Portsmouth Island, NC
Time for a trip south to warmer weather, sand in the toes and maybe some fishing.
Spring maybe a little slow arriving here in the Maryland / DC area, but I had some intel that suggested warmer weather out on the Banks of North Carolina. With the road salt white streaks still covering the Toyota, I filled the fuel tank, tossed the camping gear in the bed, and strapped the kayak and fishing rods to the truck. I was southbound.
The trip had been arranged through some guys on the website Expeditionportal.com. I watched the conversation with deep interest, who wouldn’t when the snow is 3 feet deep outside your window and their talking of camping on the beach, enjoying the sun, sand and surf. So I joined the conversation and said, “Count me in, I’m heading south!”
I had only talked to my new camping buddies via the internet before the trip. A solo traveler could not have asked for a better bunch of folks to share a small piece of beach with for a few days. In a mere few hours we were interacting like lifelong friends. I hope and plan to share a few more camps with my new friends.
Ryan was the first person I met. In the pre-dawn darkness, we parked side-by-side waiting for the ferry to take us over to Portsmouth Island. Yep, we were about to spend four days on an island only accessible by ferry or boat.
The ferry service to Portsmouth is operated Kari and Rick Martin out of Morris Marina in Atlantic, NC. The marina and ferry service has been in Kari’s family for many years and she is the 3rd generation to operate the ferries to the island.
Ryan was also traveling solo this extended weekend. A career Marine, Ryan, has taken his preparedness experience to a whole new level with his building of his Jeep Unlimited. The roof top tent and two awnings are just the beginnings. How he has organized and fit all he has into the Jeep is just awe-inspiring for any overlander.
Next off the ferry were our island experts and long time visitors, Al and Cindy in their basically unmolested Toyota Tacoma. Like me, they were camping on the ground in a tent. In a normal four wheel drive Toyota Tacoma Double cab pickup loaded with standard camping gear, including a large kitchen tent and separate toilet tent, their experience of knowing what to bring and what to leave home was quickly evident. While waiting for the last of our group to show, Al and Cindy gave Ryan and me a quick tour of the south end of the island.
Our quick run down the beach included our first recovery of the weekend; Ryan was summonsed to extract a stuck Volvo that had gone where no Volvo should.
Following our heroic efforts of overlanding prowess, we continued our journey along the soft sands of the isolated beach. OK, so after Ryan got the Volvo unstuck, we drove back to the ferry.
Chris and family completed our group. Pulling off the ferry in his Toyota Land Cruiser towing the original Adventure Trailer with Serial Number #1 with both truck and trailer sporting roof top tents. Camping as a family unit, including two young daughters brings it’s own special challenges. Chris came prepared with separate sleeping units for the kids and adults, well planned kitchen unit, including a cooking grill that fit neatly on the spare tire carrier.
Camping on an isolated island adds to the level of preparedness. There is no camp store to grab that forgotten item. There is no escape to civilization if the weather turns bad. If you didn’t bring it or prepare for it, you had to do without. Looking around at my new camping friends as we drove down the beach looking for a place to pitch the tents, I was impressed with their set ups, and felt confident we would survive our 4 day adventure.
Without The Correct Equipment We Could End Up A In A Tough Situation
Taking tides and winds into account, we searched the beach for a place to set camp. We needed to be high enough on the beach to be out of the reaching tides wet grasp. We needed protection from the northern winds. We needed relatively level beach for sleeping comfort. A few miles north of our landing, we found the perfect place tucked between the dunes.
In short order, each group in our party went about setting camp. Having the simplest camp, I finished first. OK, so maybe my tiny little dome tent, portable table with camp stove and a single folding chair may appear barbaric, but hey, its what I got and serves me well.
One thing I tried that worked well was burying the cooler to keep ice. After four days the food was still cold.
I learned a lot this weekend about camping and traveling. By watching and looking over the things the others brought along and how they had prepared themselves and vehicles, I do believe I am about to improve on my equipment and set up. Maybe I’ll start with a sleeping pad.
The rest of the first day was spent getting to know others in our party, arranging camp and just enjoying the sun and surf. I went exploring the fishing options on the beach. The day ended perfectly with the flicker of the camp fire flame dug in the soft sand of the beach circled by friends sharing stories and drinks.
Day 2
