Campground Review

Every year it seems there are changes at Devil's River. The campsite are still nice, though if you want privacy, there's not a lot. This is great for camping with friends or family. We usually have 4 sites with family over Labor Day weekend. This year they've added a deck off of the bathroom/shower building. It seems like it was almost done.

One night there was very loud partying at some of the seasonal campers sites. It was a bit obnoxious, but they were mostly quiet by 11pm. There were a lot of seasonal sites with Trump flags and I saw one Confederate flag…so interesting cross section of humanity.

One of the season campers had some giant inflatable climbing/bouncing things for the pond, so that kept the kids and some adults occupied. The same person also projected a movie in the new covered deck. He's a generous man, willing to share with the other campers.

We played cards and lawn games and Slammo and frisbee in all the open space and also swam in the pond. It was a great weekend, as always.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time, this time I got to test the RōM Pack from RōM Outdoors.

I'll be upfront and honest…this might be the most disappointing product I've tested for The Dyrt. It definitely isn't all bad, but the concept, in my opinion is a failure.

The RōM Pack is a convertible backpack that can unfold into a poncho or a blanket.

As a backpack…

What I like:

• It is stylish
• The material quality is heavy duty

What I didn't like:

• It is very heavy…when empty
• The main pocket isn't very large due to the excess material needed for the poncho/blanket

As a poncho…

What I like:

• It is a poncho

What I don't like

• The snaps don't stay snapped
• It is too short in the front
• It is too warm….it has a fleece lining
• The hood is small
• It looks a bit funny when you where it with the backpack straps and the flaps…I was laughed at by my family

As a blanket…it is great. It is warm, large enough and water resistant.

Overall, the concept doesn't seem practical. If I'm hiking and I expect rain, I'd pack a raincoat or a lightweight poncho to wear over my regular clothes. I'd dress for the weather. I'd never need a fleece lined poncho. I likely wouldn't need a blanket either…and if I did I could roll up a blanket and put it in a regular backpack.

The RōM Pack is also quite expensive at $120. The build quality is very good, but the execution and the concept are where it fails. The best "mode" is blanket mode, but I can recommend any number of cheaper blankets. I wanted to like this, but I'm afraid I can't recommend it.

this was one of my favorite places growing up. beautiful river access.

Campground Review

I've been going to Devil's River for as long as I can remember on Labor Day weekend. My grandparents used to have a permanent site there, and my family has continued to camp there since my grandparents' deaths. It is a nice campground, not far from Green Bay, in a nice area. The weekender sites have been made more level in the past few years and are pretty grassy with some trees.

They removed the old small pool and installed a large swimming pond. It is a treated pond, so it is murky water, but the open space is nice for a swim on a hot day. The pond is full of clay at the bottom, with not much sand except for by the beach, so it isn't the best for walking, just swimming or floating.

The bathroom building is old, but mostly clean. The showers are in need of an upgrade. Some were out of order when we were there.

There is access to the river and the nearby Maribel Caves park is nice as well. This is a great campground to just relax at and play cards.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time, this time I got to test the ColdPruf Platinum II shirt and pant base layers.

Being from Wisconsin, I have to own long underwear to really enjoy going outside in the winter. I've always found the stuff I had to be uncomfortable and hard to move around.

I wore these camping over Labor Day weekend when it got down into the mid-40s, and I was comfortable without any coat or outer layer. In the winter I would wear these under other appropriate clothing and I'm confident I'll be warm enough.

ColdPruf has better quality materials (not cotton) than the old stuff I have, and the fit is much better. There are excellent sizing charts and sizes for tall people, like myself. The fit is great. I could comfortably play sports or other activities in the Platinum II without any range of motion restrictions. It is tight enough fitting for a base layer (the modern name for long underwear), but not too tight.

The best part about ColdPruf is the value. You are getting very high quality, warm base layer for a great price. I would definitely say ColdPruf Platinum II is Ranger-worthy and can whole-heartedly recommend them.

I've been going to this campground my whole life. My grandparents used to have a permanent site here and we've been going here every labor weekend since I was born (I'm currently 25). There have nice grassy sites with tall trees for partial shade.

A few years ago they tore out the old small swimming pool and put in a large chemically treated swimming pond. The swimming is pretty good and there is now plenty of space. The only possible downside with small children, as there is no fence around the pond, and there are sites that border the pond.

It is fun to go down by the river and explore. One year we caught about 60 crayfish and cooked them on the campstove and ate them.

Sometimes they also give a tour of the old mill that is on the grounds. There is a lot of history. Also, if you are into caving, the Maribel caves are only a mile down the road.