In Camping Equipment 101 we covered the basics of camping: what to bring if you’re new to the experience and feeling anxious about sleeping on the lumpy ground, protected only by a thin dome of nylon.
But what about those of us who’ve spent countless nights out? What do we bring, and more importantly, what do we leave behind?
Most people are not lightweight fanatics. We like a little comfort; however, if you’re carrying your camping gear, the first rule of comfort — pack light.
Never bring the tent pegs. Use rocks. If you’re camping on the wooden tent platforms in a park, they tend to have nails pounded in here and there. (To the people who carry hammers and nails into the backcountry, thanks!) You can also tie the tent guylines to the ends of the planks. On snow or sand, bury anchors and use trekking poles and sticks as stakes. In popular tent sites, if you really need a peg, you can usually find one by looking closely at the ground around established sites.
¾-length sleeping pad. It’s all you need. Put your pack, your jacket, your climbing rope under your feet. Use whatever it takes to make the arrangement comfortable. You’ll sleep fine and the delight of the ¾-model is how small it rolls up in the morning.
Wear the same clothes. You can do it for more than one day. And once you’ve done that, you’re past the tipping point of wearing them for three days. Three, four days, a week, it’s all pretty much all the same. But do note, we are talking merino here, not polypro.
A bivy sack and a siltarp. This is a wondrous combo for a solo trip. The only time it doesn’t work is if the bugs are going to be thick; otherwise, if it rains you have more square-footage than you would in a tent. Your space is open to views and you have a place to cook and dry out gear. If you buy a bivy sack that’s slightly longer than you are, you’ll have space at the toe to store your boots or pack when you don’t want to leave them outside.
For a group trip, unless it’s an expedition, take the lightest, smallest tent you can still fit comfortably in. The advantage of a small tent or bivy sack is that you can slot it into a tight space that will offer natural protection. Find a boulder to block prevailing winds, some tree cover, or some other natural feature. I once slept in my bivy sack inside this excellent hollow log that contained only sand and air.
Sleeping bag. I use a 0°C down bag for everything other than winter camping. Bring a hat to wear to bed if it’s cold. And don’t wear too much inside the bag. It’s better to drape your extra clothing loosely around your body than to wear it while sleeping. You’ll sweat less and stay warmer overall.
Whatever you bring, make sure it all fits inside your pack. It’s important to keep the load compact and the weight centred. Use the compression straps on your pack and tighten that thing down. Then resist the temptation to clip on a bunch of stuff at the last minute. Water bottles or shoes flopping around outside your pack will throw off your balance and catch on everything.
Other than that, don’t forget your sunscreen, pack a headlamp, and always bring earplugs.
Contributed by the Senior Editor in the Marketing Department who estimates she has spent about 500 nights sleeping outside.
Filed under: Activities, Hiking/Camping
