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Hazards of Extreme Camping
Author: J. D. Adams
Hazards of Extreme Camping
By J. D. Adams
Seeking direction as a youth, I bought a compass and wandered into the savage heart of the wilderness. Oregon's history came alive as I retraced pioneer trails and skied cross-country to skyline camps. Now, grizzled and trout revering, I offer this to show that extreme camping is so much more than surviving the crux of desolation in wet shoes.
Many campers have succumbed to their own camping equipment. Mummy bags were named for their tendency to shift around on the victim during the night, so you wake up facing an ominously shroud-like interior. Only by struggling absurdly with the sleeping bag can one return to the world of the living. Often during the struggle, everything in the tent containing Velcro will attach itself around the victim, creating a monstrous appearance. The flailing around will eventually roll the tent over, impaling the occupants on camping sundries and covering them with loose oatmeal. The modified mummy bag with a fuller cut is more comfortable and less likely to incite claustrophobic reactions.
Tents can function as rain collection devices, drawing moisture into the seams and through the fabric by a process still a mystery to camping scientists. Condensation and leakage collaborate to float the occupant on an inland sea, or upon rising, the victim is met by gallons of super-cooled water holding in the tent fly such that rebirth and amphibious regression are not unlikely. The stakes are high in the tent game, where experience with a good basic design like the freestanding dome tent will ensure dry and comfortable slumber. Before setting up your tent, inspect the lay of the ground for where water may pool up, and look overhead for precarious snags and branches.
The priming of gas stoves typically produces a fireball that is great for trimming those bushy eyebrows, also giving a hard outdoorsy look to the face. Working the stove is always great fun, a bit like being an astronaut and firing the afterburners. Some people get into character, shouting terms like "throttle up!" and "more power!" as they operate the pump and valves to avoid the dreaded "flameout"! Overcooking is the result, like your mother's pork chops. Periodic cleaning of the stove hardware is necessary for easy starting.
Backpacks have come a long way from the L-shaped wooden frame and attached rucksack. The principle is still the same, to explore the limits of human endurance like Lewis and Clark on a bad day. The inner frame pack is more streamlined, allowing gazelle-like movement through the wilderness. Skiing and climbing is easier with a pack that is closer to your center of gravity. The exterior frame pack is the most comfortable for normal hiking conditions. Regardless of the type of pack, choose a model with wide, firm padding on the waist and shoulder straps.
Prior to mastering the telemark and snowplow turns, the novice skier will tend to hurtle out of control across the unsuspecting landscape; their approach marked by a cloud of forest debris and the raucous cries of tormented wildlife. Elk and bear stampede fearfully. Cross-country skiing with a full pack combines the grace of drunkenness with the feel of a military exercise. Once mastered, expeditions can be launched into the high country, where an altered state will settle in from oxygen deprivation, and annoying tunes may run through the head. Often giddiness will persist well into the later stages of hypothermia that can only be cured by fishing.

About the Author

I have worked with avionics, communications, computers, and consumer electronics. I honed my skills in technical writing during this time. Yearning to exercise my creativity, I broadened my writing topics to include history, the outdoors, and travel. I have been published in local newspapers and several Oregon travel websites.

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Camping Food That Works for You
Author: Nick Smith
Even though winter - with all its snow, wind, and cold - is definitely upon us, it's never too early to start thinking about camping this spring or summer. And for those outdoor enthusiasts who won't wait for the snow to melt before setting out this winter, there is no better time than now to review a few useful tips to remember when planning your camp menu.

Consider the duration of your trip. Plan on eating about as much while you're camping as you eat when you're at home. If you're car camping and you have the extra space, it might not hurt to take a little extra food; but if you're packing it in, every ounce counts, especially on long hikes. Be sure not to under pack your camping food – the only thing longer than a 20-miler is a 20-miler when you're hungry. Starving your body while doing rigorous exercise, like hiking, could have adverse affects on your health.

Plan a camping food menu that you're willing to eat. Camping food for many people has come to mean granola, oatmeal, and granola. I like them as much as the next guy, but I'm not willing to ruin my week in the woods by packing food I don't like. There are many companies now offering a huge selection of dishes, most of them very tasty, which just require water – everything from roast beef and potatoes to tuna casserole. Don't discount instant oatmeal and granola as tasty options. Just remember, just because you're leaving civilization behind doesn't mean you shouldn't eat what you like.

Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition. You're number one priority when you're camping should be to have a good time and enjoy nature – something that is difficult to do when you're sick and exhausted. Be sure to take camping food with you that will keep you well fed and your energy level up. Energy bars and gels don't usually weigh a lot and pack a serious nutrition punch, making them great for the trail. If you don't cook a lot at home and don't plan to while you're camping, do yourself a favor and eat more than candy bars and licorice. Just about anyone can boil water, so just about anyone can take some prepared camping foods on their trip and eat well.

Switch things up. If you've had the same thing for lunch for the last 20 years, ignore this paragraph. For the rest us, variety is important when planning for camping food. Put small amounts of different seasonings in plastic baggies – lemon pepper trout is delicious. Even if you're going to eat oatmeal three meals a day for a week, at the very least take different flavors of oatmeal.

The price is right. It is possible to eat well when you're camping on a tight budget. Instant oatmeal, granola bars, and pancake mix don't usually cost very much and fill you up. Hamburger helper makes for a pretty nutritious, economic camping meal – you'll need to make sure you have all the ingredients. Substitute powder milk for regular milk, and be sure to add enough water to make the milk and the recipe.

Go high tech. Prices on freeze dried and packaged camping food are becoming very reasonable. For less than what you would pay for it in a restaurant, you can have you're favorite dishes – and I doubt the restaurant can compete with the view you'll have when you're camping or hiking. It may be a little more expensive than doing it on your own, but what prepackaged camping foods save you in time, energy, and taste more than makes up for the money.

Get out and enjoy the great outdoors. Whether you're camping, hiking, fishing, or just hanging out in the woods for the day, with a little planning and by following these tips, I'm confident you and you're palate will have the experience of a lifetime.

About the Author

Nick Smith is a client account specialist with http://www.10xmarketing.com 10x Marketing - More Visitors. More Buyers. More Revenue. For great http://www.bargaintable.com/camping-food.htm camping food at affordable prices, check out http://www.bargaintable.com Bargaintable.com .

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Things You Should Know About Tents
Author: Robin Shortt

Choosing Your Tent

Here are a few hints when choosing the tent just right for you or your family.

Tents that are advertised as one person are rarely big enough for one person.

Two person tents are usually comfortable for just one person, a three person tent is comfortable for two people and so on.

If you do not pick something large enough, you will find yourself cramped , claustrophobic and uncomfortable.

Pick something that will give you a little room to move and some space for some of your gear as well.

Each person needs about 3 by 7 feet to stretch out. You will need extra room to dress etc.

Remember, if the weather is not good, you will be stuck in whatever you have picked..

You don't want to be sitting cramped and hunched over feeling miserable.

In deciding on what you need, decide whether you will be summer or winter camping, and whether you will be backpacking .

Tents are not waterproof. They are made of breathable ripstop nylon. It allows your sweat and breath to evaporate.
This means you need a rainfly. They are waterproof. It fits over the roof of the tent and is meant to carry away rainwater from the tent sides.
Make sure the fly is large enough to substantially cover the tent walls.

Applying a sealant to the tent seams is a good idea. Apply sealer as needed throughout the tents life.

Most tents have a fine mesh screen over the door and window designed to keep out insects.
All netting is not alike. Standard netting is made of nylon. Dacron is a finer mesh to discourage even the smallest bugs.
They are usually zippered at the entrance with a flap that zippers over the door and window for privacy.

Because of the nature of the fabric used in making tents, being porous, very few tents are designed to keep you warm.
They are designed to protect you from the weather and from insects. They will protect you from the wind and rain, snow and sun.

To care for your tent, nylon is virtually maintenance free. The only thing that needs to be done is sealant occasionally.
Of coarse never store your tent when it is wet, or even slightly damp. Always set it up when you are finished your trip and dry it out completely.
Also sponge off any dirt or mud inside using a very mild liquid detergent or a baking soda and water solution.

Be sure to make any repairs if you have had the misfortune to burn or damage your tent in some way.
You can buy repair kits that come in various colors and are easy to use. Store your tent in a cool, dry place in its storage bag.

Dome Tents

The basic style of the dome tent is hexagonal. The fabric usually used is nylon. The weight is about two and one-half to seven and one-half pounds.

The tent is usually free-standing or self supporting. This means no stakes or lines are needed under normal circumstances.

However you should never leave it unoccupied without staking it down because the wind can send this lightweight tent tumbling off.

The dome tent is great for backpackers and canoeists. Its the choice of winter campers and mountaineers in larger sizes. The reason is because of its aerodynamic shape.

It resists gusts of wind well and is easy to set up and dismantle. The only problem with this type of tent is that it is not well ventilated. Moisture tends to gather at the top of the dome.

Tunnel Tent

This type of tent is primarily a backpacker's shelter. It can weigh as little as one and one-half pounds.

The type of material used is generally nylon. It is not very spacious. The advantage of this tent is how compact it becomes.

It can be rolled into a tight bundle no larger than a football. It is a free standing tent, not needing any lines or stakes unless a fly is added.

It is lightweight, which makes it ideal for the backpacker or canoeist. Because of its design the wind flows off of it easily and makes it great for winter camping.

It has a screened opening at one end and can be closed against severe weather. It is easily erected and dismantled. It also ventilates well.

The A-Frame Tent

This tent is used primarily by the backpacker. The frame of this tent can be either fitted into sleeves or standing independently of the shelter.

Gone are the days of the upright pole that used to hold it up in the middle of the opening. They are generally made out of nylon. Weights vary from about 3 pounds to about 6.

These tents are ideal for canoe trips, climbers , fishermen and hunters. They are relatively lightweight and spacious.

A vestibule can be added to the front opening adding very little weight and adding an extra 10 to 20 square feet. This makes it ideal for storing your gear and giving you extra sleeping area.

About the Author

Val and Robin Shortt are experienced campers and own three outdoor websites For more tips like these and to register for their Free newsletter visit:http://goodnightcampingequipment.com/CampingLinks.html Good Night Camping Equipment

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