Campground Review

Kettle Pond State Park is located in Marshfield, VT only 30 minutes from our home, yet going there still managed to feel like a retreat.  We booked a group site with a couple other families for August back in the winter. We were thrilled when the weather ended up being perfect for camping.  Low 80s during the day, and 60s at night, without any rain. A few of the mornings, the kids even swam before breakfast because the water was warm enough that it was warmer than the cool morning air temperature!

 The group sites all have 5-6 lean-tos, with each lean-to having privacy and its own fire ring with grill. In addition, each group site has a large, community fire pit, picnic tables, and out house. Our group site  (which was labeled Group Site 12-15) also had direct access to the camper kayak/canoe launch on Kettle Pond. 

Kettle Pond State Park also has about 12 remote paddler campsites, most of which are lean-tos.  All the campers that stay in the group area and the remote sites launch their boats from the launch that was within our group site. This meant we had a little less privacy than the other group sites, and that we had cars rolling down to the water to drop off boats, but overall, the disruption was minimal. We enjoyed being that close to our boats and swimming for the kids.

This state park also was conveniently located with an access trail to the Cross Vermont Trail. The Cross VT trail is a multi-use bike path that travels much of the width of VT on old farm roads, snowmobile trails, railroad beds, and occasional roads. We took a half day bike trip on it one day to go to the town of Marshfield to visit Rainbow Sweets, home of some of the best French pastries in Vermont.  We biked through marshland, seeing Great Blue Herons and other wildlife. We passed by a waterfall, and even stopped at a little farm stand to buy pickles. There were so many fun things to discover! Via the Cross VT trail, you can also travel to other state parks in the Groton State Forest, such as Boulder Beach (excellent lake swimming with sand, playground, and picnic areas), Ricker Pond, and Owl's Head.

Kettle Pond State Park is primitive. There is not ANY running water. The running water is accessed by going to New Discovery Campground, which is is about 3 miles down the road. New Discovery is also where you check in for Kettle Pond. So bringing several large water vessels is important so you can pick up plenty of water, or bring a water filtration system so you can use water from the pond.

So, the jewel of Kettle Pond State Park is really Kettle Pond itself. It is a glacially-carved shallow pond. I was pleased to discover that the bottom of the pond was not mucky at all, as it is all ground of rock silt and rocks.  The kids especially enjoyed their time swimming in it at all hours of the day.  We also spent lots of time in boats, exploring the pond. The park does not allow any motorized boats on the pond, so it is extremely peaceful and serene.  Wild life abounds here, including fish, beavers, and loons. One evening, during a sunset paddle, we got to float alongside a loon family, which was VERY cool.

The lean-tos were in great condition. The floors were flat and easy to sweep out. The overhang was large enough to hang a hammock under.  We did not bring mosquito netting for the opening, and the bugs were hardly noticeable.  All the lean-tos are far enough apart that you can't hear your neighbor's snoring, which was a plus.  However, one night during our stay, a new group arrived at the group site next door.  We couldn't even see them, but we could hear them way too late at night, even past the quiet hours.  That was only one night, however, and then the next day the campground staff heard and dealt with it promptly.  The bathroom was clean, and always stocked with toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

Highlights:

• Biking on the Cross Vermont Trail

• Sunset and Sunrise paddles

• Swimming

• Biking in the campground loops

• Enjoying the large group fire pit

• Night time loon calls

• Playing games at the large group picnic tables

• Hammock hanging

Things to consider:

• Bring a way to filter water, or large containers for getting water at New Discovery

• Definitely rent or bring boats

• Transporting firewood from outside VT is illegal

• The gate is always closed, but never locked (but it looks locked!)

• Bring water and biodegradable soap for hand washing

INH540 Vertical Hang Bike Rack Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I was given an opportunity to review this rack from INNO while camping.  As a family of 7, we have a ton of bikes to haul.  We were able to test out the rack with several different bike frame styles and sizes.

The initial impressions of the rack were great. The rack is designed to fit two different sizes (1 1/4 inch and 2 inch)  of hitch receivers.  They allow for the 2 different sizes by using metal sleeve that slides over the smaller metal pipe. We have a 2 inch hitch, and so used the rack with the adapter.  My husband was super impressed by how easy the rack was to install. The rack installs solidly and securely on the hitch without needing additional tools (a big plus in our minds!).  

Ones the rack is installed, you flip the arm up to load the bikes.  There are two arms on the rack. The beauty of this rack is that only the upper arm goes through the frame of the bike. Basically, the frame hangs off of the top arm, and then the lower bar of the bike rests on the lower arm.  The bike is held into position by a cambered, rotating plastic ratchet-type strap that tightens on to any sized frame.  So far, this attachment system seems more durable and universal than the stretchy rubber-type bike straps used by other racks.

 The rack holds 4 bikes total. It holds our two adult sized mountain bikes quite well--each one takes just a couple of minutes to load on. However, it is a bit more of a struggle to load the 24 inch kids bikes on, as their bars and frame geometry are tighter. This requires a bit more messing around and adjusting. So smaller bikes take a bit more time to load--probably 5 minutes per bike.  

Once the bikes are loaded, there are velcro straps to hold the front wheel rigid, which prevents it from rubbing on the other bikes during transit.   There is a locking cable mechanism built into the rack, which is great for longer trips.  The rack also has a foot-pedal activated tilt-down feature for accessing your trunk, which is awesome, and easy to use.  

When the bikes are unloaded, you can collapse the swing arm of the rack, giving it a lower profile if you don't want to remove it from the car.

Our overall impression of this rack is great. The components are all super-sturdy. The aluminum framing of it is rigid, but not too heavy. The rubberized frame contact points where the bike sits really help keep the bikes stable. We like the included tools, with the storage bag. This makes it way easier to have what you need. Nothing like looking for a tool when you really need it!   The rack is a great way to carry mountain bikes for camping, riding, or local recreation. 

The one improvement we would make would somehow make it adjustable for smaller framed bikes, but we know that might not be possible! In the meantime, we still use it for smaller framed bike, and it works fine, just takes a little longer to load. It is a keeper, for sure!