Ultimate Camping Thread

I use pallet thermal blankets that I get from work. It's quilt batting between two pieces of something that is a cross between a space blanket & a tarp.
Stove & lantern use unleaded gas.

 

you're in VA! take a road trip to Harlan Ky and enjoy them mountains

 

Aside from sleeping with water etc i bring an extra cooler, helps keep things from freezing also.

 

I usually put a closed cell foam mat down (like a Ridge Rest or Z Lite) under my regular Therm-a-Rest. It makes an awesome barrier against the snow, and is super tough and lightweight.

In really cold (like on Mt. Rainier) I have boiled water, poured it into a Nalgene, put the bottle in a noeprene sleeve, and slept with it in my bag. As mentioned, seal that thing tight - any water that leaks out will kill the insulative power of your sleeping bag.

Also a fat down jacket and full-zip puffy pants are like a sleeping bag you can walk in - super sweet for relaxing in camp.

 

Oh trust me, I do !!! ..... My problem though is that after visiting AZ and the Grand Canyon, I only consider what we have here as foothills compared to out there, but I do get west. Shenandoah and Blue Ridge Pkwy are only about 1.5 hours from Richmond.

MTGirl, while we don't have the elevations yall have, we do get some reasonably cold temps, teens and single digits at times... First time I used my -20* Down bag, I only had a RidgeRest foam pad, it got down to +15*. I was plenty comfy all night, but I noticed there was condensation in all the little ridges of my pad. I invested in a self inflatable that I put on top of the foam now, and don't have that problem anymore. Defintely use something else like someone mentioned along with your pad. I think you'll be fine for comfort.

As for the electronics... The camera will be fine in the cold, it's the slow warming up that's most important... Keep your batteries in a pocket, so they don't cycle in temp so drastic but do get a little warming action, most importantly, once you're done give them a full charge asap, bring a car charger if you have one, worse than the cold is letting them stay depleted in the cold.... and be sure to share the pics when you get back

 

Good deal .... You're somewhat like me. I grew up camping, I'm used to tent camping, but a couple years ago I started to do the hiking/backpacking thing. I've learned that layering your clothes is most important, and have some nice lofty stuff to put on when you're not moving. If you have a nice base layer on, that should keep you plenty warm at night in that bag if it stays at least in the teens. Women can tend to be a little colder in their chest, feet, and hands from what I understand. Try putting some sock liners on before you put on your thick wool socks for the night, that might help. It's all trial and error really. I find myself always looking for suggestions to get ideas, but you gotta try things to see what works for you ...

I travel to the west coast on occasion for work. I'm hoping to make it out to Bangor, WA eventually. If I do, I plan to take my camping/hiking gear and use some vacation to check out Rainier and Olympia, I drool when I see pics of those places.

 

I hear ya.... I just got back from Santa Barbara (beach camping).. Weather predicted 0% rain before I left... 1st day OK.. then solid rain for 3 days!

How can they miss it by so much?!

 

"Weatherman" is the only job you can be wrong 60% of the time and no one cares-except game days and you had better not f those up

 

60% of the time, they are right everytime. Lol

 

Come on now... That would have made for an interesting adventure, lol

 

pppppictures pppppplease

 

Going to rain like 4 inches tonight, that would make some terrible camping.

 

Or awesome, it can be fun to camp in the rain.

 

I once slept on a cot out in the middle of no where with nothing but a poncho draped over me to keep me dry while it rained all night. Oh the feeling of the rain coming down on you as you lay under that poncho and you slowly start to sweat because of the humidity. hahaha

Gotta love the Corps! Threw all my crap under the cot and remarkably it was all dry when it was time for my watch. hahaha