# Give me your first time camping advice **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 10, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534 "2011-07-10T19:31:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/61 "2011-07-11T16:51:27Z")
> [@Roseanne\_Rosannadanna](#): > > Also, if any Yoopers are reading, I’d love any inside info on seeing the U.P., eh?😃 Oh, forgot one thing, if you’re near [Paulding, MI,](http://www.backwoodswisconsin.com/paulding_light.htm)you should check this out. I’ve got a friend who has a cabin nearby and he went up and saw them one night. He couldn’t figure out what was going on either but said it was cool nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/62 "2011-07-11T17:24:30Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > And put that extra toilet paper in a large ziplock bag so it doesn’t get wet. Oh, yes, yes! Make sure your TP is safely in a waterproof container of some kind. One kayaking expedition, my buddy dumped his boat and was just carrying the TP in one of his drybags (which despite the name doesn’t always keep the contents 100% dry.) The TP was destroyed and we were on day one of a four-day trip. Luckily, with camping food, it turned out not to be such a big deal for me. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/63 "2011-07-11T19:03:07Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > _Do not_ do this. Yeah, no kidding. In case it needs to be repeated, do not spread large amount of household chemicals around a perfectly good campsite. > [@silenus](#): > > For there to be morning coffee and bacon, someone has to get up before everybody else and get things going. Be that person. Then you can relax for the rest of the day while the others work like dogs to try to catch up with you karma-wise. Also this. There’s something very special about the early morning dawn at a campsite - especially if you’re the only one awake. No kids to bother you, to incessant talking around you - just the deafening silence (and bacon). ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/64 "2011-07-11T19:12:11Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > It was unhealthy for the bears, and made people foolishly interact with them as if they were tame, leading to incidents which culminated in bear destruction. Furthermore, the UP had no formal waste management program before 1988, thus the dumps were completely unregulated and unsanitary. The old garbage dumps were all closed or regularized. > > The practice of feeding bears garbage has been eliminated at all state and national parks to my knowledge. That’s a shame. From what you say, I guess I have no need to go back to Michigan then… ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/65 "2011-07-11T19:17:10Z")
> [@Roseanne\_Rosannadanna](#): > > What kind of food to prepare? (how much to prepare ahead of time, if any, and what would good easy things to prepare there) > > Your best advice in general? I go camping every year. My best advice is to make a packing list down to the tiniest detail. I list everything that I want to wear including belts. I have categories such as medicine to ensure I’m ready for emergencies and I’m generally prepared for sunburns, insects, and general health maladies such as headaches and diarrhea. As for cooking, make sure you sterilize everything after you’re done by rinsing in boiling water. I try to make dishes that are “one pot” ready so as to not tie up a lot of pots. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/66 "2011-07-11T19:22:02Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Yeah, no kidding. In case it needs to be repeated, do not spread large amount of household chemicals around a perfectly good campsite In addition to being environmentally nasty (to the point where you may be evicted from your campsite and possibly fined if they catch you), you’re totally wrecking the site for whoever shows up next. I have gear that could be damaged by bleach and other household chemicals. If I arrived at a site that had some chemically smelling powder all over the ground, I simply couldn’t set up camp there. I would have no idea what that shit is, if it can damage my gear, or hell if it’s caustic and could damage _me_. Lots of national parks in the U.S. and Canada don’t even want you bringing in soap unless it’s biodegradable, and even then they have guidelines on biodegradable soap depending on your proximity to water. E.g. I was on a paddling trip where even biodegradable soap was a no-no. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/67 "2011-07-11T19:33:54Z")
> [@Susanann](#): > > That’s a shame. From what you say, I guess I have no need to go back to Michigan then… It really isn’t. The practice of intentionally attracting bears to garbage dumps was horrifying in its shortsighted stupidity. The fact that the great, beautiful natural spaces of the UP were pocked by random heaps of filth, is also not something I’m nostaglic for. This might be hard to believe, but there are an increidible number of breathtaking sights in Northern Michigan, that don’t involve piles of trash. If you want to see a bear being fed by people, go to a zoo. Toledo has a particularly nice zoo, in the region. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/68 "2011-07-11T19:46:04Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > There’s something very special about the early morning dawn at a campsite - especially if you’re the only one awake. No kids to bother you, no incessant talking around you - just the deafening silence (and bacon). And the comforting din of snoring and farts emerging from the tents of the heavy sleepers… ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/69 "2011-07-11T22:48:36Z")
A sponge is handy for wiping the dew / rain off the tent before packing it. FYI, I will be at the following UP camgrounds Sunday August 7th Munising Tourist Park Campground (and will be on the Pictured Rocks Boat Tour Sunset Cruise) Monday August 8th and Tuesday August 9th Woodland Park Campground (Grand Marais - kayaking on Tuesday) Wednesday August 10th Wondering Wheels Campground (Wetmore) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/70 "2011-07-11T22:49:17Z")
Another easy camping meal idea: I’ve been taught it’s called Walking Tacos. lunch box size bags of Doritos hamburger - fried with taco seasoning added. taco sauce lettuce cheese After you fry up the hamburger, everyone grabs a snack bag of Doritos, opens it up and adds some of the hamburger, taco sauce and what ever else they want, right into the bags. Eat with a fork. Very few dishes to do. The kids love eating lunch out of a Dorito bag while sitting around the camp fire. Other things: Bring family games to play in the evening. It won’t get dark until 9ish, and without TV, video games, computers, your kids might think they have nothing to do. Card games, horse shoes, Yahtzee. Stuff that packs small, but lets you interact with the kids. In case it rains, check ahead of time to see where you might go for a few hours. A store, museum, movie theatre, some place to go in case you get stuck in the tent for to many hours. Also see if any of the nearby town have an ice cream shop or a diner that has ice cream cones. Hot afternoons are perfect for a 15 minute drive into town in the air conditioned car, to get a scoop of strawberry ice cream. Plastic bags are you friends. Our permanent camping pack has several large garbage bags, several kitchen garbage bags, some plastic grocery bags and some ziploc bags. They can be used as mixing bowls, laundry bags and rain ponchos, to name a few uses. ---
**Author:** ![boozilu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@boozilu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boozilu)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/71 "2011-07-11T23:07:05Z")
Camping with the Girl Scouts has taught me: - Bring Starbucks instant coffee – best there is for instant - Bring bandanas and tie them to your belt loops – you’ll be amazed at how often you can need to wipe your hands - Don’t wear sandals around the campfire – sparks! - Speaking of sparks, bring a decent first-aid kit with bandages, neosporin, benadryl, and stuff for sunburn. Have fun! PS – and be super-flexible ---
**Author:** ![Mewl\_Dear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mewl\_Dear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mewl_Dear)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/72 "2011-07-11T23:26:18Z")
If you want a cool car trip go as far east as you can (Detour) ride the ferry and visit beatiful Drummond Island. Do not forget tp! ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/73 "2011-07-12T01:06:20Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > Go to a convenience store and get ten packets of every condiment they have at the sandwich/ hotdog bar. That way you have a variety without having to worry about refrigeration or leftovers. Thanks for advising people to steal.:rolleyes: You can go to Minimus.biz and buy as many packets of various condiments and travel sized stuff to your hearts content. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/74 "2011-07-12T01:29:53Z")
Cool website! Little things! ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/75 "2011-07-12T12:17:59Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > In addition to being environmentally nasty (to the point where you may be evicted from your campsite and possibly fined if they catch you), you’re totally wrecking the site for whoever shows up next. > > I have gear that could be damaged by bleach and other household chemicals. If I arrived at a site that had some chemically smelling powder all over the ground, I simply couldn’t set up camp there. I would have no idea what that shit is, if it can damage my gear, or hell if it’s caustic and could damage _me_. :eek: This is something that hadn’t even occurred to me. I was only thinking about the environmental implications. We often camp with a dog and small children. The dog spends most of the day lying on the ground and the kids play with the dog on the ground too. Can anybody tell me if it’s a common practice in the U.S. for people to pour Og-knows-what all over the place? I’ve never seen such a thing in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/76 "2011-07-12T12:54:13Z")
**StPauler** gave you a great list (as did others). Suggestion? Cut paste the stuff that you have decided to bring into an Excel file and bold the outlines of the cell box next to each entry. Save the file as ‘Camping Pack List’ or something. Then print it before the trip and check the box next to each item you pack. After the trip, if you see/think/remember/experiance something that needs to be added to the list, add it to the list & save for next time. PS- Remember to put your camping stuff away when you get home so you can find it next time. Cleaning & airing out the sleeping bags is a good idea as is cleaning and completely drying your tent before packing it away for the summer. Nobody likes a ‘mildew surprize’ when pulling out the camping gear. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/77 "2011-07-12T13:21:03Z")
To the list of essentials, I’d add some sort of water jug or carrier (like [this](http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Expandable-Water-Carrier-5-Gallon/dp/B000088O9Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1310476605&sr=8-3), for example): chances are the water source may be a short walk away from your campsite. And a largish pot or something to heat water in, so you’ll have hot water for cleanup. And depending on your sensitivities, bringing along earplugs and/or a sleep mask might be a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/78 "2011-07-12T14:03:30Z")
> [@Eats\_Crayons](#): > > - snip! \*Can anybody tell me if it’s a common practice in the U.S. for people to pour Og-knows-what all over the place? I’ve never seen such a thing in Canada. I’ve been camping for years and I’ve never seen it, and this thread is the first time I’ve heard of it. So is it common practice? No. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/79 "2011-07-12T14:05:10Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > _Do not_ do this. > > Anyway, my suggestion is about **coolers** : A block of ice lasts a lot longer than ice cubes in a cooler. Cubes start melting individually and once your cooler starts to fill up with water, the other cubes start melting fast, and you food can get waterlogged. For example, on the recent long weekend, we only used one block of ice, drained the cooler once a day, and we still had most of our ice block intact by the time we had to break camp. Whereas my buddy had to by new ice cubes daily. > > On the other hand surrounding your beer with ice cubes keeps it really cool, right? > > Use blocks of ice for the big cooler that you’ll be using as a fridge to keep your food cool, and a mini-cooler (the kind that holds a six pack and a couple sandwiches) with cubes for stuff like your beer, juice, milk, etc. Get the type of cooler that has the little drain thingy in the bottom edge. Set up the cooler on a piece of plywood after digging a coffee can sized sump hole. Unstopper the little drain plug. Let the ice melt into the hole. No more swampy cooler. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534/80 "2011-07-12T15:11:52Z")
> [@Eats\_Crayons](#): > > Can anybody tell me if it’s a common practice in the U.S. for people to pour Og-knows-what all over the place? I’ve never seen such a thing in Canada. Never seen such a thing camping in the U.S. either, and I’ve camped a lot. It’s also much less likely given the kind of campgrounds that you and A. are likely to go to. Primitive campgrounds with no electrical hook-ups tend to cater more the naturalists than to the “OMG! A bug! There’s a bug here in the woods!” people. Of course you’ve never seen it in Canada! In Canada, when the Park Warden’s catch you befouling nature, they covertly kill you and feed you to the bears to leave no evidence. So no one dares do anything that obnoxious. My friend, Larry, once burned his _plastic_ trash in his campfire. He vanished, never to be seen again. But the bears were fat. > [@aruvqan](#): > > Get the type of cooler that has the little drain thingy in the bottom edge. Set up the cooler on a piece of plywood after digging a coffee can sized sump hole. Unstopper the little drain plug. Let the ice melt into the hole. No more swampy cooler. Awesome idea as long as you’re not in bear/critter country. Around here, you can’t keep your cooler out and unsupervised, even in broad daylight. If you do, the park wardens will kick you in the pants. So if you’re out all day on a day hike, your cooler will be locked up some place getting swampy. If a cooler is locked in my trunk, it’s not gong to be draining. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-me-your-first-time-camping-advice/588534.md?page=5)