Please note: I previously reviewed the group camp at the same campground, but it's in a different location. This is the review of the regular campground at Gulch Lake.

This campground is lovely because it's very near the North Country Trail, a few other camps on the trail and a group camp just up the road. It's a little off the beaten path, but has amenities that will serve you nicely. While here, I had the pleasure of testing out a pair of sandals from Tredagain, and they were lovely!

CAMPGROUND REVIEW:

There are about 9 sites at this small campground, but it was plenty big, since we were the only ones there. Each site appeared to have a picnic table, fire ring and plenty of space for a tent. It didn't look like there were many good places for hammocks, so this one might be best for tent camping. There was a water pump at site #1, where we were, which would be lucky if you needed fresh water! Plenty of sun streamed into the site we were in, so it would make it a bit warmer in colder weather. We were there in November, so it was welcome! There are vault toilets nearby and just down the road a bit is the North Country Trail. The nice thing is that the trail makes a figure 8 around 2 lakes, so it's a great way to get lots of scenery, yet still end up back at your car if you wanted to. There are also a few other free sites on the trail itself (first come first served) and a group camp (Gulch Lake Group Camp) that I've reviewed previously. While not the prettiest camp, it would be just fine if you needed a place to crash.

PRODUCT REVIEW:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get the awesome opportunity to review products in exchange for an honest review. This time, I had the pleasure of testing out a pair of sandals by Tredagain! The Tredagain Guadalupe Sandal rocks out on their specialty…re-cycled rubber from tires. Here is a quote from their site about what they do:

"TREDAGAIN partners with Austin Rubber Company LLC which manufactures a de-vulcanized rubber compound called APX®. Using an environmentally friendly, patented process, this sustainable solution converts end-of-life tires and other vulcanized scrap rubber into a less expensive substitute for virgin rubber, which can be used in a variety of new products including the outsoles of TREDAGAIN."

Isn't that cool!?

I love the philosophy, and I loved some things about the shoes too…

1. The soles are solid. Just what you'd expect from a tire. And the sole is imprinted with "tire tread", thus re-enforcing and reminding the consumer about what the shoes are all about.
2. While this isn't the lightest weight shoe I've tried on, it feels as if it will last a long time. It's got substance to it. Not a "dime store" purchase…you'll get some wear out of these.
3. They are very compatible and comfortable with my toe socks! It was colder outside when I tried these out, so I took my toe socks and voila! They were great!
4. They use post-consumer waste to make their packaging. This just gets better and better!

The only thing that I was minorly concerned about is that they might take some time to break in without socks. I felt a few rub spots when I tried them on barefoot, but most new sandals rub on your feet in spots you didn't know existed, so I suspect my tootsies just need time to adjust to the new feel of this sandal.