Sand Bar Camping

[Jim Dodd]

Usually about once or twice a year I float the Des Moines river here locally and camp for a night alone to recharge my batteries, so to speak.
I have a spot on a sand bar that's the first place I ever camped, as a kid. It's a trip down memory lane for me.

I love sitting in a comfortable chair, and enjoy the day turn to night. The day birds finally quiet down, and the bats, take over the night sky, while the Owls locate each other. Toads provide music, if you want to call it that !

I don't take a lot of gear, a tent, a pad, a sleeping bag and a small cooler with a beer or two, you never know if someone else will join you !
Don't usually start a fire til morning, and then just to warm up.

Pack up, and float to the take out ! My Loving wife is summoned to pick me up, and I'm charged enough for at least a day or two !

Jim

 

[Robin]

Excellent way to recharge. I like camping on sandbars, the sand in your gear is a small price to pay for enjoyment of walking barefoot in the sand looking for animal tracks.

 

[sailsman63]

Glad to see someone enjoying the water

That is a lovely boat - looks like that accent is a bit of a signature for you?

One thing I was surprised about was that you can actually trust a sandbar. Where I'm at, we wouldn't dare camp on anything that didn't have some fair-sized trees growing out of it. Anything else has a propensity to... migrate... without much warning.

 

[Canotrouge]

I'm not a big fan of sand bar as camp spot for the reason stated by Robin, and also I find it hard on gear, like tent zippers.... Up here it is mostly gravel bar with some sand closer to the water and that is good enough for me!! I like your back rest yoke system you have there.

 

[Muskrat]

Jim, that's one of the beauties of our middle America wilderness. Perfect sandbar campsites with plenty of firewood and a guarantee that you won't see another soul.

I've been tucked away at my favorite campsite the last two nights. Close enough to the city that I can make it to work, but secluded enough that no one will find me.

Unfortunately, my favorite sandbars have washed away, but for one that's gone another usually appears.

 

[memaquay]

I can see early season sand bar camping being fun, but once the sand flies come out, it is a last chance desperation campsite for me. Those darn no-see-ums love those spots, and the little buggers love me, usually forcing me into the tent at a very early hour. On the lower stretches of the Steel river, sand bars are the only campsites available, and I have used then a few times.

 

[Jim Dodd]

This Sand bar is attached to an Island, and so the solitude is pretty well guaranteed.

Sand does get into everything !

The backrest is something new I made up and testing. It serves a dual purpose, it's also a portage yoke. So far it works fine.

Here's a better campsite pic.

Jim

 

[ppine]

I really like sandbars for camping, especially big ones on the inside of bends, often up on the first river terrace. Last year I did a week on large gravel which is not nearly as comfortable.

Many years ago I did a trip on the Snake R above Boise, in the Birds of Prey Nat Monument. We were camped near the river during hot weather. The upstream dams made some releases during the night to meet the demand for power for a/cs. I woke up at three am to a wet sleeping bag and pots floating. We put our outfit in the boats and headed for higher ground, We hung up our sleeping bags in the trees with a warm breeze to dry them. I remember sitting in a lawn chair watching the river and drinking a beer with my close friend. He looked over at me and said "It's good thing there are no women on this trip."
It was an off-hand comment a long time ago. Please don't take offense. Sure it was sexist, but it was funny at the time. I camp higher now.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Forester, My Wife would have freaked out at the rising water ! But it made for some great memories for you !

I Know Cliff Jacobson wouldn't approve of my tarp, but with all the Canadian Goose poop on the bar, I thought it necessary. Besides, I checked the weather before going.

Jim

 

[Robin]

Not really a sandbar but a sandy shore camp along the River Noire in Quebec,

 

[Muskrat]

No Title

I may have already posted this picture in another thread. When I camp on sand bars I stake my tarp out in front of my tent as a giant floor mat to lounge on and clean the sand off me before I get in the tent. That was a great campsite. It was about half a mile from a town where they have a big Fourth of July fireworks show and we had a great view.

 

[Mnoutdoorfunguy]

I have not had the pleasure of camping on a sandbar. However, some very nice sandbars have called home for some very pleasant evenings. Some of my more memorable ones have been on Birch Lake on the Kawishiwi River in Minnesota, lots of very nice beaches in Voyageur's National Park, BWCA and Michigan portion of Lake Superior ( this is the attached photo). Many years ago I had very bad experience on a BWCA beach with no-see-ums before the better insect netting was made.
The important question is, are there any icy-cold beverages at these bars?
I will now be keeping my eyes open for some nice sandbars to a call home.
One word of caution, I have heard horror stories of campers on the Mississippi River losing their boats and/or camping spot as the current changed overnight. I am not sure how true or frequent these occurrences are. Thanks for the enlightenment.

 

[Guest]

I'm not a big fan of sand bar as camp spot for the reason stated by Robin, and also I find it hard on gear, like tent zippers

I spend a lot of time on coastal and desert trips and sand management is a factor. A wet sponge run down both halves of an open tent zipper will leave a visible amount of stuff on the sponge. Audible too, as the zippers go from a disturbing and snaggy GZRRCCZZR to a smooth and comforting ziiiiip.

For keeping sand out of the tent when climbing in and out I have yet to find anything nearly as effective as a piece of fake grass mat, the stuff sold in the carpet section of Home Depot. The grass bristles brush the sand off knees and feet, and unlike an impermeable ground cloth extension or piece of nylon the open weave allows the sand to fall through, so the sandpile isn’t waiting atop for the next trip in or out. That fake grass doesn’t pool water either.

 

[Holmes375]

That's an excellent idea, Mike. I've a couple areas where I camp in sandy conditions and a grass mat shall come along on the next one.

I use body wipes on extended trips to groom myself before I turn in each night. Keeps the sweat and bug juice out of my bag and such. Before relegating the bath wipe to the garbage baggie I use it to give my tent zipper a quick wipe down. Collects all the daily wind blown dirt rather effectively.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Muskrat ?
Is that a home made Kevlar ? in the background ?

Jim

 

[Muskrat]

Yeah, that's my Mattawa. That trip was the maiden voyage in fact. I finished the boat the night before. My first Kevlar build.

 

[Canotrouge]

For keeping sand out of the tent when climbing in and out I have yet to find anything nearly as effective as a piece of fake grass mat, the stuff sold in the carpet section of Home Depot. The grass bristles brush the sand off knees and feet, and unlike an impermeable ground cloth extension or piece of nylon the open weave allows the sand to fall through, so the sandpile isn’t waiting atop for the next trip in or out. That fake grass doesn’t pool water either.

Man that is a great idea... That said, I can't imagine the looks and comments I would get in camp when I get that fake grass out.... I could bring a few plastic flamingo, and some fake flowers too, to make it even more... Well.... Funny!!!

 

[Alan Gage]

Sounds nice Jim and a lovely little spot indeed.

Interestingly enough I live along the same river, less than a couple hours north of you, but here it's illegal to step out of the canoe onto a sandbar. The river classification changes at Emmetsburg. North of Emmetsburg the bottom of the river is private property. If you're in the water (including wading through shallows) you're ok. If you're on dry land you're technically trespassing unless the adjacent land is public.

Normally it's not a big deal and most land owners don't get worked up about someone stopping for a short break on a sandbar but there are some abusers and now that a group is trying to get our stretch of the river turned into a state water trail the landowners are pushing back.

Alan

 

[Muskrat]

Alan we have it even worse in Kansas. You must get landowner permission on both sides of the river for the length of your trip to be on all rivers except for three which are designated navigable.

Floating those rivers is a bit of a chore. If cops see a car with a rack parked by the river they'll head down to the next bridge and wait for you to come by. It works best to have someone drop you off quickly and quietly and once on the river try not to attract attention. No fires until after dark and no large fires. It's a bit of a double edged sword. On one hand you are completely alone on the river. On the other there's the possibility of a ticket or arrest.

I have a scheme to start in Nebraska with a bag of grain to sell to my dad or brother in Kansas. That way I'm participating in interstate commerce so the federal law trumps the state law. If I document the trip I can submit evidence to the corp of engineers to hopefully get the river deemed navigable.

Sorry for the tangent. I will be camping on sand bars along the way.

 

[ppine]

I am surprised that people with a traditional view of canoe tripping would be troubled by a little sand. I just shake stuff a lot and do not give it a second thought. We have fewer bug problems in the West. The fall is an especially good time for tripping on the big rivers. This year our flows are pretty puny. The Sacramento River in the fall still runs at 5,000 cfs during low flows, enough to support the Chinook salmon run.

The raft that I recently acquired, has been down the Grand Canyon 3 times. The dry box still has a little of the unmistakable fine red sand from Arizona. I plan to leave it in there as a reminder of the places the raft has been.