New Tent! North Face Phoenix 3!

North Face Phoenix 3

Last year we have added a pittbull to our family and have been in the market for a roomier backpacking tent. We needed something large enough, yet super light! The Phoenix 3 seems to be the perfect fit.

• Three man tent. 
• Ultra lightweight
• No rain fly. DryWall single skin.
• Double door and double vestibule. 

Looking forward to putting the Phoenix 3 to the test this weekend, and posting our experience!
Feel free to leave a comment about your tent! Likes, Dislikes, what features are most important to you in a tent? 

The North Face! You get what you pay for!

Camping and Outdoor equipment can be very expensive!! One thing that many people overlook is the fact that some companies stand behind their products no matter what.  My husband recently had an experience with The North Face that I wanted to share: 


(From Facebook):
"So, yeah...all the crap I was talkin' bout the North Farce...I take all that back. 

This is proof positive that The North Face stands behind their product and their customers 100%.

I bought a jacket from them in 98. The tape seams failed after several years of use. Disgusted with its poor quality, I bought a marmot and it's served me well since 2003.

I recently sent a 15 year old stuff sack back to The North Face. They don't even make a stuff sack anymore; that didn't stop them from sending me another stuff sack.

Encouraged by this, I sent my jacket back to them six months ago. They responded, saying my jacket was out of warranty.
Today, they sent me a letter apologizing and a gift card for 385$. I guess they had a change of heart?

I was gonna buy another marmot but cash was short...I'm glad I waited!#TheNorthFaceRocks" 

Building a Campfire

     Over the past few years I have made several campfires for the purpose of cooking, warmth, and lighting. Building a responsible campfire is easy to do with patience, preparation, and a bit of guidance. 

      In the steps below,  I will share easy step-by-step techniques on building a successful campfire. 

      Please be aware of your surroundings and build your fires only in appropriate fire zones and do not build during extremely dry conditions. Build 15 feet away from tent walls, shrubs, trees, or other flammable objects. 

You will need:

• Axe
• Matches or lighter
• Tinder - Two handfuls
• Kindling- Two armfuls
• Fuel wood - A pile knee high

If is important to use dead and dry wood. This means that your wood should not be green, and should snap when broken. It is also important to collect all wood prior to lighting. 

Step 1: Gather

1.  Starter- Dry Birch Bark (Do not peel from tree) or newspaper soaked in wax. 

2. Kindling- Thumb sized in width and from fingertips to elbow length

3.  Fuel Wood- Arm Sized, as big as you can carry

Step 2: Build

1. Place starter in the center of the fire pit. 
2. Loosely place a handful of tinder on top of the starter. 
3. Loosely pile kindling in tipi fashion approximately 6 pieces. 
4. In log cabin fashion pile fuel wood closely around the tipi.      

Step 3: Light

     Use a match or lighter to light the starter at the bottom of the wood structure. The flames will rise up from the starter and catch the tinder, kindling, and fuel wood. 

Sit back and relax!

     Now that you have your fire started simply add fuel wood to maintain it. Having a nice bed of coals is necessary for cooking. Next time we will discuss our favorite campfire recipes! 

Campground Review!

Campground: Sand Springs

Sand Springs Campground
Location: Morgantown, WV

     Sand Springs Campground in Morgantown, West Virginia. We chose this site based on an online search. It's close proximity to Coopers Rock State Park, where we planned to scout some good climbs, was our main reason for choosing it. The website is informative and user friendly, though you cannot make reservations online.
     The following review is based on my previous post "Characteristics of a great campsite." We visited over  Memorial Day weekend last year and planned to spend three nights, but we cut our stay short due to the weather.

• Campfire Ring: Average. A basic stone ring, nothing fancy. Keep this in mind if your cooking requires a grate. You will need to bring your own. 

• A Level Site: Very level! 

• 

• A tent pad: Below average! There wasn't a designated area to pitch your tent, which isn't altogether necessary, but the site was very muddy and got even more muddy as it began to rain! A grass or gravel barrier would have made the site much more pleasant. 
• Grass: Sparse.
• 
• Privacy: The privacy of our site was below average. There were quite a few trees, but these did little to block the views from one campsite to the next. At times, headlights from our neighbor's car would be shining right in our eyes as we tried to enjoy the fire. 
  
  
  
  
• Proximity: We were conveniently located close to the bath house! That is a plus! Unfortunately our site was part of the unofficial thoroughfare for other campers on their way to the bath house also. 
• Picnic Table: Yes, there was a picnic table in average condition. 

Overall, this campground did not meet out expectations. The bath houses were clean, but one of the showers was not functional. Also, the showers are coin operated, which was not mentioned on the website. The lack of site padding (grass, tent pad) and privacy were the two biggest drawbacks. I would not recommend this campground, while it was functional it was not ideal.

Characteristics of a great campsite

• A campfire ring: Whether it is just a circle of stones or a metal fire ring with a grate, having a specified area in which to set up your campfire is ideal. 
• A level site: A level campsite is beneficial for a few reasons. In the event that it rains, you don't want water running through or pooling in your site. Also, sleeping on an even surface is much more comfortable. 
• A tent pad: A tent pad can be be poured concrete, or small gravel stones. Either one is preferable to setting up your tent in the dirt. A tent pad can save you from tracking dirt and mud into your tent. 
• Grass: Having a campsite with grass is great, especially in the event of rain.Grass will absorb the rain to a certain extend and like a tent pad, will save from cleaning up a muddy mess.  
• Privacy: Privacy is a must when selecting a campsite. The site your choose should provide you a bit of distance between you and your neighbors, as well as some trees, bushes and landscaping provide some separation from your fellow campers. 
• Proximity: Choosing a site which is close, but not too close, to the bath house is important. Trust me, the shorter the distance you need to walk in the middle of the night to use the restroom the better. Be aware that the closer you are to the bathroom, the more foot traffic you will have around your site.
• Picnic table: For me, the picnic table is the camping command center. This is usually where everything happens, from food prep to planning the days activities.  

Your local KOA is a great place for novice campers to get their start. KOA's typically have a general store stocked with many items that you may have forgotten, firewood for sale, designated campfire rings, bath houses with showers, WiFi and electricity (depending on the site you choose). All this convenience comes at a price, as KOA's tend to be more crowded. 

State parks are another great option. They typically have fire wood for sale, but it is not common for them to have elaborate general stores. State Parks also tend to charge less per night than KOA's do.  

It is wise to look up your campground before your trip to get an idea of what they have to offer. Often they will have a map of the campground on their website, thus enabling you to choose your campsite wisely. 

Welcome!!

Welcome to Sitting by the Campfire!
      In order to fulfill a college course requirement, I am required to develop and maintain a blog of in an area of my interest. I have chosen to blog about camping, not as an expert, but as a lover of the outdoors. I had done a great deal of camping as a kid and have been camping regularly in the past few years. I hope that this blog will becoming an forum for campers of all experience levels to share and learn. In Sitting by the Campfire you can expect camping tips and tricks, review products and local campsites, and  campfire cooking!