What's your best tip or hack for camping?
-
What's your go-to brew method for camping? I find the Aeropress tough to beat.
Although my favourite camping coffee memories are with my parents' beat-up old moka pot and pre-ground beans from the grocery store. I love me a good cup of coffee, but sometimes the best cup isn't about the beans or the brew. It's about the time, space, and people you share it with. Some of my all-time favourite cups of coffee came out of that piece of crap moka pot.
An all-metal French press is, IMO, hard to beat. Easy, simple cleanup, not too heavy (depends on the press you get), and makes a good cup o Joe.
-
Any kind–drive-up camping, backpacking, RV camping, in the woods, at the beach, in a shelter, let's hear it all.
I know some swear by the travel bidet (not for everyone), but for the masses, a pack of biodegradable “flushable” wipes are a great addition to your toiletry kit. Just one or 2 after you’re done with all of your other business leaves you nice and fresh for the day and can bury them if you’re backpacking.
-
I know some swear by the travel bidet (not for everyone), but for the masses, a pack of biodegradable “flushable” wipes are a great addition to your toiletry kit. Just one or 2 after you’re done with all of your other business leaves you nice and fresh for the day and can bury them if you’re backpacking.
I'm honestly extremely doubtful that these should be buried. TP already takes a long time to decompose, and these wipes tend to be sturdier than TP. Imo, if you aren't already using a wag bag, then you should be if you are using these wipes.
-
I'll add to this, know how to use good rope, learn a few knots, and you'll be surprised at how often you use them even in your daily life.
My favorites, and thus my recommendations, are these, in order of usefulness.
- The Bowline. Obviously. It's one of the most versatile knots you can make. You use it to create a loop around something, and that loop will not move. It will not tighten or loosen, it can support your body weight and more. It's often used to haul people up when they've fallen into a crevice or hole, because a noose would tighten around your chest and hurt you on the way up, but a Bowline will not.
And, if you need a noose, you can make a small looped Bowline, and pull the lead line through it to make a noose that will self tighten on whatever your putting it around.
Best of all, the Bowline is easy to remove. You know how hard a regular square knot is to undo? Especially if you've pulled it really tight? A Bowline knot, by design, is always easier to undo, even if it's seen hundreds of pounds of load. It really is the best knot, in my opinion.
If you can only learn one knot, make it a Bowline.
- Truckers hitch. I use this knot all the time. Have you ever tried to use rope to tie something down? And no matter how tight you pull the rope, by the time you're done making the knot, the rope has slipped a bit, and it's looser than you'd like? Especially annoying when trying to put up a clothes line at camp, and it's all droopy.
Enter the truckers hitch. This knot let's you cinch the rope up super tight, and lock it in place, so it stays that way. Plus the finished knot always has a tail you can pull to easily undo it. This is useful for clotheslines, hammocks, tying stuff to your truck or bike, plenty of uses, easily my second favorite knot. Tied for first, practically.
- Sheet bend. Have a rope that's too short? Need to extend it a bit to get the job done? Sheet bend, double or triple sheet bend depending on the load. Easily connects two ropes together, and comes undone easy enough when you need it to, unlike if you just used two square knots.
.
- Clove Hitch. Quickly and easily tie the end of a rope to a circular object like a pole or tree. Goes on easy, comes off easy.
.
- Butterfly. Make a non sliding loop anywhere in the middle of a rope. Don't load the rope too hard though, this knot can be tough to undo.
.
- Spike hitch, similar to butterfly, but more likely to slide, tightens like a noose on whatever you loop through it under load, but has a wide variety of uses that become more apparent the more you play with rope and knots. Fun fact, this knot is easy to learn, because it's the basis for the Bowline and truckers hitch.
There's definitely more knots to learn, and others will have opinions on which ones are the best. But these are my favorites. Just learning the first two will be extremely helpful to you.
Edit: wow that formatting really got away from me. I'm on mobile, so I'm leaving it, sorry
The explanation I've always heard for the sheet bend is that it is used for tying together differently sized ropes. But honestly, every time I've tied it, it was fiddly to tie and felt sketchy to actually load. For any actual work that is important or possibly dangerous, I would not use a sheet bend. The double fisherman's is far more secure. The flat overhand bend is almost as secure (depending on the rope), and fast to tie. If untying after loading is a priority, you can just tie two bowlines with the loops going into each other - back them up with barrel knots if you expect cyclical loading, as this can cause bowlines to slip.
Everyone I know talks about how easy the butterfly is to untie after loading. But then, they are comparing to an overhand or figure 8 on a bight. If being able to untie after loading is a priority, I use the bowline on a bight.
For anyone reading - please do not try to haul anyone up anything using your newfound bowline skills, unless you are in a very safe situation - like, helping someone walk up a steep hill. Hauling unconscious bodies through the air without appropriate precautions can kill or permanently disable a person. Especially don't do this with cheap Walmart rope that is rated for "trust me bro". And especially don't do this if you don't understand how to preserve your progress, gain mechanical advantage, or lower the victim again safely. Source: rock climber for 15 years, WFR certified, SPRAT certified.
-
Hammocks are the best tents, especially for solo camping. Some pack up so small I can fit the hammock, tarp and bug net into the pockets of cargo pants.
Thermo-rest is your best friend, even in a hammock. Having a wind pass under your body will make you real cold.
Scout campsites thoroughly for poison ivy, poison oak, anthills, wasp nests, etc.
Pay attention to sleeping bag ratings and remember that a 0°C rating just means you won't die at that temp, not that you'll be comfortable. Sleeping bags are one of the few things with a strong cost/quality correlation.
Always have rope. Bring lots of rope. Know what makes a good rope.
Hammock camping is a very personal decision. Personally, I tried it for a while and just found it to be a hassle, and I never managed to find a comfortable sleep position.
But the hammock campers I do know recommend getting an underquilt instead of using a sleeping pad. Of course, this can fuck you over if you can't find any trees - but the underquilt isn't weirdly square in the hammock, and instead just conforms to the hammock's shape.
-
Birch bark torn into strips and layers makes good kindling. Sticks with little strips cut out and frayed to the side makes good tinder. Cotton balls covered in vaseline are my firestarters of choice. Drier lint is also good. If you're using charcoal, the bag is great for that as well.
Wool socks. And for the love of all that is holy bring some seasonings. Salt and Pepper are great, but they even sell little seasoning bottles for backpacking that screw together. Trust me.
My favorite fire starter is a butane torch.
In general, the rule for tinder is that you want things that are dry and have lots of surface area and puffiness. A high surface area to mass ratio allows the tinder to heat up faster and reach it's ignition point, but it needs enough structure to ensure there is oxygen around all the exposed surfaces. So a folded or rolled up newspaper isn't great, but crumpled balls of newspaper go up instantly.
-
Pool Noodles - Place them like this in your canopy so they add tension to the roof. This will prevent rain water from collecting near the edge and weighing down the roof.
I always place the entrance to my tent under a canopy. This allows me to to stay dry when entering the tent. It also protects me from the sun. And I can put a rug down in front of my tent to wipe my feet.
If you are using multiple canopies, considering some canopy gutters. They are basically 1 foot by 10 feet strips of tent material that you attach between two canopies. This way you don't have to avoid the drip-strip under two canopies.
Outdoor rugs can help to prevent the ground from becoming a muddy mess. They sell large, lightweight plastic rugs that work very well for this. They can be folded down to a portable size and are very light. They allow water to pass through, so they don't soak it up and become heavy.
I've learned to not put a tarp under my tent, that just traps water between the tent and the tarp. Put a tarp down inside your tent and then put a rug (or towels) on top of that. Nice dry comfy rug in your tent.
Apparently it rains every time I go camping...
This man rain glamps
-
Tarps are your friends. Obviously get the footprint sized ones for your tent but bring extras. I like to have one in front of my tent for shoes and things to keep it cleaning going in and out. Or I like to use it to change on if my tent is too small. Great to throw over or wrap things to avoid the dew in the morning. Got to bring a tarp
You can also just grab tyvek scraps from a construction site.
-
some have red light functions, which wont blind people youre looking at
Highly recommended if you camp socially often. Blinding people with your headlamp is a social faux pas among experienced outdoors people.
-
Any kind–drive-up camping, backpacking, RV camping, in the woods, at the beach, in a shelter, let's hear it all.
For anyone reading this thread, my best advice is to learn to identify the different types of camping in order to identify what will be useful information to you. The bushcrafter has a different objective from the van camper, who has a different objective from the ultralight backpacker.
-
What's your go-to brew method for camping? I find the Aeropress tough to beat.
Although my favourite camping coffee memories are with my parents' beat-up old moka pot and pre-ground beans from the grocery store. I love me a good cup of coffee, but sometimes the best cup isn't about the beans or the brew. It's about the time, space, and people you share it with. Some of my all-time favourite cups of coffee came out of that piece of crap moka pot.
Moving camps and space/weight an issue (backpack, xc ski, kayak, bike), instant coffee.
Base camp with day trips or car camp.
-
About 2-3 cheap string-lights that run off USB battery packs (EDITed out this:
run off the 2x AA-battery-packs). Mulitple light angles is better than a single light source. Cheery and festive. Get a multicolored string, if camping with kids or you are a fun camper.Also OSMand mapping software, configured with offline maps of your camp area. Install the hillshades and height maps for extra detail.
Enable and add an overlay-layer of Satellite data.
Then scan your camp area and surrounds while online, so that it will cache the satellite map tiles needed when you are off-grid.wrote on last edited by [email protected]I just want to add that I got a cheap string of LED red lights that just power off a USB power bank. Red light lets you see in the dark while not ruining your night vision! I create a huge circle around me because somehow that makes me feel safe when I’m sitting at a fire.
-
Ear plugs. Because that rustling of leaves is just a raccoon and most definitely not a serial killer. I like wax earplugs for sleeping versus foam.
Maintain hygiene regimens to greatest degree possible. Don't skimp on washing face or brushing teeth that you would typically do at home.
Food makes or breaks a trip for me. The weather could be awful, plans could go awry, but as long as everyone is well fed, there's potential.
I'm not a no-tech purist while camping but do try to use trips as a time to reset tech habits. Can you go for 24 hours without an Internet connected device? Kinda similar to the occasional dry week or break from coffee/caffeine: check in and see how you're interacting with tech.
Have a first aid kit and know how to use the stuff in it.
Somehow the idea of a raccoon is scarier to me and always causes me to wake up and start growling like some prehistoric dingus
-
The explanation I've always heard for the sheet bend is that it is used for tying together differently sized ropes. But honestly, every time I've tied it, it was fiddly to tie and felt sketchy to actually load. For any actual work that is important or possibly dangerous, I would not use a sheet bend. The double fisherman's is far more secure. The flat overhand bend is almost as secure (depending on the rope), and fast to tie. If untying after loading is a priority, you can just tie two bowlines with the loops going into each other - back them up with barrel knots if you expect cyclical loading, as this can cause bowlines to slip.
Everyone I know talks about how easy the butterfly is to untie after loading. But then, they are comparing to an overhand or figure 8 on a bight. If being able to untie after loading is a priority, I use the bowline on a bight.
For anyone reading - please do not try to haul anyone up anything using your newfound bowline skills, unless you are in a very safe situation - like, helping someone walk up a steep hill. Hauling unconscious bodies through the air without appropriate precautions can kill or permanently disable a person. Especially don't do this with cheap Walmart rope that is rated for "trust me bro". And especially don't do this if you don't understand how to preserve your progress, gain mechanical advantage, or lower the victim again safely. Source: rock climber for 15 years, WFR certified, SPRAT certified.
Thanks for the expert advice! I didn't realize sheet bends were so suspect, I'll have to research the knots you described.
Hmmm, maybe I tied the butterfly wrong or am remembering it wrong. I'll have to play with it and see, it's honestly been a year or two since I've put one under load.
And thanks for the disclaimer! Yeah I didn't mean to make it sound so easy to help someone with knots, I've never actually used a bowline for this purpose, I've just heard it explained that way for emergency use. But I agree it'd have to be an extreme emergency to risk using the wrong equipment or technique, better to just wait for proper help if it's safe to do so.
All of my experience is just novice stuff with Paracord, etc etc. My rock climbing experience is all just indoor bouldering
Thanks again!
-
I just want to add that I got a cheap string of LED red lights that just power off a USB power bank. Red light lets you see in the dark while not ruining your night vision! I create a huge circle around me because somehow that makes me feel safe when I’m sitting at a fire.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Nice, I'll check for the USB ones.
A large red circle... summoned anything yet? :^P
-
Any kind–drive-up camping, backpacking, RV camping, in the woods, at the beach, in a shelter, let's hear it all.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]For most outdoors-people the terms camping and binge drinking are interchangeable so a couple of luxuries are needed for the next morning.
First up to take care of is the morning AGB (After Grog Bog) so a camping dunny and a toilet/shower tent is a must. Don't fool yourself into thinking a shovel and hole in the ground is good enough, you are not a cat.
Second is some wet bum wipes for cleaning the dags off your turd cutter after dropping off your AGB.
Third is an Aeropress (and a set of scales!) for making yourself a good coffee. This easy to use hardware is well known and the internet is full of peoples favourite recipe for creating the perfect coffee:
- 18g of coffee
- 90g of water
- 90 second brew time
- flip over and press into mug (should take about 10 seconds to press down)
- add more hot water and/or a little bit of milk to your personal preference
-
Thanks for the expert advice! I didn't realize sheet bends were so suspect, I'll have to research the knots you described.
Hmmm, maybe I tied the butterfly wrong or am remembering it wrong. I'll have to play with it and see, it's honestly been a year or two since I've put one under load.
And thanks for the disclaimer! Yeah I didn't mean to make it sound so easy to help someone with knots, I've never actually used a bowline for this purpose, I've just heard it explained that way for emergency use. But I agree it'd have to be an extreme emergency to risk using the wrong equipment or technique, better to just wait for proper help if it's safe to do so.
All of my experience is just novice stuff with Paracord, etc etc. My rock climbing experience is all just indoor bouldering
Thanks again!
No problem.
And you are probably tying the butterfly correctly. It's just easier to untie than an overhand on a bight, which can get absolutely welded under load. But seriously, bowline on a bight is such a sexy knot to untie after loading. It just comes right apart no problem.
-
Headtorch.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Honestly good to have in general if you live in a place that's sometimes night.
-
Highly recommended if you camp socially often. Blinding people with your headlamp is a social faux pas among experienced outdoors people.
If you are cheap like me, you can use a normal head torch and hold it in your almost-closed fist, that reduces the blinding a lot and you can control how much light you want
-
Hammock camping is a very personal decision. Personally, I tried it for a while and just found it to be a hassle, and I never managed to find a comfortable sleep position.
But the hammock campers I do know recommend getting an underquilt instead of using a sleeping pad. Of course, this can fuck you over if you can't find any trees - but the underquilt isn't weirdly square in the hammock, and instead just conforms to the hammock's shape.
I prefer the thermarest because the shape keeps it in the hammock instead of getting messed up with my tossing and turning. It just conforms when I'm on it.
I have never had a situation where I couldn't find trees to camp in. Assuming any dessert campers out there know what kind of land they're exploring before they pack their gear. With a few extra pieces you could anchor to rock, too.
