Howdy, Me and the Mrs are going on a winter trek on Assateague Island National Seashore. Anybody out there done this or a similar winter on the ocean type trip? All of our experience and gear are based on 3 season Appalachian and Smokies trips. Whose got my tips?! Thanks and happy light year.

Does anyone sell ul sand anchors?

Is there backcountry in the outer banks?

Rick, I haven't been to Assateague since 1989 and then it was only car camping, but I thought there was some backcountry camping. Here is a website that has a few details.

It was a great place, I'm sure it will be fantastic in the winter. Enjoy!

Jamie

http://www.assateagueisland.com/assateague_camping.htm#backcountrycamp


Info from Site:

Backcountry Camping

Available Campsites:
2 oceanside & 4 bayside
Tingles Island & Pine Tree (up to 5 groups and/or 25 people), Little levels, Green Run (up to 4 groups and/or 20 people), Pope Bay (up to 2 groups and/or 10 people) and State Line
- The distance from the Ranger Station in Maryland to backcountry sites range from 2 ½ to 13 miles.
- The nearest backcountry campsites from the Toms Cove Visitor Center in Virginia are State Line and Pope Bay (each about 12.5 miles).
Rates:
$5 backcountry permit is required.
Reservation System:
Permits are issued on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of departure. Due to sudden changes in weather, advance reservations are not accepted.
- No fresh water is available at any backcountry site.

Thanks, man I hate lugging water around, I wonder if there's a good place to stash some.

Anybody out there an expert in sand anchors? I'm trying to figure out if I should get the cloth or metal.

I would not call myself an expert in sand anchors, although I do pitch on sand banks a bit. I normally use long dead sticks however, collected at the site. I find a 2' stick of 1/2" diameter is usually enough when poked straight in.

I think metal sand anchors would need to be rather large if the sand is dry - maybe 6" square. That gets a bit heavy if you have a number of them. If you have one piece of hard Al sheet about 6" square or more and maybe 0.5 mm thick, with a slight fold down the middle (or a Snow Claw) you can use that to dig holes to bury things - including fabric anchors. At least the sand shouldn't freeze solid overnight! :-)

Cheers

Long sticks, that's the ticket right there. 0 oz's are the best oz's. Thanks.

While I do not normally carry a knife of any sort (apart from a butter knife), a small pocket knife can be useful with sticks. Sharpen one end to make them go in easier.



Cheers

No need for a knife, or even carrying anything extra.

Read this article!
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/ditch_your_stakes.html