Camping at Hartman Creek State Park for a Leaf Peap Paddle on the Chain of Lakes, Sept. 26-28, 2014

With the forecast calling for perfect autumn weather, I envisioned sunny blue skies and aqua water framed by autumn’s first colors. Hesitant to bring it up as we just car camped at Hartman Creek State Park and paddled the Chain of Lakes near Waupaca, Wisconsin in July, I felt certain my family would veto the idea. Although my husband prefers the thrill of new places and what’s around the next bend, he kindly said yes.

How to Gear up Your Camp Kitchen – Boundary Waters Trip, 2014

MSR stove.

Back country cooking requires lightweight, compact kitchen gear. Canoe campers can tolerate a few more luxuries than backpackers, but every ounce must be portaged between lakes. With this in mind, we packed for our family's 2014 Boundary Waters Trip.

Easy Backpacking Recipes – Boundary Waters, August 2014

As promised on the post containing our Boundary Waters 2014 Menu and Food Prep List, the trip recipes are presented here.

Boundary Waters 2014 Menu & Food Prep List

Dehydrated green beans.

About

What is this blog about?

Like to hike, paddle, and camp? Mama’s Basecamp is a blog created for your entertainment. In the process of entertaining, Mama’s Basecamp provides helpful tips to enhance your outdoor adventures. Stop by to talk camp eats, camping with kids, hiking, canoe tripping, and more.

About Mama (a.k.a. Base Camper)

 

An engineer, writer, and outdoor enthusiast, Mama lives for the solitude and beauty of nature. Before saying “I do” at age 40, Mama backpacked the trails of the American Southeast, Southwest, and Midwest. In the absence of opportunities with friends, she tripped solo. Today, her time in nature still provides solitude and beauty.  But it also provides opportunities to forge deeper connections with family and friends.

Car Camping at Buckhorn State Park

Rainbow at sunset.

Greeted by a rainbow at sunset, our car camping weekend began gloriously. My daughter and I stopped setting up the tent to look at a rainbow as the sun set, causing us to need headlamps to finish the job of blowing up mats. Yes, our trip involved yet another last minute decision, and a rush to the park at the end of a long work week. We opted for car camping at Buckhorn State Park. The better (backpacking & walk-in) sites had already been booked in advance by early planners.

Backcountry Eats - Tips for Eleven Easy, Lightweight, and Inexpensive Prepackaged Foods from the Grocery Store for Backpacking and Paddling Expeditions



Mama's family loves camp eats!

Recently a friend looked at me incredulously, and asked, "What do you eat when you're in the wilderness for a week?" After I ran down my list of go-to pack foods, he made a confession. When he does weekend kayak trips with his buddies, they fast 2 ½ days at a time to avoid carrying food. Really?