When setting our for your next adventure there are a few tips we can offer that might help you avoid some common camping mistakes. Keep in mind, no links in this article were sponsored.
Your phones light wont cut it
Bring a few light options and maybe some backup batteries/fuel. While you phones light seems bright, it might be one of the most inefficient flashlights and only works a few feet in front of you.
Flashlights are an easy, cheap option to keep with your camping gear. There are a ton of options including lights you need to shake to produce power, solar power lights, and high intensity flashlight (recommended). Most are fairly durable and wont drain your phone batter, which can be much harder to find a charge for in the woods.
Lanterns are a great option to keep on a table or on the ground nearby. They can be battery power like the flashlight, but some of the better option run off fuel. This 1500 lumen option from Coleman will light your campsite up with ultra-bright light that can outshine your campfire. Just to bring enough fuel.
Head lamps are the easy hands free option and many offer more than one light option. The Black Diamond Spot 350 offers a full array of light options, from the long-range dual LED beam to a softer proximity LED. There is even a low red light for use around camp. You can even strap on of these to a clear water bottle for a quick lantern.
Don’t assume you can sleep in a hammock
Hammocks a extremely light weight sleeping options that can keep you bug free and dry all night. However, don’t assume you can just kick back in one and fall asleep for the night. If you’re a heavy sleeper, this might not bother you. However the bend in the fabric, constant sway, and inability to spread out make it far from desirable for most.
Lumpy or slanted ground
I’ve heard it before, “It doesn’t slant that much” or “you wont even notice”. Inevitably, you always notice at night. Sleeping on slanted ground, even a slight slant, will cause you to slowly slide in that direction during the night. Eventually your head, feet, or side are going to be up against the side of the tent. If this happens it can cause water to seep through the wall of your tent and cause moisture to build up on you sleeping bag.
Lumpy ground can be overcome with the right sleeping pad. Self inflating options with foam on the inside are great options for car camping. If you are backpacking, there are plenty of options that foldup small enough to fit into a backpack cupholder. Klymit has some the more inexpensive options for pads and pillows that can fully inflate in less than 30 breaths.
Don’t ignore a rain fly
Tents (almost always) come with one for a purpose. Even if there is no rain in the forecast things can change without you knowing, especially if you’re outside of cell service. If you’re tent is has seen better days, sometimes its a good idea to add some additional protection in the form of a trap. This also serves as effective wind protection. Make sure you don’t place your tent in a shallow area where water can pool otherwise you might have an early morning.
More fire wood. 3x more
My dad always said the first thing you do once you done setting up camp is to start getting firewood. I couldn’t agree more. Depending on where you are, it can be time consuming and may require a decent amount of work. The area around your campsite is often over picked due to the people who came before you. One easy tip for car camping is to go further up or down the trail looking for areas where there are no campsite and a lot of fallen trees. With the Mountain Pine Beetle affecting much of the western parts of the US there are often a lot of fire wood options in areas not over picked.
These fallen trees mean you will have a lot of wood, but it needs to be processed into firewood so it fits into the fire ring. This also gives you more control over the size of the fire. Brining a saw or hatchet is recommended as it doesn’t need fuel or a motor that can fail, and is an easy addition to your gear. A bow-saw is one of the best ways to cut fire wood.
If you’re heading out during fire season, check out these tips to make sure you stay safe and responsible. No links in this article were sponsored.