How to camp?

I like how you answered that

 

For the longest time, I went out with a Walmart tent, ancient mil surp mummy bag and equally old "egg crate" foam. Had to collect fire wood and cook on the fire if I wanted anything hot. I'd always bring chicken and vegetables and put it all in a big foil pouch and throw on the fire. Then i got sophisticated with a fancy wall tent and wood stove, then an RTT and gas stove. I found that although I am more comfortable and can go further out for longer, it's not quite the same.

You don't need much to get started. A fire grate for cooking on (and welding gloves to handle hot pans), sturdy bags to collect kindling and wood ( I have old Ikea bags made of tarp material), a 5-7 gallon water-tainer, an ok tent with a ground tarp and decent bag and pad and cheap cooler. Then add on other odds and ends-mess kit, saw/hatchet, baby wipes, life straw just in case, first aid kit, 550 cord and a decent fixed blade, full tang, straight edge knife. You will find a lot of uses for it. I find Gerber knives to be good quality, great price and readily available. You also won't cry if you lose or destroy it.

I got a French infantry 2 man tent off eBay for $40 recently. You don't have to spend much. I found that when the trips started getting further into wilderness, or I wanted to do things other than just be in the woods (like hike, etc) other, more expensive (convenient) gear comes into play. Hanging in one spot just making camp with minimal gear can be a ton of work, but I learned a lot and always enjoyed the self reliance and minimalistic approach. I'm glad I started out that way.

 

"Make do" not "make due". It means getting by with what you have on hand. Improvise and adapt.

 

Thanks for the mansplain. I don't know why you think my use of a historical variant of the phrase makes you believe I don't know what it means.

 

There's a lot of good information here about gear, but i think a really important aspect is your mindset. I've gone out with people who are trying to be as comfortable camping as they are just being at home. They come completely rigged out and I still have watched them have complete breakdowns. You really have to accept the fact that you're going to be dirty, wet, and just roll with it and that to me is half the fun.

Some of my friends that have camped their whole lives will literally just strap their hammock to their bike and we'll go camping on our motorcycles for 3 days in a state forest, and eat random gas station food or whatever and we just figure it out.

I'm not saying to bring nothing. I'm just saying you can do a lot with a little with the right mindset, and that goes a long way.

 

Agree - I think the difference is experience. If you have it - reducing your gear is easy because you know the absolute minimum YOU need(want).

if you are just trying it out it’s much harder to gauge. I’d rather someone be a little over prepared their first time than be miserable and not go again because of a shit experience.

 

Yeah i'm def. a supporter of bringing the right stuff. I think my point was just that its not always about having all the gear, but also bringing your sense of adventure.

 

For sure - That really is the whole point of getting out into the wilderness to begin with. Amazing how many people forget.

 

A trick I read somewhere. You take an empty paper egg crate, stuff dryer lint in the cradles, pour candle wax on the lint. It makes a great fire starter.

I camped plenty as a kid going with adults who knew what to do. Then as an adult, I realized I’m a city boy and don’t enjoy camping. Mainly because my last time was disastrous. With no directions how to get there, the plan was to caravan to the site. The leader made a left out of a gas station across 8 lanes of heavy traffic leaving us behind with no idea where it was except north. I called his cell, he left it at home. So I head north driving someone else’s truck. It overheated & left me stuck on the side of the road. 7 miles at a time, pull over & wait for it to cool off enough to start. Hours later someone calls me to tell me how to get there. 7 miles, wait, 7 miles, wait. I arrive hours later covered in mud from pouring water on the radiator. Yeah, camping isn’t for me. Neither is driving someone else’s crap that doesn’t take care of it.

Bears can smell food miles away so be smart, don’t throw your chicken bones over your shoulder. They'll come for the chicken, then decide human flesh is a bigger meal.

Flashlights
Plenty of batteries for flashlights if they're not rechargeable
Hatchet
Pruning saw for kindling
First aide kit
Know where the closest hospital and cell signal is
Hot dogs, marshmallows, skewers to cook them. Some people think a whittled stick is dirty.
Bringing a firearm is up for debate. If its a rowdy crowd that likes to fight, having access to one isn't good.

Bring too much:
Ice
Tp
Water
Undies
Rope

 

I can't remember where I saw this, but someone's packing advice was this:
-Pack in 3 groups. 1) Stuff you absolutely need. 2) Stuff that would be good to have. 3) Stuff you want to have.
-Leave groups 2 and 3 at home.

I have always brought way too much stuff, usually too much food as well.

 

I'll try to leave out stuff already mentioned previously and share some of my experience though I don't 20yrs of camping under my belt.

How many people are in the truck? This is important for packing and storage. Putting your cooler in the cab of your truck on your trip to the camping spot when it's hot weather where you likely will have AC on will help retain ice.

PLAN - Plan your route, plan you camping spots and back-up spots if those are closed, weather, stores close to your camping area if you need supplies or fuel, download offline maps of your planned area on google maps, look at other map apps, I have used Avenza and it works well for downloading state park maps or trail maps(obviously while you have service) and tracking your route without cell service incase you get lost so you can back track.

RESERCH - look into your planned camping spots to see if there fire restrictions or other restictions, national park entry times (recently tried to Rocky Mountain National but found out at the entrance that between 0900-1500 that it you HAD to have a reservation, no exceptions and reservations were 6 months out...), cost of entry and cost to camp, camping spot closures, etc.

Stuff that I used and my experience, good and bad
- Tent, I got a used one and waterproofed it after watching videos and researching...didn't quite work, got soaked during a strong rain storm (even with a trap under it) one night when my buddies were fine in their newer cheap tents. This is also where a second tarp comes into play to make an additional rain fly if needed. I recommend a newer tent. Always assume half the rated capacity, a 4 person tent is really a 2 person tent.
- Tent stakes, I'd say 12 of them is a good number since they are handy. I prefer the steel ones with the plastic tie off on the top. Had plastic ones and aluminum ones and they didn't last because I like big hammers. haha
- Rope with reflective stuff in it, 12'-15'ea and at least 8 at that length an and roll. It really sucks getting up in the middle of the night and tripping on the guy lines.
- A couple cheap lighters
- Headlamp!! I really like my Milwaukee headlamp (model 2111-21), it's rechargeable, not a distracting bright white ("trueview" is more like 3500k and is made for electricians to accurately identify wire colors), has 5 modes and stays on the last mode you set, on the med flood setting lasts a legit 8hrs+ (which I use mostly since it's enough light to do almost anything up to 10ft away) and it's durable as hell! They're around $60-$70 but I've had mine for 5-6 yrs with no issue.
- Flashlight, choose your favorite. I like rechargeable so I don't have to pack extra batteries and your truck can charge them....so duh!!
- Portable Jump Pack. Doubles as a battery pack for rechargeable stuff.
- Chairs!! Be comfy and relax, thats the point!
- Some basic silverware, disposable plates, cutlery, cooking stuff. I took a cheap small propane grill and a buddy had a butane camp stove, also a cheap one.
- Power tools with charged batteries - if you have them bring an impact for tire swaps and a sawzall with a few blades. One blade I like is a 12" pruning blade. Helps clear trails if trees or limbs are blocking it.
- Trash Bags to pick up after yourself
- Nitrile/disposable gloves, great for cooking and working on the truck if needed.
- Basic hand tools - pack light, I generally overdue this area because I work on cars and think I need everything.
- A general purpose knife, utility knife (razor blade style) and maybe a cheap axe/hatchet.
- Fire Starter - check out Weber Fire Starter Cubes, they are cheap, light easily and stay lite for a few min.
- Sleeping bag and blanket, I have had many sleeping bags fail on me due to rips and tears or the zipper. The one I found that has lasted me 8yrs is a Kelty Long 20 degree I think? (I'm 6' and have broad shoulders and it fits great) mummy bag and I was surprised that I still had room inside and how much better quality it was than cheaper ones. I think it was around $100 when I got it.
- At least one pistol and bear mace.

Things I WISHED I had
- 2 tarps MINIMUM, one for ground cover and one to go over your tent incase of heavy rain.
- Learn how to make a tarp tent (youtube)! Instead of walking sticks (expensive) or a stick you find (unreliable sources) for pitching the tent or rain fly look into collapsible shooting sticks. They are usually cheaper and taller, if you can find one that has a removable gun rest with a threaded end on the gun rest end.
- More tent/tarp rope.
- Camp Toilet
- Hammock WITH bug net
- A couple storage bins to organize stuff and keep from rolling around

Food/Drink
- Cooler, make sure to pre-chill the cooler the day before packing your cooler. This helps A LOT!
- MRE's - Good for emergencies but not for every meal, do NOT get breakfast ones...they are awful, if you know someone in active duty military the can often go to the chow hall or supply and get a few for you.
- Meat - I generally don't like Chicken for the fact of it easily spoiling if not kept cold plus salmonella is a real thig. So I stick to beef, like steak, ground beef, hot dogs and brats. Bacon and eggs is great too.
- I have one of those Walmart yeti look a like coolers and it held ice in the bed of my truck for about 3 days in upper 80's/ low 90's clear sky conditions.
- Beer is great, but takes up cooler space...I prefer whiskey (bourbon or scotch) because I'm a man! lol
- I like getting a few $1 gal of water for drinking and freezing water bottles for your cooler work great, take up less room and doesn't melt into a pool in the cooler.
- Electrolyte powder incase of dehydration.

I know, this is a lot. But I recently went on a motorcycle camping trip and found we needed less than we brought which is better than not having enough. So pack smart, make a list and check it twice. If you have the room, lay everything out on the garage floor before packing and triple check your list. But if you think about something you forgot 400 miles away home on your way to the destination, don't panic...there will be a walmart near by. haha

 

I'm surprised and disappointed that no-one has said sit in a corner with a LMG and wait.

 

Corners are so 2002. Bushes are the new hotness.

 

bring something to protect yourself

 

AR-15?

 

that's good for people but for predators i bring a .44 revolver. Might be overkill (pun intended) but i feel safer

 

This thread reminds me of my buddy who just discovered camping at the age of 40.

REI saw him coming a long way off, he loaded his car with a mishmash of gear, some best suited to backpacking, some car camping, some hammocking, and some gadgets that were completely useless, and none of it made any real sense.

After three trips he pretty much figured out exactly what his core kit needed, and what needed to be gotten rid of.


That's pretty much the point of camping. Start with a tent, mattress, blanket and stove. Did last night suck? What's going to make last night not suck, and am I willing to pay the weight/storage/time penalty to have it?

Everyone camps differently. After three trips you'll have a rough handle on your style. Have fun with it, don't buy too much gear before you've been camping, and don't forget your towel.



I will suggest one thing: Storage. Get yourself a couple of contico hard plastic tool totes and learn to organize all of your stuff in there. Things on top are the things you need to pitch first...etc. Keep those totes packed, stocked, and stored in your garage. It makes trip prep so easy it's almost non-existent. Plus the contico totes double as benches/tables at camp.

From a former 20-year car camper that finally graduated to a slightly bigger tent.

 

I've done everything from ultralight backpacking, to truck camping and everything in-between. There are some really great lists here, and some great advice! Best suggestion on here was to go out a few times with someone who knows that they are doing. Experience is the best tool you can bring. A Firestarter will do you no good if you don't know how to use it. A hatchet (I won't camp without at least 1 hatchet/axe) can f-you up if you've never used one before you hit the dirt. At this point in my camp life, I've established 4 large plano storage boxes of equipment for different needs, as well as a few dust/water proof boxes that stay in my truck (fire kit, emergency food, first aid kit). They are sorted by necessity so I can adapt to the circumstances ahead of me. Download maps and study them before you go. Make sure someone back home knows where you are going, and when you are supposed to be back. Bring a fire extinguisher so you don't end up on the news. Don't break glass and leave your site better than you found it.

 

All great advice in these posts. On any of my adventures. Back packing, camp sites , off grid. Always one extra trash bag to fill with what others have left behind.

 

You can always "camp" in your backyard a few times too. Helps to get sleeping arrangements dialed, how much bedding to bring, does the tent work, etc

You can try your hand at camp cooking without risking starvation lol

During summer as a kid, 3-4 nights a week I would sleep in a tent in the woods behind the backyard. I did that for years