What's your best tip or hack for camping?
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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.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]I use those small paper tea filters. Bit tricky to pour over, but no need for any holders or whatever. Brought an aeropress a couple times too but figured it's not worth it for me, i will use it at home though. I want to save on the "bulk" of an aeropress though, haha.
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No matter what, don't go in the winter.
As someone who hates the cold with a passion, there's nothing worse than waking up cold in the morning because you either didn't have on enough to keep you warm during a cold winter night in a sleeping bag or had on too much and wake up cold from sweating throughout the night.
Winter campouts are the only camps I absolutely do not miss at all from my time at scouts. The cold mornings are enough for me to not suggest it, despite it not actually being that bad after you've warmed up.
Though, on a more serious note, one of the things I do remember being taught but never followed through with for various reasons is to put your clothes for the next day under your sleeping bag so that way the next day they should be warm or at least warmer so you aren't putting on freezing cold clothes. Especially good for things like jeans because there's nothing worse than putting on jeans with frigid cold metal buttons if your hands are already trembling a little from the cold winter morning in general.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Just to toss this out there, don't put your clothes actually under the sleeping bag unless the goal is wet clothes. Definitely strip down in your sleeping bag though, this way you don't sweat all night and have warm/dry clothes to put on before climbing out in the morning. There have been mornings I've had to crack the ice off my outer shell and been fine climbing out. Seems like a lifetime ago but that was what we were taught in the Army... now I have a small camper because... well because I don't want to have an extra soreness when I wake up lol.
Edit: typos
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Thanks for sharing the OSMand recommendation and configuration.
I've got a hike coming up, so I just installed it - wow, it's fantastic. It captures the elevation change and distance. I thought I'd need to limp along with Google maps, but OSMand is sooo much better (and open source).
edit: a word
You're welcome. OSMand is a fun powerhouse.
You can test which offline-map tiles you have by switching to airplane-mode.
There is a 3D map view also, but it may still be in testing status.
As always, for all people heading out remote, it's good practice to have a secondary map available, such as a laminated paper map.
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Just to toss this out there, don't put your clothes actually under the sleeping bag unless the goal is wet clothes. Definitely strip down in your sleeping bag though, this way you don't sweat all night and have warm/dry clothes to put on before climbing out in the morning. There have been mornings I've had to crack the ice off my outer shell and been fine climbing out. Seems like a lifetime ago but that was what we were taught in the Army... now I have a small camper because... well because I don't want to have an extra soreness when I wake up lol.
Edit: typos
Normally I'd be on solid ground, in a tent, with a sleeping mat beneath my sleeping bag, so it would probably be safe to keep my clothes under it, probably towards the end of the bag near my feet. I've also never had any sort of ice forming on my sleeping bag before since we always had tents for every campout as needed.
Maybe I'm misremembering the advice or it's bad advice, but in general I am probably never gonna have another chance to test this advice. So I'll take your word for it.
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Love that chair, you can also use it in the tent unlike other chairs. Most of the times i use it as a lounger with the seat area single layered.
Mine is the older style with the ends closed so you have to fold it and stuff it in, can't let an end stick out. But it's fine, and after a day of hiking, it's beautiful to have something with a back to sit in when you're making supper or sitting around the fire.
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Best time of the year to camp is spring and fall. The nights are cool while the days are warm. You are either too early or too late for mosquitos. It can be less busy as well.
Summer camping gets too hot both during the day and at night.
I'd amend this to say 'know what the seasonal conditions are for your area and plan accordingly.' In Washington for example Spring is generally too cold for comfortable camping (the temperature typically drops to ~30-45 during at night). While August/September is peak wildfire season nowadays. So June, July, early August are your best bets unless you're happy toughing out the cold or the smoke.
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I'd amend this to say 'know what the seasonal conditions are for your area and plan accordingly.' In Washington for example Spring is generally too cold for comfortable camping (the temperature typically drops to ~30-45 during at night). While August/September is peak wildfire season nowadays. So June, July, early August are your best bets unless you're happy toughing out the cold or the smoke.
There's always a sweet spot for temperatures. I love a 70 degree day and a 50 degrees night.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
