Military Surplus Camping Pt 2 – Finding the B-47 Crash Wing

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Hiking & Backpacking with Military Surplus Camping Gear in the Adirondacks Eastern High Peaks Region

For this 2 day, 1 night adventure, I’ll be returning to Wright Peak to continue my search for the B-47 wing. I’ll be using the same milsurp backpacking load-out (with some additional cold weather gear), along with MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) food to keep me fueled up while I search for the remnants of a cold war era B-47 bomber that crashed on Wright Peak during the night of January 2nd, 1962.

If you haven’t already seen Part One, where I explored the summit impact zone, you can check that out here.

My “big 3” for this backpacking trip are a medium sized ALICE pack, USGI Modular Sleeping bag with USGI Term-A-Rest sleeping Pad, and a USGI Poncho for shelter / rain gear. I scored each of these items for around $30.  A gear list can be found at the end of this post.

No permit is required to camp in the Adirondacks, but there are rules and regulations regarding backcountry camping. You can find more information here.

Trailhead Used: Adirondack Loj Parking Lot,  44°10’54.9″N 73°57’53.6″W
1002 Adirondack Loj Rd, Lake Placid, NY 12946

The Adirondack Loj parking area has room for many, many vehicles, however it is known to fill up by as early as 8:30 AM during peak season and weekends. Cost is $12 per day. If the lot fills up, there is offsite overflow parking a mile or so down the road.

Full GPS track data, including campsites, water sources, etc, for this trip and many others can be downloaded on my Trip Data Page.

Trails Used

  • Van Hovenberg Trail towards Marcy Dam
  • Avalanche Pass Trail
  • Leave the trail just before Kagel Lean-to
  • Cross Marcy Brook and bushwack along Wright Brook.
    • Note: This not a real trail. It involves navigating dense forest and climbing up a slippery drainage in an area with no cell coverage. Conditions can vary greatly depending on recent rainfall and / or below freezing temps.

Helpful post from Mudrat with helpful notes on finding the wing that I mentioned in the video.

Notable Backpacking Gear Used
Note: A lot of these items can be found on Amazon for convenience, but a local surplus shop is probably the most cost effective option, if you have one nearby. 

I cut the opening sequence using pieces of a public domain United States Air Force Pilot’s Familiarization film for the B-47 Stratojet. If you find the B-47 interesting, it be worth a watch as well.

Filmed On

Disclosure: A commission may be earned on some of the links on this post.