Backpacking The Smokies

We went backpacking during the last week of August. We tested out a lot of new gear, new meals, and new places. This is the consensus.

We finally went out relying on the River Country Products tents exclusively. Derek, Loree, Runa, and Thorrin stayed in the four person teepee styled tent while Kyra and Manny stayed in the RCP trekker two person. The four person had plenty of room. We discussed the possibility of a bad weather situation during the Appalachian thru hike, and maybe having the need to have all six of us in there for warmth. The two person would then be used as a “shed” and just store gear. Is this ridiculous? Yeah. Are we probably going to do this? Also…yes.

We finally used our new bowls. The snaps work great and the bowls are easy to clean when unsnapped and laid flat. They held pasta with sauce, but also hot oatmeal with dried fruit and peanut butter. I could imagine them leaking down the line, but it hasn’t happened yet and they are so affordable, I could forgive the digression.

My stove gave up on this trip. We initially thought that I had ran out of fuel (finally, after 6 trips) but after switching canisters around, it became clear. Now, I’m not mad, this was a used stove purchase. But to be safe and consistent, I did buy a new stove just like Derek’s. I received a Widesea Camping Burner Stove 3300W Outdoor Gas Stove for $11. I had a ETEKCITY stove that runs for about $11 with a case that can be best described as a camper’s soap container. The container is orange though, so that helps. The biggest difference is the push start for the ETEKCITY and the feet being so much larger on the Wildsea. The Wildsea works great with our Sea to Summit spaghetti pot and our kettle. Those are much harder to fit on my old ETEKCITY.

Side Sleeping sucks. But this is what Derek and I do. We know we need better sleep systems. We both will wake up with bruises on our hips and/or shoulders. This trip reinforced that we need to get a sleep pad to work with our z-pads.

Bear Safety. We have whistles. We have pepper spray. We also have toddlers that do not understand the threat of black bears and just love them. We had a bear cub walk through our site during dinner. Her mama was just there with her two siblings. We need to invest in some serious bear spray. If Derek and I each have a can, we should be good. If we ever needed to both walk away from our kids, by the time we hike the AT, Kyra will be legally old enough to possess a can safely.

C*noc System saved creek trips. Granted, we were much closer to the water on this last trip, it’s still a time saver. This was easier for the kids though. Something about a soft bag just makes the crunching of a bottle seem like a distant memory.

Brillo Pads would have come in handy. We had cut up sponges for this but with Knorr meals, the sodium and starch contents played into how much grime we had on our spaghetti pot. Derek used sand and rocks to loosen and clean the mess, but in a perfect world, it would not have required so much work.

Camp sandals with Kyra could be a subject on it’s own. Grand scheme of things: she’s 14 and insisted she packed well. We didn’t need to check a thing. Yeah…she left her camp shoes at the car. This was fine, she just didn’t have much of a choice when we were lounging around camp or crossing water. This will be a very different vibe on the AT after 2200 miles. Check the packs. Even if they think of themselves as grown.

Campfire. The struggle was real. Twelve people camped at our site while we were there. No one had a successful flame for more than five minutes. We brought Gofires and bic lighters and had tissues and cardboard. The Smokies are punky and damp. Never forget that!

CONS

Too much food. This is the way. But also, honestly, we overpack snacks. We know we are snackers as a family. But on trail, you behave differently. It’s okay, it’s basically another personality.

We brought too much water while being aware that we had prolific water sources. We packed 6L per grown person during a soft flood season because we are dumb and paranoid. I swear that this is the biggest thing we are working on because this is the heaviest mistake.

Tents are imperfect. Stakes can suck. Use rocks and dead trees. We had to this time. Having a tent that needs to be staked out does complicate things. Rock beds are not ideal spots for tents but the rules at this national park are long. We needed to stay at designated sites.

ANYWAYS

We had so much fun. We ate well, snacked great, stayed warm, and saw bear cubs playing in a creek. What more could you need??? Either way, it was a successful trip. We hope you all are rolling into a happy hiking season. Have fun and be safe! xoxo