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Fish a Missouri State Park Weekend Without a Trailer
Fish a Missouri State Park Weekend Without a Trailer
You can fish a Missouri state park without a trailer. Pick a loop where you can walk to water in under 15 minutes, look for a quiet cove or spillway, and bring a 7-foot combo, a small tackle box, and a chair. Add a float tube and PFD to reach weed lines, but stay off main-lake wind. Most people trea...
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John Dent
September 11th, 2026
Shoulder-Season Camp Kitchen: Cooking After Labor Day in the Midwest
Shoulder-Season Camp Kitchen: Cooking After Labor Day in the Midwest
For a shoulder-season camp kitchen, bring a two- or three-burner propane stove with a stable base and a real windscreen, fueled by 16.4 oz cylinders or a 20 lb tank. You lose about two minutes of daylight a day through September, so start water when you start the rainfly and cook one-pot meals the f...
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John Dent
September 11th, 2026
 
Lake Fishing Day Kit for Missouri & Midwest Lakes
Who it's for Bank or calm-cove anglers who want a simple rod-and-reel combo and the option to bring your own boat or kayak. Calm Midwest lakes and slow coves only. Not the right kit if You're floating Ozark current (Current, Meramec, Jacks Fork, etc.). Boats and kayaks brought for this kit stay on c...
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John Dent
September 9th, 2026
 
30-Amp RV Site Setup for Midwest Weekends
A 30-amp Midwest site is plenty for most travel trailers and many fifth-wheels—if you level first, manage loads, and pack the right cords and pads. This guide walks a practical 30-amp RV site setup the way weekend RVers actually do it at Missouri parks and private campgrounds. The goal is simple...
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John Dent
September 9th, 2026
 
Family Basecamp Weekend Kit for Midwest Trips
Who it's for Two adults plus kids (or a small group) doing a car-camping or fifth-wheel weekend at a Missouri state park or similar Midwest site. You drive up, set up once, and want a tent you can stand in, a stove that feeds everyone, and sleep gear that works when the night drops. Not the right ki...
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John Dent
September 9th, 2026
Fishing Missouri Rivers: Smallmouth, Trout, and Catfish on Moving Water
Fishing Missouri Rivers: Smallmouth, Trout, and Catfish on Moving Water
Missouri river fishing is two different fisheries. Ozark streams like the Current, Meramec, and Gasconade hold smallmouth, goggle-eye, and trout on designated ribbons, so pack light-to-medium spinning or fly gear. The big Missouri, Osage, and Mississippi are boat water for blue, flathead, and channe...
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John Dent
September 6th, 2026
Kayak Camping on Midwest Lakes and Rivers: A Practical Weekend Plan
Kayak Camping on Midwest Lakes and Rivers: A Practical Weekend Plan
For a Midwest kayak-camping weekend, pick a lake or mild river with a known take-out, a legal place to camp, and a plan to cross open water before afternoon wind builds. Pack everything in two or three dry bags, bring a compact tent and a small stove, wear the PFD, and treat any water you refill. A...
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John Dent
September 3rd, 2026
Raccoons, Mice, and Midnight Raids: How to Keep Critters Out of Camp Food
Raccoons, Mice, and Midnight Raids: How to Keep Critters Out of Camp Food
Keep raccoons and mice out of camp food by splitting camp into three zones: sleep, kitchen, and trash. Latch the cooler every time you walk away, keep wrappers and food smells out of the tent, get trash into the dumpster or locked in the vehicle before dark, and clean fish well away from camp. The r...
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John Dent
September 3rd, 2026
Camping in the Rain: How to Stay Dry When a Midwest Storm Hits Camp
Camping in the Rain: How to Stay Dry When a Midwest Storm Hits Camp
To camp through Midwest rain, pick a site with a slight crown, stake every corner and guy out the fly before the storm, pack sleep gear and electronics in dry bags before you leave home, cook under a dining fly instead of in the tent, and keep a lantern plus a headlamp within reach. A dry forecast i...
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John Dent
September 3rd, 2026
How to Make Camp Water Safe to Drink: Filters, Boiling, and What Actually Works
How to Make Camp Water Safe to Drink: Filters, Boiling, and What Actually Works
Treat creek, river, and lake water before you drink it, even when it looks clear: filter it, then boil or disinfect, because clarity does not remove Giardia. A filter bottle covers hiking bottles; cooking for four needs a gravity system or a pot boiled on the stove. Campground tap water is fine when...
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John Dent
September 1st, 2026
Fall Camping in the Midwest: How to Stay Warm When Nights Drop Fast
Fall Camping in the Midwest: How to Stay Warm When Nights Drop Fast
Yes, you can camp in the Midwest in September and October if you plan for cold nights. Nights can drop into the 40s, and into the 30s in low spots near a lake or river. Pack a real sleep system: an insulated pad, dry sleep clothes, and a 20 to 30 degree bag if the low is under 40. Labor Day does not...
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John Dent
September 1st, 2026
How to Plan a Hiking Trip with a Small Tent
How to Plan a Hiking Trip with a Small Tent
A small tent changes the trip. You stop thinking like a car camper who can bring a 10-person cabin and a roll of turf and start thinking like someone who has to carry the bedroom, kitchen, and closet on their back. That constraint is the point. A compact shelter forces better planning, and better pl...
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John Dent
August 30th, 2026

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