Lake Bonita, NY

 Myself and a couple friends hiked down into Lake Bonita last Saturday.

It's an interesting area for sure. The land was originally part of the Mount McGregor correctional facility which encompassed over 1,000 acres of land. When the prison closed in 2014 it left a huge area of land that was owned by the state, but was going to waste. In 2021 a little over 7oo acres of the land was transferred to Moreau Lake State Park, and opened to the public. Since that time trails were created that loop Lake Bonita and also go back into the Lake Ann Lean-To.

The land the actual prison facility sits on and all 100 structures are strictly off limits to the public.

But we did gain some nice hiking area with Lake Bonita as the center piece of this 709 acre state run area. There's no camping or hunting allowed in the area, and the lake is said to have some acidic properties. Though some say there's good fishing in the lake. By the sign of all the lures and bobbers hanging from trees and barely submerged logs I'd at minimum say the trees are always biting.

Hammocks

 So a while back I did a Dispelling The Mythos on hammocks. I stand by that post as it was based on facts and an unbiased look. But, I want to take a moment to clarify something, and this one is biased.

While the debate and comparison will probably feud on forever, (or will it?) we have to accept one fact. A hammock isn't a shelter. It's a sleep system. The tarp, is the shelter.

Like a sleeping bag to a tent, so is the hammock to the tarp. So, the debate is over. Since the hammock is not the shelter, it's a sleep system, the tent wins.

That's it. That' all. Nothing more to see, move along!

OK, The Tracker Knife

 I'll keep this as short as possible. After 5-6 years using these, here's the quick and nasty of my findings.

4 years ago:

This Morning:

Not much of a change in opinion on the Tops T2.

Full discussion over on

Firepit Outdoors

Some Tips I Didn't Mention In The Last Video

 

This was my video from yesterday. My hammock is a bit different than most that have the bug net incorporated into the hammock. Generally the hammock will have an internal ridgeline incorporated into it that keeps the net up and away from you. My hammock does not have that, as you can see in the above video. But, you can still create a way to hang a small light inside the hammock, or some other light items.

Let me explain:

Most know how to use a marble, small stick rounded out, or a round rock to create a pull out for a tarp. If you don't you can always check out my video on using a ping-pong ball ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etSdYJYb51E  ). The trick I'm about to explain also involves the stick trick from the video with the hammock. I want to add here, make sure when you use sticks to round off or smooth out any rough or sharp edges on said stick or sticks.

To create a hanging loop simply use the same trick as the ping-pong ball. But, you must be a little more careful as you'll be creating the 'catch' in the screen which is not as durable or tough as the main body. Don't tie whatever you use as a keep to tight. Make your catch by tying a loose knot behind your keep. Now tie a small loop and put a carabiner in it. You just created a way to hank a small lightweight light, a small pouch to hold items like wallet or glasses etc. . If you want to keep it a little higher add the stick to the loops to pull that area tight. You can add the catches to all three sections that have the screen loops if you like. Just remember that this trick is not meant for hanging anything heavy from.

As a side note; This is a do at your own risk tip. It is possible to rip or tear the screen doing this. If you keep any hanging items light you should be fine, but things don't always work out fine.