This past April, my wife, my brother, and I visited Goblin Valley, Utah. It was our first time going, but we had done some research online and felt confident that we were well-enough prepared. We arrived at Goblin Valley State Park at around 10 o'clock in the morning. It was really crowded with scout troops and other local visitors, but we didn't mind. We spent a good three to four hours in the Park, hiking trails, climbing on rock formations, and we even had a picnic.
We had decided that we were going to camp over that night and were considering the Park campsites, but not a single one was available. Before our trip, we had read online that there were primitive campsites just outside the park, so we decided to go that route. After we picked a campsite and got everything accommodated and set up, my wife took a nap, and my brother and I decided to do some more hiking/exploring. We left our campsite on-foot and came to the Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon Trail Head. From there, we journeyed about a mile and a half into the Slot Canyon. It was awesome!! The narrow, side-winding walls that the water cuts into the red rock is something every(buddy) needs to see!
Anyway, by then, sunlight was starting to get less and less visible. My brother and I decided we had better start heading back; as we did, a thought came to my mind, 'What are we going to use to build a fire?' Just so you know, Goblin Valley and the surrounding desert area are barren, and the most you'll find in terms of firewood is healthy sage brush. Being that as it was, we needed a fire to cook dinner and, more importantly, provide light for our campsite. It was cool in the slot canyon, so my brother had worn a light jacket. Earlier, in an open wash area of the slot canyon, I had noticed several large branches and wooden debris deposited on the inner wall of the canyon. Using, my brother's jacket, I bundled as much wood as I could; I used the sleeves of the jacket to tie the bundle shut and use as a handle. Sunlight was really fading now, and I had about two miles to hike to get back to camp. I told my brother to go ahead of me to assure my wife that I was shortly behind. In the end, I did make it back fine to the campsite, but carrying a heavy bundle of fire wood a distance two miles in fine sand, and up and down hills, is not something I will do again. I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT A BUDDY BURNER OR TWO!!!
This experience taught me the importance of being prepared and how a simple, lightweight buddy burner could have saved me unnecessary worry and labor. Had there not been any wood in the slot canyon, I don't know what we would have done. BUDDY BURNERS CAN BE USED IN EMERGENCIES AND IN MANY OTHER APPLICATIONS IN LIFE. The trip was an awesome learning experience and is, in part, why I created www.buddy-burner.com. Please feel free to leave comments or experiences you have had with your BUDDY Burner.
We had decided that we were going to camp over that night and were considering the Park campsites, but not a single one was available. Before our trip, we had read online that there were primitive campsites just outside the park, so we decided to go that route. After we picked a campsite and got everything accommodated and set up, my wife took a nap, and my brother and I decided to do some more hiking/exploring. We left our campsite on-foot and came to the Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon Trail Head. From there, we journeyed about a mile and a half into the Slot Canyon. It was awesome!! The narrow, side-winding walls that the water cuts into the red rock is something every(buddy) needs to see!
Anyway, by then, sunlight was starting to get less and less visible. My brother and I decided we had better start heading back; as we did, a thought came to my mind, 'What are we going to use to build a fire?' Just so you know, Goblin Valley and the surrounding desert area are barren, and the most you'll find in terms of firewood is healthy sage brush. Being that as it was, we needed a fire to cook dinner and, more importantly, provide light for our campsite. It was cool in the slot canyon, so my brother had worn a light jacket. Earlier, in an open wash area of the slot canyon, I had noticed several large branches and wooden debris deposited on the inner wall of the canyon. Using, my brother's jacket, I bundled as much wood as I could; I used the sleeves of the jacket to tie the bundle shut and use as a handle. Sunlight was really fading now, and I had about two miles to hike to get back to camp. I told my brother to go ahead of me to assure my wife that I was shortly behind. In the end, I did make it back fine to the campsite, but carrying a heavy bundle of fire wood a distance two miles in fine sand, and up and down hills, is not something I will do again. I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT A BUDDY BURNER OR TWO!!!
This experience taught me the importance of being prepared and how a simple, lightweight buddy burner could have saved me unnecessary worry and labor. Had there not been any wood in the slot canyon, I don't know what we would have done. BUDDY BURNERS CAN BE USED IN EMERGENCIES AND IN MANY OTHER APPLICATIONS IN LIFE. The trip was an awesome learning experience and is, in part, why I created www.buddy-burner.com. Please feel free to leave comments or experiences you have had with your BUDDY Burner.