Camping

Camping. Spending time in the woods. Having a fire. What can go wrong?

What Do I Need for a Night in the Wilderness.

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Back when I was in Boy Scouts when we did backpacking, we did often did with about fifty pounds on our backs, and honestly it wasn’t a lot of fun. When I start doing some wilderness camping myself this summer, I want to pack as little as possible, but have the supplies to camp in relative comfort.

  1. Camping hammock – A camping hammock provides a comfortable place to sleep, without having to bring a sleeping pad or tent.
  2. Bug Net and bug spray – I need to get a bug net to use over my camping hammock. This is especially critical during black fly season but throughout the year, mosquito could be obnoxious while sleeping in the wilderness, especially near a lake.
  3. Two or three cigarette lighters – Lighters are important for starting fires, which will provide light, warmth, and a way to cook without bringing a camp-stove back in wilderness.
  4. Trowel – For burying poop, digging out a fire pit,
  5. Rope – For hanging the bear bag, hanging up the tarp.
  6. Water – Sufficent water for hiking, plus at night at camp.
  7. Small pot and frying pan – For boiling water if necessary, cooking on the fire.
  8. Old cloth bag – For storing food in a bear bag.
  9. Map and compass – For navigating. I rarely use a compass, but if I were to get off a trail, I could use it to navigate back onto the trail.
  10. Two or three flashlights – Flashlights break. Batteries go dead. I want to make sure I have light at night in the wilderness.
  11. Camera – For making videos and taking photos of what I’ve seen.
  12. Cellphone – For entertainment, journaling, listening to music and podcast. Might be handy in emergencies, and it’s fun to check out my exact location on the GPS, when I can find a land mark to orient myself on the trail
  13. Additional Battery Pack – To charge my phone at night, so I can have all night entertainment, music, podcasts, journal.
  14. Extra socks, pair of underwear and t-shirt. Wet clothes can be miserable. While I doubt I would need a full change of clothes, I think having a pair of socks, underwear, t-shirt is a good thing.
  15. Toilet paper – Self explanatory, it cleans up better than leaves. I’d burn it, rather then let it become litter, even if it’s burried.
  16. Small first aid kit – Just some bandages, wet wipers in small plastic bag.
  17. Multi-function Knife – For anything I’d need to cut at camp. Maybe also a bigger knife, especially during hunting season
  18. Candles – To provide additional light at camp.
  19. Flags – American flag and Don’t Tread on Me flag for decoration.

Food and meals … I want to keep things as light and simple as possible, not requiring much cooking.

  1. Water – Few things are as critical as having sufficient clean water to drink. I would probably add a shot of cider vinegar to get rid of that nasty off-taste that water sometimes has locally from the minerals.
  2. Frozen Hot Dogs, Beans/Canned Veggies or Soup – Something lightweight that wouldn’t require a lot of wait. Ideally, I’d avoid canned goods, that require the can to be carried out at the end of the trip.
  3. Cookies – Calories for energy, that are tasty for a dessert.
  4. Oatmeal – For breakfast, that is quick and easy. I could boil water for that. I probably would skip coffee for breakfast.

A few other things I might want to think about bringing …

  1. Small Tarp – While I probably wouldn’t back country in rain, it might be handy for a pop up thunderstorm.
  2. Beer – I might bring a can or two of beer to enjoy by the fire at night.
  3. Fishing pole/night crawlers/few bobbers/hooks – For fishing during the summer months to pass time, additional source of food. Not going to bring my full fishing kit. Place in small plastic bags.
  4. .22 rifle – During small game season for harvesting squirrel or rabbit. I would put it on a sling and care over the shoulder.

My goal is simple: have things that can be carried in a small, lightweight backpack that would make exploring the wilderness fun, not too bogged down.

Winter Camping is Not That Cold

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A common reaction about my winter camping trip in December was people asking if it was cold. I didn’t think it was that cold, although I made sure to dress in layers, had a good working tent heater, warm campfire, and good nutritionally-dense, warm food to eat. Probably the coldest time during the whole trip was when I was out hunting, the rest of the time I was out burning calories, or sitting next to the fire or heater. When I was at camp, when I’d get cold, I’d chop wood and be warmed up quickly.

Winter is only cold if your not properly dressed for it and do stupid things like get wet and don’t have a plan for getting warm quickly. With the Big Buddy Heater, especially in the tent, I had no problems staying warm, indeed I found myself quickly turning it down because it got too hot in the tent. Sometimes there would be some cold drafts but for the most part it was delightful. At night, after the tent was warm and toasty, I’d shut the heater off and burrow under the covers. If I got cold at night, I’d reach over and turn the heat back home.

I think it’s a mistake to think winter camping is cold, although I do note the air was dry and my hands did crack easily. Hunting is cold in the winter, but not camping. Maybe if your ill prepared you might disagree – and certainly if I had better hunting gear, I’d probably been warmer. But it’s tough when your not burning calories and to keep warm, sitting still in the woods.

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