Camping - Helpful Hints

[Barnacle Bill]

I thought it would be cool to start a helpful hints thread after reading about filling plastic bags with sand to anchor tents when the wind picks up... So, what things do you do to make camping easier... maybe the way you pack equipment or the way you set up your campsite or whatever you do that makes life easier in a tent.

We have plastic totes that all of the equipment goes in. One holds the cooking stuff, another the tent, etc. That way when we get home, it goes from the trailer into the storage shed quick and easy. No unpacking or anything.

Our tent has a screened in area on the front which makes it great to sit in when the skeeters are out but we also have a screened in shelter that we put up to cover the picnic table so we can eat without having our veins sucked dry in the event the skeeters show up.

When I camped on the beach for days on end, I'd have dry ice in the bottom of my cooler with regular ice on top. Then I'd bury the cooler in the sand up to about 2" below the rim. Periodically I'd wet the sand around the cooler.
The ice would keep everything ice cold for 4 or 5 days with no problems.

[Yakety Yak]

To make life easier in my little tent,I sleep on an air matress when I can use my 12 volt air pump!!

[milret]

I just got one of those self inflating mats for my tent cot. Yep it got real comfortable, but at pack up time just could not get it small enough to fit into the bag it came with. May have to try my elec. air pump in reverse mode to get more air out. Squezzing the air out is a real bear.

[CaptJack]

one of the tricks of sleeping on the ground is to shape out a hollow in the dirt for your hip/butt

always take at least a small shovel on trips to the beach
and any other time you can afford the space & weight

[Sand Trout]

Carve out a trench around the perimeter of the tent to pull the rain water away. There's nothing worse that a soaked tent.

[milret]

Thats why I got a Tent Cot. Off the ground, high and dry. Snug as a bug in a rug.

[Kelly Watson]

I really suggest that nobody take their dry bags and just throw them into a garage after a trip. All food stuff has to be rewashed and tent has to be aired out and properly dried. Unless you are independently wealthy and can buy gear at will, you will find your gear in horrible condition next time.

[CaptJack]

I really suggest that nobody take their dry bags and just throw them into a garage after a trip. All food stuff has to be rewashed and tent has to be aired out and properly dried. Unless you are independently wealthy and can buy gear at will, you will find your gear in horrible condition next time.

I ruined a NorthFace backpacking tent by putting it away damp after a trip. It mildewed. A $250 mistake.
As Kelly said, totally clean and dry your gear as soon as you get home or you'll pay for it later..

Also, don't store your tent/s in the attic. The heat destroys the coating on the rain fly.
I don't store my tents in their stuff bags. I use old pillow cases with draw strings that are at least twice the size as the stuff bags for the tents. I leave them fluffed up in the pillow cases and hung from the ceiling, along the wall in my garage.

My Eureka WindRiver4 is 25 years old now and "like new". But that's after Eureka sent me a new rain fly because I used to store it in the attic and the heat destroyed the coating on the old fly.

[bbop]

I like this thread--
We just got back from several days at Palo Duro Canyon and a fly swatter and fly strips are essentials to our campouts.
The fly swatter can help get ya some bait also!

[Tradercj]

I like to take one of those wire clamshell baskets for cooking fish.
You can cook steaks, weiners, hamburgers or roast vegetables.
It is light and there are no dishes to wash. Great for a light trip
and you can make toast and cook bacon. Eggs are trickey. If
you do catch a fish, you are set.

[Yakety Yak]

Hey Tradercj could you show us some pics of you cooking some scrambled eggs in that basket!!!!
Interesting post though!

[Tradercj]

I will have to work on the egg photo, but here is a steak.

[Yakety Yak]

Tradercj where did you get the clamshell basket? Good idea,I like it!!!

[CaptJack]

here's two I found on the HomeDepot site

Charmglow Non-Stick 2 Way Grill Basket with Rosewood Handles


Charmglow Corn on the Cob Grilling Basket with 8 Skewers


and the basket at Lowes
BBQ Grillware Non-Stick Grilling Basket

[Tradercj]

Most grocery stores have the baskets with the charcoal supplies. I think Academy sells
several different styles.

[Yakety Yak]

Thanks for the info CaptJack and Tradercj.

[DarrellS]

I always carry a hatchet,machette. para cord and a 7x9 tarp. with these you can stay out of the rain,have shade,or make a wind break.

In a storm with 90mph winds you can roll up in the tarp while your tents and boats and shoes blow away,ain't that right Ron?

[bowgarguide]

My tent and shoes did alright but my boat sure took a 100 yard roll down the sandbar. They other boys didnt fare so well.
Ron

[bbop]

Ok--A small kanundrum here---
I'm looking at getting an ax.
I see Wal Marts Ax for around 7 dollars.
I go to Lowes and see the 20 dollar ones and they don't seem any better/sharper.
I know that you usually get what you pay for--But---
Can anyone tell me the difference?

[DarrellS]

Can't you the difference,but I use a Gerber that I am very happy with.It seems to hols a sharp edge longer than a cheap ax.

[TDD]

Hey Tradercj could you show us some pics of you cooking some scrambled eggs in that basket!!!!
Interesting post though!

actually I used to have a small basket like that and forgot it at a campsite a couple of years ago and never replaced it .. this post reminded me to do it .. thanks.
Yes ..... I used to scramble or fry eggs in my basket
always carry a folded batch of aluminum foil to line the basket for whatever and also a small container of olive oil or a squeeze tube of bacon grease. You wouldn't believe what you can cook with a tiny light wire basket, some alum. foil and some bacon grease. I cooked rainbow trout every morning for a week on Jenny Lake in that basket basted with bacon grease and then scrambled eggs in it lined with alum.foil ...... um-um-good

[TDD]

Can't you the difference,but I use a Gerber that I am very happy with.It seems to hols a sharp edge longer than a cheap ax.

I am hopeing my new machette and my Gerber folding saw will keep me from needing an ax (hatchet) also on yak/pack trips ....... a good long handle ax is still handy for truck camping .... some times i bring an elec. chainsaw for campgrounds cause most will come after you if they hear a gasoline chainsaw crank up

[Bigrock]

Learned the hard way....leave "whiners" and "nitpickers" at home

[Yakety Yak]

What brand of machette did you get TD? I also have a Gerber hatchet that I like. I want to get one of the Ontario Knife Company orange handle machettes. I like your cooking info with the wire basket TD. That basket with some tinfoil would make river camping and cooking a very light way to travel. Thanks for the info.

[TDD]

What brand of machette did you get TD? I also have a Gerber hatchet that I like. I want to get one of the Ontario Knife Company orange handle machettes. I like your cooking info with the wire basket TD. That basket with some tinfoil would make river camping and cooking a very light way to travel. Thanks for the info.

from what I have read the Ontario looks to be the best for the job and it would be safer with the guard and easier to keep up with in the wilds with an orange handle .. harder to loose or leave behind. I wanted something smaller for now so I bought the Cold Steel Kukri .. http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/foru ... 8&start=25" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Learned the hard way....leave "whiners" and "nitpickers" at home

probably the Best advice so far ... but then they never will learn .. maybe just every once in a while