Camping Panthertown Valley

Camping Panthertown Valley

In the early hours of May 21, 2011, my girlfriend Keri, and I hit the road and headed to Panthertown Valley, one of North Carolina's hidden gems. Located in the southern Appalachian Mountains, it is a five and a half hour drive west of Raleigh. It was a grueling drive and an adventure of many firsts. The drive itself was a first for our six month old puppy, Amelia. She had never embarked on a drive lasting longer than two or three hours, let alone one that ended in numerous curvy mountain roads and sleeping in a tent. It also marked a first use for some demo gear, the Minibus 23 and Re-meow sleeping bag.

As luck would have it, the weather could not have been better. We were greeted with clear skies, moderate temperatures and a slight mountain breeze. The hike into the valley is a two mile decent along an abandoned logging road. Along the way, visitors have access to an overlook with an unobstructed view of the valley. We hiked approximately five miles in and set up camp in a pine thicket.

Setting up camp was easy going. Although it was Keri's first time setting up the Minibus, she immediately recognized the steps and helped to quickly assemble it. The Minibus was up in less than five minutes. With our goal of setting up camp complete, we decided to explore the area around us.



Throughout the afternoon, the sun continued to shine as we visited waterfalls where Amelia had her first swim. We also ventured to the top of a nearby mountain, Little Green, soaked up some sun, and enjoyed the views from atop the bald. As evening approached, we made our way back to camp.

At camp, I had my first attempt at cooking chicken and dumplings without reading the directions. Keri had her first attempt at eating them. More soup than dumplings, they turned out to be filling. Following a short stroll after dinner, we decided to call it an early night and hunkered down for a calm evening of reading and rest within the Minibus.

The following morning we awoke to the peace of the early mountain morning. In the cool mist we climbed out of the tent to make a hot pot of oatmeal and share a game of fetch with the dog. Later that morning, we picked up our gear and hiked out by mid day.

Having used the Re-meow and Minibus 23, I took away many great talking points. First of all, the Re-meow was a great choice for the trip as it compressed nicely into my flyweight pack and provided plenty of warmth. I will certainly recommend the bag to those looking for a synthetic three-season bag... Not to mention it helps us be better stewards of our environment: 100 percent recycled fabrics and insulation!

The Minibus 23 exceeded my expectations. I normally use a three person tent and was pleasantly surprised with how much extra space there was in this tent designed for two... even with the dog. The glow in the dark zipper pulls were a feature I found useful in low light. The anodized tent poles and clipping system make the Minibus almost idiot proof to set up. If only they would color the stakes to make them easier to find. This was my first outing with the Re-meow and Minibus 23 and I had a great time.

TNF Raleigh

Makana Dumlao

Never Stop Exploring