Camping 101
by CanoeGuru - August 24, 2008
Morning. Sun warms the tent and bird songs fill the air as you gradually become aware of the light without even opening your eyes. The scurrying of unseen creatures and other mysterious sounds of the night outside your tent walls is gone, replaced by the calm sense of peacefulness and satisfaction that waking up in the great outdoors brings.
Outside the tent, the cool of the morning invigorates you as the dew on the grass washes your feet. A hot breakfast eaten in the fresh air gets you fueled up and fortified for the day ahead, and plans buzz through your head for all the adventure that awaits you in the wilderness you've made your home, if only for a little while.
Is this the kind of camping experience you'd like to have? With just a little know-how and preparation, you can have plenty of experiences like this one. Whether you're on a week-long getaway in a remote outpost or at the local lake with the family, camping out can be a great experience any time of year. The following tips and tricks can help make your next outing a memory you'll want to hold onto.
BEFORE YOU GO
- Do your homework. Know the regulations for the area you're planning to visit. Are open fires allowed? Is there a fee for camping? How many tents are allowed per campsite? What amenities are available?
- Make a list. Well in advance of your trip, start making a list of everything you want to remember to pack. Each time you think of something, add it to the list. When it's time to pack, refer to the list so you don't leave anything out.
WHAT TO BRING
What you'll need to take along on your trip will vary somewhat with the types of activities you have planned. Certain items are must-haves no matter where you go, however. The following list is in no way meant to be comprehensive, but is intended to help you think of some things you might otherwise overlook.
- The Ten Essentials. This list of the 10 items every outdoorsman needs to carry with him or her in case of a survival situation was developed by a group called The Mountaineers back in the '60s. While the list has been updated over the years (i.e. GPS in addition to a compass), the basics are the same as always: Water and a way to purify it; Whistle; Extra clothing; Extra food; Tarp or other emergency shelter; Rain gear; Matches, lighter, and/or other fire starter; Knife; Compass and map; First aid kit.
- Cash. If you're camping in an established camping area, you may need one dollar bills to put in the self-pay envelope.
- Toilet paper.
- Pen/pencil and paper (to jot down notes to yourself or even to sketch something you see).
- Book and/or magazine(s).
- Salt, pepper, and garlic.
- Sleeping pad. It may seem like a luxury, but a good, self-inflating sleeping pad gives more than just soft comfort. It also insulates your body from the ground. Especially in cold weather, even the warmest sleeping bag won't protect you from the cold ground.
- Duct tape.
TIPS AND TRICKS
As with most anything in life, there are tips and tricks that savvy campers use to make life just a little bit easier or more enjoyable in camp. Here are a few:
- Rub liquid soap on the outsides of pots and pans before placing them on a fire or stove. The soot buildup will wash right off afterwards.
- If you're hiking and feel a hot spot on your foot (the precursor to a blister), stop immediately, remove your boot and sock, and put a piece of duct tape directly on the hot spot. Your sock and boot will then rub on the tape instead of your skin and you'll avoid a blister.
- Hang washed dishes in a mesh bag or a piece of window screen to dry. It's easy and more sanitary than using a towel.
- Use a clean piece of window screen as a pasta strainer.
- Warm up before crawling into your sleeping bag on a cold night. Your bag won't warm you; you have to warm the bag with your body heat.
- Urinate before crawling into your sleeping bag at night. You'll avoid a midnight outing, and your body will be able to use the energy it would have used to keep that reservoir of fluid warm to warm you instead.
- If your campfire smoke is staying low and hugging the ground, getting into everyone's eyes instead of rising up into the sky, a low pressure system is moving in. Get your gear under cover and be prepared for rain within 12 hours (see the article on predicting rain on the NEFGA.org website).
- Never sleep in the clothes you wore during the day. Wear a clean, dry t-shirt and, in cold weather, socks to bed. Clothes with even a little moisture will make you feel cold and clammy all night.
- Boil water before bed and pour it into a Thermos bottle. Keep it in your tent or, on really cold nights, in your sleeping bag. In the morning you'll have hot water for coffee, hot chocolate, or oatmeal without having to build a fire or crank up the stove.
- Save dryer lint in a pill bottle or film canister. It makes great fire-starting tinder.
- Dip matches in melted wax to waterproof them and keep them in a film canister or pill bottle. When you want to use one, just scrape the wax off the head of the match and light it.
- Pine cones make good pot scrubbers.
- Keep spare batteries in empty pill bottles.
- Leave your tent's rainfly on during the day to protect the tent from UV rays and bird droppings.
OUTDOOR FUN
You may be camping while on a fishing or hunting trip, and if so, your daily activities are set. If you're camping with the family or just for the pleasure of being outdoors, however, here are some ideas for activities that everyone can enjoy:
- Navigation. Take along a compass and, if you don't already know, a guide to how to use one. Set up a compass course near your campsite or, if you're hiking and are in a suitable area, navigate cross country. Practice making and following compass headings and using your compass with a topographical map. Pick a spot on the map and go there.
- Bird/Animal/Bug/Fish/Plant identification. Take along one or more field guides for your area and practice identifying the various species of life around your campsite or along your route. Have a contest to see who can name the most species or see who can find something that begins with every letter of the alphabet.
- Photography. Snapping pictures of each other, of sunsets and sunrises, and of your campsite is great, but how about trying some macro photography of the various bugs you share your outing with?
POST TRIP
To many people, the trip isn't over until the gear is cleaned and put away, ready for next time. Here are some tips to help you end your trip on a good note.
- Never put a tent away wet. Let it dry before packing it at the campsite or else set it up at home, out of direct sunlight, and let it dry completely before putting it back in its bag.
- Make any needed repairs, such as patching holes, sealing seams, or repairing zippers before putting your gear away. That way it will be ready for the next trip.
- Write it all down. Write down everything you can remember about the trip, including how long it took you to travel, where you went, what you liked and didn't like about the campsite or hiking route, what you saw, what the weather was like and what time of year it was, what gear you took that you needed and what you didn't need, what gear you wished you'd had. Keep this information in a folder with any maps, brochures, and other information pertaining to your trip. You can refer back to it for memories and to help you decide whether to visit that area again in the future.
Much more could be included here about camping, as everyone who's done much camping will know. However, these tips and hints will, hopefully, give you some food for thought and help make your next outing your most enjoyable one yet. Happy camping!
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