Sleeping Bags

Sleeping bags come in a variety of styles and temperature ranges -- and prices, ranging from inexpensive flannel bags ("slumber bags") that are good for watching TV and sleepovers at home to high tech, sub-zero bags used by mountain climbers.  You will probably want something in between for most family camping ventures.  And you will probably want to resist the temptation to buy the warmest, most expensive sleeping bag you can find and afford.  You will undoubtedly find it TOO warm during most "good" camping weather.

The flannel "slumber" bags with cute Mickey Mouse or Winnie The Pooh prints are fun for the kids at home, but are probably not warm enough or durable enough for camp use.   Something with a tougher shell that is more resistant to dirt and easier to clean and warmer will be better for use in a tent or even an RV.  That having been said, you could add a sleeping bag cover to your kid's favorite slumber bags if that makes them feel more at home.

Sleeping bags are usually given temperature ratings.  How are those ratings derived?   It probably isn't as scientific as you might think it should be.  Manufacturers gives bags to employees or other "testers" and rate them based on the reports they get back.  Whether a bag will keep YOU warm down to the rated temperature will depend on many factors other than the bag.  First of all, are you a "Hot Sleeper" or a "Cold Sleeper"?   If you kick the blankets off most of the time or your sleeping partner complains you make the bed too hot, you're probably a "Hot Sleeper".   On the other hand, if you pile on the blankets, even in summer, you're most likely a "Cold Sleeper".   "Hot Sleepers" will probably be comfortable down to the rated temperature, all other things being even . "Cold Sleepers" will need a bag with 10-15 degrees colder temperature rating to stay warm.

There are several other factors that significantly affect how warm you will feel in your sleeping bag.  How easily you adjust to temperature changes is one.  If you're slow to adjust, get a bag 5 or 10 degrees colder than the temperatures you expect.  If you're not eating enough or drinking enough water during your outing, again adjust down 5 - 10 degrees.  Can you sleep in a close-fitting (mummy style) bag?  If not, get a rectangular bag 5-10 degrees colder.   If you thrash around when you sleep you will expel warm air; get a bag 10-20 degrees colder.  If  you expect your bag to get damp or the weather is damp, go down 10-20 degrees to be comfortable.  In windy conditions, you may need an extra 5-10 degrees in order to stay warm, depending on the density of the shell and the composition of the fill and your exposure to the breeze.  If you're sleeping in a good tent or an RV wind will probably not be a significant factor.

Sleeping bags come in rectangular and form-fitting shapes.   Rectangular bags can usually be unzipped and zipped together to form 2-person bags. I sometimes unzip a couple of old rectangular bags and use one under our sleeping bags and the second one on top like a comforter on especially cold outings.   Form-fitting bags, often called "mummy bags" are narrow at the feet and wider at the shoulders.   Form-fitting mummy bags are usually warmer for solo use because they have less air gap for your body to heat, but some people feel confined by them. 

Be aware that form-fitting bags are gender specific.   Bags designed for men are usually a littler longer and a lot wider at the shoulders and hips than those designed for women.  A man will find sleeping in a bag designed for women a tight, almost claustrophobic fit.  A woman sleeping in a bag designed for men will lose heat because the bag will be too loose on her.  Bags may also come in different lengths for different height people.  If the bag is too short the sleeper will have to bend their knees or part of their upper body will stick out.  If the bag is too long, the sleeper will have excess air gap to keep warm.   For best results and maximum comfort, choose a sleeping bag that fits you well.  My personal preference is a bag that is a little long so that I have room to put my clothes at my feet so they won't be cold when I put them on in the morning.  Extra tip:  don't put wet or damp clothes in your sleeping bag!
 

 Here are some general guidelines to use as a starting point for choosing a sleeping bag, then adjust as needed according to your personal and environmental needs:

Bag Type                           Temperature Rating (°F)
Summer Season                          +35° and higher
3-Season Bag                              +10° to +35°
Cold Weather                              -10° to +10°
Winter/Extreme                          -10° and lower

A good 3-season bag is probably the most versatile choice for most people.  You can probably get by with a summer bag during warm summer months, but it won't keep you warm enough during early (Spring) or late (Fall) outings.  You might need a Cold Weather or even Winter/Extreme sleeping bag for winter/snow camping, but you would end up unzipping it or getting completely out of it in the summer and maybe even during Spring and Fall outings.  You can probably unzip a 3-season bag to stay cool enough to use it during warm summer outings.

Why not just buy the warmest bag possible? Sleeping in a Winter/Extreme bag in summer temperatures will be too warm. You may sweat and then get cold or unzip the bag and get cold. You need to match your sleeping bag to the climate. If I had to choose one bag to meet most of my needs, I would go with a 3-season bag. As the name implies, it will probably be comfortable in three seasons -- spring, summer, and fall, but inadequate for severe winter camping. On the other hand, if you're doing most of your camping in the sun belt in the summer, you'll probably want Summer Season bag; even a 3-season bag may be too warm then.  Adding a liner and a cover and perhaps a wool blanket could turn a 3-season bag into a winter bag.

A military surplus "mummy bag" is often a good buy, especially if it comes with a sleeping bag cover. Just make sure you won't be claustrophobic in the close-fitting bag.   Not all military surplus bags are the same so be sure to check the temperature rating or season specification.  Some military bags, when used with the optional cover, are rated down to -20° F.  So-called "mountain" bags are thought to be among the warmest military sleeping bags.  Military sleeping bags are often really a "sleep system", consisting of a sleeping bag, a liner, and a cover.  The cover is usually more or less waterproof for use without a tent.  Depending on your requirements and the weather you may need all three components.

Storage can affect how well a bag will perform.   If you leave your bag tightly rolled up in storage for extended periods of time it will loose "loft" and will no longer keep you warm down to the rated temperature.  It is best to unpack sleeping bags and hang them up for storage. This allows any dampness remaining in the fabric to dry out and it prevents the fill from getting packed tight.   If you hang your bags in a garage, shed, or basement where they may get dusty, cover them with a suit bag or a large trash bag.  If the bag is damp, let it dry out for a few days before zipping it into a closed bag for extended storage.  I once had a really nice10° mummy bag I ignorantly left rolled tight for many months in storage and it was completely ruined.  The filling was so compacted in most places it was like there wasn't any at all.  I found myself freezing in it when the temperature was in the high 30s!  When it was new it easily kept me comfortable down to the rated +10° F.

Prices will vary depending on the quality, size, and temperature rating.   Rugged, high tech, low temperature bags, like those used by mountain climbing expeditions, may run $900-$1000 each!  You might pick up summer bags for kids at Walmart for under $20.   Expect to pay $50-$100 for good 3-season adult bags.  Those with tougher outer coverings will probably cost a little more but are also likely to last longer and may be a little more comfortable as temperatures drop.

Sleeping bag accessories include liners, covers, pads, and pillows.  Liners are light weight, intended mostly to capture sweat and dead skin to keep it from contaminating the inside of your bag. Liners can be easily washed without worrying about compacting the fill since they are very much like sheets for sleeping bags.  Covers are usually made of a sturdy, water-repellant or water-proof material, designed to keep sleeping bags dry when they are used outdoors in rain, fog, snow or heavy dew.  Sleeping pads are essential for insulating YOU from the cold ground and for providing some padding between you and hard soil, rocks, sticks, etc.   Pillows for use in sleeping bags are often inflatable so they don't take up much room when not in use.  You can often stuff clothing in the sleeping bag bag for use as a makeshift pillow and not have to carry anything extra.  Be sure to remove all the hard items (keys, cell phone, knife, wallet, etc) from your clothing if you chose this option.  Liners, covers, and pads can all make you more comfortable in colder weather.  Liners can sometimes be used by themselves on hot nights.  Both liners and covers add extra insulation to keep you warmer on cold nights.  Liners and covers function something like dressing in layers for cold weather, giving you more options to adjust to maintain comfort.  Liners protect the inside of your sleeping bag from body oils.  Covers protect the outside of your sleeping bag from dirt and weather.

Cleaning sleeping bags.   First of all, minimize how often you need to clean them by using a sheet or a sleeping bag liner.  When you must clean them, the best way is to send them to a dry cleaner.  Some may have washing instructions on them, but personal experience with washing sleeping bags and fluffy parkas has not been good.  One prevalent suggestion that is reported to be helpful is to dry the item in a tumble dryer with 2-3 clean tennis balls to dry to keep the "fluff" from clumping.   If you have already washed an item and it is clumpy, try putting it back in the dryer with tennis balls for about 20 minutes.  If that doesn't work, you will probably have to replace the item.

Used sleeping bags.   Some people are adverse to using a sleeping bag that has been used by someone else, almost as bad as wearing somebody else's underwear!  However, if it has been properly cleaned, it should be fine, and you can probably save a bundle of money.  Make sure the filling still has plenty of "loft" and that there are no major rips, tears, or stains and that the zipper(s) work properly.  Best to have sleeping bags dry cleaned, even if they are labeled machine washable.  Machine washing is likely to cause the filling to bunch up.

Ultimately you should think more in terms a "sleep system" than a sleeping bag.  A complete sleep system would include sleeping pad, sleeping bag, sleeping bag liner, and sleeping bag cover.  Together they will provide you with the best comfort, convenience, and protection.   Each has its own function to perform.  The sleeping pad insulates you from cold, bumpy ground.  The sleeping bag provides the primary insulation against cold.  The sleeping bag liner adds a little more insulation and protects the sleeping bag from sweat etc.  The sleeping bag cover provides weather protection and adds an extra layer of insulation.  They are usually wind and water proof or at least wind and water resistant to help retain heat.  Some sleeping bags can be used without a cover and that might be an advantage on warmer nights when you actually need to shed some extra body heat.

Click on this link for more another view on How To Choose A Sleeping Bag,

Sleep well!

Camp Bedding

The kind of bedding you need for camping depends on many factors.   If you're camping in an RV you'll generally have more choices for comfort and familiarity than for tent camping.  Ordinary sheets, blankets, quilts, and comforters are usually adequate in an RV and can give you home-like comfort and familiarity.  If you are only staying in full hookup campgrounds you could even use electric blankets.  There are a few 12-volt electric blankets if you really need one while boondocking -- and have a big enough battery bank to handle it.  Sleeping bags can be used for convenience or added warmth in an RV.  While you can use ordinary bedding when tent camping, it usually isn't very convenient, is easily soiled, and often isn't warm enough.   Sleeping bags are the preferred option for tent camping.  Loose bedding can result in parts of your body getting out from under the covers.  At home or in an RV that is usually a minor irritation.  Sleeping in a tent, it can spoil your whole night. Sleeping bags eliminate this problem.   But some people get claustrophobic if they're confined.   "Mummy" style (form fitting) sleeping bags are particularly confining

Sleeping bags are typically rated by temperature ranges.   "Summer" bags are designed for temperatures above +35°F.   So-called "3-season" bags (implying spring, summer, and fall) are rated for +10F to +35°F.  Cold weather bags are for -10°F to +10°F.  Winter/extreme bags are rated for below -10°F.  The temperature rating is intended to indicate the lowest temperature at which the average sleeper will remain warm.   If you're a "cold" sleeper you may need extra insulation.  On the other hand, if you tend to kick the covers off at home, you may need a lighter bag or leave your bag unzipped.  Keep in mind that wind will speed heat loss.  The wind chill factor indicates how cold the air will feel on bare, exposed skin.   The higher the wind speed, the colder it will feel.  If you're snug in your sleeping bag you won't have exposed skin so wind chill isn't as noticeable, but wind will affect the ability of the bag to keep you warm since any breeze will continually bring cool air to absorb heat from the sleeping bag.  It would be wise to consider expected wind chill factor when choosing the right sleeping bag.   By the way, temperature ratings are not an exact science.  They are usually specified based on having the bags tested by company employees and are very subjective.

In really cold weather you can double up sleeping bags for extra warmth.   For one snow camping trip I unzipped a pair of old sleeping bags and put one on the floor of the tent underneath our sleeping bags and the second one spread out over both sleeping bags and we stayed very comfortable all night with temperatures down into the low 20's.  Be careful piling extra heavy blankets or sleeping bags on top of your primary sleeping bag; it can compress the loft and you'll end up with a net result that leaves you cold.  Of course you can just put one sleeping bag inside another if you find one isn't keeping you warm enough.  Sometimes just adding a sleeping bag liner will do the job.   Sharing a sleeping bag with another person is also a way to keep warmer.  Zip two rectangular bags together (this won't work with "mummy" bags).  With two bodies contributing the heat in one enclosed space, you'll both be warmer than you would be in individual bags.

Sleeping bag liners are separate items you can add to increase comfort, warmth, and to protect the sleeping bag. They can add 8° to 15F° protection.   On warm nights you might use just the liner. Liners are an inexpensive and easy way to increase the warmth of your sleeping bag without the expense of upgrading to a heavier bag.  They also give you flexibility to adjust the warmth much like dressing in layers in cold weather.   Liners can be easily removed and washed, like sheets on your bed at home, saving the cost and inconvenience of having your sleeping bags dry cleaned.

Blankets and quilts are a readily available and inexpensive way to add warmth.   Usually you can just lay them over your sleeping bag but if you need a lot more warmth you might wrap yourself up in one before crawling into your bag.   In really cold winter weather I used two extra sleeping bags: one beneath us to insulate us from the snow-covered ground beneath the tent and one spread out over two campers.  Covering two campers with one blanket, quilt, or sleeping bag helps share and conserve heat.

Sleeping pads do more than disguise those annoying pebbles and twigs beneath you.   They provide insulation so you don't lose precious body heat to the cold ground.  Consider them essential, not a luxury.   Use them even when sleeping on cots to preserve body heat.   Cold air circulating beneath the relatively thin fabric of the cot will suck the heat right out of you.

Electric blankets may be an option in RVs in cold weather.   Of course you'll need an adequate source of power to operate them.  No problem if you're camping where you have an electrical hook up or have an inverter and massive battery banks.  Not so useful for boondocking because you shoudn't run the generator all night, but you could use them to pre-warm your bed.  There are also 12-volt versions available, if you have a strong enough battery bank to power them.

Sleeping bag designs.   Most sleeping bags employ a rectangular design.   It provides the most room and two bags can usually be zipped together for couples who are used to sleeping together.  Semi-rectangular bags are a bit more tapered, sometimes to the point of being nicknamed "mummy" bags. Sleeping bags may also be gender specific.  Women's sleeping bags may be narrower in the shoulder, wider in the hips, and have extra insulation at the upper body and the foot.  Bags may include a hood that can be gathered around the head in cold weather.  Some have attached pillows or a pillow pocket to hold your clothes and serve as a pillow.  If you're used to putting an arm under your pillow you'll want to use a separate pillow.  Remember, the more comfortable and familiar you can make your bedding, the better you will rest.

Sheets are not usually used in sleeping bags, although a sleeping bag liner is kind of like a sheet and adds a little warmth and is easier to clean than the sleeping bag.  The beds in an RV are often made up just like your bed at home, but due to unique sizes of the mattresses in some RVs you may need special sheets to get the right fit.  Sheets should be washed regularly, just like at home, perhaps more often because of increased dust, dirt, and body moisture present during camping.   It is a good idea to have several sets of sheets -- enough to last the whole trip unless you have access to laundry facilities in the campground or in your RV.   In a pinch  you could wash them out in a wash basin or sink and hang them out to dry.

Choosing a sleeping bag.  Choose a bag designed for temperatures a bit colder than you expect to experience.  If you're expecting near freezing temperatures, get a 20°F bag. If it turns out to be too warm you can always unzip it for additional ventilation to make you comfortable.   If you get one that isn't warm enough, there won't be much you an do about it once you're in camp.   As a precaution, always bring along a few extra blankets or quilts.  Wool blankets are very warm and very durable. Synthetics are often light weight and fluffy and not as scratchy as wool, but in most cases they won't keep you as warm as wool will.  Wool also has the unique property of retaining its insulation value when it gets wet. If you're using the blankets over your sleeping bag, it won't matter if they're scratchy and wool will keep you warmer.  Surplus Army blankets are always good for this.

Pillows may be critical for getting a good night's sleep for some people.   If you have room to bring along your favorite pillows or can duplicate them in your RV or camping supplies, you'll be more comfortable than making do with inferior pillows or stuffing your clothing in the pillow pouch of a sleeping bag.  Because pillows can be rather bulky, many people opt for compact substitutes when tent camping or even in an RV.   If that works for you, go for it.   But if you can't get a good night's sleep or experience pain or discomfort or just can't get comfortable in bed due to the wrong pillow, making room for ones that work is a good use of space.

Storage.  For travel, especially when hiking or backpacking, you want to compress your bag as much as possible.  This is not a good thing to do for long term storage.   It permanently compresses the insulation.   I about froze in a 10°F sleeping bag in 32°F weather after it had been stored tightly packed for a season.  The once-lofty fluff inside was all but gone!   If you can, unroll your sleeping bags and hang them up between trips.  This will allow them to dry thoroughly and to restore loft to the insulation.  Sometimes running them through a "fluff" cycle in your clothes dryer will restore loft. If worse comes to worse, send your bag(s) to the dry cleaner for professional cleaning and restoration.   Like parkas, some sleeping bags may indicate they can be machine washed, but personal experience has shown that to be less than satisfactory.   Machine washing resulted in badly clumped insulation that made the item nearly useless.

Cots and mattresses.   A folding camp cot can increase your sleeping comfort over sleeping on the ground in your tent.  You'll still want a sleeping pad or mattress on the cot.  Air mattresses are the easiest to transport and the pressure can be adjusted to just the firmness you want.  RV mattresses are often thinner and offer less support than your home mattress.   If you find this is the case you may want to upgrade your RV mattress.  After all, about 1/3 of the time you spend in your RV will be in bed and you might as well be comfortable!

Another option is a "cowboy bedroll".  Cowboys had to be able to carry everything they needed for months at a time on their saddles or in their saddle bags.  A cowboy bedroll is a mostly waterproof bed made of heavy canvas and warm blankets.  Start with a piece of canvas a few feet longer than you are tall and about 9' wide.  When you put it together, you lay blankets or quilts on the canvas, then fold it over in thirds.  That way you have double everything on top to keep you warm. The extra length is folded over your head to protect your face from rain or dew. A cowboy bedroll is simple and takes up little space. It can keep you dry at night, but doesn't provide the dressing room or protected storage a tent would.  You may still want a  foam sleeping pad under your cowboy bedroll for comfort and warmth.

Survival bedding is going to be harder to come by.   If you find yourself in a survival situation you will want to make yourself as warm and comfortable a bed as you can.  You probably won't have a sleeping bag with you in a surivival situation.   Pine boughs or pine needles, leaves and grass an be used to build a makeshift mattress.   Not only will it be softer than sleeping on the ground, it will help insulate you from cold and possible damp ground.  Lacking any blankets to keep you warm, you may have to again use debris to cover your body.  Of course if you have any dry coats, blankets, or upholstery from a stranded vehicle you can use that to cover you and help keep you warm.  Even cardboard or newspapers will add insulation in an emergency.  You might be surprised how much heat your body alone will generate -- if you can keep it from escaping.  A good item to carry for emergencies when venturing into the wild is an "emergency sleeping bag" or "space blanket".  They are made of aluminized mylar and are said to retain up to 80% of body heat.  They fold up into a packet about the size of a handkerchief so they are very light weight and take up little room in pack or pocket.  I keep one in the tool kit on my dirt bike in case I get stranded somewhere overnight or in bad weather.

Sleep tight!

MORE Things For Campers To Do In Winter

It is that time of the year again.   Some folks winterize their RVs or pack their tents and gear away, and forget about camping until spring.  To each his own, but it doesn't have to be that way. T here are lots of camping-related things you can do to maintain your edge during winter months when most of us choose not to venture out a lot.  Make the most of that time between bouts of shoveling snow!

Of course, if you are active in winter sports, you may want to prepare your RV or tent for winter camping and keep right on going out.   An RV makes a very comfortable mobile chalet for skiing, sledding, and snowmobiling.   But you'll have to make sure everything is freeze protected.   If you're just doing day trips you can run the generator and use electric heaters to keep your fresh water, holding tanks, and plumbing from freezing.  Few exterior compartments are insulated.   Running the generator over night is not a good idea.  Any malfunction in the exhaust or a breeze blowing in the wrong direction could bring carbon monoxide into your RV while you sleep and you'd NEVER wake up again -- EVER!  Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless.  It is know as the "silent killer".  Tent camping in winter is more of a challenge.  Of course, climbers on Mt. Everest live in tents in far more severe conditions than we're likely to face camping, but I'm sure they are not as warm or comfortable as we like to be.   A tent with a full length rain fly will provide a little extra protection from winter weather.  Some folks even sew an extra skirt onto the rain fly so it goes all the way to the ground to prevent snow from blowing up between it and the inner tent wall.  A good ground cloth is essential. For added warmth, cut a piece of bubble foam insulation to use underneath your sleeping bags.  I put a couple of old sleeping bags to good use.   I unzipped one and put it underneath our regular sleeping bags . The other one (unzipped) was placed over two sleeping bags.   We stayed quite warm and comfortable in spite of having set up the tent on a deep snow base and sub-freezing outside temperatures that night.

Winter is a good time to inventory, inspect, repair, and update your camping equipment and supplies.   Go through your RV cabinets and camping tubs.  Remove any provisions that might be susceptible to freeze damage or are outdated.  Get rid of superfluous items you might have collected along the way.  Clean your equipment and make any necessary repairs.  Things like camp stoves and lanterns often get put away at the end of a trip without a really detailed cleaning, so now is a good time to open them up and really go through them.  Stoves and and lanterns that use white gas should be drained and the lines blown out to avoid clogging the orifices when the gas deteriorates.  Clean the glass globes on your lanterns.  They do get smokey over time.  Yes, all the disassembly and cleaning is a little tedious, but you'll enjoy using them even more next season and keeping them clean will extend their useful lifetime.  Repair tents, awnings, camp chairs, canopies, sleeping bags, and packs. Check local camping stores and departments and online for end of season sales and stock up on items you want, need, or use frequently.

Winter is a also good time to review last season's activities and go over your notes to see what changes you need/want to make in your equipment, tools, supplies, and activities and begin planning for next year.  Research new destinations and routes you might want to try out.  Look up additional information about your favorite places.  You may be surprised how much historical or geographic information you can find.   I had wondered about the history of an old, abandoned railroad water tower near one of our favorite desert dirt bike staging areas for years and finally tracked down its history and learned there were plans to move it to railroad museum in a town some miles away.  I found out the tower was once part of a little town that was a stop on the famous 20 Mule Team route.  You can use your off-season time to learn more about the flora and fauna of your favorite camping spots and that can add interest, entertainment, and education to your next visit.   If you can't find what you're looking for on the Internet, try contacting the local ranger station.

Catch up on your laundry.  We sometimes forget about the towels and linens in our RVs and camping tubs until they become too soiled or smelly to use.   Even if they seemed OK the last time you used them, they may have well developed some mold, mildew or other unpleasant odors in storage.  Winter is a good time to take everything out and wash it.  While you're at it check all items for any needed repairs and take care of those too -- or retire unusable articles to the rag bag.   Don't forget the dish towels in the galley or the wash cloth hanging in the shower.  You may have a favorite sweatshirt or jacket in the closet that could use a good washing after several evenings chopping wood and sitting in the smoke from the campfire.   Unused items in the closet may have absorbed some of the odors from that sweatshirt or jacket so they may need be washed too, even if they haven't been worn.  Having everything fresh and clean your next outing will be fun.  Now is a good time to wash sleeping bag liners and take your sleeping bags to the cry cleaners so they'll be fresh for next year.  When you're done, toss the used dryer sheets into closets or drawers to help keep pests away.

Shampoo carpets and upholstery in your RV.   They'll have plenty of time to dry before your next outing in the spring.  Cleaning them now may also help prevent spills from developing into unpleasant masses of fungus or mold over the winter.  If you have leather driver and passenger seats, clean them with saddle soap and rub them vigorously with leather balm.  It will keep the leather soft and pliable and keep your seats looking like new for a long time.   Leather wipes from your auto supply store will also work for occasional cleanups, but won't provide the same deep cleaning and conditioning.  Repair any holes or tears in upholstery before they get bigger.

Clean your tents, canopies, and sleeping bags.   Tents and canopies can usually be set up and scrubbed with a sponge or brush and soapy water, then rinsed and let dry.   You might want to restore the water repellant after a thorough cleaning as some detergents may weaken or remove the water repellant treatment.   Camp Dry or a similar spray on waterproofing product can be used on tents, awnings, and even footwear and clothing.  Be sure to repair any holes or rips.  Some sleeping bags can be machine washed. If you don't know for sure, to be on the safe side, send them to the dry cleaners.  When you get them back, don't roll them tightly.   Doing so compresses the filling and destroys the "loft" that keeps you warm and comfortable.  Hang them up or store them folded or put them into "stuff" sacks.  Dry cleaning machine washable bags may help prevent clumping of fill.

If your activities include OHVs or horses you will want to inspect and service your gear.  Dirt bikes and ATVs should be properly stored -- change the oil so they aren't sitting with contaminated oils all winter that can etch metal parts.   Drain the fuel system.   Lubricate all the cables and other moving parts.  You horseback riders can take time to thoroughly clean your tack with saddle soap and rub it with leather conditioner to keep it supple and looking good.   Clean out your saddle bags and get them ready for next summer.  Freshen your bedroll.  Go through all your riding gear.   Make sure it is clean and in good repair for your next outing.  While you're at it, check your horses' shoes and decide when you need to schedule the farrier to come and give them new ones.  If you prefer natural hoof care, clean and trim the hooves.

Inventory, inspect, clean, and organize your tools.  Sharpen axes, hatchets, and knives.  Not only do sharp tools work better they're safer to use.  Repair or replace any broken tools.  Replacing missing tools.  Things like sockets and the various tips for power drill/drivers seem to get lost easily. If you keep them logically organized you'll be able to detect AWOL items so you can replace them now instead of cursing their disappearance when later in camp when replacements are way out of reach.

Seek additional sources of camping and survival information and training.   Take advantage of the many free resources on the Internet.  Watch TV schedules for outdoor shows or history/science channel episodes relevant to where you like to go and what you like to do.   Check out some local camping, OHV, or RV clubs and see if you want to get more involved with them.  They often have winter gatherings where you can meet some of the people and learn about the club activities.   You might even find some local adult ed or community college classes (like auto repair) that may be of interest.   Renew or upgrade your first aid and CPR training or seek out a wilderness survival class. 

Do some shopping for camping gear.  Being what is normally the off season for camping you may be able to snag some good deals.  Watch for clearances or year end sales at sporting goods stores and department stores starting in mid summer and into the fall and winter.  Check ebay for items you've been looking for.  Even private party prices may be low so check your classifieds, ebay, and craigslist.

Practice your Dutch oven cooking.  You don't have to go camping to whip up a Dutch oven dinner. Now is a good time to try out some new recipes.  You can set up your Dutch oven on the patio or deck or maybe even on the balcony of an apartment.  If using it on a balcony or deck, be sure to put it on a fireproof or at least heat resistant surface.  If something goes wrong with your Dutch over dinner at home, you can always make a McDonald's run and try again later.   Better to get the bugs out now than do battle with them in camp or during an emergency at home.

Stay active!  Don't just sit around all winter.  You'll want to be in good physical shape for next season, so hit the gym or do some regular exercises at home.   Pushing the buttons on the remote control and lifting a can of your favorite beverage to your lips does NOT count as exercise!

Maintain your edge!

Fall has fell...

Well, almost.  September 21, which is only a few days away, marks the official beginning of fall on the calendar.  Don't know about where you are, but where I am in western Oregon now, it is beginning to feel like fall.  Unusually hot summer temperatures have faded and we're headed into Oregon's famous rainy season.  My Dad used to say there were only three seasons in Oregon:  Spring, Summer, and Rain--- and it rained in the Spring and the Summer!  It is about time to think about putting our RV and camping equipment away for the season.  See End of Season for details about winterizing your RV and preparing you and your other equipment for storage.

If you live where you will get freezing temperatures you will need to winterize your RV and make sure there is nothing in your tent camping storage that will be damaged by freezing.  Tents and sleeping bags should be clean and dry before storage.  Sleeping bags should not be rolled tightly during extended storage as it will crush the loft and destroy their ability to keep you warm.  Open them up and hang them or pack them loosely.

If you're feeling adventurous you might venture out for a few more outings before the really cold weather hits.  If you do you will want to take weather conditions into consideration and bring along warm clothes.  Be sure your RV has plenty of propane and that the furnace is working properly.  A tent heater might let you extend your camping season a bit, but be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully to avoid any problems.  Tent heaters can cause fires so make sure they are kept away from tent walls, sleeping bags, clothing, etc that might catch fire.  Tent heater even "indoor" catalytic heaters that allegedly give off no toxic fumes, will still consume oxygen so make sure you have adequate ventilation  to avoid suffocation!

A trick I learned for sleeping on snow or cold ground is to unroll and unzip a couple of old sleeping bags.  Put one under the sleeping bag(s) you'll be sleeping in (I like it between the bag and the sleeping pad) and the other one over the top.  If you are sharing your tent with a companion, put the second sleeping bag so it covers both sleeping bags.  That way any heat that escapes from your primary sleeping bags is caught by the top cover and you effectively share body heat to keep you both warm all night.

If you are camping in desert areas where night time temperatures are still warm, you may want to add or include a battery powered tent fan. In fall we sometimes get what are called "Indian Summers", a few days of unusually warm weather, typically in October or November.  We recently spent a night in the Virgin River Gorge in northern Arizona and it was 106º around 7:30 pm and didn't really cool down enough to sleep until around 3:00 am!  We used a spray bottle liberally to cool both us directly and the little bit of breeze we got through the screens but a battery operated fan would have been very welcome.  It is definitely on the list for next time!

I've always found it more difficult to keep cool than to keep warm.  After all, you can always add layers to keep warm but there is only so much covers or clothing you can remove to cool down!

Fall camping is cool!

Winter Camping

 Winter camping?  You've got to be kidding!  No, there are actually some good reasons to go camping in the winter.  Winter camping may not be as appealing as other times of the year, but if you are into skiing, snowmobiling, or ice fishing, winter camping might provide a good base camp for those activities.  A warm RV would be the most comfortable but even having a base camp with a tent where you can get out of the weather can be adequate.

One thing is certain:  winter camping requires special equipment and special preparedness.  If you are camping in an RV, the RV must be equipped to withstand cold temperatures.  That means being well insulated and having an adequate furnace or other heater(s) and protecting all the water based systems against freezing.  If you are camping in a tent you will want a 4-season tent for starters.  Plus a very sturdy ground cloth.  Then you will need winter sleeping bags.  A tent heater may be a welcome addition.  Just be sure to follow proper procedures for safe use.  When camping on snow I have found it useful to have a couple of extra sleeping bags, he rectangular type that can be opened up.  I laid out one on the floor of the tent under our sleeping bags, then put the second one over our sleeping bags, giving us extra protection against the cold from the snow beneath the tent and retaining body heat that escaped from our personal sleeping bags.  Temperatures that night were well below freezing but we stayed warm and comfy all night.

Your provisions may also need extra protection against freezing.  If you are in an RV and your furnace and/or heaters are sufficient to maintain a room temperature that is comfortable or at least above freezing, your provisions will probably be OK.  But, if you are camping in a tent, you may have to take steps to protect at least some of your provisions from freezing.  Ice chests are used to keep things cold during warmer months but you might find them useful for protecting things from freezing during colder times.  If you have anything that is particularly sensitive you might try putting inside the foot of your sleeping bag, if it will fit without messing up your comfort.  Vehicles like cars and trucks soak up some heat from the sun during the day and may help protect your provisions from freezing over night.  If you wake up to find your provisions frozen, consider running the heater for a while before retiring or even getting up a few times and running it again during the night.  If you are safely using a tent heater it might protect your provisions over night inside your tent but I prefer not to use a heater when I'm sleeping for fear I might never wake up!  Sometimes just keeping your provisions inside your tent will be enough to keep them from freezing.  Even though sleeping bags are designed to keep your body heat in to keep you warm your presence in a tent will warm things up a little bit.

Winter camping also means dressing properly for the weather.  You need to consider both temperature and wind chill to determine how warmly to dress.  It is always best to dress in layers so you can adjust as temperatures rise during the day or your own activity starts to make you too warm.  Getting warm and perspiring in cold temperatures is a recipe for hypothermia.  Try to keep your clothing dry.  Brush off snow before going where warmer temperatures will cause it to melt.  Change out of wet clothes as soon as possible.  You will lose body heat 25 times faster in wet clothes than in dry clothes.  Extremities, like fingers, toes, noses, and ears are especially susceptible to cold.  Warm gloves or mittens are needed on your hands.  Warm socks and winter boots to protect your feet.  Chemical hand and foot warmers can be added for extra warmth.  A hat that covers your ears or good ear muffs or a warm hood can help keep your ears warm.  My favorite winter hat is a Ushanka -- a Russian ear hat.  Its warm, fuzzy flaps cover my ears, neck, and much of my cheeks.  About the only thing you can use to protect your nose is a face mask.  It surprised me just how much even the thin nylon face masks we can wear under our motorcycle helmets did to keep my nose warm.  The only problem I've had with face masks was that they often caused fogging of goggles and eyeglasses.

Winter camping activities will probably include a roaring campfire that is even more welcome and enticing than at other times.  Of course if your camp is a base camp for skiing, snowmobiling, or ice fishing you will be spending a lot of your time participating in your preferred pastime.  Make sure you have properly prepared yourself and your equipment so you can enjoy a failure-free outing.  Also take appropriate precautions for each activity.  

As you should for any remote outdoor outing, be sure to leave word with some you trust as to where you are going and when you expect to return so they can initiate search and rescue if you run into any trouble.

Most important of all, be safe and have fun!  The safety of you and your companions should always be a priority.  Getting sick or injured is never something you want to happen. 

Winter camping is cool!

Getting Started Camping or RVing

Knowing where to start is the first step toward becoming a camper or an RVer.  Of course, the very first choice is whether you want to try camping in some form at all.  Then you'll need to decide whether to begin tent camping or look for an RV right away.   No one can tell you which way to go. That decision depends on your personal preferences and your current circumstances.  Budget is often a significant factor for newcomers.  With that in mind, tent camping is usually the least expensive way to start.   And much of the equipment you acquire for tent camping can be used later on if/when you graduate to some kind of RV.  However, any physical or medical constraints might limit your tent camping options.  Some ailments do not respond well to setting up tents and sleeping on the ground.   With careful shopping for a used RV can get you a real bargain.  Truck campers, camping trailers, and tent trailers can often be obtained for a few hundred dollars to get you started.  RVs of all kinds are available as rentals so you should be able to easily find one to try out for a weekend or two before spending money on your own unit.  Car camping is a good way to get started.   If you have a pickup or SUV you can probably get a tent that fits your vehicle -- or just sleep in the back of your truck or SUV.  If you think you might like RVing, consider renting or borrowing an RV of the type you are interesting in and trying it out before you dump a pile of money into an RV of your own. You can rent just about any type of RV, from tent trailers to luxury motorhomes.   Try out a few options to help you decide which is right for you.  Observe other campers each time you go out and see what they're using and what works for them.   If you find yourself envying what someone else is using, rent a similar rig for your next outing and see if its as much fun as it seems to be.   Sometimes you'll discover hidden support or maintenance tasks that out weigh the apparent benefits of expensive equipment.  Setting up and taking down that really roomy tent someone is using may be more trouble than its worth.

Camping basics.  Keep in mind pioneers, mountain men, and cowboys got by with far less than we often consider the bare minimum for today's camping adventures.   A cowboy carried everything he needed in his bedroll and saddlebags. You might consider that as a starting point, but for convenience and for health and food safety, there are some other things you might put on your initial equipment list.   Here is what I would suggest as fundamental equipment for today's campers:

    Tent or other shelter (RV?)
    Sleeping bags, bedroll,or RV bedding
    Ice chest or RV refrigerator
   Camp stove or portable BBQ
    Lantern/flashlight
    First aid kit
    Knife
    Axe or hatchet
    Matches/lighter

To this you will probably want to add some cleaning supplies for washing you and your dishes and some toilet paper.  Paper towels are another fundamental asset.   Later on you may want to add camp chairs and other conveniences, like an umbrella or dining fly for shade.  Much of what you will find desirable will become obvious as you get some outings under your belt -- and see what makes things nicer for other campers.

The size and style of tent will depend on how many people you need to shelter and what kind of activities you will be engaged in.  A one-man backpacking tent is good for hiking and backpacking but you'll need a much larger family tent if there will be more than just one of you.  Truck and SUV tents that attach to your vehicle are often very stable and very convenient for family outings.

Sleeping bags or bedrolls are essential items for tent camping.  Proper linens and bedding or sleeping bags are needed for your RV beds.  After all, we spend at least 1/3 of our lives sleeping and a comfortable bed is essential to getting adequate rest to sustain us in our daytime activities.   Sleeping bags are more convenient and usually warmer than carrying a bunch of blankets, but a cowboy style bedroll will do the job.  You'll need a tarp at least 3' longer than you are tall and about 9' wide. Lay out your blankets so they cover the middle 1/3 of the tarp. Fold each side over to provide a waterproof top 2 layers thick.  A little of the extra length should be tucked under the foot of the bedroll.   The rest can be set up as a little canopy over your head.  With a cowboy bedroll, you don't need a tent for sleeping, but it is nice to have one for dressing and other activities.  If you have an adequate tent, just wrapping yourself up in quilts and blankets may be sufficient but eventually you'll want to get sleeping bags for added comfort and convenience.

Ice chests are needed if you carry any perishable foods.   The refrigerator in an RV is even better.   If you're backpacking and relying on dehydrated foods, you can skip the ice chest.  But for car camping, a good ice chest is needed for things like eggs, milk, meat, cheese, etc.  They can also be used to keep drinks cold to enhance their appeal on hot summer days.   An ice chest or refrigerator may be crucial if anyone in your group takes medication that has to be refrigerated.  You might need an ice chest even if you have an RV with a refrigerator.  It is a good place to store cold drinks and avoid having to open the refrigerator too often.  12-volt powered coolers give tent campers even more options.

Camp stove or portable BBQ gives you more convenience in cooking your meals but unless you run into fire restrictions you can get by cooking on a campfire.  Of course, if you have an RV, it will probably have a propane range, but you may still want a camp stove and/or BBQ for cooking outside. Cooking directly on your campfire is always an option, but you have more control over temperatures and cooking time with a stove.  Camp stoves basically come in two forms: gasoline and propane.   The gasoline models usually use white gas or Coleman camping fuel.   Using ordinary gas in a regular camp stove will destroy the generator that vaporizes the fuel.  There are dual-fuel models that will run on ordinary gasoline.  They are usually more expensive than the white gas models but the convenience and lower cost of using ordinary gasoline may make them worth the extra bucks. Gasoline powered stoves have to be pumped up to create pressure to deliver the fuel to the burners. Propane models are functionally the same but use bottled propane instead of gasoline so there isn't the spill hazard you have with liquid fuel.  Because the propane cylinders are already pressurized, propane models don't have to be pumped.  There are also some small camp stoves powered by butane cylinders.

Lanterns or flashlights are necessary to see what you're doing after dark.  The long-time camping standard is the Coleman gas lantern.   Like camp stoves, they come in both gasoline and propane versions with the same advantages and disadvantages as their matching stove counterparts.  There are also many battery powered lanterns to choose from.  For longest bulb and battery life, choose one with LED bulbs.   Ordinary incandescent bulbs use a lot of battery power and burn hot.   You can probably get by with an ordinary flashlight but lanterns are more convenient for wide-area illumination for games, after dark maintenance tasks, and preparing, serving, and eating meals. Flashlights can be purchased cheaply.  Ordinary incandescent flashlights can be found at "dollar" stores.  They aren't very heavy duty but I like to have several on hand for convenience and to lend to the grandkids or other folks who might not give proper respect and care to my good Maglites.  My teenage son once "borrowed" a brand new Maglite to explore some caves and it came back looking like it had been in a rock tumbler for about an hour.  Sure is cheaper to replace dollar store flashlights than $30 aircraft aluminum models.

First aid kits are fundamental for most camping trips.  By its very nature, camping puts you in unfamiliar circumstances where you or your companions may be injured.  Tailor your first aid kit to the type of activities you will be involved in.  Always carry basic items like Bandaids and antiseptics. I also recommend stocking common OTC pain relievers and other medications that will aid your comfort away from home such as antacids, and anti-diahreal medications.   Also make sure your first aid training is up to date.  The most complete first aid kit will be of little value if you don't know what to do with it.  After bite remedies will greatly reduce the discomfort of insect bites and reduce the chance of infection.  The main ingredient in these is ammonia.  Ordinary household ammonia can be applied to insect bites to stop the sting and itch.  You can pick up pocket sized first aid kits for a dollar or two.   A good family-sized kit will probably run you about $25 or so. I often stock up on pocket sized kits when I find them at my local dollars store.  Then I have them for the kids and grandkids or for guests to put in their fanny packs or pockets at each outing -- and to replace the ones that get used up or inevitably and inexplicably disappear.  Often is is cheaper to replace a pocket fist aid kit than it is to restock it after its been used.

You can get started camping using things you already have or can acquire cheaply.   If you don't have a tent, pick up a cheap tarp and some rope or heavy twine and create your own minimal shelter. Some warm blankets, a few kitchen items, and a flashlight will be enough for a trial run to see if you like camping at all.  You can observe fellow campers to help you decide what other items you might like to have to enhance or make your experience more comfortable and convenient. Y ou might try things our in your own backyard before adventuring into the wild.

Our first "RV" was an old Chevy Suburban.   It had no commercial conversion.   This was way before Suburbans were even classified as SUVs.  Mine was maintenance truck for a local school district in its first life.  When I bought it, it was completely empty in the back -- all it had was the front seat.  A little creative sewing and some simple curtain rods provided curtains for the all-around windows, giving some privacy and temperature control.   Bed was just a couple of air mattresses and sleeping bags.  The galley was a Coleman gasoline stove and a plastic dish pan and a 3-gallon water jug.   Food was stored in plastic ice chest.   It certainly wasn't fancy, but it beat the heck out of having to wrestle setting up a tent after dark or in the wind!  And it didn't leak when it rained or flap in the wind.  Today's vans offer an even greater potential for home-made campers.  Even without a raised roof you can at least stand up enough to get dressed inside.  A van or an SUV makes a good vehicle for "car camping" -- tent camping out of your car.  Vans and SUVs have enough room to transport large tents and other camping equipment to ensure a comfortable outing.  They also provide a safe place to store your food and equipment and a haven from severe weather.  A pickup truck with just a shell on it works well too.  For a while I had one with a "carpet kit" for my pickup shell that included a wall-to-wall 4" foam pad that made it a very comfortable place to sleep.  When folded up it made a sofa all the way across the bed against the cab.   And the fiberglass shell and waterproof seals between it and the truck ensured a weather safe environment inside.

You don't have to spend a lot of money to start camping.  Even if you decide you want some kind of RV, careful shopping can find some real bargains.  I bought an 11 1/2' self contained camper for $100!  It was 40 some years old but in good condition and everything worked.   Sometimes you can even find units offered for free.  They'll probably need more than a little TLC, but a little work might turn a freebie into a real find.   Older tent trailers and small camping trailers can also be found for a few hundred bucks or so if you shop around.   Don't settle for some smelly, rotted out piece of junk with non-working or missing appliances.   There are enough choices out there for you to land a clean, ready-to-go unit, especially in today's economy when people are getting rid of their "toys".  Of course, if you have the skills, patience, resources, and desire you may be able to snag a really good deal on a damaged or abused unit.   Just be sure you are aware of all the damage and are comfortable with what it will take (time, resources, skills, and/or money) to make the necessary repairs.   Cosmetic damage may be ugly, but as long as it doesn't affect safety or structural integrity, you can live with it for a while.  Major structural damage could be time consuming and expensive to repair, so make sure you know what you're getting in to.   Really bad odors in an RV usually indicate poor maintenance, bad plumbing, and possibly dry rot from water damage.   Besides that, they're not pleasant to be in.  I stay away from bad smelling units.  Another sign of water damage is discolored or soft spots in the floor, walls, or ceiling.  The walls of tent trailers can be expensive to replace if they are badly damaged or worn out.  If you have upholstery or sewing skills you might be able to purchase replacement material and rebuild them yourself, but it is usually not a feasible task for most of us. Sewing the canvas usually requires a heavier duty sewing machine than most people have.  You may be able to buy ready made replacement canvas for some tent trailers so that might be something to look into if you find one you like that needs canvas.  Installation of pre-sewn replacement fabric should be within the capabilities of the average do-it-yourselfer.

If you aren't sure you want to be a camper, try renting or borrowing equipment so you can check it out and get an experienced friend or neighbor to guide you on your maiden voyage.  No sense investing a bunch of money in things you won't use.  Most of us have family members, friends, or neighbors who are campers.  You may be able to tag along with them on a weekend or two, or at least get some good tips in addition to borrowing some equipment to get you started.

One last important suggestion:   find someone with experience in the type of camping  you want to do to show you the ropes and  help you out until you get comfortable with doing it on your own.  Not only will you learn a lot of significant lessons, it will be fun!

Go for it!

Tent Camping Gear Storage

You will probably store your tent camping gear in your garage, basement, or a shed.  If you live in apartment you may have to stuff it in a closet or under a bed.  Wherever you choose to store it, the area should be clean, well organized, easily accessible, and secure.   If possible, keep all your camping gear in one secure location.  You may need to store your stove, lantern and fuel separately in a well-ventilated outside shed for safety reasons.  Never store anything with fuel in it in or adjacent to a living space.  That includes gas cans, propane cylinders, and lanterns and stoves with residual fuel.

Organize your camping gear in plastic tubs to protect it from dust, pests, and weather and to make it easy to find, transport, and use.  I like to use translucent tubs so I can see a little of what is inside.  I also find it useful to label each tub with its contents using a Magic Marker or adhesive labels.  Most storage tubs have recessed lids so they stack nicely on top of each other without sliding around a lot. How you organize your stuff is up to you.  Make it easy on yourself.  Sometimes soft-sided suitcases or duffle bags may fit more easily in limited spaces.  Here are some general suggestions if you don't know where to start:

Put all your galley/kitchen stuff together in one or two tubs or bags.  I use one for big stuff like pots and pans and a second one for smaller stuff like plates, utensils, pot holders, measuring cups, spices, lighters, etc.  You will want to put foodstuffs in a separate tub also.  Put all your cleaning supplies in a separate tub.  That way, if any bottle leaks, it won't spoil anything but other cleaning stuff and won't contaminate your cookware or pollute your food.  Be aware that some cleaning solutions may interact with each other so take care not to store potentially reactive items together.  Ammonia and bleach come immediately to mind as when combined they will toxic fumes, mostly chlorine gas.  Choline gas can cause severe problems but usually isn't fatal if treated.

Sleeping bags should NOT be stored all tightly rolled up.   It compresses the filling and makes them rather useless.   I learned that the hard way.  I had left my cold weather bag tightly rolled after a back packing trip and the next time I tried to use it I about froze!   When I felt it and held it up to the light, I could barely find anything left of the filling.  I it was like having just two very thin sheets of nylon to protect me!  If you have someplace you can hang them, that is one of the best ways to store them.  If not, fold them loosely and store them in plastic tubs to keep them safe from moisture, dust, and pests or stuff them in a "stuff sack".  Even though packing them into a stuff sack compresses the filling somewhat, the random way it is packed and looser environment is less damaging than when it is tightly rolled.   If possible, it is a good idea to hang sleeping bags so they can air out and the fill can expand.  At least do this for a day or so before you store them if you don't have a safe place to hang them between trips.  Putting them through a warm cycle in a clothes dryer with a few tennis balls can also help restore loft as well as removing any residual moisture.

Tents often come with their own storage bags and those should be sufficient for most storage needs.  Sometimes it is hard to get a tent back into its original bag.  In that case you might pick up a larger duffle bag from a sporting goods store, military surplus store, or even a thrift store.   Keep all the parts together -- tent, poles, pegs, ropes, rain fly.  Also keep any tools you need to erect the tent with the tent.  I usually keep a hammer or mallet and a pry bar with mine.  The hammer is, obviously, needed to drive the pegs and the pry bar makes it a lot easier getting them out when the time comes. Another trick for pulling tent pegs is to grab the tent and the loop so you can get a good grip.  Then pull the peg straight out of the ground.   If is was driven at an angle, pull it out at the same angle.   Exercise caution when doing this or you are likely to tear the loops or the tent.  A tent peg removal tool can also be useful.  It has a hook on one end to lock onto the peg and a handle on the other, allowing you to stand up and use the strength of your legs to pull the pegs out of the ground.  I have some other tools and accessories I keep with my tent: a small broom or whisk broom (for sweeping out the tent daily), a battery powered lantern, and a small rug or welcome mat.   Since these are all part of my tent set up, I like to keep them all with the tent.  If you use a tent heater, store it with your tent too, if you can.  It doesn't have to be in the same duffle bag, but putting next to it on the shelf will keep it handy.   Keep in mind the heater may contain residual fuel or fumes and for safety reasons, should be stored in a well-ventilated area separate from any structure connected to your living area.

Camping tools should all be kept together in a convenient tool box, duffle bag, plastic tub or crate.   If you have a lot of stuff, you may need to break it down into to multiple containers to make it easier to handle.   Better to have two smaller tool boxes than one big one that is too heavy to move. Always clean and inspect your tools before putting them into storage.  Not only will this help prevent rust and corrosion, it will help you check for damage and provide an inventory control to ensure everything is ready for your next trip.  Unfortunately, things sometimes tend to disappear on camping trips and its always better to discover it sooner rather than later so you can replace missing items before you need them.

Camp clothing will probably need to be laundered before it goes back into storage.  Anything that doesn't normally live in your regular closet or dresser, should be neatly folded and stored in well-marked plastic tubs.   An exception might be rain coats or other long coats that you might want to hang up in plastic zipper bags.

Camp stoves and heaters are mostly self-contained or come in their own cases.  Traditional Coleman style gas stoves are self-storing within the main structure of the stove.  If you have an oven or toaster you use with your camp stove, store it with the stove.  You might find a small briefcase, duffle bag, or suitcase that will fit your collapsed oven and toaster, making it easy to keep everything together and easy to store and transport.   Because your gas stove probably contains unused fuel or fumes, store your stoves only in a well-ventilated area outside of your living space.  Propane stoves are pretty safe to store anywhere once the propane cylinder is removed and properly stored.

Camp lanterns, with their glass globes and silk-ash mantles, can be quite fragile.  There are special carrying cases made for many of the Colman gas lanterns and you'll find them well worth the investment.   Lacking one, wrap your lantern in an old towel and put it in a plastic tub that is just big enough to hold it and any related items, like spare mantles, spare generators, lighters, etc.   Make sure it is ventilated so any fumes that may leak from the lantern don't accumulate in the container.  Store your gas lanterns only in a well-ventilated area away from your living space.  Like propane stoves, propane lanterns can be stored inside once the propane cylinder is removed and safely stored.  Most currently available lantern cases are plastic clamshells that surround the lantern.  I kind of like the older steel cases because they are more square and fit in storage areas better.  Not all lanterns are the same size and shape.  Make sure any case you buy will fit your lantern.  Speaking of lantern storage, I found the "accessory safe" that clamps to the base of Coleman lanterns a good place to store spare mantles, generators, and the wrench that came with my lanterns so they're always handy.

Camping fuels need to be stored safely in a well ventilated area.  They should only be stored in approved containers.  Never put fuel into an any old plastic jug!  Many plastics will be eaten up by the fuel.   Don't believe it?   Pour a few ounces of gasoline in a styrofoam cup for an accelerated demonstration.  Be sure the cup is sitting in a leak-proof metal pan because within seconds, the cup will have dissolved and the gasoline will be going everywhere!  Plastic gasoline containers are made of special materials that are impervious to gasoline and are safe for transporting and storing gasoline, but old milk jugs, water bottles, and bleach containers are not safe. They won't melt immediately like styrofoam, but they will deteriorate over a fairly short time, allowing fuel to leak out.  If, in an emergency, you must transport gasoline in an unapproved container, use an old oil bottle or jug. Those have at least some resistance to petroleum products.   Don't store fuel inside your home, not even in your basement or garage.  Any leak that might develop from improper storage, abuse, or accident, and release fumes that could be explosive.  Storing fuel in an attached garage isn't a good idea.  Better to keep it an an outside storage building away from your residence.   Storing it in a detached garage reduces the risk to your home, but may place vehicles and other contents of the garage at risk.   Water heaters are often located in garages and basements and can be a source of ignition for any fumes that escape from improperly stored fuel.  Water heaters installed in garages are placed on elevated platforms to keep the igniters above the level where leaking gas normally accumulates.  Fumes are VERY dangerous.  If you fill an open 1 gallon can to the top with gasoline and drop a match into, the match will go out.  But if you put about an inch of gas in the bottom of the can, then drop in the match, the fumes on top will explode violently!  I read about a guy who left an acetylene tank for his welder in the trunk of his Mercedes.  Apparently the valve wasn't tightly closed.  About 3:00 am the electric clock way up in the dashboard created enough of a spark to ignite errant fumes that had accumulated in the trunk and seeped into the passenger compartment and the resulting explosion destroyed his garage and knocked out windows for a 3 block radius!  On another occasion a flight line worker at an air base spilled jet fuel on his coveralls.  He wisely went to the line shack to change but once inside  got distracted watching some other works on break playing cards.  The fumes from his wet coveralls filled the room until they reached the flash point and were ignited by the heater, blowing the entire shack and everyone in it to smitherines.  If you fill a #10 can to the top with gasoline and toss in a match, the match will go out.  If you put a little gasoline in the bottom of the can and toss in a match, the fumes will ignite with explosive force!  The flash point is different for each kind of fuel and sometimes low enough that you can't smell the fumes before they reach the ignition point.

Many storage areas, such as sheds, garages, and basements, may subject your gear to an accumulation of dust over time.  If this is the case where you are storing your equipment, cover it with a tarp or put individual items or containers in plastic trash bags to protect them from the dust. When it comes time to use your equipment again, it will be a lot easier to remove the dusty tarps or bags than to clean the equipment or their individual containers.  The dusty bags may be cleaned and reused or discarded and new ones used when equipment is put back in storage.   Either way, dealing with the dusty plastic bags will be easier and faster than letting your gear become contaminated in storage and having to clean it before you can use it again. Y ou might even want to put covers over your plastic bins so you don't have to spend time cleaning them before a trip.

Organization is a key to having things ready to use when you need them -- for your next camping trip or as emergency supplies.  A good suggestion to follow is to keep related things together.  Store sleeping bags, blankets, cots, and sleeping pads near each other.  Put all your tents and canopies in one place.  Put lanterns and flashlights in close proximity to each other.   Store all your kitchen and cleaning supplies together.   First aid kits and other medical supplies should be together.  Wood cutting tools, like axes, saws, and wedges should be grouped .  Coats, jackets, and other camp clothing should be grouped in plastic bins or stored hanging in plastic protectors.  The flimsy little plastic covers you get back with dry cleaning are better than nothing, but I prefer to use suit bags or heavy contractor rated garbage bags for optimum protection.

If you don't have good space in your garage or basement consider purchasing a small enclosed trailer for your camping gear.  The trailer can be used both to transport your gear to camp and to store it at home.  We snagged an old stripped down Apache tent trailer to tote our camping gear.  It has a clam-shell roof that provides excellent protection from weather and rather good security. We have found it a good place to keep our camping gear year round, freeing up space in the garage for other things and being ready at a moment's notice for spontaneous outings.

Long term storage.  When putting your stuff in storage for winter you'll want to make some special preparations to ensure it will be in good condition when you take it out again next season.   Make sure your tent is clean and dry.   Unpack sleeping bags and hang them out or fold them loosely to avoid over-compressing the loft and destroying the insulation.  Empty fuel from stoves and lanterns. Remove any provisions that might freeze or leak.  Place all dry ingredients in pest-proof/leak-proof plastic containers.  Make sure all your gear clean and in good repair.   Discard any outdated provisions and medications.Sharpen axes and knives and rub a light coat of oil on them and other metal parts to inhibit rust and corrosion.  Rub a little linseed oil on wooden handles to help preserve them as well.

Camping Essentials

Camping means different things to different people. I once had a business associate whose definition of "roughing it" was having to ring twice for room service so he wasn't much of a camper at all. I can't even imagine him sleeping in a tent or cooking over a campfire.  Then there are those who find "survival" expeditions invigorating. You know, like Les Stroud (Survivorman), trying to survive in the wilderness for a week with just a pocket knife or multi-tool and a gum wrapper! Most of us fall somewhere in between and very much enjoy having at least some creature comforts even when we are in the great outdoors:  at least a comfortable tent to shelter us from the elements, a warm, snug sleeping bag, a nice sleeping pad or mattress or even a luxury RV with literally all the comforts of home.

The ultimate in luxury camping is epitomized by the palacious bus-conversion motorhomes. With price tags running into the millions of dollars, these mansions on wheels make you wonder if their owners have any concept of what "camping" is all about. These rigs often include high-tech home theater systems as well as residential style appliances and literally all the amenities of home. I know for certain that some of those RVs are better equipped than my permanent residence. Those of us with more modest means "settle" for less luxurious motorhomes, trailers, and truck campers and yet still manage to bring a significant set of creature comforts with us. Heck! Just having a safe place that doesn't flap in every breeze to get in out of the weather is a good start. Most RVs offer comfortable sleeping, cooking, and sanitation facilities which add greatly to our comfort and convenience -- and even our health -- in remote locations. After having endured tent camping and camping out of the back of an old Suburban for many years, I don't feel bad about succumbing to the comforts of my motorhome and sharing them with my family. A hot shower and a warm, comfortable bed are a blessing after hours on the seat of dirt bike, soaking in your own sweat and being engulfed in dust from a half dozen or so other riders on the trail ahead.  And when the weather turns bad, it is really nice to kick back in a warm and cozy RV and watch a favorite video or two and let Mother Nature rage outside.  Likewise being able to escape hot desert summers in an air conditioned rig is nothing short of heavenly.

However, there is much to be said for tent camping too. There is often a greater sense of adventure setting up camp and sleeping in a tent. Of course sometimes Mother Nature deals a helping of adventure that is more than we bargained for, hence the proliferation of RVs. Tent camping has a lower start up cost and you can go just about anywhere. Scale it down to backpacking and you don't even need roads to get there.  You can go tent camping many places you can't get to in an RV.

If you choose tent camping -- for the adventure, the novelty, or the lower cost -- here are some essentials to consider, many of which can be applied to all kinds of camping.  Many of these suggestions can be adapted to RVing as well.  Of course having an RV as your basic shelter means you don't have to worry about a tent and you will most likely have blankets and quilts or comforters instead of a sleeping bag.

There are several basic categories that should be considered essentials for camping.  Here is the short list:

1. Shelter  (tent or RV)
   
2. Sleeping (sleeping bags, blankets, bedroll)
   
3. Food and water (enough to last your entire outing plus a reserve)
4. Cooking facilities (RV range, camp stove, campfire, BBQ)
5. Illumination (lanterns, flashlights, candles, torches)
   
6. Sanitation (RV, portapotty, access to public toilets, latrines)
   
7. Hygiene (Ways to keep clean -- soap and water, wet wipes, natural water source
8. Camp tools (axe or hatchet, knife, etc)
   
9. Miscellaneous camping supplies
   

Shelter: one of your most important concerns will be shelter. The kind of shelter you need depends on the climate and season. For summer afternoon beach trips all you may want is a sun shade, a canopy or an umbrella. For winter "snow camping" you're going to want a very sturdy 4-season tent and sub-zero sleeping bags -- that is, if you don't or can't opt for a cozy heated RV! For average summer weekend trips without an RV you will probably want a modest, light weight 3-season tent and sleeping bags. Tents provide shelter from sun, wind, rain, and many pests and offer a very welcome degree of privacy. They also take on a feeling of "home" that soothes our human psyche. When choosing a tent there are many things to consider. How many people will be sleeping in it? Do you need interior dividers for added privacy? What kind of weather will you be using it in? How much room to you have to transport it? How difficult is it to set up and take down? Does it include screened windows and doors? I've used everything from a tiny back-packing tent that is little more than a sleeping bag cover to a big 10x14 cabin tent my boy scout troop (I was the Scoutmaster) called "The Hotel". If you are car-camping where you don't have to carry your tent far, you can afford the luxury and convenience of larger, sturdier accommodations, but for hiking and back-packing you'll want something small and light weight -- just enough to keep dew and rain and any other precipitation off your sleeping bag. Color has little to do with the functionality of a tent, other than the obvious difference in how dark colors absorb sunlight and light colors reflect it, but it can have a psychological impact on the owner/user. Some people are lifted up by "happy" colors, like yellow and red. Others prefer soothing shades like green and blue. One of our favorite tents is blue (which happens to be my favorite color) and purple (my wife's favorite color).

Ground cloth: you'll almost always see ground cloths recommended whenever you are using a tent. Usually they suggest placing the ground cloth beneath the tent to protect the tent floor. My personal preference is to place it inside the tent when I have only one.  Using both one inside and one underneath to me is ideal.  On more than one occasion I found having the ground cloth under the tent simply funneled run-off from the tent underneath it, trapping it between the tent floor and the ground cloth, soaking through the floor and soaking our sleeping bags. Since then I put a light weight tarp inside my tent as an extra barrier between my sleeping bag and anything that might get under the tent floor and cause problems. It certainly wouldn't hurt to use two tarps, one under your tent and one inside on top of the floor. Just be sure the outside tarp doesn't become a catch-all for moisture running off the tent! If your ground cloth is larger than the base of your tent, fold it so it doesn't stick out to form a catch basin for precipitation dripping from the tent. Even if it doesn't rain, cool nights can cause enough dew to condense on your tent to generate a small deluge when movement shakes the walls and the droplets coalesce together and cascade to the ground.  The condensation from your breath inside the tent is going to create a light rain inside when the tent is bumped or flutters in the breeze.  That is one reason you should maintain at least some openings for ventilation.  Outdoor moisture may collect from dew, mist, or light rain and will run off when the fabric moves.  If your ground cloth protrudes beyond the edges of the tent, all that moisture will be trapped between the ground cloth and your tent floor, and guess which one is more waterproof!  That is one reason I like to put  ground cloth inside my tent too.  Even if you start off with the ground cloth safely inside the perimeter of the tent, wind or just moving around in the tent can cause things to shift so that by morning an edge or two may be exposed and funneling moisture under your domicile.

The size and complexity of your shelter will be affected by how often you plan to move it. A large, sturdy, multi-room tent with plenty of stand-up headroom is excellent for semi-permanent Army camps and even for base camps for car-camping expeditions where you plan to stay in one place for a while. If you plan to move every day, you might want to consider a lighter, smaller tent, perhaps even one of the "pop up" styles. These "pop up" tents are spring loaded and self erecting, a nice advantage when you're tired and ready to hit the sack. It takes about 10 seconds to set one up. Just take it out of its bag and toss it in the air. Poof! Instant tent! All that's left is to stake it down. Getting it back into its bag is a different story and may take some serious effort and may provide a bit of entertainment for your fellow campers as you try.   For back packing you may want a tiny little tent that is barely large enough to cover your sleeping bag.  The one I use is not much more than a glorified sleeping bag cover but its enough to keep rain off and cut down the wind.  For most camping, I suggest a tent that is sized for 1 more person than will be sleeping it.  That gives you a little extra room for gear and dressing.

Tent materials: tents have been traditionally made of canvas for hundreds of years. Canvas, when properly treated, is waterproof and provides excellent protection against all but the worst weather. Canvas is sturdy and withstands a lot of use and even some abuse. About the only drawback is it tends to be heavy and stiff and sometimes the waterproofing gives it a peculiar smell. Old time canvas tents were held up by sturdy wooden poles and anchored with strong ropes and stakes, which are also rather heavy. These days you can choose from a wide selection of nylon tents with strong, light weight fiberglass or aluminum poles and plastic stakes. It is quite surprising how much protection even a thin nylon tent can provide from the elements.  Consider the tents used by mountain climbers on peaks like Mt Everest.  Keeping out the sun, rain, and wind is obvious, but even a light tent helps hold in a surprising amount of heat on cold nights. One of my sons and I shared a 3-man dome tent on a scout outing one night.  We slept comfortably and when we woke up it was a little cool in the tent when we crawled out of our sleeping bags, but still warm enough to get dressed without freezing our fingers or other body parts.  Then I unzipped the tent and stepped outside.  Wow!  What a difference!  It had dropped below freezing that night and there was still frost in the shade.  I definitely gained a real appreciation for how much shelter a simple tent can provide.  It was truly surprising how much heat was generated overnight by two warm bodies and how much of it was retained in the tent.  I've read that the average human being generates about as much heat as a 100 watt incandescent light bulb.  Trap that inside a tent and you retain a lot of your hard earned heat that would otherwise slip away into the night.

While we're on the subject of tents, choose carefully where you set it up.  First consideration is finding a place that is generally level and fairly smooth -- free from rocks, twigs, and debris.  If you must set up your tent on a slope, do it so when you roll out your sleeping bags, your head will be uphill.  If your head is downhill, your stomach contents are likely to start making their way up your throat before morning and that is VERY unpleasant.  If you lie sideways across the slope you will most likely roll downhill during the night.  The only negative result I've ever experience sleeping with my head uphill was by morning my feet were sticking out of my tent!   A second consideration is overhead threats.  In warm weather it is tempting and even usually a good idea to set up your tent in the shade.  However, if it is windy, you could  be the target of branches blow out of the foliage above you.  In winter you may risk having snow that accumulated in the branches fall due to wind or even rising heat from your tent -- even it is only your own body heat.

Sleeping bags: next to your basic shelter, having comfortable sleeping accommodations may be the next biggest factor in comfortable camping. If you're in a an RV, you may have the luxury of a real bed, with sheets, blankets, quilts, and comforters. Sleeping bags may be useful even in an RV but are even more important when tent camping. Sleeping bags come in a variety of configurations to fit a number of uses and climates. They are rated by how cold the outside temperature can drop to before you get cold inside the bag. It is pretty obvious you will freeze sleeping in a 20 degree bag at zero degrees, but using a sub-zero sleeping bag in significantly warmer temperatures will cause you to sweat, greatly reducing your comfort and possibly even leading to getting chilled. So choose a sleeping bag that fits the climate you will be using it in. If you anticipate varying temperatures, use a layered sleep system just as you would dress in layers. Adding a liner and/or cover or having a second sleeping bag or some blankets are some ways of building a layered sleep system. Some sleeping bags are made so they can be unzipped to lie completely flat or be zipped together with a second bag, allowing couples to sleep together and share body warmth.

Since you will often be sleeping on the ground you will want to consider a sleeping pad or air mattress. They are not just a luxury for a softer sleeping surface. They are essential for insulating you from the cold ground. Sleeping pads are light weight and easy to use. They typically offer about 1/2" of foam between you and the ground. Even that provides an amazing level of comfort and insulation. If you, like the Princess and the Pea, are more sensitive, you may want to get an air mattress. When deflated, they take up little room. You can inflate them to your personal level of comfort and they provide 2-3" between you and the ground. Avoid cheap plastic air mattresses, often used as swimming pool toys, as they tend to be easily punctured and often leak, leaving you, quite literally, cold and flat by morning. Always clear the ground where you place your tent and sleeping bag of as much debris as you can. Sticks and stones beneath you will become excruciating by morning and can make holes in your tent floor.  For added protection and extra sleeping comfort, you can line your tent floor with foam tiles, the kind that are used as anti-fatigue mats at workbenches and other places workers stand.

Camp cots are a comfortable alternative to sleeping on the ground, but are too heavy for just about anything but car-camping where they only have to be carried a short distance. Being off the ground helps keep unwanted critters out of your sleeping bag as well as being more comfortable than lying on rocks, twigs, and uneven ground. You'll still probably want need a sleeping pad for insulation and additional padded comfort beneath your body.

Food safety and preparation: Your next priority will be proper nutrition. One of the most important considerations is hydration. It is very easy to become dehydrated during many outdoor activities (OHV riding, hiking, biking, swimming, or even just sunbathing). If you are camping in remote areas without a safe drinking water source you will need to bring enough water with you to sustain you and your party throughout your trip. In addition to water, your body needs electrolytes. These are chemicals that are lost through sweat and urine but are essential to health and energy. Sports drinks, such as Gatorade and Powerade, are formulated to replenish lost electrolytes so make them part of your provisions.  The Union Pacific Railroad used to provide salt tablets for their employees who were working outside in hot weather.  As I recall, not taking your daily ration of salt tablets was grounds for dismissal.  Salt is the main mineral that is lost through perspiration, but certainly not the only one. 

One of the biggest food safety concerns while camping is keeping perishable foods at safe temperatures. This is usually not a major problem in RVs equipped with refrigerators, although RV fridges are subject to being properly leveled and sometimes fail during high outside temperatures. Some smaller travel trailers and truck campers often have "ice boxes" instead of refrigerators. These look like RV refrigerators but functionally they are no more than vertical ice chests. You will need at least one ice chest, more if you have a large group and you are car camping so you can transport them. No matter which type of cooler or fridge you have, open it sparingly. Try to combine accesses to minimize how often you open the door or lid. And always monitor the temperature inside. If food is left above 40 degrees in an RV refrigerator or ice chest too long (more than a couple of hours) it will begin to spoil and you may end up with food poisoning and/or diarrhea or, at the very least, developing some interesting odors and science experiments and having to toss out valuable provisions. Refrigerator thermometers are available at camping stores for use in coolers and RV refrigerators. When all the ice has melted in an ice chest, seek to replace it as soon as possible or write off and toss out the contents before they make you sick -- or kill you! There are chest-type coolers available that can be plugged into a 12-volt receptacle (cigarette lighter) to extend their effectiveness. If you use one of these, be sure to monitor your vehicles batteries. You don't want to run your batteries down and not be able to start your vehicle when it comes time to go home or move on. You may have to plan on running the vehicle engine for an hour or so every day to recharge the battery.  These coolers usually use a thermoelectric process that can either heat or cool the interior, so always make sure the switch is in the right position and check it often to make sure it didn't get bumped the wrong way!  You don't want to find your pizza cold or your beer warm!

Restrict opening ice chests and refrigerators.   Regardless of whether you are using an ice chest or a refrigerator, you will want to limit how often and how long you open them.  You need to conserve the cold air inside as much as possible.   Try to plan ahead so you can take advantage of opening your cooler to do more than one thing:  get out drinks for the whole group all at once instead of one at a time; remove all the refrigerated ingredients and condiments for a meal in one pass; wait until you have collected several items to put back inside instead of opening it separately for each item.

What provisions to bring along depends on where you're going, how long, how many in your party, and what you like to eat. You want to strike a balance between having enough and not adding too much to the weight you and/or your RV is carrying. Keep in mind that most outdoor activities burn calories and stimulate appetite so you'll likely eat more than you do at home. Check out camping recipe books and on-line for suggestions for menus. These often take advantage of shared ingredients to minimize the space and weight provisions take up. And keep your meals simple. Whether you're cooking on an RV range, a Coleman stove, a BBQ, or a campfire, you won't want to generate tons of dishes to be washed, consume large amounts of fuel, or waste time. Paper or plastic dinnerware can usually be burned in your campfire, saving time, fuel, and water.

Cooking facilities: Most RVs come with built in stoves. In large motorhomes and trailers these may have multiple burners and even ovens that come close to matching residential functionality , but usually with a smaller capacity (a little more than half). Some smaller trailers and truck campers may have a only single burner, portable propane or butane stove or one can be added. When using any of these devices in an enclosed RV, be sure to allow for proper ventilation. They do give off combustion by-products and consume oxygen. For tent camping, the old stand-by is the Coleman stove. These are powered by Coleman fuel ("white gas") or propane. They are relatively inexpensive, fairly portable (unless you're back packing), easy to use, and economical to run. Be sure to use only the proper fuel in your stove. There are some stoves specially designed to run on regular unleaded gasoline as well as "white gas" but using regular unleaded gasoline in a "white" gas stove will ruin it quickly. Propane is a convenient fuel. It is usually a little more expensive than "white gas" or Coleman fuel but it is easy to transport and store and doesn't spill. Propane is pressurized so you don't have to pump propane stoves and lanterns like you gasoline fueled models.  Use your gasoline or propane stove outdoors only,not inside an RV, tent, or building.  If you are back-packing you'll want to look into light weight back-packing stoves. The veritable Coleman camping stove typically has two or three burners and can support cooking for average sized families. If you have a larger group you may need more than one stove. With a family of 8, we found it useful to heat water for hot chocolate and later doing dishes on one stove while cooking on a second unit. Once again, keep in mind the Coleman stoves are designed for outdoor use. Using them inside a vehicle or in a tent or other enclosed area is highly discouraged and can be VERY dangerous.

Campfire cooking can be a fun activity for the whole family. There are several ways to cook on a campfire. "Hobo Stew" is a very easy meal. Each person combines meat (stewing beef, burger, chicken, even hot dogs), potatoes, carrots, onions (if you like them) and seasoning in an aluminum foil wrapper and stuffs it into the coals.  Sometimes when we plan ahead we microwave our Hobo Stew at home (before putting in the aluminum foil) so it cooks faster in the campfire.  You can cook conventional soups and stews, make coffee, and heat water for hot chocolate and doing dishes directly over the campfire. While some pots and pans, especially cast iron construction, can be placed directly on the fire, using a grill or grid over the fire is more convenient and makes clean up a lot easier. You may be able to use the same grill for cooking hamburgers or steaks. Of course, hot dogs and marshmallows cooked on sticks or wires are a campfire staple. Just for fun, we sometimes use a cast iron "witches pot" that hangs on a metal tripod over the fire. It gives mealtime a true old-fashioned feeling. We've found it especially suitable for serving stew or chili on chilly days.  Keep an eye on what you're cooking.  It is said that a potato, wrapped in foil and baked in the coals for 1 hours make an excellent side dish. One baked for three hours makes an excellent hockey puck!

If you have a pioneering spirit, you might also like to try "ash cakes". These are simple flour and baking soda biscuits cooked directly on the coals. It is surprising how little ash ends up on the cakes when you retrieve them for consumption.   What does stick can usually be just brushed off.  They are especially delicious while hot and filled with butter and/or honey or jam.  Another easy campfire bread is Twist Bread.  Mix the dough so it is thick and sticky, cut or roll it into strips 1/2-3/4" wide, and wrap (twist) it around a stick.  Bake it over glowing coals.  Cooking it over open flames will likely blacken the outside before the inside is cooked.  You can also make Twist Bread from canned (frozen) rolls.

Another fun campfire cooking experience can be had using pie-makers. These are metal clam shell devices with long handles. You simply put a slice of white bread in each side of the clam shell, add pie filling of your choice, close the clam shell, and cook directly in the coals or over the fire. Makes a very fun, easy, and tasty campfire dessert. It is surprising how much the toasted bread tastes like pie crust.  Fresh hot pies are particularly fun and satisfying on cold days.  On warmer evenings you may want to have your pie a la mode if you can.  You can also use campfire pie makers to make hot sandwiches to warm you up on a chilly day.  Put a spoonful of Sloppy Joe filling or chili in a hamburger bun and warm it up in your pie cooker.  To borrow a phrase from a popular soup commercial its "Mm-mmmm good."  It would also be an easy way to make campfire grilled cheese sandwiches.

Dutch oven cooking: this is a popular form of camp cooking. It involves the use of a heavy cast iron dutch oven pot with a lid. Dutch oven cooking can be done using charcoal briquettes or the coals of a campfire. Charcoal gives you the best control of temperatures and cooking times. There are many dutch oven cook books and you can find recipes on the Internet. Dutch oven cooking takes some time, so plan ahead. The food is delicious and, if you have the time and the patience, preparation is fun and educational. I like to thing of my dutch oven as a pioneer crock pot.  You can pretty much toss in the ingredients, arrange the charcoal, and don't have to think about it again until its time to eat.  A rule of thumb for Dutch ovens is to cover the lid with a number of lighted briquettes equal to the diameter of the oven in inches.   For example, 9 briquettes on a 9" oven.  This is in addition to setting the oven on a bed of charcoal.  You can find charts online that tell you how many briquettes to use according the the temperature you want to achieve.

Hot dog and marshmallow cookers. You'll find several options for these at most camping supply stores and departments, including telescoping devices and devices for cooking multiple hot dogs at once, but you don't need a store-bought cooker. I've seen a steel spring rake used as a "redneck hot dog cooker" to cook a whole bunch of hot dogs at once. I suggest you burn the paint off and thoroughly clean the tines before trying this. Thousands upon thousands of hot dogs and marshmallows have been cooked on straightened out wire coat hangers and green willow sticks.  I mostly use wire coat hangers. If using wooden sticks, do try to use only fresh green sticks as dry ones will be likely to catch fire but check with appropriate local authorities (such as park rangers) before cutting ANY living plant. And always (ALWAYS!) use caution to avoid someone getting stuck in the eye or burned by the "business end" of a cooker. A trick I use to keep my coat-hanger wire hot-dog cookers organized in the storage cabinet on my RV is to slide them into a 24-30" length of 3/4" PVC pipe. That way they don't dirty or get all tangled with or leave marshmallow residue or grease on other items in the cabinet. And they're easy to locate and retrieve for the next campfire.

Illumination: If you're camping, you're most likely going to be involved in after dark activities: setting up camp, cooking dinner, cleaning up after dinner, building a campfire, or just sitting around socializing. All these activities generally need light. The gasoline powered ("white gas") Coleman lantern has been the standard for years and years and years and is still preferred by many campers (including me). But today there are many alternatives, including propane lanterns and battery-powered lighting devices. I carry simple, inexpensive flashlights for each individual in my group. That way they have their own lights if they need to find something in the tent, or find their way to restrooms (or convenient bushes when camping in truly primitive areas). I have bright exterior lights on the side of my RV I can use for campground illumination when desired -- both 120-volt I use when the generator is running and 12-volt lights to avoid the noise pollution of running the generator. For direct lighting over picnic tables etc I still rely on the good old Coleman gas lantern. These produce a bright, white light, almost like an electric bulb. As with most appliances, take care and follow instructions when using gasoline or propane fired lanterns. An old fashioned alternative is the kerosene lantern. These are usually inexpensive and economical to operate but give off a yellowish light and a fairly strong odor unless you run them on liquid parafin instead of kerosene. All of these devices are generally safe but improper lighting techniques can result in fires or explosions and the globes and metal parts of the upper part of the lantern become VERY hot when in use so take care when handling them.  Modern battery powered LED lanterns are getting more affordable and they are safe to use in tents and RVs.  LEDs use a fraction of the power of ordinary incandescent bulbs so they greatly extend battery life.  I once accidentally left a 17 LED lantern on all night in my barn and it was still worked great for months afterwards!

Sanitation needs will depend on your camping style and location.  If you are camping in a self contained RV you will bring your sanitation facilities with you.  If you are camping in a full service campground they will be provided for you.  But if your RV isn't self-conained or your are tent camping and in a primitive camp site you will have to provide for your own needs.  A portapotty is one, quite civilized solution.  Digging your own latrines is another option.  Take care to dig them at least 200' away from any lake, stream, well, or spring and make sure you dig deep enough so you can cover it safely.  And don't forget the toilet paper!

Hygiene is necessary for both comfort and health.  Bring along enough water to accomodate necessary cleaning, like dishes, pots and pans, and washing your hands and face.  Personal needs can sometime be met using wet wipes, which are easier to carry.  Unless you are on an extended trip or in survival mode you will usually just collect your soiled clothing and wash it when you get home but if you do need to wash clothes in camp you will need sufficient water from your supply or access to a source of water (campground faucet, lake, stream, etc).  Take care not to pollute natural water sources with toxic detergents.

Camp tools: Like most other activities, there are certain basic tools you will find necessary for successful and comfortable camping. One of the most useful is an axe or hatchet. If space and weight are a factor, get a framer's hammer that has a hammer head on one side and an axe blade on the other. That way you both a hatchet and a hammer in a single tool.  If you have plenty of room, a 30" axe is a convenient size for most camping activities. Larger axes are powerful tools for lumberjacks, but are usually overkill for camping. Before using an axe or hatchet or even a hammer, always hold the tool by the head and swing it 360 degrees around you to make sure there are no people, pets, or obstacles you may accidentally strike while swinging the tool to chop wood or drive tent pegs.  Be sure to check over head as well as all around.  Keep your axe sharp. When you're cutting wood, you want it to cut, not bludgeon its way through. If it is dull, you might almost as well try pounding with a rock and you will be less likely to injure yourself or an innocent bystander than you will when a dull axe bounces back. You are far more likely to be injured by a dull axe or knife than by a sharp one. Dull edges cause you to use more force than necessary and can result it the tool being diverted in directions you don't want it to go with a force that is difficult to control.

A good knife is second on my list. I usually carry a Swiss-army style knife or a Leatherman style multi-tool because they provides multiple functions in a sturdy and compact package. A multi-tool is usually the one modern convenience Les Stroud allows himself on Survivorman.  I prefer a knife with a fixed or locking blade, for added safety. Like your axe, keep your knife sharp. What real use is a dull knife anyway? And, you are more likely to injure yourself or someone nearby trying to force a dull knife to cut something than you are if the knife is sharp and properly doing its job. The best knife recommended for survival situations is a modest size, fixed-blade knife like a 4-5" hunting knife, not those huge, Rambo-style "survival" knives. You'll find more carving than hacking applications around camp.  An old saying admonishes us that "a knifeless man is a lifeless man", and that would be especially applicable in a survival situation.

Campfire cooking utensils: the spatulas, forks, spoon, etc you use at home or even on your RV stove, are probably not appropriate for campfire cooking. For campfire use you will probably want items with longer handles and with wooden or synthetic grips. Avoid plastic utensils as they will melt. A good spatula will be needed for turning hamburgers, steaks, and hot cakes. A long spoon is needed for stirring soups, stews, chili, etc. A long, wooden-handled fork may be used for grilling steaks, hot dogs, and corn on the cob. Tongs are useful for inserting and removing foil-wrapped items such as hobo stews, potatoes and corn on the cob. If space and weight is a significant factor you may want to opt to use your campfire utensils in your RV instead of bringing along two sets.

Camping supplies: You will quickly figure out what kinds of supplies you need to bring along, but here are some basic ideas to get you started.   You will need toiletries for your personal hygiene (washing hands, brushing teeth, shaving [optional when camping!]), along with towels.  You will need dish washing detergent and a sponge or dish rag and a dish towel.  You will need matches and/or lighters and perhaps extra fuel for your stoves and lanterns.  Repair kits for various pieces of equipment (tents, sleeping bags, stoves, lanterns,etc) are nice to have is something breaks down or gets damaged.  Your provisions should include basic cooking ingredients and common spices to give you the option to make a variety of meals.

Camp projects:   There are a number of camp projects you can do for fun or to make your stay more comfortable. Here are some items I've found useful for camp projects over the years.

Tarps. Light weight tarps can be used in a variety of ways. They can serve as emergency shelters for equipment and people, sun-shades, and ground-cloths. In a medical emergency they can be used with or without poles to make a temporary litter for transporting an injured person. You might use one (along with some duct tape) to cover a broken RV window. Tie them over your tent for extra protection in particularly bad weather.

Binders' twine: This simple material has dozens of uses around camp. I've used it to tie sticks together to make tripods to hang lanterns and other camp items. You can use it to hoist food up into a tree, out of the reach of marauding animals. It can be used to anchor tarps to make shelters or sun-shades or simply secure them around equipment. It can be used to hold down awnings and anchor camp chairs in windy conditions. You can use it to lash sticks together to make a variety of camp furniture. It can be used to stitch up holes in a tent. And, in the spirit of a parody of Johnny Cash's "I Walk The Line", it can be used as an emergency belt to hold you your pants ("I Hold My Pants Up With a Piece of Twine").

Duct tape: Anyone who's ever seen the TV show McGuyver, knows the value of duct tape. It can be used for just about anything, from sealing holes in tents to keeping errant tent poles from banging around in your RV or tow vehicle to holding a sole back on your shoe and slowing down the leak in a rubber boot. It is also a good way to secure splints on a broken arm or leg to prevent additional injuries while transporting a victim to receive formal medical attention. It can be used as a bandage to hold a dressing in place on a wound.  It can even be used to secure out-of-control victims or intruders in a disaster situation. It has been used to make a eye-shield when a sherpa lost his goggles on a Tibetan mountain climbing expedition. I recently saw photos of a private plane in Alaska (check it out at Best Duct Tape Story Ever) that had been attacked by bears. The pilot had a lot of plastic sheeting and duct tape flown in and dropped and he repaired the fuselage and wings enough to fly the plane home! That plane all wrapped in duct tape was quite a sight! I think I mentioned in my post on Emergency RV Repairs that duct tape can be used to temporarily secure loose siding on RVs and minimize further damage while getting you home where you can make permanent repairs. It can be used to secure unruly victims or others in a disaster situation. I've heard it said that duct tape works on just about everything but ducts! Anyone who has tried to apply duct tape to a duct in a dusty attic knows what I'm talking about.

Happy camping and like a good Boy Scout, Be Prepared!