You would be bound by the terms of the easement as agreed to by the previous owner and the easement holder most likely has the right to enforce those terms against you in court. In general, the easements have become more restrictive and those restrictions better enforced over time. It depends...
I have done it a few ways and none was as elegant and simple as buckling everything and then slipping the pack into a big clear tough plastic bag (that the airport supplied). If you wanted to be sure to have one, you could bring a couple for the trip rather than get at the airport...
I would check out the REI Wonderland tents. I have the previous version (Kingdom) and have had a good experience with it. It is tall, so more comfortable, but also more susceptible to wind than their basecamp tent, but you can guy it out and stake it well if you are concerned about wind...
Out west may be different, but one thing I found in the east is that i still prefer to set up in good bow ambushes rather than vantage points with long range visibility and so end up shooting deer at 10 yards with a scoped .270
Agree that the pad is key part of the system---if weight isn't an issue look for a big warm pad. Sleep is important. Double bag can work great if the outer bag doesn't compress the inner one too much.
The Antelope is a warm bag--it is cut on the trim side and I am more comfortable with an expander zipped in it but probably maximally efficient and comfortable enough without it.
Fortunately, it was a not much beyond what i mentioned. I had set up in what i realized later was kind of a natural funnel--a dumb place to camp. I woke up in the middle of the night to a bear woofing and agitated pretty close in front of me. I assume it didn't have the wind and just walked...
I use 2.5 or 3MM reflective accessory cord from Amazon. the 3mm is overkill but it doesn't tangle as much as lighter. I read your post above and still think it is worth adding a version of a trucker's hitch to your knot options because of the mechanical advantage for getting things taut and...
For what it's worth, I rarely use a bivy when using a tarp for a shelter--my sleeping bags and tarps seem to shed light moisture and i get condensation in the bivy. I'm enjoying the critical look at the tarp/bivy set up. For me, the big value of tarp over tent isn't weight alone, it is to have...
With the DST I end up with something like the flying diamond as the most common pitch, but with one stick as a pole further up in on the patch and the front leading point tied off to a tree rather than another pole. That gives you a lot of room and air flow but still can tuck back in out of the...
Don't go too light or too few on stakes, use reflective cording for your tie outs so you can find your brown tarp in the night, use relatively thick and stiff cord so it won't tangle up on you as much even if heavier, practice your pitches at home and sleep in it a few time, learn how to tie a...
I leave it to you whether that is the right rod for the job or not, but the closest I can think of to what you say you want would be a Redington Hydrogen if you can still find one--I know there is an 11 foot 3 weight at least and they weren't too expensive.
Cooking knife choice is at least partially subjective and a matter of taste and I'd rather use a razor sharp knife w/inferior steel and geometry than a dull one of any kind. Trends have gone towards lighter, thinner, harder knives, but I still like a heavy one that I can sharpen easily at...
Not sure if it is too late to arrange through your congressman, but white house and congress tours were very cool. Lots of interesting good eating in DC too.
I used to use one headlamp and a spare battery but now carry that spare battery in another headlamp because of the following experience: I was blood trailing into the wee hours once w a zebralight cranking when my first battery faded out. Dropped and could not find the cap to the headlamp...
I have experience with German versatile dogs used for both bird hunting and blood tracking with no major issues with running deer. It does add a degree of complication in that you can't just condition them to keep their attention off deer, period, but they figure it out with the right...
Since you're not getting much traction on the Big Agnes extender, I'll throw in my experience w/ an extender. I have the Western Mountaineering version and it made all the difference in comfort on a couple of their lighter/tighter mummy bags for me. I guess you can buy one and try it and if it...