Ultralight Hammock Camping at Matagorda Beach, TX, USA

Ultralight backpack with confidence and comfort to places far away from city lights, to places where you are immersed in the natural world. In this episode, I spent 3 days (2 nights) at Matagorda Beach, Texas, USA, where the Colorado River empties into the Gulf of Mexico. This is a perfect location to fine-tune the pleasure of being a beach bum. All problems seem to fade away with the sound of waves gently lapping on the shore. It is one of the best birding area in the nation with 23 miles of beach and two miles of river frontage.

I fine-tuned my kit to include 1) Sterno Stove and Stanley 20 oz stainless steel pot (Sterno burns better in windy conditions than Biofuel) 2) portable still for seawater distillation, 3) Plastic 12 in ground stakes suitable for holding my hammock in the sand, 4) Commando wire saw for cutting driftwood and 5) Coldsteel Bushman knife / spear for food gathering and protection.

My fully loaded pack for this trip without food and water was 9.9 lb (4.5 kg):
Ozark Trail 28 L Atka Backpack 0.75 lb (0.34 kg)**
Nylon Ground Cloth, six Al stakes, 0.60 lb (0..27 kg)
Six 12 in plastic ground stakes, 0.49 lb (0.22 kg)
Sea to Summit Aeros Pillow 0.017 lb ( 0.08 kg)
Sterno Stove and Stanley 20 oz stainless steel pot, 1.37 lb (0.62kg)
Blue Sky Mosquito Hammock, 1.34 lb (0.61 kg)
Ozark Trail Sun Wall Tarp 6x10 ft and Cordage 1.10 lb (0.50 kg)
Dutch Tree Straps and Buckles, 0.68 lb (0.31 kg)
Medical Kit, Compass, Map, Light, 0.29 lb (0.13 kg)
AL trowel, Paper, Bug Repellent, Lighter, 0.24 lb (0.11 kg)
Coghlan’s Commando 22” wire saw 0.02 lb (0.01kg)
Battery Charger for Phone, Camera 1.21 lb (0.55 kg)
Small Tripod 1.50 lb (0.68kg)
Socks and Towels 0.38 lb (0.17 kg)
++++++++
Food for 2-1/2 days: 2 lb ( 0.91kg)
Hydration pack with 1 quart water: 2 lb (0.91 kg)
2 water bottles 2 lb (0.91 kg)
Portable still for water distillation 1.3 lb (0.59 kg)
Coldsteel Bushman knife / spear
Pocket items: flashlight, GoPro camera, Iphone 6+, keys, wallet, lighter, matches
Additional freshwater obtained from a spigot at the pier

** I do not yet have an opinion of the $19 Ozark Trail Atka Backpack; it is not as well made as my $60 Osprey Trip 20 Daypack; but it is an inexpensive option that may work for certain situations.

See Kenneth Kramm videos:
Water Distillation for Bushcraft and Survival:    • Water Distillation for Bushcraft and Survival  
Make Primitive Spoons with Shells, Sticks and Pine Pitch:    • Make Primitive Spoons With Shells, Sticks ...  

Videography by Ken Kramm, Matagorda Beach, Texas, USA, 30 August - 1 September 2016; Iphone 6+, GoPro HERO4 Silver, Final Cut Pro X, GoPro Studio.

“Bad Ideas_clean, Supernatural, Bassa Island Game Loop, Beach Party,
Chee Zee Beach-Latinesque” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons:
By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
Full list of royalty-free, including ISRC codes: https://incompetech.com/music/royalty...
Bad Ideas_ clean ISRC: USUAN1100489
Supernatural ISRC: USUAN1100397
Bassa Island Game Loop ISRC: USUAN1100840
Beach Party: ISRC: USUAN1100613
Chee Zee Beach-Latinesque: ISRC: USUAN1100686

“Solo Acoustic #3 (2:06)" Jason Shaw (Audionautix.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Unported License