Campground Review

Ottawa Lake is a campground that is so close to Milwaukee that I don't really go often enough. The campsite are nicely sized and sufficiently shady. The lake is great for swimming, though they do have e coli warnings frequently in the heat of summer. Hiking in the area is always nice, as it is part of the Kettle Moraine Southern Unit. I really have nothing bad to say about this campground, except that the cost of wood is too high.

 Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time, this time I got to test the Beyond Clothing A9-U - Utility Mission Pant.

I'm not a military person, so I don't maybe have the background many of their target market has, but I do love to be outdoors, go backpacking, and hiking. These pants are made of a tough, heavy, ripstop nylon/cotton material. There are a plethora of pockets of various sizes. The waistband is adjustable with a heavy duty velcro, though I have noticed it doesn’t hold as well after a few washes. 

The knees have gussets for movement, but for me they were too low and only helped a little. There are also a couple different spots with velcro on the legs to tighten the pants if needed. 

These are really tough pants that will be able to take a ton of abuse. They are a bit warm, so they are best suited for cooler weather. 

These were the cheapest pants that Beyond Clothing offered, at $194. Personally, that's way too much for pants. The material quality is high, the design is just good, but the price is much too high. Unless you have money to burn, there are cheaper options out there for the same or better quality. For most people, these are way too expensive to be worth it, even though they are good pants.

Sometimes you don't have time to plan a long camping trip, or something special. In that situation, I choose Ottawa Lake for several reasons. First off, it's just about an hour from home so even if it's Friday morning and I decide to leave town, I can get there by sundown that day and still get some work done beforehand. Plus, I've been camping here since I was a kid. I know the amenity list by heart (see below). It's close to Scuppernong nature trail with springs bubbling out of the ground. For longer hikes, the Ice Age Trail is nearby as well. For bird watchers, it's a great place as all the water in the area brings a wide variety of birds. Even without leaving the Ottawa Lake area you might see cranes, wild turkeys and other fowl wandering across the highway and into the campground area.

Kids will find things to do on their own as well as with their parents which is great as well because sometimes you just want to quietly read a book in front of a fire but also want to take the kids with. Since I'm a new parent (my daughter will be three this year), this is a great bonus. A lot of the campers are there every year and so kids have opportunities to make friends that they will see year after year.

For a quick, get-out-of-Milwaukee-fast sort of camping trip, nothing beats Ottawa Lake in my mind and you can find me and my friends there regularly.

Amenities: Flush and vault toilets, showers, lake with swimming beach, kid's playground, water fountain (for drinking), electrical if needed, walk-in sites, sites with a view over the lake, volleyball, horseshoes, site host with firewood sales, and picnic areas. (As of fall 2016)