Short Guide for Outdoor Activities for UA Students/Faculty

This guide is a summary of activities and resources that can help you plan your next adventure.

What activity? Where?

Short day walks:

Tuscaloosa riverwalk

Hurricane creek

Lake Harris

Walls of Jericho

Site seeing/museums:

Helen Keller

Desoto waterfalls

Camping:

Lake Lurleen

Talledega National Forest

Sipsey Wilderness

Hiking/Backpacking:

Oak mountain state park

Sipsey Wilderness

Cheaha wilderness

Kayaking/Canoeing/Fishing:

Lake Nicol

Lake Harris

Caving:

Tumbling Rock Cave

Biking:

Sanders Ferry

Road Trip:

Tuscaloosa-Decatur-Huntsville

Natchez Trace

How?

Camping Tips:

- Make sure you are allowed to camp.

- Many campsites have self-service cash payment, keep $1, $5 cash handy.

- Read rules before you travel. Some places mandate using bear canister or don't allow specific types of stoves

- Some campgrounds need reservations ahead of your visit.

Road Trip Tips:

- Plan ahead and stay up to date. Some places/roads are closed for specific period of time.

- Stop by information centers in states entries for free maps/information and coffee.

- For long trips stay close to highways, they have more rest areas and network coverage.

- Take occasional rests.

Comments

DIY ultralight pyramid tent for 2+ or 1+dog or 1+ bike

This is my new DIY project. I have been making tents for last 5 years and I've tried different types. When I started backpacking I purchased a double wall, fully enclosed tent (so called ultralight tent; market crap). Most people don't really need these tents and they are not ultralight at all. I switched to a tarp when I started thru-hiking and I fell in love with it's simplicity. Tarp is fantastic. I tried copying zpacks solo tents then. It is a great design. This time I was looking for a larger tent that can fit my dog as well and it's not as miserable looking as a tarp (people think you are broken!). I always resisted the idea of using a pyramid tent but after a lot of thoughts I settled down with a pyramid tent and I must confess this design offers fantastic features. Here how I did it. Materials: I ordered all materials from: https://ripstopbytheroll.com/ but I have used https://www.questoutfitters.com/ in the past and I enjoyed doing ...

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Weminuche wilderness, CDT section hike, Colorado

This was a wonderful hiking loop in Weminuche wilderness. I also section hiked one small part of the continental divide trail. The view is spectacular.

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Installing DC to DC charger in Toyota Tacoma

I had a difficult decision to make. Power is the most important problem in my trips and I was under impression that solar is the best option but I couldn't wrap my head around all the space I need for a decent setup. I don't think anything less than 200w is practical, considering cloudy days or shorter winter days. If you camp for a long time, solar is the best power option but I move and drive a lot. After a lot of research and up and down, I decided to go with a DC to DC charger. I know I can easily use a simple relay and don't spend a lot but I know for experience that any addition to car's electrical system should be taken more seriously. Saving extra $50 doesn't worth screwing around your car's electric system. You can easily put a lot of work load on the alternator and fry it in time. Out of many car problems, the alternator is the only one I don't hesitate to fix. Renege had a big sale so everything was a perfect match and I got my DC to DC charger. ...

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