Campground Review:

Ignore the three stars. This is a great place to camp! For me personally, this is a five star campground. I love the quiet country atmosphere, the sounds of the birds, the owl, the crickets, and even the coyote and the dogs. This is the essence of getting back to nature. However, I have to take into consideration that everybody doesn’t want to be without luxuries and amenities that larger campgrounds offer such as showers, swimming pools, sewer and water hookups, arcade rooms, etc. Therefore, I have to rate the campground objectively. What this campground does not offer in ways of amenities, it makes up for it by offering things most people don’t think about. For example, Hayden(the host) was one of the kindest hosts you could ever want. She was the type of host I would love to see at every campground. At this campground, I did not feel encumbered. The section of the campground where we stayed was a wide open field with plenty of room, and the picnic table was covered with an umbrella. There was a fire ring nearby, and at the other end of the field was a barn where we could get kindling and firewood. The toilet facility was an outhouse with a composting toilet. Although it sounds rustic, and it may be for some people, it was ideal for our needs. It was clean and well maintained with toilet paper and a bottle of sanitizer. There is water available within walking distance away from the camping area, but I knew that in advance and was prepared with my own water jug and spout. There is a 220 electrical hookup for one RV if you had rather not bring your tent. My son and granddaughter enjoyed walking around the property and exploring. There is a small creek next to where our tent was, and you could walk across it by way of a board or bridges in two or three places. Just be aware of the poison ivy in some places, but this is to be expected in any campground with woods; and as with any campground, make sure to take plenty of bug spray. Under the barn, they have a container for trash and a container for recyclables. Within a short driving distance is Pisgah National Forest, which offers hiking trails and one of my favorite waterfalls—Looking Glass Falls. There is also Sliding Rock, Cradle of Forestry in America, and other national forest attractions. DuPont State Forest is also close by, and I have been to three of its waterfalls, which are all fantastic. I really enjoyed staying at this campground with my family and talking to the host. As I said before, forget the three star rating. This is a great campground to stay at to get away from civilization and just relax even if you don’t travel to nearby attractions. 

GEAR REVIEW: 

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. Today I tested the Eclipse Equinox shawl (https://eclipseglove.com/products/solstice-beach-cover-up)..) Having had a stem cell transplant, I cannot go into the sun for the rest of my life without protection, so this was an ideal product for me to review. One of the things I like best about this is that even though it says it is a“shawl,” I feel comfortable wearing it as a man. The more important things, however, are that it has a hood, lots of ventilation, and a pocket; but it doesn’t stop there. There is a cell phone pocket within the pocket. The shawl also stores within the outer pocket. I have several sun shirts, and it may be my imagination, but the Eclipse shawl actually feels lighter in weight, which I love. Since I have been accustomed to wearing a broad-brimmed hat, I didn’t initially see a need for the hood; but I later realized that the material was thin enough that I could wear it and put my hat on top. This way, my neck would also be protected. There are ventilation holes/spaces along the arms and the sides. I don’t know if it is supposed to be worn without an undershirt, but that is the way I wore it around camp. It was hot, and the ventilation was helpful in keeping me from getting too hot, unlike some of my other sun shirts. As I was walking through briers, I was worried about it getting picked, but it held up well. I am not guaranteeing it will not get picked, but my first experience was positive. What I see as needing improvement is that even though it has finger loops so that you can cover the backs of your hands, your whole hand is not covered. I can already see that I will also have to wear gloves, which Eclipse does sell by the way. Another possible improvement is for the hood to have a drawstring. It wasn’t a problem, but I could see it as a possible addition. Finally, I did not see any washing instructions. I am guessing that I should wash it like any other delicate fabrics. I hope that in the future Eclipse includes washing instructions. Overall, the Eclipse Equinox shawl would be a great investment for anyone who needs to protect himself/herself from the sun. This might easily become my favorite“sun shirt.”