Glamping = glamour + camping. Glamping is a camping style that places a high value on comfort.
Glamping at Iron Pot Landing, West Branch of Patuxent River, MD. 16 June 2023.
Glamping isn’t always appropriate. I have done whitewater kayak touring, bike packing, ski touring, and backpacking trips where conditions and distances traveled have required minimal approaches to camping gear and food. There is a joy about moving long distances with minimal gear.
My kayak loaded for glamping. West Branch of Patuxent River, MD. 16 June 2023.
Glamping is appropriate when you will be spending time at camp. In this situation a cabin tent, cushy ground pads, pillows, camp chairs, food, and beverages can add to the fun.
The important message here is that there is no correct way to camp. As long as you follow local fire regulations, pay attention to appropriate behaviors to keep wildlife safe (food management, respectful distances), and follow Leave No Trace (www.LNT.org) principles your camping style is fine. If you are camping around other people, you may find they think it is rude to play loud music, shout chants, and fire guns in your camp. Try not to be rude. Have fun!
These data are from the Anacostia River Keeper water quality monitoring program. Having a swimmable river begins with having a river that it is safe to be in contact with. This program involves sampling every 2 weeks. These data in particular represent sampling before 3.5 days of intense rain and past Anacostia River data show that increased E. coli levels correlate with rainfall.
E. coli levels from sampling performed the morning of 21 June 2023 in Prince George’s County, MD.
Levels of E. coli bacteria are used as indicator of fecal contamination of surface water. While E. coli can make you sick, there are other bacteria and viruses in fecal contaminated that will make you sicker. The presence of higher E. coli levels is also associated with higher Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), higher nutrient levels, and higher turbidity – which is all expected as more poo is in the water.
Map of sampling locations for Prince George’s County, MD.
The data are displayed as MPN (most probable number) of E. coli per 100 ml of sampled water. For a river that is moving toward being fishable and swimmable, it is disconcerting that 3 out of 5 samples rate as “avoid contact with water” – especially as the samples were grabbed before the big rain event.
I am very grateful to the Anacostia Riverkeeper for sharing these data, that I have shared with you. I hope we see better numbers as the summer progresses.
I have held pesticide applicator cards in 10 different states, in Missouri my license included demonstration and research endorsements. I say this because I want to make clear that while nobody knows everything, I do basically know my way around spray equipment and pesticides. As such, it always makes me cringe when I see pesticides being misapplied. When I see people not wearing proper personal protective equipment (PPE), it makes me sad: if they do not care about protecting themselves, how do you know that care about protecting the customer, their neighborhood, or the environment? If proper PPE isn’t worn, I always feel it is safe to assume that the spray equipment hasn’t been properly calibrated and the chemical is likely not measured correctly.
Today I went for a run in the rain (we are in a week-long rainy cycle here in DC), and sure enough, TruGreen was out putting pesticides on lawns. I just do not understand why people hire them. This isn’t even about having a toxic-chemical induced monoculture of a lawn, because the pesticide used today is just washing off straight into storm drains, the Anacostia River, and then the Chesapeake Bay. Given the amount of herbicide off-target effects we have been seeing in our neighborhood, TruGreen doesn’t actually care where the pesticides they spray end up. Shame on you TruGreen. If you are going to use poisons, at least use them correctly.
Wetlands include mangroves, marshes (salt, brackish, intermediate, and fresh), swamps, forested wetlands, bogs, wet prairies, prairie potholes, and vernal pools. Wetlands are places where saturation with water determines the biotic communities and how soils develop.
The photo doesn’t do it justice, but there is an astonishing amount of solids settling taking place in this wetland. Constructed Wetland, Anacostia River, MD. 5 June 2023.
While wetlands may be inconvenient for building shopping malls and during the upcoming election the need to ‘Drain the Swamp’ here in DC will be shouted ad nauseam by at least one candidate, wetlands are super important. As a species, we are discovering how valuable wetlands are by destroying them – North America has lost 53 to 85% of its wetlands depending on who is doing the counting. As we lose wetlands we notice increased shoreline erosion, loss of fisheries, degraded water quality, loss of water quantity, and general biological impoverishment.
Kelly, Anacostia Riverpup, and I had recently paddled into the constructed, tidal wetland just a kilometer downstream of Bladensburg Waterfront Park in Maryland on the Anacistia River. The high tide was beginning to turn and water was beginning to flow out of the wetland. I thought I was familiar with type 1, discrete particle settling, but I was simply amazed with how clear the water flowing out of this wetland was. If we could somehow give the Anacostia River back her full accoutrement of wetlands, it is possible that we may begin to see a decrease in settable solids and increased water clarity in the main river.
Last summer we upgraded our tent from the REI Camp Dome 4 to The North Face Sequoia 4. This change in tents gave us standing room inside the tent, a vestibule, and a footprint. The price we pay for this extra comfort is our tent is heavier (12 vs 8 lbs) and bulkier. The Sequoia is the tent of choice for kayak and car camping. We are still using the Camp Dome for backpacking. Neither of these tents would be suitable for bikepacking – they are too heavy and bulky.
The North Face Sequoia 4. Iron Pot Landing, West Branch of the Patuxent River, MD. 16 June 2023
When we first purchased the tent, it seemed to be a rain magnet. We got very good at setting up the tent in the rain and taking down a wet tent. Because of the tent’s height, in one especially bad rainstorm we even set up chairs inside the tent and hung out inside. So far the tent has been fantastically weatherproof.
Using the tent as indoor lounging space during heavy thunderstorms. Belle Isle State Park, VA. 11 September 2022.
The vestibule provides a nice place for gear and allows us to enter the tent without tracking in the rain – which allows us to stay even dryer! The vestibule is large enough, a bit larger might have been nice, but that likely would have probably required an extra pole and weight. Anacostia Riverpup has surprised us with her use of the vestibule – even when the weather is nice the vestibule is her hangout.
Another wet, rainy camping trip where our tent exceeded expectations. Lums Pond State Park, DE. 25 March 2023.
The tent goes up quickly. It has three shock-corded poles. Everything is color-coded so you can’t get it wrong. The tent could be used free standing if you didn’t need the fly, but using 12 stakes anchors the tent and guys out the fly for a bomb-proof (and well-vented) set-up. As tents get taller they can catch more wind, I have seen tents blown into lakes before – staking a tent down is a good practice if you want your tent to stay put.
Another rainy trip, we had to set up on a asphalt pad in between space shuttle-sized RVs and were unable to fully stake the tent and stayed dry. Cedars of Lebanon State Park, TN. 6 May 2023.
As with all gear, the design choices represent compromises. There are 4-person tents that are more spacious and have bigger vestibules that both cost and weigh more. There are 4-person tents that are smaller, lighter, less expensive, and very functional (like the REI Camp Dome 4). It is possible the three of us could find a 2 or 3- person tent that works for us. So far, I have been enjoying the Sequoia 4 quite a bit. It has made camping in the rain more pleasant and it works well in dry weather too! I always chuckle a bit when I come back to a remote, backcountry campsite and see our ridiculously large tent set up. When the weather turns silly, the extra space and luxury are quite welcome.
Anacostia Watershed Society tour boat ‘Lotus Bloom’ with the pilot’s single-use plastic cup circled in red. Bladensburg Waterfront Park, MD. 11 June 2023.
The Anacostia Watershed Society takes people on river tours. This is an important activity because people can get excited about conserving a river they have seen before. People need to see their river.
When leading these tours, it is best to model good river stewardship as a tour leader. Given the crushing amount of single use plastic trash in the river, bringing plastic trash on the water seems pretty tone deaf. My kayak is made of plastic and I have used and will use single use plastics – but using single use plastics while on the water just seems a little disrespectful and doesn’t help spread the idea that we should all try to minimize our use of these items.
It is easy to point fingers. When it comes to plastic trash, there is only us. We all use and discard plastics. The Anacostia Watershed Society shouldn’t stop doing river tours, the river tours are crazy important. They should just try to model best practices for river health (like no single use plastics on the boat) while teaching the public about their river and the importance of a healthy river to healthy and vibrant communities within the river’s watershed.
In saving the river, we just might save our selves.
As you may be aware, we remove some tires from the Anacostia River with our kayaks. These tires have come from the Anacostia River system: main river, branches, and tributaries. Tire number 500 came from Beaverdam Creek, an Anacostia River tributary. Beaverdam Creek used to have a bunch of tires, so when we pull tires from Beaverdam Creek we think about those who removed tires before us.
Tire #500 in the process of removal. Beaverdam Creek, MD. 18 June 2023.
Tire number 500 was a large, mud-filled, truck tire on a rim with a mud-filled inner tube. This was the definitely a worthy tire for number 500. This was also a legacy (manufactured before 1971 – courtesy of DOT manufacture codes) tire. The fact that we are still removing 50+ year old tires, says a lot about past attitudes towards the Anacostia River and gives us hope that eventually, one tire at a time, we may eventually remove waste tires from the Anacostia River system.
Tire #500 being paddled out. Anacostia River, MD. 18 June 2023.
Kayaking offers the opportunity for real solitude in the DC Metro Area. We set off from this launch the day before under dark, rumbling skies with the wind kicking up some nice waves. We had the spot to ourselves. We paddled out to our campsite and enjoyed peace, quiet, and solitude. After a glorious morning, we packed up and paddled out. We were all mellow and blissed out after our excellent overnight, but the behavior of these people was pretty outrageous. Welcome back to living in the DC metro area – even better based on the law college T-shirts, it is safe to say these people are lawyers or even the people who make your laws!!!
A while back I wrote about seeing my first-ever P-14 in our backyard and encouraged you all to start watching ladybugs as they are interesting little predators. I thought it may be useful to point out that just like butterflies ladybugs also have a holometabolous life cycle: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The egg and pupa stages are where the magic of tissue generation and organization occur. The pupal stage also exhibits some interesting antipredation behaviors. The larval stage is an eating and growth stage. The adult stage is all about travel and sex. This is the only winged stage (wings are very useful for travel), and ladybugs are able to find mates, food, and overwintering sites at landscape scales. Adults are also fairly long lived with some species having an up to four-year run as adults.
Adult Harmonia axyridis. NE DC. 4 June 2023.
Ladybugs are famously bad tasting. Orange and black are aposematic colors that advertise that they taste bad. FYI – Harmonia axyridis is a ladybug that is problematic in the wine industry because a few beetles harvested with the grapes can make entire batches of wine taste bad. If you molest an adult ladybug it will reflexively bleed a bad tasting fluid from its leg joints.
Larva, Harmonia axyridis. Langdon Forest Patch, NE DC. 31 May 2023.
If you do start watching ladybugs, you will also notice ants. Aphid infestations often are ‘farmed’ by various ant species. In exchange for ‘honeydew’ excreted by the aphids, the ants protect the aphids from predators. Ants are the reason that ladybugs have evolved to be little armored tanks. There is always something cool in ladybug land.
Pupa, Harmonia axyridis. Langdon Forest Patch, NE DC. 31 May 2023.
When Lifetime offered me the opportunity to review their newest kayak, the Tahoma Pro I was pretty excited. I have been a Lifetime kayak user for a while now and have been very pleased with my purchases of the Temptation 11 and Spitfire 12T kayaks. I have owned sea kayaks, whitewater kayaks, and canoes. I have done a fair bit of paddle camping and general paddling. Here is what I think of the Tahoma Pro.
Lifetime Tahoma Pro on the Anacostia River, MD. 27 May 2023.
The Tahoma Pro is 10′ 3″ long × 31″ wide sit-on-top kayak that weighs just under 50 lbs. It is made in the USA! After unpacking the kayak, I was surprised by how good looking this kayak is. How a kayak looks is perhaps the least important aspect of a kayak – but it doesn’t hurt. This kayak also has a removable and adjustable framed seat – I have used other kayaks with framed seats and found them to be miserable. The Tahoma Pro framed seat is actually comfortable and being removable means I do not need to pack an extra chair for campsite and gravel bar lounging. Weighing in at 49.6 lbs, I found the Tahoma Pro to be very easy to load and unload from my roof rack and maneuver around parking lots and boat ramps.
Our dog, Anacostia Riverpup, enjoying the front deck of the Tahoma Pro while exploring Beaverdam Creek (an Anacostia River tributary) in DC. 29 May 2023.
Since moving to Washington DC three years ago, most of my family’s paddling is on the tidal Anacostia River out of Bladensburg Waterfront Park. This is an urban river that in addition to chemical and biological pollutants has an abundance of trash. We have pulled over 475 tires, appliances, mattresses, furniture, etc. from the river. The logical place to try out the Tahoma Pro is on the Anacostia River.
Lifetime Tahoma Pro on the Anacostia River, DC. 28 May 2023.
After my first time out on the Anacostia River with the Tahoma Pro I was surprised that I liked the framed seat. Because of shipping damage (not a Lifetime issue), I did not expect this kayak to actually float or paddle well – I have paddled this kayak now for 4 days in row and hopefully we will hit the Anacostia River tonight. I have found this kayak to be fun to paddle and fun is what kayaking is all about. From the comfort of the framed seat of the Tahoma Pro kayak I have (in 4 short days) watched swimming deer, beavers, turtles, osprey catching fish, and sunsets all within the DC Metro Area – this is the why a kayak is so cool.
Lifetime Tahoma Pro on the Anacostia River, DC. 28 May 2023.
Because I use a kayak to remove trash from the waters I paddle, my favorite feature is the conservative load limit estimate of 275 lbs. I weigh 170 lbs and the kayak paddles better with less weight but as the photo immediately above shows the Tahoma Pro can handle a bit more than 275 lbs capacity and still be nice to paddle (or if you prefer, stable). I have paddled other kayak brands where the kayak is not fun to paddle with loads below capacity. An overloaded kayak is like a bucking bronco and will seek to throw its load – safety dictates, staying below capacity and Lifetime Kayaks in my experience, state load capacities conservatively. I am also digging the hatch basket – it is so very useful. The drain plug functions well and will be hard to lose. The texturing on the deck surfaces is a nice touch for gripping wet surfaces. This kayak is really well thought out. Anacostia Riverpup likes the front deck – it is a great place to watch the water from.
This is not a whitewater or sea kayak. It does not like being submerged. I would feel safe paddling in waves breaking over the kayak hull, but it will take in water through the holes where the bungees are attached – don’t go too far or too hard – this is designed as a recreational kayak. I also swapped out the paddle it came with – it isn’t a bad paddle, but it isn’t a great paddle and this boat deserves a nice paddle. The paddle it came with will be a nice spare for camping trips.
I thought my Lifetime Temptation was the ultimate kayak for the waters I like to paddle and how I paddle. The Tahoma Pro is a really nice kayak and gives the Temptation a run for the top kayak spot. I want to see how it does paddle camping the islands around Chespeake Bay. Have fun, wear your PFD, and be safe.
biologistsoup 