# Practical Tips for Camping **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 30, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073 "2010-06-30T15:17:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/21 "2010-06-30T21:41:33Z")
When I camp my gear consists of a army duffel bag containing all of my gear a cooler with ice packs, a plastic tupper wear box with lid for dry goods. Anything that I don’t want to get wet I place in plastic bags or garbage bags. I use a large fish net ditty bag for my that contains plates, cook ware, cutlery, toilet paper and toothpaste in a zip lock bag within the ditty near the cooking area. I also set up a hammock near the cooking area. I use it for relaxing and placing other items in it. In my tent I store everything I would need in a smaller back pack and hang another ditty bag from the ceiling for any other items. I also have a fold out chair and a small fold out table near it, on the table drinks, ipod, lighter, etc Someone above mentioned a tip about keeping your drinks in the water to keep it cool, it only works if there’s no sun. Once I had placed some beer in a ditty back about 4’ into the water but the water acted like a magnifying glass. I had beer in my pack in the shade that was actually cooler than the beer in the “cold” lake. I also use my air mattress battery operated pump set on reverse to stoke a stubborn fire, works great. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/22 "2010-06-30T22:27:00Z")
I camp three or four times a year. Take a can of Comet and sprinkle it around your tent and cooler to keep out ants. Personally I don’t like air mattresses - they get holes in them, for some reason I don’t like getting up from them, etc. I love my cot. Besides being bed level, you can then push stuff underneath, so you have more floor space. I pack all my clothes and stuff in plastic drawers. They take a little more space, but it’s a lot easier to find stuff and it gives you a nightstand with your cot. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/23 "2010-06-30T22:49:19Z")
My big tent (for longer trips) has lots of little loops inside. I bring a few wire hangers and laundry clips to hang things on the inside, like a bag of utensils or trash that I’m not going to burn (plastic). They’re also handy for hanging up your socks to dry or keeping small stuff off the floor of the tent but still accessible. ---
**Author:** ![seanchai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@seanchai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seanchai)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/24 "2010-06-30T23:19:42Z")
Light a fire in a gale? Used candle stub. \<-- made my reputation as a campfire maven You didn’t say if you were car camping or backpacking. Rule #1 Try not to bring the kitchen sink with you. You likely don’t need 3/4 of the stuff you think you’ll need. Keep a list of items you brought but didn’t use, and wean yourself from ‘what if …?’ scenarios. I use a 3" foam mattress for warmth, and I have never been cold since I got it. It rolls up and fastens with bungee cords - a hassle to carry but I’m old and fat and it’s lovely. Air mattresses have cold air between you and the ground, which your body spends the night warming the cold air up … plus punctures, as stated above. Closed foam cell mattresses are the next best thing - I find camp cots chilly, too. How far north are you campin’? an seanchai (been campin’ since about 1955) ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/25 "2010-06-30T23:22:37Z")
The only camp ground we ever go to (let’s face it, we are there for the beer and fire only!) is about 3 minutes from a large grocery store and a Canadian Tire. If you forgot something, just grab the car and go buy it already! ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/26 "2010-07-01T01:08:50Z")
1. Fire is dangerous. Do not be stupid. \*If there are fire restrictions, _obey them_. If they say no campfires, don’t build a campfire. If they say “Don’t even _think_ about anything that could potentially produce a flame”, well, lock your thoughts down. You don’t want to be the guy who causes a forest fire and makes me rearrange my hiking schedule because those trails we were going to do are closed due to being on fire. \*If you start a fire - whether it’s on your camp stove or in a fire pit or just a campfire in the backcountry, it is your responsibility. This means that as long as there is any hint of flame - smoke, smoldering embers, anything like that - you stay and you watch it, until there is no more smoke or smoldering. You can stop these things by dumping sand and water on the fire, but it takes lots of it. Stir it up. Dump more. If you so much as think of leaving a fire unattended, you’re too stupid to be allowed in nature. \*In the backcountry and want to start a fire? Do it right. Clear the area _completely_ of everything that is not dirt and rock. \*Did I mention you’re a terrible jerk if you leave a campfire unattended? 2. Bears are dangerous. If there are warnings about bears, listen to them. In bear country, keep your food in a specific bear-proof container. Your igloo cooler is not enough. Either lock _all_ your food in your car (if you’re in the front country), spend the money on a bear canister and use it, or don’t go camping. \*Do not be that moron that decides to just burn your food scraps and garbage, but doesn’t let them burn entirely, and so the people who stay at that campsite the next night get a nice visit by a hungry mama bear and her two cubs! Because this will first scare the shit out of those people (hello, mama bear!), and then make them want to punch you in the face, plus we then need to clean up your trash. 3. Bring extra batteries. Bring iodine tablets just in case. Bring a first aid kit with an instruction book. Bring lots of extra socks, because nothing good has ever come from hiking in soggy socks. Don’t be a moron about nature. 4. Leave the iPod at home. Bring a notebook and a pen or pencil, maybe a favorite paperback. There’s a magical moment that can happen, when you have a good day of hiking, and your camp is all set up, and you’ve got a belly full of food - because I don’t care what you’re eating; it tastes better when you’re camping. The dishes are all washed and your nice warm sleeping bag is waiting for you, but for now you just sit by the fire. That’s all you do, really: you sit, and you’re in nature, and there are flames dancing in front of you, and it’s not too hot, and it’s just…being. Enjoy it. 5. Also, if it’s cold, wear your hat to bed. If it’s really cold, wear your gloves and double up your socks, and stuff tomorrow’s clothes in your sleeping bag, which not only makes it easier to change in the morning, but reduces the amount of cold air in your bag. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/27 "2010-07-01T01:22:42Z")
To handle all the doo-dads, like bug spray, sunscreen, zip ties, clothespins, velcro cable ties (AWESOME!), the Leatherman, duct tape, a small sewing kit, lighters, flashlights, etc. I use one of these: [http://www.completelyorganized.com/images/ShoeStorageBag-vid.jpg](http://www.completelyorganized.com/images/ShoeStorageBag-vid.jpg) It’s a clear pocketed hanging storage thingy. A couple of zip ties fasten it to the table my stove sits on. I never have to scrounge for anything. A pair of kitchen shears and a clothesline can get you out of many jams. Ziploc bags rock. When our wee one was in diapers, I’d use a gallon sized one to put soiled diapers in so they didn’t stink up the tent. They’re also good for leftovers, emergency “I forgot my pillow, Mom!” moments and making campfire omelets. Keep one small bag dedicated to “when we get there” stuff. The mallet for pounding the stakes, at least one flashlight in case you have to pitch your tent in the dark, the air mattress pump and at least one toy for each kid to keep 'em busy and out of the way. Don’t keep your batteries in the air mattress pump while you’re commuting. Something will inevitably shift and hit the power switch, and your batteries will be dead when you get there. Keep the batteries separate, but in the “when we get there” bag. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/28 "2010-07-01T04:22:24Z")
I used to teach survival for the Canadian Forces, so I go a bit over the top when it comes to camping. I have two complete sets of camping gear: comfortable and interior. Comfortable is the big 10 person tent, shelters, Bass Pro Shop camping chairs, tables, camping stoves, coffee makers… if I’m taking a car (or, more usually, van) to my camping spot, I’m going to be Comfortable with a capital-C. My interior gear is for when we go into the interior of the big Canadian parks: everything fits into my 80L backpack for three-season camping, with an additional bag that straps on top for winter camping. A few tips that make a difference: - Listen to the above advice about taking fire-starting aids (of which there are many good ones given). There’s nothing heroic, manly or “authentic” about futzing around with trying to start a fire without 'em, and is time better spent drinking/cooking/lazing/whatever. - Take pajamas, or similar warm-but-light clothing, to sleep in at night. The temptation to dress up warmly when you first get into bed should be resisted; if you’re warm when you get into bed, you will be hot later on (presuming, of course, that your bedding is adequate for the weather). I can’t count the number times on my courses that soldiers whined about waking up in the middle of the night freezing cold because they sweated heavily in their sweatshirts and sweatpants. (Hint: they’re called SWEATS… okay, so that’s a reach, but still.) - Put your pillow inside your sleeping bag or under your covers before the sun goes down. As your tent cools, condensation can develop, and your pillow is the one place you don’t want it when it’s time to go to bed. - Put heavy objects on coolers or food containers before you go to bed. Many animals, especially around campsites, can be adept at getting into places that you’d think are reasonably secure. Crumbs, food waste and other detritus will attract animals, and if what you leave out isn’t enough to satisfy them, they’ll hunt around for more. - If you can’t tightly seal or dispose of your garbage at night, keep it away from your tent and stoarge. If you’re brave, double bag it and stick it inside a vehicle (but make sure you get it out before the sun gets too warm the next day!!). I’ll think of other things as soon as the edit period expires, no doubt. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/29 "2010-07-01T06:38:00Z")
Stencil these words on your beer cooler: “Darwin Awards.” That crap about bears being more scared of you than you are of them [is total bullcrap](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBB0F7naojM&feature=fvst). If you see a bear, use hand grenades. ---
**Author:** ![kjbrasda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/74df32/32.png) [@kjbrasda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kjbrasda)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/30 "2010-07-01T07:01:26Z")
You don’t need a big fire to cook a meal. I helped out at girl scout camp when my daughter went, and I suprised how well the leaders cooked over a handful of sticks! And for ten people! I found a really cool swiss army knife style fork/spoon/knife/can opener combo at either Target or Walmart. Nice and compact, good sharp knife, though hard to get out, and after you fold out the fork and spoon, it separates for easier use. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/31 "2010-07-01T07:27:47Z")
> [@BobArrgh](#): > > We have our camping gear organized in big plastic tubs (think “Rubbermaid”) and large duffel bags. We have one large tub for dining stuff (pots, pans, dishes, washtubs, etc.) and one large tub for all the miscellaneous gear (stove, lanterns, fuel, etc.). Tents, tarps, and canopies each have their own duffel bag. > > When we get ready to go camping, we typically go through the duffel bags and remove the things we won’t need for that trip. (For example, we used to camp a lot as a family, and took 2 tents. Now that our kids are grown, we only need to take 1 tent.) As an SCA camper, this advice is worth it’s weight in gold. Having ready made bins and boxes with all your non perishable stuff in it is a huge time saver. Just wash and put away everything like it’s going to storage while you’re breaking down camp, and all you have to do when you get home is unload the boxes and that’s it. You will also need five times as much wood as you think you’ll need. ---
**Author:** ![palacheck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a88e57/32.png) [@palacheck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palacheck)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/32 "2010-07-01T08:19:38Z")
I always bring one of those cheap plastic “collapsible” water jugs that my local dollar store sells. Fill it and then poke small holes in for a portable shower. This thread reminds me of an old friend of a friend that would camp with not much more than a bed roll and a knife. This is the kind of guy that would’ve been a poster on Chris McCandless’s wall had he known him. His philosophy was that Mother Nature was outmatched and that camping was her chance for revenge. He felt that if he survived the trip he was proving to himself that he was worthy of living on planet Earth. When you’re a badass you get a pass for being a little insane. ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/33 "2010-07-01T10:46:57Z")
Here’s another practical tip. If you have a friend that displays hoarding habits in there personal lives. Don’t go camping with them. They typically insist on bring 2 or more of fucking everything. I had a friend who insisted on bringing 2 full fresh water containers for 3 people on a 5 day canoe trip. I have a water filter with me and also mentioned boiling water from the lake if we needed to, nah he only feels safe if the canoes are over loaded. Idiot. He also insisted on pre-cooking meals putting them on ice and then cooking them again when needed. Stay the fuck away from my 8 dollar sirloin. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/34 "2010-07-01T10:59:06Z")
It is a lot easier and more comfortable to travel by canoe than by foot. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/35 "2010-07-01T11:04:38Z")
> [@palacheck](#): > > This thread reminds me of an old friend of a friend that would camp with not much more than a bed roll and a knife. This is the kind of guy that would’ve been a poster on Chris McCandless’s wall had he known him. His philosophy was that Mother Nature was outmatched and that camping was her chance for revenge. He felt that if he survived the trip he was proving to himself that he was worthy of living on planet Earth. When you’re a badass you get a pass for being a little insane. I used to be into that (sans all but clothing on back and bug spray) for the summer, and sans tent in the winter, but it wasn’t survival questing or fighting against Mother Nature. It was simply that traveling very light was very easy when compared to traveling heavy. Less embuggerance. Commune with nature rather than struggle – path of least resistance. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/36 "2010-07-01T11:34:16Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > \*In the backcountry and want to start a fire? Do it right. Clear the area _completely_ of everything that is not dirt and rock. And dig out all roots that are under or adjacent to where the fire will be. Root fires are a bitch. (Of course if there are roots of any significant size, you should find another location for your fire rather than harm the tree.) BTW, as far as fires go, consider the long-lasting mess they make that tends to get tramped about a campsite. Consider using a fire pan, and packing out your cold ashes at least to the degree of spreading them well away from the site. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/37 "2010-07-01T12:17:34Z")
I figure that a mylar sheet (space blanket) is pretty high on the list of things to bring. The sheet gives you shelter that includes wind protection, heat retention, wet ground/snow cover protection, and in a pinch can be a solar still and used as a canteen. It is radar detectible, which comes in handy if you paddle in the big wide open when it is foggy or in big swells (or if you need a tinfoil hat :rolleyes: ). On the comfort level, the hot rocks after a campfire and a couple of mylar sheets make for a terrific sauna (take care for exploding rocks, though – best to put the rocks through a heat-wet cycle before using them in the sauna). A few feet of duct tape can also be pretty handy, particularly for first aid (be it for taping up lacerations or for binding on splints), but also for general construction and repairs for everything from making a sauna from mylar sheets to fixing a hole in your canoe. (If things go really well in the sauna, duct tape also makes for effective birth control. :eek: 😛 ) Of course to get laid after a sauna, you first need to have a fire to get the sauna going, so matches are handy. More to the point, if you need to be evacuated because it is time for dinner and you and your sauna buddy need a flight into town, it’s nice to be able to light signal fires (pattern of three / triangle). [Muffin:](http://my.tbaytel.net/culpeper/FirstDateInTemagami.html) > [@](#): > > Our first date. Paradise Pool at the western edge of Temagami. A small, cliff ringed lagoon with bottomless visibility, a waterfall for climbing and diving and swimming underneath, and a small rock platform for sunning, surrounded by the sweet scent of ferns and cedars. Then that evening, a jury-rigged sauna on a large rock ledge about ten feet above the turquoise waters of Wolf Lake, under a full moon. Glowing coals, hot steam, Karen and I whipping each other’s backs with slender birch branches, then running and diving into the cool lake, and floating on our backs looking up at the full moon and the stars. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/38 "2010-07-01T12:19:02Z")
You are not survivor man. Unless you have bothered to get some experience in visual identification of reptiles, treat all snakes as if they were venomous and leave them alone. DO NOT try to kill it. I mean it. Here is what you do. 1. For all animals other than rattlesnakes: If you can see them, and safely do so, take a good hard stomp in their direction. Nearly all snakes will flee from the vibration and threat. If you cannot see the head of the animal, or if it holds it’s ground, hisses, or threat displays (gapes it’s mouth) back off the way you came and go around. If you can’t go around for some reason, then throw rocks at it (gently) to get the animal to move away. 2: For rattlesnakes: If you hear a rattlesnake: STOP IMMEDIATELY. Do not take another step and be as still as possible. Look slowly down in as many degrees as you can comfortably without causing a lot of motion; start right at your feet and sweep outward until you can locate the animal. Go around. If you cannot locate the animal, check your immediate area of safety (3 feet in any direction) If that seems to be clear, then back off slowly the way you came and go around in the direction farthest from the direction of the noise. If that means giving up your rock climb early, then so be it. That animal owns that rock ledge as far as you are concerned. 3: IF YOU HAVE NO OTHER OPTION BUT TO HANDLE OR MOVE A SNAKE: Grab a long sturdy branch (three foot minimum) and use it to gently push under the center of the animal. Lift it out of your way keeping it at full arms length at all times. 4: If you do manage to safely kill a snake (which I will NOT tell you how to do) and want to eat it:( rattlesnakes are tasty!) Remember to completely sever the head of the animal and either bury it or throw it into the fire. The heads are capable of reflexive bites for a certain period of time after death, and the venom is still potent until it begins to rot. Most accidental envenomations come from people playing with the heads trying to show off the fangs to someone or the like. Consider that part still armed and dangerous and safely dispose of it. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/39 "2010-07-01T12:30:40Z")
Missed the edit. Lastly: Baby snakes are always more dangerous than adult ones. The adults don’t waste venom and usually will “dry bite” a threat; the little ones don’t have control over their venom gland and will always wet bite a threat. ooh! GENERAL RULE FOR SCORPIONS: Fat tail little pinchers: DANGEROUS [example](http://image16.webshots.com/16/9/79/63/2909979630099701522EeQljF_ph.jpg). Skinny tail, big pinchers [example](http://ncreptiles.com/images/chimage.jpg) : Painful but probably harmless unless you are allergic. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073/40 "2010-07-01T12:36:02Z")
Acid Lamp, I’m getting 404d when clicking on your first link, but the URL in your link is OK when I paste it in my browser. My interwebs fu is lacking. Nastly looking little fucker. Thanks for the pics and explaining the difference. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/practical-tips-for-camping/545073.md?page=3)