Category: Camping

4 Prepping Skills You Master after Years of Camping

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Enjoying the great outdoors by yourself or together with your friends and family is an amazing experience. There is something immensely freeing about sleeping under the open skies and waking up with the smell of fresh, untamed morning air filling your nostrils. However, this experience isn’t one without its challenges.

What You Need to Know

It generally takes campers a long time to get accustomed to all the different situations a camping trip might involve. Fortunately, you can take some shortcuts in the learning process if you are dedicated enough. Here are the four most important prepping skills you master after years of camping.

1.    Choosing the Right Equipment

The equipment you bring along with you on your camping trip is vital to your comfort and well-being. A high-quality tent is a must, and so is a well-insulated sleeping bag. Investing in a sturdy backpack that can fit all your essentials is your best bet if you want to be prepared for anything that might occur.

You also need to be prepared in case the weather turns unexpectedly humid. One thing that every seasoned camper needs to know is how to waterproof leather boots in case they don’t have ones that already possess that quality on hand. Add in a sturdy raincoat and you’re all set for even the most unexpected surprises Mother Nature could throw onto you.

2.    Packing Lightly

When you’re out in the wild, packing lightly is essential, especially when you prefer hiking up to remote places to get away from the world for one weekend. To do this like a pro, you will need to know what the essentials are depending on the location and duration of your trip. Multi-purpose items such as a Swiss army knife, are an excellently practical choice.

On top of that, always remember not to bring too many separate outfits. You’ll end up not wearing them anyway, so focus on warm, layering appropriate-clothing instead. It’s important to prepare for cold weather, even if the forecast says otherwise. Furthermore, one pair of boots is enough. Always make sure you have clean socks and undergarments on hand, but don’t overdo it.

3.    Adequate Food Storage

Naturally, bringing a balanced variety of canned and fresh food is essential while out camping. Cooking out in the open wilderness is a very nourishing experience for both body and mind, but it also comes with its risks. Something that a lot of beginner campers don’t realize is that storing food properly is also crucial while out camping.

During the day, whatever you bring needs to be kept in a cooler to preserve its freshness for as long as possible. Then, before going to sleep at night, make sure to put any leftovers in the car or any anti-bear enclosure on the campgrounds so that wildlife isn’t drawn to it. Bears coming in the middle of the night looking for food aren’t a myth, unfortunately.

While they most likely won’t hurt you during their food foraging, you don’t want to wake up the next day and have nothing left to eat. In addition, scaring them away is potentially dangerous, so it’s best to avoid this hazard altogether.

4.    First Aid Kit

According to Recreation.gov, an adequate first aid kit is one of the best things to have on hand if you want to ensure that you and all the other members of your group stay safe. The perfect one contains antiseptics for scrapes and cuts, insect repellent, pain relievers, sunscreen, tweezers and a snakebite kit as well.

If anyone in your group has any special needs as far as allergies or any other health conditions are concerned, make sure to tailor your little emergency box to their situation. Antihistamines are a good addition, as is any other essential medicine. And if you’ve got some room to spare, throw in some duct tape as well. It is a great multi-purpose item to have on hand.

Conclusion

Nature is beautiful, but it can also be dangerous. This is why you need to do your best to always protect yourself and those around you. It will be hard at first, which is why you need to stick to the beaten path. Slowly, you will learn how to deal with various situations and you can venture out into true wilderness when you feel courageous enough.

It’s essential to remember a few things. Always choose the right equipment. Your tent and your sleeping bag are your most trusted allies, so make sure they are sturdy and reliable. When in doubt, always go waterproof, and always pack lightly. Make room in your backpack for what’s important and bring as many multi-purpose items as you can.

Finally, a first aid kit is your best friend in case you or someone nearby gets hurt. Pack it with everything you and your group need to maintain your safety and well-being. But most importantly, don’t forget to have fun!

January 31, 2018
Easy solutions for common camping problems
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Minor issues may seem important when you are isolated and unprepared at your campsite. In collaboration with Smores and Snores you should be prepared for any malfunctions related to camping with the tips and tricks below.

My gas stove does not turn on

Make sure the gas supply is intact

When your camping stove does not turn, you must first check that you have not run out of gas. Shake the gas cartridge; the more noise it makes, the lighter it is and the less gas inside.
- If there is a lot of gas in the cartridge but it does not reach the burner, tighten all hose connections to eliminate any leaks.
- Still no luck? Disconnect the hose between the cartridge and the burner and check each junction for blockages. Blow strongly through the pipe to remove anything that could block the gas supply. Connect the hose to the connectors and try turning it on again.
I can not light the campfire
Use an improvised fire starter

Unless your firewood is completely dry and you can make your fire out of the wind, it can be very difficult to start a fire. There is a range of materials that you can use to make small wood and thus light the fire:

Sawdust dipped in candle wax melted and rolled into a ball.

Plush from the pockets of your clothes.

Cardboard waxed milk or fruit juice, cut into slices.

Crumpled pages of an old guide.

Dry wood chips cut from the core of a stick or branch.

Another working tool is the Firesteel:

A Firesteel is the most reliable way to light a fire. Unlike matches or a lighter, these metal bars are unaffected by water and can be used to hit an intensely hot spark on your kindling.
There is mold on my camping chair
Refresh it with a stiff brush

If your camping chair was wet when it was stored during the winter, mold could have developed there. This is unsightly and can also destroy the fabric of the chair.

Use a stiff brush to remove the mildew from the surface, then rub the black stains on the fabric with warm water solution and bleach.

Allow the bleach solution to soak in the tissue so that all mold spores in the material are destroyed. Rinse with water, then let it air and sun dry.
The needle of my compass is stuck

Remove the static effect

The movement of a compass needle can be affected by static electricity in your clothing. Rub some water on the case of the compass to disperse the electric charge. This should release the needle.
My binoculars are foggy
Dry them to remove condensation

The condensation inside your binocular lenses can not be wiped off and, if ignored, it can lead to mold – a problem much more difficult to solve.

Put your binoculars in a warm, dry place for a day or two. This should evaporate any condensation.

Alternatively, put the binoculars in a large sealed storage food container or in a freezer bag with a few cups of rice or a desiccant such as silica gel crystals (available at photo shops).
Make your binoculars last
Delicate fingering and appropriate treatment

Put lens caps on your binoculars when you’re not using them. This keeps the dust out of the lenses and protects them from scratches.

Avoid touching lenses because your fingers will leave greasy prints difficult to clean. To remove fingerprints, rub the lenses very gently with a special optical cleaning solution and lens cleaning paper.

Use a camera cleaner with a soft brush and an air blower to blow off lens dust – never wipe with a tissue because you may scratch the surface.
November 19, 2017
A Camping Disaster Became a Lifelong Experience

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A few years ago, during my college summer break, me and a group of my second year classmates went to out to the Colorado country for a 5 day long camping trip. Colorado is a beautiful state and a great option for hiking and camping, with both nature and wildlife.

We studied at the Colorado State University and the hiking spot we chose was a few hours away and it was perfect as we didn’t want to drive out too far.We knew that Colorado country is home to black bears so we had already made sure to check out the details of our camp site and we were told that bear and human contact is rare and very much preventable. Black bears can be dangerous if they come near humans although their attacks are almost always made as a defensive action and as a species black bears are not generally aggressive.

We carefully read the instructions displayed on the signs boards and also mentally revised them while walking up to the site where we grounded our tents.

When camping in bear territory, it’s important to never leave food, toiletries, or anything else that has an aroma or smell to it, outside in the camping ground or even in the tents where you sleep. Even if the things are boxed up, it won’t work unless the boxes have been sealed off properly to not allow too much smell to leak out an fill the surrounding air. We actually followed up with an instruction video by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department, which a group of campers that we met on the way shared with us. We didn’t have any of the bear resistant containers at our side but we knew from research that cars are also safe as long as the food is properly hidden away and covered.

All was going well as we set up our camps, hiked around the area a bit and started our fire at around 7 in the evening. We made macaroni and cheese which was so delicious for our starving tummies after a long exhausting day and laughed and shared storied as we finished it. As darkness approached, we collected all of our left over mac and cheese carefully in a single container, packed it up and locked it carefully in the car., because we didn’t want to create any unnecessary food waste especially since we still had four more days to go.

The five of us, two boys and three girls, then went for a short walk under the bright moonlight before sleeping. After about 20 minutes, we headed back to our camp ground and upon reaching the site, couldn’t believe what we saw. Our tent was all pulled out and torn from all ends.

And right in front of our eyes and at the spot where our fire was, which we turned off before leaving as we had our torches so we didn’t need it anymore, there was a huge black bear with its slick coat and shiny eyes, reflecting the moonlight, staring right at us.

We froze where we stood, all freaked out. The bear started moving towards us and my friends started to swerve and pray in fear. We couldn’t even run to the car as the bear was bang right in front of it, next to the remains of our tent.

Then somehow, one friend Jake remembered that we can scare the bear by darting rocks at its way so he told us to do that and one by one all of us started doing that while flashing our torches around it. We also started clapping and thumping with our feet very loudly creating lots of noise. This behavior I assume made the bear feel intimidated and he stopped moving towards us. Then I remembered that we can flap our hands in the air to let him know that we are humans and this is our territory, something which I read on the internet. I quickly started doing that and made the group do the same. Eventually after about 7-8 minutes of this whole fiasco the bear glanced around a few times quickly and then started running in the opposite direction.

We were relieved to see that the humongous mammal was finally gone but the devastation which it has caused on the site was irreversible as our tent was totally broken and torn. Only after coming back to the city I read this precious bear proofing your campsite guide which we should have looked up earlier.

We were glad that the bear hadn’t attacked our car and damaged it. Even though we had followed all the instructions, we made one grave mistake, which was leaving the fresh camp site behind unattended, in the night. I think the bear was hungry and it was probably watching us from far away. I am pretty sure if we wouldn’t have left the site, the bear wouldn’t have come. But because it saw us leave it, decided to check the place out because it would have definitely smelled the food there earlier.

Although we were so thankful to have made it past the incident without any harm our exciting camping trip had to come to an end there and then as our tent was not usable. We knew that it’s also sometimes safe to sleep out in the open but we were pretty uncomfortable with the spot as we knew bears were in the area so we cleared up the space, got into the car and drove off in the middle of the night.

Our camping disaster was truly disappointing but it definitely taught us an important lifelong lesson; never to take nature lightly and always come extra prepared. If we had packed an extra tent, and then something like this had happened, who knows we could have probably talked ourselves into staying the night and the day after at least or just move a little further away to a new spot and camp all over again.

August 23, 2017
How to Build Your Own Camping Van Like A Pro Camper?
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It is very difficult for normal people to buy their own camping van because of its high price.

To reduce cost you may try to build your own camping van. DIY is trickier but at the same time, it makes it more affordable.

It is advisable for common people to choose the second option. i.e. building their camping van and spend the rest of the money in other amenities.

It requires too much patience and hard work in making camper cargo trailer and so on the blog below; there is a mention about the same.

Building the Exterior Vehicle

While you are preparing the base vehicle for your camping van, the very first step involves cleaning the entire vehicle.

At the same time, it is important for you to check if there is the presence of rust, dents, paint or any other kind of body damage. If there is then you have to make sure to repair it entirely. Also, if you are thinking of getting camping, lab-roof top tent then do it right now.

Doing the Interior Work

It is usually seen that the delivery vans come along with bulk heads following the front row of the seating. You can fasten some of the bulk heads with the help of screws. However, some of them need welding.

Now is the time for insulation. This is important as it protects the van from the exterior noise and temperature.

For perfect insulation, you can make use of:
- Armaflex
- Rock wool
- Natural sheep wool
Completing the Water Work

Normally a camper van comprises of a simple cold water running system along with extra water canisters that are stored under the sink. Also, there is a presence of submersible water pump that will pump the water up when the tap is turned on.

The water tanks are available in different shapes and sizes. Additionally, you can store them as per your need and design of the van. Lastly, it is very important to connect everything with the help of flexible housing.

Finishing the Gas and Electricity Work

It is highly important to note that the gas and electricity installation work should be done by professionals only. If you install propane gas in your van, you can use it for cooking, heating and also run a three-way fridge.

It is very important to store the propane gas bottles in a separate space and vent the place from the bottom. It is necessary to vent the bottom place as the weight of propane gas is more than air, and so it will tend to go down.

Building your camping van like a pro is not at all an easy task but requires too much patience and hard work. At the same time, it requires a little amount of money, and you can easily spend the rest of the amount in other necessities. To make your van you have to consider many things and follow the step by step guide. Starting right from the exterior work to building the furniture, every small step is very important.
August 23, 2017
How to Make a DIY Toilet Paper Holder for Camping
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If you want a more watertight Toilet Paper Holder holder than the one we showed you a few months ago, I have a more complex version.

This version uses a 2-liter soda bottle, some string, tape and a ziplock bag.

How to Make a Toilet Paper Holder
- Cut the bottle in half, ensuring that the end with the spout is deep enough to hold your roll.
- Split the bottom of a heavy duty freezer bag and place the split end over and around the cut end of your bottle.
- Duct tape the bag to the bottle. – This should make an opening on either end – the bottle spout on one, and the bag ziplock on the other.
- Poke a hole in the center of the bottle top and thread a string through it, knot it on the inside so it will not pull out. Attach the other end of the string to the neck of the bottle.
- In the center of the ziplock zipper, and outside of the actual bag, strengthen both sides with a piece of tape folded over. Do each side individually so that the zipper is not taped together.
- Poke a hole through the tape and the bag. Thread a length of string through the two holes – this is your hanging string.
To use
- Pull out one end of the paper from the center of the roll
- Remove the center from a roll of toilet paper.
- Open the ziplock end of the holder and drop in the toilet paper, pulled end down
- Fish the pulled out TP through the neck of the bottle
- Hang near your latrine area, and pull TP out as required.
- Screw lid on when done to keep anything from nesting in your holder.
- Wash hands and go enjoy the woods…
April 28, 2016