What to Do and Where to Go
Every camping
trip has a beginning and an end. How you remember the end
depends a lot on how much planning and preparation go into the
beginning.
"How do you know
where to ... ?" and "How do you know how to ... ?" are questions
I get asked all the time. The answers are what this chapter is
all about.
First off, let
me assure you that camping is a simple pursuit ‑ well, at least
it should be. Granted, bureaucracy has added a layer of modern
paperwork to the endeavor, but believe me when I tell you that
anyone can go camping.
The first thing
to pack is common sense. The second is patience. The third is
flexibility. And the fourth? Well, the fourth is the wild card ‑
a sense of humor. If you load up on all four, and add a few
necessary permits and other trappings of the civilized world,
you'll have a grand old time every time no matter the weather or
the surprises Mother Nature may choose to unveil.
As you gain more
camping experience, the planning becomes easier and easier, this
I promise. In fact, sometimes I don't plan at all anymore,
letting spontaneity rule the day. Granted, some of my
"spontaneous" adventures lead me down roads that are best
remembered for their trials and tribulations, but that is to be
expected when planning entails simply snatching a pack from the
garage and heading outdoors.
But I
digress. This is a beginning for you and we'd best begin to plan
a successful camping trip from start to finish.
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Determining Your
Interests
and Needs
Knowing what you want to do is just
as important as knowing where you want to go. In fact,
determining what you want to do should be the first item on the
planning agenda because the answer may very well determine what
choices you have in camping destinations. No sense planning a
camping trip to the desert if fishing is high on the agenda ‑ no
matter how beautiful the spring wildflowers may be.
To make the planning process the
most productive, ask yourself the following questions:
-
What activities am I interested in
‑ fishing, hiking, scrambling, climbing, swimming?
-
Am I seeking solitude, exercise,
group interaction, or photographic opportunities?
-
How important is seeing wildlife ‑
deer, bear, squirrels, skunks, raccoons?
-
Is studying the stars or viewing
vast fields of wildflowers important to me?
-
What is the maximum hiking,
paddling, biking, or skiing distance I and the members of my
group can handle?
-
How near to the parking area or
car do I want to be in case of emergencies?
-
What kind of temperatures and
weather can I tolerate ‑ fog, sun, rain, snow?
-
What kind of terrain am I looking
for ‑ rolling, flat, mountainous, swampy?
-
Is my group interested in
historical events or the historical significance of particular
areas such as the Yukon Goldrush, the Donner Party, or the
Cumberland Gap?
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Timing is everything
Few of us can simply pick up and
take off for the wilds at a moment's notice. Scheduling time to
recreate, as distasteful as that sometimes feels, is the norm.
That said, it is important to find out when to visit and when
not to visit the particular areas you may be considering. If you
are seeking solitude, for example, you would be ill advised not
to plan a camping trip to any National park in the Northeast
during the raining season.
Want to know when the best time is
to visit a particular park, wilderness, or campground? Call the
park or managing agency for the areas you are planning to visit
and ask them. Rangers are a helpful lot and happy to steer you
away from overcrowded, overheated, freezing, or otherwise less
desirable times to visit.
Another resource for determining the
best time to visit is a guidebook. Most guidebook authors will
add "best times to visit" notes in their descriptions. Of
course, their idea and your idea of a best time to visit may not
jibe, but it is a starting place.
Two other factors to consider are
the length and difficulty of the drive to and from the chosen
site. This may not seem like a major matter, but try sitting in
a car for too many hours with children craving to "get there"
and you have a recipe for frustration, frayed tempers, and
outbursts like, "I hate this ‑ why didn't we just stay home?!"
Not an ideal way to begin a family outing to the wilderness.
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Outdoor Gear and Gadgets
Selecting tents,
sleeping bags, and back packs Taking care of your sleeping bag
Loading a pack and hoisting it aboard Assembling a camper's
kitchen Shedding light on the whole scene.
Before heading
out on any camping adventure, you need to equip yourself.
Equipping yourself means selecting among many choices,
potentially a tough task. To make it easier for you, I cover
some basic considerations and guidelines in this chapter.
You can begin by
researching what equipment is available for the type of trip you
have in mind. Talk to friends about what they like and where
they like to shop. Check out magazines that evaluate camping
gear such as
Backpacker, Canoe & Kayak,
or
Outside.
Head to your
local specialty outdoor store and talk to a salesperson about
your needs.
After you
collect and evaluate enough product information, you will be
able to narrow your choices and make fairly educated decisions
about buying or borrowing the gear you need. Many outdoor
specialty stores rent sleeping bags, tents, backpacks, stoves,
and even child carriers. Some also rent boots, although I would
discourage renting footwear ‑ no two feet are quite the same,
and "walking in someone else's shoes" implies achy feet. The
advice I give you within these pages is current and will not be
outdated soon. However, I also recommend that if you have access
to the Web you log on to
www.adventurenetwork.com
for the most
up‑to‑date equipment buying suggestions, advice, and helpful
hints. You should also check out
www.GearTrends.com
for the
latest gear updates directly from the manufacturers.
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Tent
Any person's
camping domicile had better be a secure and roomy place to spend
the night, or that individual will be one very grumpy camper
indeed. So, all the time you invest in selecting the right camp
shelter and the money you pay for it will be time and money well
spent.
A good shelter
must be able to slip the wind without caving in, shed the rain
without leaking, offer decent ventilation so you don't feel as
if you are sleeping in a steamy locker room, and be relatively
easy to set up and take down.
Don't take the
stated tent capacity too seriously. The tentmaker may say that
the tent sleeps three, but most times that's really pushing the
definition of comfortable sleeping in my experience. Tents for
mobile camping use backpacking, cycling, paddling, adventure
travel ‑ should be as light and compact as possible. On the
other hand, if your objective is to shelter, for example, four
or more adults at a campground, opt for the biggest tent money
can buy ‑ short of purchasing a big top.
Buy the best
camping gear your budget can afford. Remember that you can't
return something when you're in the middle of the wilderness.
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A tent
buying guide
Buying a tent is
like buying a home ‑ you have to decide what you must have and
what you are willing to give up.
Basis features :
-
Every tent
should have basic features (see Figure 2‑1) to make your life
easier:
-
Collapsible
tent poles of aluminum, high-strength aluminum, carbon fiber,
or tubular fiberglass.
-
Freestanding
structure that sets up easily on sand, rocks, snow, or
anywhere it Is difficult to get a stake into the ground. You
still need to stake a tent down, however, to avoid turning it
into a very expensive, disposable kite.
-
Storage
pockets inside for organizing.
-
Nylon or
polyester fabric for durability and lightest weight.
-
One-piece
floors to increase waterproof ness.
-
Steep
walls to increase the useable interior space, shed
precipitation better, and help vent out humidity.
-
Waterproof
rain fly that clips to poles and requires only minimal
additional stakes.
-
Mesh windows
and doors with zippered closures for battening down the
hatches when things get blustery and damp.
-
Same‑length
poles or color-coded poles (each color corresponds to a
specific pole sleeve on the tent). This feature makes it
easier to set up the tent in less-than-ideal conditions.
-
Tent body of
yellow, white, or beige to let the most light in.
-
Gear loops
inside the tent to hang flashlights and other stuff.
-
Beefy nylon webbing stake loops
at each pole end on the tent body.
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The best things
about camping are:
-
The food tastes better than the food at home.
-
I don't have to
worry about staying clean.
-
I get to stay up
late.
-
I get to sleep
under the stars.
-
I like breathing
the fresh air.
-
The outdoors is
peaceful.
-
I get to see
wildlife.
-
Camping is never
boring.
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The worst things
about camping are:
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