Greetings to all, I just got back from a Backpacking/Camping trip with a few twists thrown in.

Kisatchie National Forest is an "Open Carry" area. The Fire Ban was lifted last week.

2 Adults and 1 Child went to Kisatchie National Park friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon.

We hiked the Backbone trail which is 10 miles in length. heading northward from the south trailhead, the first 3 miles has many steep inclines as the trail crosses from 1 ridgeline to another and then level hiking through a ravine until Lookout Bluff. There are campsites at the top of the bluffs and they are stretched out northward along the bluff. Great scenic view. The 7 miles from the bluff northwestward largely follows a ridgeline and is mostly level. There are approximately 4 "dips". the southern slopes are steeper but shorter length and the northern slopes are slight inclines that run longer. The bluffs are the high ground and the trip northwest is dropping some in overall elevation.

Friday: Arrived at a car campground at the South Trailhead of the Caroline Dorman Trail.Pitched camp, checked along the bayou for animal (Deer) and bird (numerous Crow) tracks. We used a camp stove to make Hamburger and Beans for Supper and enjoyed a good selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Had temperatures in the 40's but had a large warm fire and good warm gear, so we slept well. Each car camping spot had room for 3 small or 2 large tents, a steel plastic coated picnic table, a large lantern post, concrete pad for the picnic area, and pebble sized stone in the tent pitching areas. The camping area is split into two areas with a his/hers outhouse in the middle between them. Plenty of garbage cans and parking areas, but no running water. Nice scenic views along the Bayou Kisatchie. Bayou Kisatchie is actually a stream that is flowing at approximately 1/2 mph, is clear, and treatable for drinking water. Giardia is the parasitic threat here but chemical(plants)contamination is not present there or upstream of the forest. There are some small pine trees that have fallen across the trails but are easily stepped over and walked around.

Saturday: Started hiking the Backbone Trail from the North Trailhead SE'ward to the Bluffs. We encountered about 30 LSU Fraternity lads (Rush Week) carrying daypacks, 2 mounted horsemen (with saddlebags of beer), and 1 couple carrying overnight camping gear. We reached the Bluffs, enjoyed the view, and then settled on a campsite north of the Lookout Bluffs and still along the bluff line. After dropping our gear and taking stock of our location and view, we noticed that some "idiot" had hacked an 8-12 ring of bark off of one pine tree in the middle of the camp. We later took notice that with the prevalent wind direction, this tree would eventually reach enough of a rot level and would fall in the direction of ground that was suitable for tent siting. We figured this out after the second "incident" that indicated someone had been thinking along these lines. I had an MRE for Supper while my two nephews brewed up chicken and (minute) rice for their supper. The temperatures were pleasant with a stiff wind blowing. The wind died down after a short (10-15 min) light rain and then the temperatures rose to the high 60's-low 70's.

Sunday: We got up at dawn and got our campfire started. We brewed coffee over a Pocket Rocket (used approx 4oz for 2 meals & 2 pots of coffee), ate hardboiled eggs and biscuits.

My oldest nephew walked around and picked up sticks (1"x1') and laid them on the coals. He stood on one side of the fire across from where I was sitting and the youngest nephew was sitting on a log to my left, talking and joking when the fire exploded. The blast was directed just to my nephew's left, barely missing him. I just naturally fell back over the log I was sitting on and onto the ground behind that log, and my youngest nephew just leaned hard to his left, away from the blast. We spent quite a few minutes trying to figure out what had just occurred. It was then that I noticed a BIC lighter laying off to my right, in the grass. We had only been using 1 BIC lighter (black colored and mine, which I quickly produced) that the red cover had been stripped off and some of the yellow glue was showing. It had blown out the bottom of the lighter. After much debate, the only logical conclusion was that the lighter had been tucked into a crevice or crack of one of the sticks that had just been picked up and then the entire bundle was placed into the firepit on top of the bed of coals and it blew when the temps did their work melting the lighter casing and the fire ignited the pressurized fuel inside. Someone did the work and dropped that stick where it was bound to be picked up by a camper gathering firewood. No injuries occurred but that was by a stroke of good luck. Someone is out backpacking/camping in those woods and leaving Booby Traps for other campers to trip and or fall on them, are our conclusions.

We then packed up and took the trail to the North Trailhead. Along the way, we tracked a raccoon being trailed by two Bobcats (adult and youngun) which he eventually met a younger raccoon and turned off of the trail. The 2 Bobcats then started hunting the younger (2nd) raccoon but they left the trail sometime after we reached harder, rockier ground. We also ID'd several types of mushrooms and determined that they were all poisonous.

Lessons Learned::

1) We carried FRS radios for times when we separated for various reasons.

2) The cell coverage was spotty (non-existant most of the time) until we reached the Bluffs. Then voice and text worked. Most of the locations we were in, no vox or texting was workable.

3) I tested out my E&E Bags (20-30LBS) during this hike. I found several weeaknesses which were corrected before the hike out. The hike out proved that my E&E bags needed to be lighter (20LBS) but I was carrying some foul weather gear that wasn't actually needed. The biggest problem remaining is that 2 straps are digging into my shoulders.

4) In the event that I had to E&E homeward, I would be lucky to make 10 miles a day for the first 3 weeks (if I started that far from home) until my muscles had firmed up.

5) I was heartened by the fact that I didn't start feeling "shin splints" until we were halfway out the outbound trail.

6) Start inspecting firewood??? Not practical or realistic in my opinion based on 1 incident in 47 years of camping. I will call the Rangers tomorrow and inform them of the "future widowmaker and it's location, as well as let them know that someone is playing "stupid". There really isn't anything that could or should be done in response to 1 incident by an unidentified person. I will pay more attention to things in general in that particular area during future visits.

7) Taught some "Tracking", emergency shelter building, fire starting , food preparation, campsite layouts, water conservation, and a little cold weather camping to my 2 nephews.

Great report Wildman.

Your notes in #4 and #5 should be well heeded by many. There are not too many people who would be able to walk very far if their body, especially legs and feet were not in top condition, not to mention having to carry a 20-30 lb pack also...

Interesting and edu-taining. What are you thinking of doing to lighten your E&E bag? Thanks!

You probably don't do a lot of laps at a run on your boat...

Nice tracking job!

Could that mysterious Bic have been buried in the campfire site, rather than the in the wood? It was a nasty trick, either way.

Sue

@Susan: the short answer is no. We had a bigger, hotter fire the night before. I did forget to mention, the metal clip around the striker was perfectly clean and shiny. No rust. It had to have been hidden inside of one of the sticks that we had just laid upon the very hot coals.

@Dweste:
i was packing light but still brought a sterno stove and 2 cans of sterno, i didn't use them. They will be replaced by a pocket rocket & 1 can of fuel.

I didn't trust the wx forecast and brought jackets I didn't use.

The Bota bags don't ride well. I'll save them for carrying wine at festivals in the future.

I brought more food than was needed

We did use the 1st aid kit and will always carry one.

I brought a small pistol that I didn't use but will carry on future trips, always have, always will. It is not part of my e&e kit but we have bobcat, lynx, mountain lion, & black bear over here.

My KaBar again proved indispensable.

I carried more bedding than was needed.

I used a 1 man bivvy tent that I will no longer carry. It's the wrong color and I can make shelters as needed.

Those are the main points.

Shin splints are often caused by shoe or arch problems. I used to get them all the time with walking any sort of distance. Since my chiropractor prescribed shoe orthotics I haven't gotten them at all.

That makes sense about the arches. Sunday, my socks didn't seem to have been put on right and a burning in my heels started just before the shin splints started.

Hi Wildman. Sounds like a nice trip, avoiding IED's notwithstanding. I really hope that lighter incident wasn't something deliberate.

I'm curious, what was wrong with the bivvy color? No white after Labor Day? Actually, just re-read your post--so, it's supposed to be an E&E safe color?

I would prefer something colored along the lines of Green, Beige, and Black. I have also decided that I don't nbeed the extra weight on my back if I had to E&E.