths for weather that could range anywhere from 80° down to -10°. Which is always a good idea to plan for temperature extremes anytime your going to spend a lot of time outside.

    The weather was pleasant for the first 3 days, but on the 4th day in the afternoon a cold blast of air hit us.

    We got back to camp together, I told Jim we needed to put everything we did not need that night and the next day into the truck, and everything we would need into the tent.
    We were just finishing up when a cold rain hit. It came hard & fast! The wind was gusting to 50 mph and after an hour the rain changed to freezing rain. Which changed to snow as the temperature dropped to 14 below zero by morning and didn't change much while I was there.
    By afternoon the snow let up with a sustained wind of 30 mph and 37" of snow on the ground blowing and drifting.

    I decided to break camp and get into town before the snow drifted too much and we'd get stuck in this mess.
    Getting off the prairie was quite the trick. To get a mile and a half to the road took about 3 hours and 12 miles driving around and through snow drifts but we made it just after a snowplow came through and made it to town after dark and got a hotel room.

    Two days later, Jim decided he wanted to go home.
    I asked him how he was getting there, the roads were closed and no one was moving. Jim called Greyhound bus lines and made arrangements to be picked up at a gas station not too far from the hotel. I told him I'd drop off the rest of his things when I got back to Ohio.

    The next day some roads were open and I made it to Hill City.
    Because most of the roads were still closed and travel restricted it was impossible to find another hotel room. So, I decided to sleep in my truck. This was not a good idea. Vehicles are designed for airflow to keep carbon monoxide from accumulating inside the vehicle, and the wind was still 30+ mph and -10°.

    I drove east and north of Hill City down a road call China Gulch and dug a place to sleep in a snow bank. After I warmed up in my and Jim's sleeping bags, I slept nice and comfortable out of the wind.

    The next morning was opening day of deer season in the Black Hills. I had hunted this area 6 years in a row and had a good idea where the deer would be. Sure enough, an hour or so after light, 8 does were moving slowly down a trail near where I got one two years previously. I picked out the biggest and put the front sight of the old Mauser on the front shoulder and squeezed off the shot. At the angle, I was hoping to break the shoulder and get the heart, and I did.

    I checked in the deer and by 10 o'clock I was eating breakfast and feeling good.

    Long story short, I made my way south over the next two days to Grand Island, Nebraska where there was hardly any snow. And headed home.

    I went to Jim's house and dropped off his things in the driveway, because no one was home and went home myself.

    I found out later, Jim's wife was not home because she was picking him up at the bus station.
    Last edited by Hickory; 12-24-2017 at 07:38 AM.
    Political correctness is a national suicide pact.

    I am a sovereign individual, accountable
    only to God and my own conscience.

  9. #29
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Artful View Post
    I think in the 70's it was more like 90 lbs load outs - but I didn't bother to weigh cause I could carry green bales of hay in each hand and and toss them up onto the truck - not any more.
    Getting old sucks... but we now have cool new light weight gear so the 50 lbs or so I am willing to carry does way more than the old stuff.
    I should look to see if I still have my old camp moccasins, those with thick wool socks at the end of the day after soaking feet in cold creek water was the height of luxury.
    You guy's sure can dig up memories sometimes. I remember those green bails. I was always too skinny to one hand them. But I remember Arnie Maughan picking up those old metal milk cans, full, one in each hand, and setting them up on a trailer, without even grunting. I could barely pick one up with both hands, and had to have help to get it on the trailer. I remember thinking clearly to stay away from his farm when I was out doing my shenanigans.

  10. #30
    Boolit Grand Master Artful's Avatar
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    I remember getting watermelons from Feugate's Garden at Dark and hearing him yell and me tripping and my friend running and the rock salt whistling overhead - Ah, memories
    je suis charlie

    It is better to live one day as a LION than a dozen days as a Sheep.

    Thomas Jefferson Quotations:
    "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."

  11. #31
    Boolit Mold
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    Good post. I used to do a huge amount of backpacking in Boy Scouting back in the eighties. The hardest backpacking trek I did was at Philmont Scout Ranch in 1985. I did Philmont's "Rayado Trek." It was fifteen days of basically nonstop backpacking. All at terrain between 7000 feet ASL to around 12,000 feet. Many days we did twenty milers, thirty milers...a forty miler. Used a Lowe Alpine internal frame backpack back then.

    One day we pushed it so hard, I developed delirium.

    Wish I could still hump a pack like that again. I liked the panoramic views from the tops of those mountains. I also liked the runners high feeling it would give me.

  12. #32
    Boolit Grand Master


    GregLaROCHE's Avatar
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    When I started everything was militarily surplus. Backpack, sleeping bag, a pup tent, canteen and even my boots. I once had what was called a jungle hammock. It was a Hammock with a water proof top and mosquito netting on the sides.

  13. #33
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Combat Diver View Post
    I started backbacking in the mid 70s with the Boy Scouts. Once a year a 12 miler, once hike for 2 wks at Philmont Scout Ranch (45lb pack) in NM. Then I gradulated and joined the Army. Now in the Army those were killers. From quarterly (every 3 months) 12 miler with 60lbs within 3 hrs, 75 miles in 3 days in southern Germany and many exercises with 100 lb rucks in deserts, moutains and swamps. During Gulf War 1, we each carried a 150lb load on our recon mission. Now days I pack up the truck and live out of it

    CD
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    De Oppresso Liber

    Irag: 91,03,04,05,06,08,09',15', 16',22-23'
    Afghanistan: 09,10,11',14',17'-21'

  14. #34
    Boolit Buddy Hdskip's Avatar
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    My most memorable bp trip was in '69. Five miles back in the mountains of Virginia and hurricane Agnes made an appearance well after dark. Many inches of rain along with high winds made for a long wet night and an exciting trek out the next morning. Every draw and hollow had a river of water coursing down it.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check