PINS Camping 101

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Scrumptrelecent
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PINS Camping 101

Post by Scrumptrelecent »

Does anyone have a “PINS Camping 101” summary put together? I’m headed down there for a weekend camping trip in one month. I’m good on what to bring for fishing but was wondering if anyone has a primitive camping list they reference before heading down. I’m pretty sure I’ve got everything I need but want to compare to anyone that’s spent a weekend down there. I’m sure this info has already been posted so I apologize but I never have luck with the search function on this site. I can usually search one time and then the search bar says it’s not working at this time.
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earthshipman
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Re: PINS Camping 101

Post by earthshipman »

In addition to the usual, here are some things I bring to PINS.
Shovel
Tow strap
5 gallon water jug
I just bought a 140 qt Orca cooler I will fill with ice for my next trip. Will have a separate cooler for the fish and bait.
Folding table and chair to eat above the sand
mosquito repellent - sometimes the mosquitoes are non-existent and sometimes they absolutely maul you.
awning if you have one
night lights - to put around your campsite so you don't get run over in the middle of the night. Some people use tiki torches as both light and mosquito repellent
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DumpTruck
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Re: PINS Camping 101

Post by DumpTruck »

Baby powder works great to knock all the sand off before you get into your tent cot, both necessities for PINS IMO.
jnd1959
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Re: PINS Camping 101

Post by jnd1959 »

It's not a necessity but I bring a screen for my awning. It keeps the sand down and mosquitoes somewhat at bay. I have a complete list somewhere. I will see if I can find it. Fair warning, I over pack on car trips and under pack on backpacking ones.

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texnomad
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Re: PINS Camping 101

Post by texnomad »

Parts of PINS may still be closed to folks. Check the site for closures. I know a couple of weeks ago BIB was totally shut down. Some part of the gulf beach was closed. I think the beach was mainly a cleanup problem but BIB was supposedly really messed up.
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Endo
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Re: PINS Camping 101

Post by Endo »

I’ve camped a ton on PINS over the years, and usually 5-10 trips per year, but for PINS I follow a KISS approach. A lot of guys get into building major forts and compounds when they go down there, so I can’t really help with that perspective. I keep it very basic, because I’m usually going down to BTB fish and space to haul extra junk is limited.

Agree with the items Earthshipmen listed, those are all on my standard list. Maybe I’ll just list some personal things I do/tips for my standard PINS trips. Random thoughts:

• Right at the entrance of the beach, where the pavement ends, there is a station to register for camping. No extra cost, just letting the rangers know what you’re doing and when you’ll be out. However I camped down there for 10 years before I ever noticed this. LOL, so I guess you could say it’s nothing they seem to enforce.
• What the rangers will enforce is the speed limit. The drive white trucks and SUVs and will get you. At this time of year, it is not turtle laying season, so check to be sure on the limit. It is slower the first 10 miles or so, but is still very very low speed limit.
• Almost everyone camps against the dunes…so that the traffic flow is between your camp and the ocean.
• Ice – I freeze blocks of ice, it will last longer, get the rectangular gallon jugs of water at HEB and freeze them, they stack well in a cooler and last a lot longer than chip ice. And you have a source of cold water to drink.
• Keep an ice only cooler that you open very infrequently (once/twice per day) to move ice from there over to your working coolers for eating/drinking/bait.
• I keep food pretty simple when beach camping in TX. I make my own sandwiches and wrap them for the weekend, so they are already done. For dinner I stick to easy stuff that I can just add hot water. Normally I don’t keep it so minimal for camping, but I don’t like the wind here in Texas for cooking on the beach. It’s just a PITA to me to deal with, especially after I’m blasted from a full day out fishing BTB.
• Instead of lights, I use reflector poles around my camp area at night to keep the crazy a$$ speedsters from killing me. People have lost all respect, they will drive by your camp and tent doing 50mph. Danger aside, it kicks up and blows sand all into your stuff. I place those reflectors in both directions scattered for a good distance to give drivers time to stomp the breaks and slow down. “some” people have started to dig actual trenches in a reverse speed bumps on both sides of their camp area. These can really mess up a vehicle if hit at speed and in my opinion could cause a truck to bounce and swerve into my camp for the opposite safety effect. To each their own. Problem is they don’t fill them back in when they leave, so they are there for you to “find” on your own while driving. <cough>
• The wind can wreck your tent and fill it with sand. Use your truck as a wind break for your tent. Much easier to pitch your tent and keep from getting pounded by wind all night and blowing sand. Obviously depends on the wind conditions.
• If you have the option and depending on people, smaller tent is better due to wind profile.
• I take my tent down in the morning before I head out fishing. Keeps the wind from killing it and sand blowing in through the screen all day. Plus people won’t take it or the stuff you leave in it. But for me, I usually move locations to fish each day, so it’s not extra work.
• Bathroom (the solid stuff). Everyone has their own preferences down there and eco-ethics. Unless you are with a large group over a number of days, just do your business behind the dunes and dig a hole. Otherwise set up a 5-gallon bucket deal.
• I keep a pee cup in the tent with me at night (if you’re not sharing the tent) and just dump it outside through the tent zipper. Saves me from getting attacked by mosquitos and covered in sand when I get up at night to relieve myself.
• Coyotes WILL steal your stuff!! I’ve had them get up inside my kayak at night, right next to the tent, and drag my tackle boxes away, cameras, clothes and my dry bags, etc….they’ll take them all the way up behind the dunes. It’s not just food items they’ll pilfer. Dang thieves they are…..
• Fill your fuel tank up before you enter the park.
• I go into the ocean and use shampoo/soap to wash the sunscreen/sand/fishguts off in the evening. But I use some fresh water to rinse the salt water off when I get out. Makes a difference in sleeping compfort.
• A tiny cheap battery fan lying beside you for a slight breeze I’ve found makes a difference on a hot night. I have this one, $13 bucks from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003SXLW7Q/re ... 9535434726
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Scrumptrelecent
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Re: PINS Camping 101

Post by Scrumptrelecent »

Thanks for all of the replies. I think I've got the basics covered now. I plan to try something new and string a hammock up under my kayak rack over the bed of my truck. I have a bed extension bar that I can invert and attach my hammock diagonally across the bed of my truck. I just need to put my rack back on my truck and test it out. I should also be able to drape a tarp over the top of my kayak rack in the event we get rain. This will also keep me off of the ground and less likely to get run over by the speedsters. Has anyone set up something similar?
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Re: PINS Camping 101

Post by Yakety_Yak »

Scrumptrelecent wrote:Does anyone have a “PINS Camping 101” summary put together? I’m headed down there for a weekend camping trip in one month. I’m good on what to bring for fishing but was wondering if anyone has a primitive camping list they reference before heading down. I’m pretty sure I’ve got everything I need but want to compare to anyone that’s spent a weekend down there. I’m sure this info has already been posted so I apologize but I never have luck with the search function on this site. I can usually search one time and then the search bar says it’s not working at this time.
Dustin, if you can get out sooner than a month, I would. When you head down there, that will be the tail end of the anchovy migration run. Once the pelegics are gone, BTB for 2017 will be over (other than fishing for bull reds and big uglies).

Another thing I will add is that I have been quite a few times to PINS since Harvey. The first 15 miles is no problem to drive on. Anything after that, you better have a 4wd vehicle. I would not even trust an AWD vehicle as the sand is extremely soft in many places. There are huge wood blocking the beach line and in some places there is only one path to take of which that is covered in thick soft sand. With that being said, it's not pretty. I simply would not go in anything other than a 4wd vehicle.
Last edited by Yakety_Yak on Wed Sep 20, 2017 9:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Karyuu
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Re: PINS Camping 101

Post by Karyuu »

small hatchet/ax to cut up drift wood for fire
Yakety_Yak
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Re: PINS Camping 101

Post by Yakety_Yak »

Karyuu wrote:small hatchet/ax to cut up drift wood for fire

Fei, the wood that is on the beach line is way to thick for a hatchet/ax to cut, lol. This is more of a job for a chain saw and it would take some time to cut. Also, there is multiples of all this wood as you go down the beach line. I think you would end up spending more time cutting than fishing. :(
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Scrumptrelecent
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Re: PINS Camping 101

Post by Scrumptrelecent »

Yakety_Yak wrote:
Scrumptrelecent wrote:Does anyone have a “PINS Camping 101” summary put together? I’m headed down there for a weekend camping trip in one month. I’m good on what to bring for fishing but was wondering if anyone has a primitive camping list they reference before heading down. I’m pretty sure I’ve got everything I need but want to compare to anyone that’s spent a weekend down there. I’m sure this info has already been posted so I apologize but I never have luck with the search function on this site. I can usually search one time and then the search bar says it’s not working at this time.
Dustin, if you can get out sooner than a month, I would. When you head down there, that will be the tail end of the anchovy migration run. Once the pelegics are gone, BTB for 2017 will be over (other than fishing for bull reds and big uglies).

Another thing I will add is that I have been quite a few times to PINS since Harvey. The first 15 miles is no problem to drive on. Anything after that, you better have a 4wd vehicle. I would not even trust an AWD vehicle as the sand is extremely soft in many places. There are huge wood blocking the beach line and in some places there is only one path to take of which that is covered in thick soft sand. With that being said, it's not pretty. I simply would not go in anything other than a 4wd vehicle.
Thanks for the heads up Blake. We plan to camp somewhere between mile marker 10 and 15. I do have a 4x4 silverado and there are a few other 4x4 trucks that will be down there with us if we do get into trouble. This is more of a beer drinking and socializing camping trip. If we catch fish that's an added bonus.
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Boomy
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Re: PINS Camping 101

Post by Boomy »

Between 10-15 is still 2wd friendly.
PINS is open. I camped "way down" on Labor Day.

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