Winter Camping Checklist

Evenin' Folks,

  For the first time in a while I didn't do any fishing this weekend (haven't been doing much catching lately, anyway!).  Instead, I've been working on getting organized and getting my lists made for my trip to North Carolina this coming weekend.  I'm going to be attending The Fly Fishing Show in Winston-Salem and I'm very excited!  I'll have a full post up after the show with tons of pictures and my experiences at the show.  Make sure you're following me on Facebook and Instagram because I'll be live posting photos there all weekend.
  There was a special rate offered at the local hotels for show attendees, but a hotel room is way outside my budget.  I've never been a big fan of sleeping in a bed slept in by a few hundred strangers before me either! So, I'm camping!  I'm packing up the tent, sleeping bag and chuck box and enjoying a weekend of sleeping in the great outdoors.  I've found a nice little campground about 25 minutes from the convention center and, fingers crossed, the weather should be fairly cooperative for the weekend, according to current outlooks.  Being that this is the beginning of February, North Carolina does get pretty cold.  The night of my arrival the meteorologists are predicting snow flurries and weekend lows in the low 20s.  Since I'm car camping, I don't have much concern for the weight of my gear, but I want to make sure that I am well prepared for whatever the weather might throw at me.  In doing my research, Googling "camping checklist" seems to assume warm weather camping and searching "winter camping" assumes back country snowshoeing or cross country skiing trips.  None of the lists I found seem to be tailored to winter camping in the southeastern US where it could rain, it could snow or it could be 70 degrees all in the same weekend!  So, I've put together my own list and I thought I would share it here with you.

Tent
	Tent
	Groundcloth
	Tent stakes
	Rainfly
	Floor pad
	Kitchen shelter
	Door mat
	Wisk broom
	Tent light
	Cell phone charger
	Extension cord
	Power strip
Cold Sleeping
	Sleeping bag
	Sleeping pad
	Sleeping bag liner
	Extra quilts/blankets
	Pillow
Specialty Clothing
	Long johns
	Heavy socks
	Knit cap
	Henley shirt
	Coat
	Gloves knit & leather Rain gear
Kitchen
	Stove
	Fuel
	Lantern
	Pot
	Skillet
	Plastic utensils
	Plastic cooking utensils (spatula, spoon, tongs)
	Matches/lighter (plus extra)
	Plastic cup/mug
	Paper plates/bowls
	Paper towel
	Plastic pot scraper
	Scrub pad
	Dish detergent
	Dish cloth
	Wash basin
	Kitchen knife
	Cutting board
	Cooler
	Ice
	Hot dog forks
	Small trash bags (used grocery bags)
	Nalgene style water bottles
	Aluminum foil
	Kettle
	French press
	Can/bottle opener
	Kitchen towel/pot holder
	Measuring cup/spoons
	Zip top bags
	Salt/pepper/sugar/spices
	Cooking oil/spray
Light
	Lantern
	Spare mantles
	Fuel
	Flashlight
	Spare Batteries
	Headlamp
Tools
	Multi tool
	Hatchet
	Hammer
	Knife
	Rope/cord
	Duct tape
Campfire
	Matches/lighter
	Fire starter (homemade or store bought)
	Firewood (extra)
	Newsprint
	Folding table
	Camp chair
	Fire poker
Toiletries
	Soap w/box or zip top bag
	Wash cloth
	Towel
	Shower shoes
	Shampoo
	Toothpaste
	Toothbrush
	Deodorant
	Glasses
	Eyeglass repair kit
	Contact case
	Contact solution
	First aid kit
	Lip balm
	Personal medications
	Laundry bag
	Throat lozenges
	Antacid tablets

  My Winter Camping Checklist isn't a whole lot different from my regular checklist, except that I've added a few "extra" and "spare" designations that may not be as important in warmer conditions, and the "Specialty Clothing" and "Cold Sleeping" categories have been added.  I've left out categories for clothing and food because those are very individualized for each person and each trip.  I'm going to keep this as a "live list", as my camping experience grows and different pieces of kit are tested and tried, things will be added and deleted.  I'll also continue with the Seasonal and Specialty categories to tailor each list to each individual trip.  I'll keep the list updated on the blog, so make sure you keep checking back and let me know if you think I need to add anything, I'm always open to suggestions!
  I hope you're all doing well.
     Happy Camping!
         -Nick

Burger and a Show.

Good Morning Folks!

The snow from overnight.

  I'm afraid I haven't been fishing in a while now, and it's starting to wear on me!  I'm going to have to get out soon, even if its just for a few minutes!  I heard from a friend of mine in Lubbock, Texas that our snowstorm here in Atlanta has hit the national news this week.  We woke up this morning to about 2" of snow on the ground, 12° temps and ice on all the roadways.  So, I guess I won't be fishing this week, either.

Doe tracks on the front walkway, about 10' from the font door!

  On Sunday the Little Girl and I drove down to Jonesboro, on the south side of Atlanta, to attend the Atlanta Camping and RV Show.  It was a huge show and we're very glad we got to go.  It made for a fun day out.  I'm afraid the name of the show mislead me a bit.  With a name like "Camping and RV Show" I expected RV's and camping equipment.  The show had plenty of RV's, I think there were five or six local dealerships with lots of RV's on display, but they were there to sell RV's not show them.  The big surprise (and disappointment) for me was the lack of camping gear.  I was really hoping to see some tents and sleeping bags, backpacks and cooking gear, flashlights and water filters, but there was nothing!  There was one booth selling RV accessories, a couple insurance companies and a few hawkers with clothes steamers and kitchen knives.  There was very little information listed on the show's website, so I guess I had formulated my own idea of what it was going to be before we got there.  It was a lot of fun to check out the half-a-million dollar motor homes and all the different size and style travel trailers.  But even the tear drops (which I love!) on display were too heavy for my little SUV to tow.  The best part of the show for me were the campground booths near the entrance.  I was able to pick up the new Georgia State Park book, the Alabama State Park book, the KOA Kampgrounds directory and even a Yogi Bear's Jelli Stone Park flyer (I didn't know they were still in existence!).  So the show wasn't a total loss, the Little Girl and I always have fun on our day trip outings.

The Philly Cheese Burger from Burger21.

The Ale & Cheese fries. This sauce would be great on ANYTHING!!!

  The highlight of the day was where we stopped for lunch!  We had some errands to run up by the Mall of Georgia  and we decided to check out a newer hamburger joint for some lunch.  We had heard it was good, but never really heard much more about it.  The place is called Burger21 and when we walked in I was afraid it was one of those places that was trying way too hard to be trendy.  The burger combinations on the menu sounded awesome and the promise of organic angus beef always gets me excited.  When we got our food (order at the counter, they bring it to your table) I was stunned that my hamburger was actually cooked the way I ordered it!  That seems to be becoming a rarity around here. They had loads of different sauces to add to your burger or fries, but we opted for the Ale & Cheese fries, a beer and cheddar dipping sauce with bacon and green onions!  I got the Philly Cheese Burger with sauteed onions and peppers, provolone cheese and a horseradish sauce.  I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was!  The Little Girl got a Turkey Cobb burger which was also good (I have a problem with calling anything that isn't ground beef or bison a "burger" though), juicy and well seasoned.  The toasted brioche buns were soft and tender and a great compliment to the sandwiches.  On the way out we got a Double Espresso Shake from the shake bar in the dining room.  This was the smoothest shake with the strongest coffee flavor that I have had in a long time! 
  Hopefully I'll be able to get out and do some fishing soon, or at least have a chance to get some flies tied up.  Either way, I'm going to try to be a bit more regular with my blog posts.
  I hope you're all doing well, staying safe and warm wherever you are.
     Tight lines and happy fishing!
           -Nick