What Should You Have To Begin Camping, RVing, and/or OHVing?

The main thing you need to get started is desire. You just have to want to do it. Then decide where you'd like to go and how you'd like to get there. Next, decide exactly what you want to do and begin working toward acquiring the equipment, knowledge, and skills to do it.  Keep in mind just buying the right gear and equipment is only the beginning.  Before you can enjoy using it you're going to have to learn how to set it up, how to maintain it, and how to use it properly.  Proper use of camping, RV, and OHV equipment is necessary for safety as well as for enjoyment.

Here is a list of basic equipment to get you started:
    Tent or other shelter (RV, SUV, pickup with a camper shell)
    Sleeping bags or blankets
    Ice chest
    Cooking facilities: stove or portable BBQ
    Lantern or flashlight(s)
    Axe or hatchet
   Water jug

Some optional items to make things more comfortable:
    Camp chairs
    Folding table
    Canopy or large umbrella

These items will give you a good foundation to begin camping and from there you can build up your gear as you discover what works for you and what you need for added comfort and convenience. Watch your fellow campers to see whey they use and what works for them. There are other posts in this blog that give more detailed information on tools and equipment if you need or want some ideas to help you get started.

Tent camping. If you're going to start tent camping, obviously you'll need a tent. There are hundreds of designs to choose from. The kind of tent you need depends on several things: where you will be using it, how many people it needs to house, what kind of weather you expect to see, will it be a base camp or something you have to carry while hiking? How much can you afford to spend? Tents range from tiny, light weight back-packing tents that barely cover your sleeping bag to keep the dew and rain off to huge, multi-roomed affairs for large families. I had a 10x14 canvas cabin tent my Boy Scouts called "The Hotel". I also have a nifty little pop-up dome that takes about 3 seconds to set up. Just remove the strap and toss it up in the air. Poof! Instant tent! If you're going have to carry your tent while hiking, you will want something that is small and light. If you are setting up a base camp near your vehicle you can use a larger, heavier tent that gives you more room and may provide better protection against the elements. Because tents tend to be somewhat pricey, you may want to look for a good deal on a used tent. Check out your local classified ads or on-line sales such as ebay and craigslist. Sometimes you can find extraordinary deals on new tents on ebay. If you are buying a used tent, see if you can set it up before you take it home so you can make sure it is satisfactory condition and all the parts are there. Minor tears can be usually easily repaired. Stay away from articles with major damage or lack of significant components unless you are fully prepared to make the necessary repairs. Garage sales are often a good place to find used tents. Sometimes you will even find ones that have never even been taken out of the box! For successful tent camping you will need more than just a tent. You will need sleeping accommodations. Sleeping bags are the easiest and usually the most comfortable for camping but ordinary blankets and quilts can also be used. Some folks are reluctant to buy used sleeping bags, but they can be dry cleaned to ensure they are sanitary and safe to use and they usually come out just about like new. Some people like sleeping on folding camp cots instead of laying on the ground. Of course this isn't a viable option for hiking or back-packing or if you have chosen a small tent. Sleeping pads are light weight and easy to transport and add a lot of comfort over sleeping on the hard ground and twigs and rocks. You will also need a way to transport and preserve your food and water. An ice chest will usually do to keep refrigerated food safe for several days. Keep an eye on the ice and replace it before it is all gone to prevent your food from spoiling. Try to store your ice chest out of the sun and way from any direct sources of heat to prolong its usefulness. A simple plastic tub is one of the most convenient ways to organize and transport non-perishable foods, but you can also use a duffle bag or even plastic grocery bags (but they aren't very durable). You will need a way to cook in camp. Some folks opt to do all their cooking over a campfire. If that is your choice, a foldable grill will make many tasks easier. Other alternatives include your ordinary back-yard BBQ or hibachi and camp stoves. Don't try to cook inside your tent! It creates a high fire danger and the fumes and smoke can make you sick and can permeate the fabric, causing foul odors and premature discoloration and deterioration.

RVing. If you want to start out in an RV right away, you're first step is to determine what kind of RV you want. A lot of folks start out with a simple tent trailer and gradually work their way to what best meets their needs as they mature. Some retirees will jump right into a big, luxurious, Class A motorhome. Whatever you choose, do your homework before you buy. Consider how you will use the RV, how much you can afford to spend, where you will use it, and where you will store it. I can't tell you which RV is right for you. What you choose must be right for you and right for your current needs. You may have had some idea of what you wanted last year. Next year you may need something different. But the only one that is best for you is what is right for you right now! The convenience and luxury of a large Class A motorhome may be very appealing, but if you want to camp in primitive forest service campgrounds, you may need a smaller unit to comply with length restrictions and negotiating narrow, winding access roads.  A tent trailer or teardrop trailer can usually be towed behind all but the smallest vehicles and can often be stored in your garage.  An RV usually combines many of the basic equipment you need (shelter, food storage, food prep, comfortable sleeping accommodations, etc).

There is another shelter options to get you started enjoying the camping experience:  rent a cabin in a KOA or other campground.  That way you have a base of operations that will be a little more familiar while you explore the fun of campfires and other camping related activities.

OHVing. Like anything else, your choice of an OHV is a very personal matter. What works for me won't necessarily work for you. You need to consider your physical capabilities along with the kind of terrain and weather where you expect to be using your OHV. Dirt bikes are the favorite of my family. They are highly maneuverable, but they require physical strength and stamina. It is said that Supercross, the ultimate professional dirt bike racing event, is THE most physically demanding sport in the world. ATVs are more stable except when crossing a slope, require less physical capabilities, and can haul more gear and equipment. I often see ATV riders who are otherwise wheel-chair bound. ATVs also deliver a little better performance in soft terrain such as mud, sand, and snow, especially if they are equipped with four wheel drive. The OHV you choose depends on what seems fun to you, where you'll be using it, and how much you can afford to spend. New OHVs of just about any type are fairly expensive. Used OHVs may have mechanical problems associated with ordinary wear and tear or abuse but can often be a good buy. Be careful when buying a used OHV. Check it over carefully and if you have any concerns, have it checked by a competent mechanic. What you spend on a pre-purchase inspection could save you hundreds of dollars in repairs. I have had very good luck purchasing used dirt bikes over the years. I have had to pass on a few along the way that didn't seem to be in satisfactory condition. If the engine starts easily and runs smoothly without expelling clouds of smoke or steam out the exhaust and the clutch, brake, and transmission work smoothly, it is probably OK, but a mechanic can do extended tests to make sure. If the fenders or other plastic parts are badly damaged or the tires worn out, it may have had heavy or abusive use that could lead to premature failure. There are plenty of legitimate bargains out there, so don't throw your money away on a beat up unit just because it is cheap. In the long run it may be less costly to pay more for a better machine. A reputable dealer will often offer a limited warranty and will have performed, at the very least, certain tests required by law to ensure the basic safety of the machine. Often they will have done a lot more because they want their customers to be happy and they don't want the cost of having to do warranty work. Expect to pay more at a dealer than you will pay for the same unit from a private party. Buying from a dealer may also help you to establish a relationship that can yield on-going benefits. Some dealers offer purchasers of vehicles discounts on merchandise, supplies, and services. The more you buy from a dealer, the more likely you will get rewards. Two critical criteria when purchasing an OHV: 1) It should fit you well and you should be comfortable on it and 2) it should be fun to ride! I was offered a great deal on a bigger, newer, and nicer dirt bike when I bought my first one, but I turned it down because I wasn't comfortable on it. Ever worn a pair of shoes that didn't fit? Not comfortable and I'll bet you didn't wear them very long or very often. Your OHV will be the same way. If it doesn't feel good, you won't enjoy it and you won't ride it.

What? Go for it!

Camping Equipment Maintenance

Just because your camping and/or recreational equipment doesn't have motors or gear boxes it doesn't mean you're off the hook for routine maintenance.  Mechanical equipment, like RVs, camping trailers, boats, and OHVs usually have rigorous maintenance schedules.  Tent camping avoids many of those time consuming and expensive processes, but there are still some routine maintenance tasks that should be performed fairly regularly on basic camping equipment to enure proper function and longevity.

Tent campers may not have to deal with the mechanical maintenance tasks that those who choose mechanized or motorized modes of travel and recreation do, but there are still some things we need to do routinely to keep our gear and equipment in top shape.  Failure to maintain gear and equipment is a sure recipe for premature failure.  A couple of good times to do routine maintenance are when you are preparing for an outing and when you return and put you stuff back in storage.  Major inspection and repairs are often done when you put your stuff into storage at the end of a season and when you get it out again for the next round of fun.

Tent maintenance.  Maintaining tents mostly consists of cleaning them and inspecting them for leaks or tears and making necessary repairs.  Keeping your tent clean is a simple but essential task.  Spilled foods, bird droppings, sap, and stains may attract insects or varmints that will damage the fabric.  Dirt left on the floor can grind away and weaken the fibers.  A tent that is rolled up and stored wet can mildew and rot.  That not only makes it unpleasant, but can destroy the fabric.  Always take time to sweep out your tent before rolling it up.  You may have to roll it up wet sometimes, but if you do, unroll it and let it dry out at home before you put it back into storage.  Small tears can  usually be sewed up by hand and sealed with seam sealer.  If caught in time making repairs will avoid catastrophic failure that would force you to send it out for repairs or buy a new tent.  Temporary repairs for small cuts and tears can be made in the field using duct tape or some kind of waterproof sealing tape.  These should be properly sewed and sealed when you get home and before your next outing.  Nylon repair tape is convenient way to make both temporary and permanent repairs.  It is often self-adhesive but stitching is always more secure.  Another important part of tent maintenance is cleaning.  You should always sweep out your tent before taking it down and brush away debris from the fabric as you roll or fold it up for transport and storage.  Clean the screens and windows and the zippers.   You can lubricate zippers with a number of ordinary household products but I like to use a commercial produce like Zip-Ease.  Household products you can try include a graphite pencil, crayons, candle wax, Chapstick, Vaseline, WD-40 and silicone lubricants.  Aways test any lubricant on a small, hidden place if possible to make sure it won't stain the tent fabric.  When using sprays, such as WD-40 or silicone, use the tube style nozzle and apply it sparingly.   When using a Crayon, match the color to the color of the zipper.  If your tent is wet or even damp from rain or dew, be sure to unpack it and let it dry out before you put it in storage.  When using liquid or spray lubricants, use dry lube instead of oily products if possible.  Inspect the roof and sides for soiling from birds or tree sap and remove such deposits as soon as practical.  Avoid putting your tent into storage with soiled spots.  Reactions between the contamination and the fabric may stain, rot, or weaken the fabric.  Bird crap can usually be removed satisfactorily with soap and water.  Sap may require a stronger solvent such as Goo Gone.  Some folks use turpentine to remove tree sap but it may damage tent fabrics so it would be wise to test it on something non-essential (like the tent peg bag) before using it on your tent.  I've even heard of using mayonnaise to remove sap, but then you have to remove the mayonnaise!

Sleeping bag maintenance.  Unless your sleeping bag is badly soiled or smells bad all you normally need to do is hang it out for a few hours to let it air out and dry before putting it away.  Mild odors might be controlled with a fabric freshener like Fabreze.  It would be a good thing if you have room to store your sleeping bags hanging.  It avoids compressing the fill.  Tightly rolling your sleeping bag may let you store it in a smaller space, but it will destroy the loft and it will no longer keep you warm.  If you can't or don't want to hang your sleeping bag, fold it carefully and store it in a tub or box that lets it remain loose.  If you detect a light odor you might try spraying the bag lightly with a fabric freshener such as Fabreze.  Be sure to let it dry before rolling or folding it for storage.  Badly stained or awful smelling sleeping bags should be taken to your local dry cleaners for cleaning.  It isn't cheap, but its way less than a new sleeping bag!  Some sleeping bags may indicate they can be machine washed, but I am somewhat skeptical.  I had a cold weather parka, with construction similar to a sleeping bag and with a label claiming it could be machine washed.  Just one washing virtually ruined the jacket.  The fill was so badly bunched up there were many places where there was no fill at all, just the inner and outer layers of nylon.

Gas stove maintenance.  Gas stoves, whether white gas or propane, are usually quite reliable, even without a lot of preventive maintenance.  But that doesn't mean you can or should ignore them.  Be sure to clean up any cooking spills after each use.  Clean the burners and the bottom of the stove.  Be sure to clean the openings in the burners.  If there are places where a spill has clogged some of the openings, there won't be any flame there, creating a cold spot in your cooking surface.  Gas stoves that use liquid fuel have a pump built into the fuel tank to create the pressure needed to feed gas to the burners.  These pumps usually use a leather washer which can dry out and become ineffective.  A drop or two of oil (just about any oil, even motor oil will do) will usually restore flexibility.  If that doesn't work you may have to rebuild the pump.   Rebuild kits are available at most sporting goods stores where the stoves are sold and cost from about $3.00 to $20.00.  The cheaper kits usually just replace the washer; more expensive versions often replace the many of the hard parts as well.  You might need the higher priced kit if you have lost the knob on the pump.  If the pump is working fine and there is fuel in the tank but the stove still doesn't work, it probably has a bad generator.  This is a little brass tube through which the liquid gasoline travels and is converted to a gas before entering the burners.  Generators are fairly easy to replace and only cost around $10.

Gas lanterns.  Gas lanterns may use gasoline or propane.  Propane cylinders are pressurized.  You have to pressurize the fuel tank on gasoline lanterns using the pump built into the tank.  If the pump stops working, a drop or two of oil may soften the leather gasket and restore enough flexibility to get it working again.  If it is too badly worn it may have to be replaced.  Liquid fuel lanterns also have generators that an sometime go bad.  Just as with gas stoves, there are rebuild kits.  The kits for any given brand can usually be used on both stoves and lanterns so you shouldn't have to carry multiple rebuild kits.  The most frequent maintenance chore for gas lanterns is replacing the mantles.  The mantles are little sock-like mesh bags.  You have to remove or lift the globe of the lantern to replace the mantles.  There may be one or more mantles in each lantern depending on its size.  The mantles have a string threaded through the open end.  Slip the open end over the end of the flared tube inside the globe and tie it tightly in place with the string.  Then take a match or lighter and burn the silk mesh sock.  The ash that remains is heated white-hot when the lantern is lit.  Because the mantles are made of ash, they are quite fragile.  Bumping the lantern may cause them to crack or break and then they will no longer confine the gas and burn properly.  Always carry several replacement mantles with you when you're using a gas lantern.  Another routine task is cleaning the globe.  Always do this when the globe is cool.  Cleaning a hot globe may result in  burning your fingers or breaking the globe.  If the hot globe comes in contact with cold water or a cold cloth, it may crack or even shatter.  Carefully clean both the inside and outside of the glass globe before each trip and as often as needed when using the lantern -- when the globe is cool.  Cracked or broken globes should be replaced.  Most gas lanterns are  held together by a knurled nut at the top.  Make sure this nut is always snug but don't over tighten it.  Regularly check to see if the bail or handle is properly attached.  If it is loose and you try to pick it up, the lantern my slip off and fall.

Battery lanterns.  Battery lanterns are far easier to care and less fragile than gas lanterns.  They usually have plastic rather than glass globes.  But that doesn't mean they don't need some attention.   The same thing applies to flashlights.  You will want to check the condition of the batteries before each trip and either recharge the lantern or replace the batteries if the voltage is low.  You might want to put one of the batteries in backwards when you will be putting the lights into storage for a while to prevent battery drain.  Low batteries are likely to fail during extended storage, often leaking and damaging the light, so check the batteries before storing your lanterns or flashlights too.   Check the battery compartment for signs of leakages or contamination.  Carefully clean any yucky stuff out of the battery compartment paying special attention to the contacts the battery connects to.  They should always be clean and shiny.  You may need to clean the globe periodically too.  Since there is no soot or smoke inside, normally all you have to do is clean the outside.  Window cleaner, like Windex, usually works well but just to safe, check your owners' manual.  Some plastics may have special cleaning instructions.  Ordinary soap and water is usually safe for all surfaces.   Be sure not to rub too hard or too long in one place as it may scratch or burnish the surface and never rub them without some kind of liquid cleaner or the dust will scratch and dull the surface.  Badly scratched or cloudy globes might benefit from a multi-step plastic cleaner like those used for motorcycle windshields.  If that doesn't work you may have to replace the globe if you can find one or the entire lantern if you can't. You might check garage sales for options for replacement parts.

Camp chairs.  Camp chairs mostly just need to be cleaned once in awhile.  Some of the old style aluminum folding chairs used screws to hold the mesh to the frame.  If you have one of these you'll want to make sure all the screws are tight before each trip.  Cloth chairs like the popular "quad" chairs can be cleaned with soap and water, rinsed with water, and let dry.  Don't fold them up until they are dry. The mesh on folding aluminum chairs can also be cleaned with soap and water if badly soiled but if they're only dusty you might just blow them off with compressed air.   If the webbing is badly worn you can buy replacement kits to re-web aluminum chairs.  If you find your folding chairs are getting hard to open and close or they make squeaking sounds when you open and close them, you might want to put a little bit of lubricant on the pivot points.  Don't use a lot of oil because it will just collect dust and get on the fabric when the chair is closed up for storage.  A dry Teflon lubricant would be a good choice.  If you use a wet lubricant like WD-40, be sure to avoid spraying on too much.  You might even want to spray some in the cap and apply it with a little water color brush or Q-tip so you don't get too much in one place.  The legs on some chairs have caps or feet on the end.  These often get lost or damaged.  You may be able to purchase rubber cane tips to replace missing feet on round legs.  Missing caps may allow the legs to dig into the ground, letting the chair tip while you are sitting in it and damp soil trapped inside the feet may accelerate corrosion.

Knives and axes.  Inspect  your knives and axes.  Test the blades and makes sure they are clean and sharp.  Gently sand away any rust.  Coat the metal surfaces with a light oil.  Make sure handles are secure in axe heads and that the handles are smooth and in good condition.  You may sand rough wooden handles.  Rub wooden handles with linseed oil to protect them against moisture, make the comfortable to handled, and give the handle a nice "glow".  Dull tools are more dangerous and more difficult to use than sharp ones.  Sharpen blades as needed and use some kind of blade protector while the tools are in storage.  Shovels aren't as sensitive to needing sharp blades, but keeping them clean and appropriately sharp is a good idea.   A bit of WD-40 on the steel to prevent rust and some linseed oil on wooden handles will help keep them in top shape for the next outing.

Hiking sticks usually just need to be cleaned regularly,  but collapsible models might need a bit of lubrication.  Inspect the grips and repair or replace any that are loose or damaged.  Metal models should be checked to see if they have gotten bent and, if so, try to gently straighten them.  Wooden walking sticks might benefit from a light rubbing with linseed oil or a good furniture oil.

Other equipment.  Depending on what kind of recreational activities you normally participate in you may have other pieces of equipment that need your attention.  If you have an owners manual or instruction sheet, be sure to follow the manufacturer's recommendations.  Lacking specific guidelines, be sure to regularly clean and inspect each item and make repairs as needed.  Check the functionality of each item to make sure it is working right.  If it doesn't work right, examine it for damage.  A frequent cause of problems in anything with moving parts is contamination or lack of lubrication.  A little dry Teflon or even a modest application of WD-40 may work wonders.  Metal components of equipment may have gotten bent and you might be able to restore proper movement by straightening the bent part.  Slight bends can usually be successfully straightened but anything that has been kinked or cracked will probably have to be replaced before it fails catastrophically.  Anything that gets bent more than once will be weakened and should be replaced.  Check for and tighten any loose fasteners but take care not to over tighten them.  Over tightening can damage parts and interfere with proper movement.

Camp clothing should be washed and carefully stored until the next season.  You should also inspect your camp clothing and replace any missing buttons, repair loose seams or tears, or, if it is too badly damage to be salvage, discard and replace it.  Often fixing some loose buttons or stiching up a small tear will keep things in working condition for another season or two.

Keep it working!

Tent Camping Post Trip Procedures

Proper post camping trip procedures help keep your equipment in good condition, keep your gear organized in storage, and make your next trip easier. Remove all perishable foods and clean your ice chest. I like to use a strong window cleaner with ammonia to sanitize my ice chest to avoid mildew. Leave the lid open for a while for it to dry completely before closing it up and storing it. Check your cleaning supplies and non-perishable provisions and replenish anything that is getting low or nearly used up or has a damaged container. Review the list you made during your trip to remind yourself of items you need to add or remove and services or repairs needed. Keep the list in a prominent place and review it frequently until you have completed all items on the list.  Return perishable items to their proper place in your home.

If you use a porta-potty, make sure you dump it, flush it, and add chemicals to the holding tank. Leaving it sit for a while filled with sewage will create a very unpleasant situation the next time you take it out. Unless there is a chance of freezing, re-fill the fresh water supply tank on the porta-potty so it will be ready to go for your next trip. It is usually easier to remember to refill it when you clean it than when you load it up next time. If you have to carry it up or down stairs you might want to postpone re-filling since water weighs 8 pounds per gallon and 5 gallons of water would add 40 pounds to the weight of the unit.  Just remember to refill it before your next trip.

Spills and crumbs or wet spots left in a tent will attract pests (insects, rodents, and micro organisms like fungus, mold, and mildew) and you'll have a very unpleasant surprise the next time you want to use it. Thoroughly sweep out your tent and wash off any spills or stains.   Let it dry before rolling it up.  Sap and bird droppings are particularly damaging to tent fabric so clean them off as soon as possible.  Damp fabric is likely to develop mold and mildew which is not only unpleasant and unsanitary, it may damage the fabric.  So make sure your tents, sleeping bags, and packs are thoroughly dry before you put them away.

Even a clean tent or sleeping bag will tend to develop a stale odor in storage, especially if it is put away damp. Even if you didn't have any rain the fabric may have absorbed moisture from perspiration, the breathing of occupants, from morning dew, or from the grass and/or ground beneath it. If you suspect your tent or sleeping bag is damp, hang it out to air dry for a day or two before rolling it up and putting it in storage.  And don't roll sleeping bags tight for long term storage.  It will crush the loft and destroy the insulating value. 

Sleeping bags should be aired out and thoroughly dry before you store them.   The best way to store them is to open them up and hang them.  Keeping them rolled can crush the fill, ruining the insulating quality, especially if they're rolled tightly.  Using a "stuff sack" instead of rolling them tightly reduces the chances of over-compression.

Clean your stoves and lanterns and, if you store them inside your house, remove the fuel.  Storing fuel containers inside your house or even an attached garage is dangerous.  Ideally they should be stored in a metal cabinet or shed separate from your residence.

As you're cleaning, take inventory of your supplies, sundries, tools etc. Make a list of things you need to replace or restock. Make sure everything is put away in its proper place. Things often get moved about during a trip and you may not remember where you stashed things by the next trip if they're not in their proper place. You might even want to go over your pre-trip checklist so you can replenish depleted supplies and make necessary repairs before your next trip.

Now, pat your self on the back, have a nice dinner, and get a good night's sleep!

Spring Cleaning -- Again

April 3.  Its finally that time of the year again.  The winter snow has melted, trees and shrubs are starting to bud, and campers are getting anxious to get away.   No matter how carefully you stored your equipment and gear at the end of the last season, you'll need to invest a little time preparing for this year's camping adventures.  In this post we'll go over some reminders.  For more detail, see the previous post on Spring Cleaning.

Tents, sleeping bags, and other camping equipment that has been stored needs to be unpacked and inspected.   Even in the cleanest residential environments, vermin, mold, and insects can take their toll on stored gear.   If there was a little moisture left in tent or sleeping bag fabric when it was rolled up there is a good chance it will have developed the most interesting (and unpleasant) smell. Unroll your tents, awnings, canopies, sleeping bags, and patio mats and make sure they are clean and free from foul stains and odors.   Most fabrics can be cleaned with mild household cleaner, but take care not to over soak them.   A fabric freshener like Fabreze may help eliminate stale odors.  Have your sleeping bags dry cleaned.  Even if they may say they can be machine washed, dry cleaning will be less likely to cause the filling to mat and clump.  Tents may need to be re-waterproofed after cleaning with detergents.   Spray on waterproofing like "Camp Dry" is the easiest way to do this but liquids that are brushed on may provide heavier protection.  Pay special attention to the seams.  You may need to use a wax sealer stick on the seams to fill needle tracks that could leak.

Stoves, lanterns, and heaters need to be inspected and cleaned.  Check all fuel connections to make sure there are no leaks.  Clean both the inside and the outside of the glass globe on your lanterns.  Clean the fuel ports around the burners on your stoves.   Pumps on liquid fuel may need to be serviced.  Supply lines for propane appliances may have accumulated spider webs.  Spiders seem to like propane and are prone to build webs in the plumbing of stoves, lanterns, and BBQs.  You would think the pressure would simply blow the webs away, but they are surprisingly strong and adhere very well to the plumbing. Take care cleaning the orifices in propane burners.  Avoid shoving needles into them as they can damage the metal and alter the size and shape of the orifice.  Better to remove them and soak them in hot soapy water or vinegar and blow them out with a blast of compressed air.  If you can't clean them, replace them.

If you have any kind of RV you will need to de-winterize it -- unless you are fortunate enough to live in the sun belt where winterization isn't necessary.  Flush the RV antifreeze from all plumbing lines and fixtures.  You may need to clean the system with a diluted bleach solution to remove residual antifreeze tastes and any other odors that may have developed in storage.   Follow up this cleansing by rinsing with a baking soda solution and you're system will be ready to deliver great tasting water -- if you fill it with good,clean, filtered water to begin with.  If you have a portable hot water system you use tent camping, you'll need to de-winterize in a similar fashion.  Other post-storage tasks include inspecting the unit for any winter damage from elements, insects, or vermin. Check all tires, belts, and hoses and verify proper fluid levels.  Now is a good time to do a thorough cleaning and detailing inside and out.   Not only will your rig look nicer for the upcoming season, you will have a better chance of detecting any problems that might have gotten started so you can deal with them BEFORE you hit the road.  Be suspicious of unusual odors, stains, or softspots that might signify leakage and dry rot.  Be sure to inspect all the exterior seams and joints around windows and doors where temperature changes may have damaged the sealants.  Clean and service the air conditioners.  This includes cleaning the fins on the condensers outside and the filters inside.  Check and clean the refrigerator cooling coils and the burner.  Insects, rodents, and birds often find those places and use them for comfortable winter homes. 

Provisions need to be inspected, inventoried, and replenished.  Check for and replace damaged or leaking containers, outdated, stale, or used up items.  Be sure to check basic food items, cleaning supplies, medical supplies, and personal hygiene items.  Temperature swings over the winter months can take their toll on many products.   I've seen unopened bottles of hand lotion that had separated, spoiled and become unusable and foul smelling during winter storage.  Hot summer storage temperatures can do the same thing.  Check to make sure you aren't hauling around empty or near-empty containers that won't do you any good.  You will want to establish a "low re-order point" in your mind for each item.  Stuff that gets used a lot will need to be replaced when the container gets below about 25% while stuff that gets little use won't need to be replaced until is is nearly empty.

Tools and utensils need to be inspected and inventoried.  Missing or damaged items should be replaced.  Make sure all cutting tools (knives, axes, saws) are clean and sharp.  Check your kitchen drawers and your tool box to make sure anything you might have used last season or may have borrowed over the winter has been returned to is rightful place.

Inspect your camping wardrobe.   Look for old tears or stains or new damage that needs to be taken care of.  Insects may have found a home in your clothing over the winter.  Clothing that has been in storage over the winter, in your RV or your camp bins, may need to be laundered or at least freshened before use.  Sometimes all it needs is a session in a clothes dryer with some pleasant smelling dryer cloths and/or a shot of Fabreze.

Check your checklists.   Use existing checklists to go over your equipment to ensure you are ready for the new camping season.  Now is also a good time to review and update your checklists.  You may find you have things on the list that are no longer needed or that you found things during last year's activities that were missing from the checklist.   Hopefully you took care of the "to do" list from your last outing when you got home or over the winter, but if it is still hanging around waiting for attention, go down THAT list and make sure you bring everything up to date.   Re-creating the same list again this year will be very frustrating and waste a lot of time and energy.

Review your plans for this season.  Will you be repeating many or even all of last year's trips?   If not, are there any items related to deleted trips you can take out and leave home?  Are there new places or events or activities you want to include that may require additional equipment or supplies? Did you have everything you needed for all of your trips last year?  Will any of this year's planned activities require additional planning, equipment, or preparation?

Investing a little time now will ensure a much more enjoyable and frustration-free season. Making sure everything is ready to go will give you confidence and allow you to enjoy your outdoor time instead of spending it worrying, making repairs or "making do".

Things for Campers To Do In The Winter

Let's face it.  Most of us don't do much camping in winter.  True, there are a few die hards who take their RVs skiing, snowmobiling, or ice fishing, but when the colder weather hits, most of us park the RVs or pack the tent and camping gear away for the winter.

Winter doesn't mean you have to put away the tent or RV and forget about it until next summer.   If you feel adventurous and prepare properly, there are opportunities for winter camping. You might go skiing or snowmobiling or just try riding your ATV or dirt bike in the snow.   I haven't found dirt bikes very much fun in the snow, but ATVs are cool, especially if they have 4WD.   I've seen guys use spiked tires on dirt bikes to get traction in the snow and ice, but mostly dirt bikes are pretty skittish on the white stuff.  You can spend a weekend or two in your tent or RV in a campground enjoying winter activities if you have properly prepared for it.   Chances are you won't find it crowded!   Skiing, sledding, snowball fights, building an igloo, ice skating, ice fishing, and snowmobiling are all fun things to do in the winter and most can benefit from a good base camp.   If you're taking out your RV in sub-freezing temperatures you'll HAVE to protect any exposed water or sewer lines, holding tanks, and dump valves or suffer messy and expensive freeze damage, and for your own comfort and heating efficiency, make sure your furnace is functioning properly and seal any sources of drafts and heat loss.  Roof vents and windows can transfer a lot of your precious warmth directly to the outdoors so protect them with proper covers.  There are vinyl covers to snap over the inside of roof vents or pillows that stuff into them and exterior covers for windshields and windows. A less expensive and even more effective solution and one that can be installed easily without facing winter weather outside is to cut bubble-foam insulation panels to fit inside every window and vent. The insulation can be purchased in bulk rolls from RV stores and even hardware stores and home centers.   It is easy to cut and stiff enough to stay in place if you cut it slightly larger than the opening for a tight fit.  It is effective when used on windows, windshields, and roof vents to reduce heat loss.  Sometimes you can find windshield inserts at your local dollar store, making it really inexpensive to cover most windows.  The same covers can be used in the summer time to keep your vehicle cooler so they're a good year-round investment.  They are light weight and take up little room.  If you're tent camping, make sure you have sleeping bags that are adequate for the temperatures you'll encounter, a good tent heater, plenty of firewood, and proper clothing.   Those summer sleeping bags that were comfortable in June, July, and August are going to leave you cold in October through March.  You might want to bring along an extra tarp or two. You'll definitely want one as a ground cloth.  Putting one over your tent can help keep it warm(er) and dry(er).  The same bulk bubble insulation recommended for RV windows can be used to insulate beneath your sleeping bags or even to provide heat reflection around the inside walls of your tent if you've a mind to. Its a little bulky to carry around for tent camping but it might be well worth the effort for the extra comfort.  Another couple of options for insulating your tent floors includes rubber anti-fatigue mats and solar swimming pool bubble covers.

Water hoses need special care in the winter.  Be sure to drain them completely after use so they won't freeze in storage.   The proportionally large surface area of the hose will conduct heat out of the water inside and it will freeze more quickly than water in holding tanks or even pools of standing water outside.  Since water expands as it freezes, it will split your hose -- and  your pipes -- when it freezes. If you're using full hookups you'll want to wrap your hose and the exposed pipe with heat tape.  If you leave an unprotected hose attached to the faucet you will likely find yourself liable for the cost of repairs, and it ain't cheap.

If you want to try winter camping, spend a night or two in your RV or tent at home to get used to winter conditions and develop your skills.  That way, if you find you aren't properly prepared, you can retreat into the house and try it again after making appropriate adjustments in your outdoor accommodations.  Practice your fire making and camp cooking skills.   Far better to learn some hard lessons BEFORE you need them in a remote location.  Building a fire in or on the snow is going to be harder than on dry ground.

Still don't want to go camping in cold weather?  You still don't have to abandon your affinity for camping altogether.   In fact, winter is a good time to take inventory of your camping equipment and supplies and to clean, repair or replace, and organize it for use next season.  There are also many vicarious experiences available.   Watch re-runs of Surviorman to hone your survival skills or seek out local camping shows.  You might also invest some time in reviewing new developments in camping equipment and check out alternate locations and/or activities for next year.  Build up your store of knowledge.  Look up information about your favorite or planned destinations.  Learn about historical and geological events at or near your routes and destinations.  Expand your knowledge of things you may encounter while camping: weather, astronomy, geology, plants, animals, historical and geological events are all interesting topics for afternoon walks and campfire conversations.  The Internet is a gold mine of information. So is your local library and ranger stations near your home or your destinations.  Take time to give your OHV or other equipment some special TLC.   I sometimes spend hours in the garage going over my dirt bike, taking time to detail it more completely than I have time for after a summer ride.  When it is time to take it out again it looks like new and I'm confident every fastener is secure and everything is properly adjusted and lubricated.  Every control works smoothly and any damaged parts have been repaired or replaced.   Makes me better prepared for that first ride next summer.   I also like to go through all my riding gear and repair or replace any damaged items, make sure everything is clean and ready to use, and is properly stored in my trailer where I can find it when the time comes.  Go through your closets, cabinets, camping bins, and tool boxes.  Replace missing or damaged items. Check expiration dates of provisions and medicines and replace outdated items.  Replace any depleted supplies.  Look for things you haven't used all summer and lighten the load if you can.  Make sure all your tools and utensils are clean, in good condition, and in their proper place.   Inventory your provisions and replace and spoiled, depleted, and outdated items.  Review your camping wardrobe.  Clean and repair clothing as necessary and put away an unneeded items that may have made their way into your closet, drawers, or duffle bag over the last season.

Look for movies or TV shows about camping.  Or watch your own home movies from previous outings.  These presentations can provide nice vicarious experiences to tide you over until next summer and often will be educational as well.   Now is a good time to read up on camping skills you've been wanting to develop.   Make a list of things you want to learn and look for training and practice opportunities.  ou may want to plan some outings next season to exercise specific new talents.

Get together with your camping buddies for non-camping activities.  We've had many fun times with our Desert Rat group such as BBQs, birthday parties, and Superbowl parties.   Not only do you have a chance to rehash your shared RV and OHV activities, you get to see your friends in a different environment and get to know them better.   It can also provide a forum for planning next year's activities.  Chances are very good that you'll enjoy their company as much around the TV, BBQ, or dinner table as you do around the campfire.

Take time to look for service projects you can participate in or organize your own.   Most projects will be during the camping season so put them on your calendar now so you can plan for them.  There may be some preparatory activities that don't have to wait until the weather is good such welding up fire rings or making signs or assembling picnic tables to be distributed later in the year can be done at any time.  Placement of signs is usually a fair weather activity, but painting and assembling signs is a good winter project.  Winter is also a good time for you to organize your own service project for your family or organization.  You will need to coordinate with the appropriate land managers and arrange for required equipment, permits, facilities and publicity.  I have found that most local OHV dealers are happy to lend their support for service projects in the form of donated prizes to reward participants.  I encourage several small contributions rather than one large one.  It is usually easier for the dealers and it allows me to reward more volunteers.  It takes a lot of time to organize a good service project so start early.  You can run into an amazing and frustrating amount of red tape when dealing with government organizations.   I was really surprised (and angry) when we were once asked to pay for a permit and charge $5.00 per person to perform a volunteer cleanup project in one popular off road area.  Good grief, Charlie Brown!  We're volunteering to assist the land managers and they want us to pay for the privilege?  Yeah, right!  Like THAT'S going to happen.  Fortunately, one of the more creative rangers came up with a way for them to co-sponser the event and avoid fees.

Examine and inventory all your camping, RVing, and OHVing tools and equipment.  The so-called "off season" is a good time to check out your stuff.  Clean and organize things.  Repair or replace worn out or damaged tools and equipment.  I once brought my dirt bike into the garage and detailed it until it looked brand new.  Yeah, that's probably overkill, but it was a better way to spend my winter evenings than slouching in front of the TV watching some sitcom that insults my meager intelligence.  If you're into riding horses or OHVs, now is a good time to clean and repair your gear.  Leather goods, like boots, saddles, and bridles, can usually use a good cleaning with saddle soap and an application of a leather protector like Leather Balm.  Clean your helmets while there is plenty of time for the cushy lining to dry out before you will need them again.  They usually need it after a season of sweaty hot weather riding.

Make a list of the things you'd like to get done during the "off" season.  The list might include taking inventory of provisions and supplies, reviewing and reorganizing your on board wardrobe, checking your tools and utensils, cleaning and repairing upholstery and flooring, installing new equipment or fixtures, servicing lanterns and camp stoves, detailing your OHVs, checking your riding gear, inventory your spare parts and supplies.  Be sure to go over your regular pre-trip checklist too to be sure everything is ship shape for your first outing next season.  You'll find it rewarding to get it done now when there is less pressure to hit the road.  Now may also be a good time to review and update your checklists.  Are there items that are no longer relevant?  Are there new things that need to be checked?  Look for suggested checklists on the Internet and take advantage of other people's experience to improve  your own.

Stock up on camping and RV supplies and accessories.  Being an off-season can bring good deals on both new and used equipment and gear.  Re-read some of your RV and camping magazines to review new gadgets and see if there are any that appeal to you.  Winter is a good time to install accessories inside your RV or update some of your tent camping equipment.  Advances in technology often provide upgrades that are lighter, more durable, more convenient, more efficient, and/or have more functions than current models.  Watch the flyers from sporting goods stores and stop by and check out their clearance tables.  Review online resources like ebay, craigslist, and your local classified ads. Keep your eyes open as you drive by garage sales.  You won't see as many as during the summer, but they can still be a good source of bargains.

Day dream!   Yeah, you heard me right.  Day dream.  Create ideal camping dreams in your head.  Not only will it be fun and entertaining, it may help you design some new and exciting adventures for next season!

Don't become a winter couch potato!

Cold Weather Camping

Cold weather is usually not the time of year for most camping trips, but sometimes the weather may turn bad and we get stuck in cold weather -- and, believe it or not, sometimes, people actually choose winter camping activities.  A properly equipped RV makes a good base camp for snowmobiling, snowboarding, sledding, ice skating, ice fishing, and skiing.  A good four-season tent can also be a fairly comfortable winter home away from home. Admittedly most of the intentional winter camping experiences I've done have involved Boy Scout tent camping activities rather than personal or family RV outings, but many trips have been memorable.  We've experienced unseasonably cold weather on more than one dirt bike trip in southern California, even to the point of an unusual several inches of snow in the Mojave Desert a couple of times!  Cold weather camping can be fun and even comfortable if you are properly prepared.  Keep in mind that everything takes "twice" as long in the winter (getting there and back, setting up camp, breaking camp, cooking, even going to the bathroom (remember those snow suits as a kid?), etc.) and plan accordingly.  I'm sure more than one child wet his or her pants while wrestling with the multitude of zippers, buttons, snaps, belts, and strings on multiple layers of clothing.  You can enjoy almost any cold weather if you're properly dressed for it -- neither rain nor snow nor dark of night need stay the avid camper from his appointed (or chosen) rounds.

RV Cold Weather preparations.   Most RVs do not come from the factory equipped for use in sub-freezing weather.  At least most RVs made in the United States.  Canadian models are more likely to be winter ready.  Fortunately, most unexpected cool weather during camping season isn't going to plunge you into days of sub-freezing conditions.  I have seen RVs with dual furnaces and even dual hot water heaters to enhance winter camping, but most units aren't well equipped for cold weather, at least those made in the U.S.  Many Canadian built RVs ARE, out of necessity, designed for cold weather use.  If you do plan to use your RV in sub-freezing temperatures you may have to make some modifications to prevent the water and sewer systems from freezing.  Even in milder cool weather you will want to ensure your RV is free from drafts and insulate the windows to prevent unnecessary heat loss for your own comfort and to conserve propane.  Some RVs have heavy drapes or shades but most can benefit from the installation of foam/foil window covers behind whatever window coverings are there.  Reflectix brand is an example of bubble foil/foam insulation that can be easily cut to fit any window.  Make sure you top off your propane tank before you leave, since cool/cold weather is going to put a higher demand on your furnace, water heater, and, most likely the stove as well since you'll want more hot meals and beverages and probably won't be doing a lot of campfire cooking or outdoor BBQs.   Because heat rises, roof vents can be a major source of heat loss. RV stores sell square pillows that can be stuffed into the opening and vinyl covers that snap over the vents on the inside to block heat loss. Make sure your furnace is in good condition before you leave home.  Replacing a faulty thermocouple or even a bad computer control board is a lot easier and less expensive at home than it will be in the wild, not to mention more convenient.   Make sure your batteries are in good condition and fully charged.  You'll need them to keep the furnace going through long winter nights.  Run your vehicle or on board or portable generator enough each day to recharge your batteries.   If your vehicle isn't equipped with a good multi-stage charger, get an automatic battery charger from an auto parts store and connect it to your batteries so they will be charging anytime there is 120-volt power available.  If you wake up in the middle of the night and it is cold in your RV yet the furnace fan is running, you have most likely run down your batteries to where the furnace won't operate properly -- or run out of propane.  It is ironic that a low battery condition will cause the fan to continue to run after the burner has shut off, further depleting the batteries.   If this happens, about all you can do is shut off the furnace to avoid running the batteries down even more, put an extra blanket on the bed or put on your favorite "bunny" pajamas, and recharge your batteries as soon as you can.  For future trips, make sure your batteries are in good condition and monitor your power usage to conserve them to run the furnace at night.  If it becomes a recurring problem, consider upgrading your battery system. Keep your slippers near the bed for late night ventures to the bathroom or to adjust the thermostat for the furnace, especially if you'll be walking on hard surface floors.

Your next biggest problem in sub-freezing weather, after keeping your furnace going all night, will be keeping your water and sewer systems from freezing.  You can add antifreeze to drains and holding tanks but you'll need to keep your fresh water tank and all water lines warmer than 32°F to prevent them from freezing.   A 100 watt incandescent bulb (soon to be obsolete) can be used to heat an outside compartment containing holding tanks and/or dump valves if you have access to 120 volt power.   Just keeping the inside of your RV warm and cozy won't necessarily prevent plumbing from freezing.  Some sewer and even fresh water components are in unheated compartments or even completely outside the RV.  Heating pads are available to protect holding tanks.  Some run on either 120 Volt AC or 12 Volt DC power and most are thermostatically controlled so they only turn on when temperatures approach freezing to conserve energy.  If you don't know how to protect your RV, take it to a qualified RV technician to see what, if anything, you can do to make it suitable for winter camping.  If you're tent camping you'll need to either find a place to store your water where it won't freeze, or be prepared to thaw it out when you need to use it.  I've seen people avoid freezing pipes at home by leaving a faucet open so the water keeps moving, continually bringing ground temperature water into the pipes. We used to do that on my grandfather's ranch in Idaho.   This isn't likely to be a good solution for RVs.   In the first place, if you're, connected to city water, you have several feet of hose directly exposed to the cold outside.   Second, there is no safe place for the water to go. Leaving a faucet open would only transfer the freezing problem from the fresh water line to other plumbing like drains, holding tanks, and dump valves.  Of course you wouldn't want to even think about leaving water running if you're dry camping and depending on the water you have on board.  If you are connected to city water be sure to wrap your hose and the faucet all the way to the ground with heat tape or disconnect and drain your hose.  If you leave it connected and the faucet freezes you'll be facing an expensive repair bill from the campground.  Digging out and repairing or replacing those frost-resistant faucets isn't cheap, especially if the ground is frozen!

Windows, windshields, and goggles are likely to fog or frost up in cold weather. Using a good anti-fog preparation will help minimize problems, but you may still end up having to scrape ice and/or snow off your windshield, sometimes inside as well as outside. I recommend starting the vehicle and running the defroster to loosen any ice or snow before trying to scrape if off. Then use only a plastic scraper, not a metal one like a putty knife or metal spatula. Metal can damage the glass. Also avoid pouring hot water on an icy windshield. It may crack the glass! Goggles, face shields, and OHV windscrreens will become brittle in cold weather so exercise extra caution in handling them. You may have frost on the inside of windows other than the windshield and it is a good idea to carefully scrape it off to avoid have it melt and run down the walls or damage fixtures or furniture.

Cold vehicle seats are one of the discomforts of cold weather camping. Heated seats are really nice, but not all that common except on high end luxury vehicles. Adding electric seat heaters is an appealing solution, but not usually a good job for the average do-it-yourselfer so it can be expensive. A simple, effective, inexpensive alternative is to install slip on plush or fleece seat covers.  The best are real sheep-skin, but even a plush fabric will be warmer than sitting on cold vinyl or leather seats. Fake sheep skin will put a thicker pad between you and the cold seat material and you may be able to machine wash them when needed.  Real sheepskin is the warmest and most comfortable and the most durable -- and the most expensive.   Sometimes you can find heated slip-on seat covers or a heated vibrator cushion to warm your backside.  Of course you should only use seat heaters when the engine is running to provide power.  Running them off the battery will run the battery down very quickly.  Heaters are high-resistance wire and essentially a dead short that uses a lot of current.

Tent cold weather preparations.  There is little you can do to increase the ability of a tent to hold in the heat.   Of course a heavy canvas tent will retain heat a little better than a thin nylon one, but neither gives you very much of an R-factor when it comes to insulation.  A dual-wall tent provides some additional heat retention due to the air space between the tent wall the the rain fly.  You may get some additional protection from wind and moisture as well as help trap heat by putting a tarp over your tent, but you will probably ant to focus more on sleeping comfort.  I found that rolling out one or two sleeping bags on the floor of the tent before I put in my sleeping pad and personal sleeping bag helps keep us warm when sleeping when camping on snow.  Foam/foil insulation can be used in your tent when car camping to add insulation and reflect your body heat back inside instead of letting it escape through thin tent walls.  You might also want to use it on the floor and cover it with a tarp. Foam tiles on the floor will really be appreciated in cold weather!  Tent heaters are available but always exercise caution when using them.   Even flameless, catalytic heaters get hot enough to melt or set the tent or other fabric on fire if they come in contact with it. And although properly designed interior heaters usually don't produce toxic fumes, they will consume oxygen so you MUST keep a couple of windows slightly open to avoid suffocation.   An old pioneer trick is to heat up some rocks or potatoes in the fire and put them inside your sleeping bag or bedding.  Be careful that there are no coals clinging to the items and that the items are not TOO hot or you may burn your feet or melt nylon fabrics or set your bedding on fire.  A trick used by the well-to-do in medieval times was a foot warmer. This was long-handled metal pan with a lid that was filled with coals. You might have seen one in Pirates of Caribbean when Elizabeth Swan was being kidnapped and dumped one on the pirate's head.  An old mountain man trick is to lay out your sleeping bag or bedroll over a warm fire pit.   If you try this, make sure the fire is well covered with dirt beforehand. Y ou might recall the scene in the movie Jeremiah Johnson where Robert Redford discovers he didn't have enough dirt. His seasoned companion quipped "Didn't have enough dirt.  See'd that right off."  An extra wool blanket over your sleeping bag or an extra sleeping bag laid flat over the top can also preserve heat and keep you warmer. T his technique is especially effective when covering two or more sleeping bags side by side so you can share body heat.  If your sleeping bags are the style that can be zipped together and you have a willing partner, you will sleep warmer when you share than you will alone in individual sleeping bags.  Do NOT try cooking in your tent -- unless you have a properly installed and ventilated tent stove!  The temptation may be great when the weather is bad, but it is definitely NOT worth the risk!   Both being out of the weather and the potential for warming your tent is definitely an attractive idea, but a dangerous one, unless you have the right kind of stove. Find a sheltered spot outside where you won't risk setting your abode on fire, breathing toxic fumes, or suffocating when the stove uses up all the oxygen!   Plan ahead and set up a weather-proof (or at least weather-resistant) camp kitchen BEFORE the bad weather hits.  Wind usually comes from a single direction (prevailing wind) so you can set up a permanent wind break to protect your cooking area.   If you are in an area where the wind direction shifts frequently you may want to try to rig up a movable wind break or just settle for small wind breaks right around your stove to protect the flame and prevent the wind from blowing the heat away before it cooks your food!  The lid and side panels of most Coleman-style camp stoves provide a pretty good wind break and you can usually purchase add-on wind breaks for other stoves that protect three sides, leaving the front open so you can access your pots and pans.

Make sure your wardrobe is stocked with clothing appropriate to the weather and dress in layers for maximum warmth and flexibility to adapt to changing conditions.   For the most comfort, start with thermal underwear and add layers as needed, depending on temperature and activities.   If you expect or experience wet weather you will need rain gear.  Even the warmest parkas will be of little use if they aren't water resistant and they get wet.  Hats with ear flaps are very important. I really like the furry Russian military hats known as "ushankas" (means "ear hat" in Russian).  They are very warm and protect your neck, ears, and part of your cheeks.  You can lose as much as 80% of your body heat through your head.   My grandmother always said "If your feet are cold, put on your hat!" -- and it works!   Speaking of feet, make sure you bring along plenty of dry socks.  You will NEVER get your feet warm in wet socks!  If you get your feet wet, change to dry socks and dry your shoes or boots as soon as you can.  Gloves or mittens are essential for any outdoor activity in cold weather. Wearing latex or nitrile gloves under your winter gloves will add a little insulation and prevent the inside of the gloves from getting sweaty but your hands will get sweaty.  You can use rubber gloves over your knit or other gloves for extra exterior protection against water.  Be sure to by them at least a size bigger than you would normally wear so they'll fit over your gloves.  You can get glove liners or simply wear a pair of small knit gloves inside your gloves for extra warmth.  You lose some dexterity with mittens, but they will keep your hands warmer than gloves.  Chemical hand and toe warmers can be used to provide up to 10 hours of additional heat to keep your extremities more comfortable.  Large versions are available as "body patches" to warm your chest or back if necessary. I t may seem like the special clothing available for various outdoor activities (skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, riding OHVS, horseback riding) is extravagant, but if you've ever tried to "get by" without it, you'll appreciate the comfort and functionality the right clothing provides.  The right gear is designed to fit properly and allow appropriate movement and ventilation while retaining body heat to keep you warm.  The wrong gear, even if designed for cold weather, may retain moisture, restrict movement, or otherwise interfere with activities.  You will be far more comfortable in clothing appropriate for the activity you are involved in.  After one winter of having my feet freeze while horseback riding, I broke down and bought a pair of insulated cowboy boots.  The next year things weren't nearly so bad.   "Windchill" jersey's and gloves added a lot of comfort to winter dirt biking and I've never regretted investing in quality snowboarding clothing when we tried snowboarding, which kept me warm and comfortable in daytime temperatures around zero, although I did thoroughly enjoy the hot air hand dryers in the restrooms when we took a break.  Nothing takes the fun out of a hot activity faster than being cold!  Winter clothing should also breathe or you will get soaked in your own sweat, and then you'll freeze.  Properly designed winter clothing also allow for correct ventilation to prevent overheating and then getting chilled from excess sweat.

Cold weather health hazards. The two most obvious, serious and well known cold weather health hazards are frost bite and hypothermia. Many people are surprised to learn that dehydration is also a major concern during winter activities.  You lose body fluids through both respiration (breathing) and perspiration (sweating).  Too much physical activity can make you sweat which will then cause you to get chilled when you slow down or stop.  Think you don't lose much to respiration?  Just look at the little clouds that appear when you breath out or look what happens when you breath on your glasses or goggles to clean them.  You still need several glasses of water per day.  Eating snow or drinking water from melted snow can provide hydration but it also contributes to hypothermia because it uses core body heat to warm the snow.   Better to heat your drinks and sip warm liquids, which will hydrate you AND help keep you warm.  However, if you don't have any other source of hydration, by all means, eat snow.

Frost bite usually occurs on exposed extremities like fingers, toes, noses, and ears.  The cells of the skin and muscles near the surface literally freeze solid and rupture.  Water expands when it turns to ice and our bodies are about 70% water.   If you or one of your companions gets frost bite, do NOT rub the area with snow!  That has been a popular myth, but it is not sound medical advice.  What you want to do is to gently warm the frozen area. Be aware that severe frost bite is likely to have done irreparable damage to the tissue.  Ultimately affected areas may die and slough off or may have to be surgically amputated.  Less severe cases may benefit from gently warming to thaw the frozen parts. Sometimes just placing the frozen fingers or toes next to warm body parts (like arm pits) will do the trick.  Warm water can be helpful but do NOT use hot water.   To prevent frost bite, avoid exposing the skin to cold air.  Wear gloves, thick socks, and boots and cover your ears and nose.   A full-face ski mask may not look very fashionable, but it may keep your cheeks and nose and chin from freezing.  Even something like a nylon stocking pulled over your face will provide some protection. DO NOT warm frozen tissue if you won't be able to keep it warm.  Thawing and refreezing will cause even more damage.  Wait until you are sure you can keep it warm before you attempt to thaw it.

Dress for the weather.   If you are dressed appropriately for the weather you can stay relatively comfortable in just about anything short of severe weather conditions.  Take a lesson from skiers and mountain climbers who sometimes face fairly extreme weather conditions.  Dress in layers.  This provides both maximum insulation and greatest flexibility to deal with changing weather conditions and levels of activity.  You don't want to stay all bundled up when involved in strenuous activities that make you sweat.  Doing so may subject you to chilling that can lead to hypothermia and even death.  Dress for the type of weather you are going to experience.  Even the warmest parka or snowsuit will not keep you warm in rain if it isn't waterproof or at least water resistant.  Avoid getting wet!  You lose body heat 25 faster in wet clothing.  You can become dangerously hypothermic even in fairly mild weather when you get wet.  As water evaporates is absorbs more heat than ice melting!  It takes 539 calories to convert 1 gram of water to water vapor but only 80 calories to convert 1 gram of ice to liquid water so you will lose heat faster from evaporation in wet clothing than from melting snow or ice.

Hypothermia occurs when the core temperature in the body drops below the minimum required to sustain life. Hypothermia can occur even on warm days if you are submerged in cold water or stay in wet clothes.   A drop of only a few degrees in your core temperature can be serious, even fatal. Typically you can't survive more than about 3 hours in cold weather.  The normal body temperature is 98.6° F or 37° C.  Hypothermia occurs when the core temperature drops to only 95° F or 35° C. Your body reacts to cold by first reducing circulation to the extremities to save heat for the vital organs so extremities, like hands, feet, nose and ears, will stop being warmed by your blood as your body redirects it to protect the vital organs in your core.  That is one reason your hands and feet and face are hard to keep warm.  Feeling cold and shivering, especially uncontrolled shivering, is an early sign of hypothermia.  When shivering stops without getting warmed up, the victim has progressed from mild to moderate hypothermia. Since loss of mental function is also an initial sign of hypothermia, early signs often go unnoticed.  Initial hunger and nausea will give way to apathy as the core temperature continues to temperature drop.   Confusion, lethargy, and eventually even coma may develop.  Eventually you stop feeling cold, even though your temperature has dropped dangerously low.  At this point people often just want to go to sleep -- an extremely dangerous thing to do in such circumstances.   As hypothermia takes hold people often just lay down and die!  Victims may develop "raccoon eyes" and pale, bluish or grayish skin.   Anyone showing or experiencing signs of hypothermia should be moved to a warm location as soon as possible.  Passive rewarming with warm clothing in a warm environment may be all that is required for a conscious person who is still shivering.  Warm compresses or chemical heat packs may be applied to the chest, neck, and groin. Do NOT apply direct heat, but use warm blankets and body-to-body contact to warm the victim. Chemical hand and toe warmers may be used, but should be wrapped in a cloth to prevent direct contact which could cause injury.   An effective procedure for warming a hypothermia victim is affectionately called the "burrito", where you wrap the victim in successive layers of dry clothing and blankets.  For mild to moderate hypothermia, the victim will usually warm enough from just their own body heat to start struggling to get out of the wrappings in 15-20 minutes.   Severe cases may require wrapping a warm healthy individual in with the victim to provide enough heat to warm the victim. Always remove wet clothing and replace it with dry clothing as soon as possible and definitely before wrapping up your victim in the burrito.   Avoid shaking or rough handling of lethargic victims as this can cause heart problems.   If the victim is conscious, warm fluids may be given to help warm internal organs.  If you have a victim in moderate to severe hypothermia, notify emergency medical services (call 911 or send for help) as soon as possible. Someone in severe hypothermia may appear to be deceased. Normal vital signs (blood pressure, heartbeat, breathing) may not be detectable in a severely hypothermic patient.  An emergency medical axiom states that a person isn't dead until they are warm and dead. A person in severe hypothermia can sometimes be successfully revived through appropriate professional medical care, so don't give up too soon!  If you are in a situation where hypothermia might occur, keep an eye on each other for the "umbles":  fumbles (unusually poor coordination), grumbles (irritability), and mumbles (slurred speech).  All are symptoms of hypothermia.

Dehydration.  Believe it or not, hydration is just as important in cold weather as it is in hot.  We still lose a lot of moisture through respiration -- just look at those little clouds we breathe out in cold weather.  We can also lose quite a bit through perspiration.  Vigorous activity will cause you to sweat even in cold weather, especially if you start out comfortably wrapped in cold weather gear.  You won't need quite as much water as you would in hot weather, but you still need to maintain hydration levels.   For comfort you might want to drink hot cider or even warm up your Gatorade.  Remember, alcoholic and caffeinated beverages contribute to dehydration and should be avoided during strenuous activities.  Cold drinks, especially iced drinks, can speed lowering of your core body temperature and should be avoided.

Cold weather activities.   It is possible to still have fun in cold weather if you are properly prepared. Dirt bikes are kind of skittish on snow and ice but ATVs, especially if they have 4 wheel drive, can be a lot of fun, but you have to dress appropriately or you're going to be VERY uncomfortable, perhaps even to the point of becoming hypothermic, which can be very dangerous, even lethal.  And, of course, snowmobiles are a fantastic means of getting around on the white stuff.   Consider skiers and snowboarders.  How do THEY do handle cold weather?   First of all, they are dressed for it.  They know to dress in layers for maximum warmth retention and flexibility in adjusting clothing as activity increases.  You don't have to be involved in sub-freezing temperatures to be subject to hypothermia. A cold rain or immersion in a cold lake or stream can create fatal hypothermia even in mild weather, especially if there is a breeze.  If you expect or experience rain, use rain gear -- not just warm winter clothes.  Warm does not necessarily mean water proof. W et clothing is one of the fastest ways to become hypothermic.  If your clothing does become wet, switch to dry clothing as soon as possible. If you have no dry clothing, remove the wet clothing and wrap up in whatever you have to keep you warm while you dry your clothing -- blankets, sleeping bags, burlap bags, tarps, trash bags -- anything that will hold in the heat and keep out any additional cold and wetness.  The last thing you need is to waste your body heat trying to warm up wet clothing!  Wet clothing will suck the warmth out of you 20-25 times faster than dry clothing.  Avoid activities that may take you far from camp in the late afternoon or evening. Y ou don't want to be stuck out in the cold after dark!  And don't overlook traditional winter fun like sledding, skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, and ice fishing.  Make sure you are dressed appropriately and for added comfort and fun, bring a long some warm treats.

Fire.  Man has always had a fascination with fire.   It is certainly one of our best friends in cold weather.   Take care that you don't build your fire under trees.   Rising heat may cause accumulated snow to fall and put your fire out and possibly injure you or your companions.  Try to build your fire in a sheltered spot, out of direct wind.  Having a large boulder or fat tree behind you as you face your fire can help keep off the wind and even reflect a little of the heat onto your backside.  If your windbreak isn't big enough, it may just create eddies that are even more troublesome.  The temptation may be to build a big fire when it is cold but in many cases you'll just be wasting fuel.  Make your fire only as big as you need it to warm yourself and your companions.  That doesn't mean you have to all try to crowd around a tiny little Dakota fire pit, but it does mean you don't need a raging bonfire with flames higher than your head!   If you need more heat, it may be better to build several small fires, perhaps in a circle so you can gather in the middle of them and be warmed on all sides.  Better yet if you can build a fire in front of some kind of shelter that keeps the wind and elements off and captures some of the heat from the fire.  Sometimes you can build a short wall of logs or even snow on the "far side" of your fire to reflect some of the heat back toward where you want it.  A fire in a cave is tempting but you need to be constantly aware of maintaining adequate fresh air to avoid suffocation.  Fires in caves can also heat up the rocks, sometimes causes big chunks overhead to break off.  Fires are less likely to spread when we're in wet or snowy weather, but it is still of some concern.  Monitor the direction and extent of blowing embers and be sure to build your fire on a non-combustible surface.  Just building it on snow may not be safe, since the snow will melt and the fire may quickly sink down to where it can ignite grass or debris beneath the surface and then it will be hard to control.   Building directly on deep snow may result in a short-lived fire as melting snow may drown it. If you have to build a fire on deep snow, try to create a platform beneath it using rocks or even green logs.  Your goal is to prevent loosing your fire into a big hole in the snow as the snow melts.

Staying warm at night.  Ever try going to sleep when you are cold?   Doesn't work very well -- unless you are seriously hypothermic, then sleep will come all too easily -- and you will never wake up!  Laying there shivering is sure to keep you awake -- for a while.  To get a good night's sleep in cold weather, prepare your bed so it will keep you warm.  Start off with either a sleeping bag designed for the temperatures you'll be in or several good wool blankets.  A thick, down comforter might be a nice option in an RV.   It might be difficult to transport and to keep clean when tent camping and too bulky for backpacking, but it could add greatly to your comfort there too when car camping.  Try to make sure your body is already warm before you go to bed.  Get out of wet or damp clothes.   Dress warmly and comfortably for bed.   Don't wear your daytime clothes to bed. Y ou won't be comfortable and they probably contain moisture that will make you colder.  However, warm flannel pajamas would be a good idea. W arm them up in front of a heater or fire before putting them on for added comfort.   Remember the old-time sleeping caps?  You'll stay warmer if you wear a stocking cap to bed.  You can lose up to 80% of your body heat through your unprotected head.  I've seen folks try to sleep in exercise sweats.  I don't find this very comfortable as they tend to be bulky and restrict movement in bed and often have bulky seams that create painful pressure points, but if they are dry and you're freezing, give it a try.  Don't wear sweats you've been wearing all day to bed. They are probably damp and you will be cold all night.  Some people like to wear socks to bed to keep their feet warm.  Others find them uncomfortable or claustrophobic.  Got cold feet?  Try tucking them alternately behind the other knee.  The warm flesh of your thigh and calf will help warm those cold toes.  Do what works for you. Some warm rocks or baked potatoes in the foot of your sleeping bag or bed can help keep your feet warm and warm the entire sleeping area, just make sure they aren't hot enough to burn or scorch your bedding or burn your feet. Make sure you have adequate insulation between you and the ground or snow when you're sleeping in a tent.   If after all your preparations you are still cold when you go to bed, get up and warm yourself and your bedding at the fire and give it another try.   If you run out of blankets, open a coat over your coldest parts to help conserve heat or put on a sweater.   Usually you will need to focus on maintaining your core temperature, so protecting your torso is probably your first priority.  Anything that may mitigate the effect of any breeze and help reflect heat back on your body will be helpful.  A tarp or a large plastic trash bag, for example, or even several layers of newspaper.  Your body has its own mechanisms for combating cold.  It will automatically protect your vital organs.   In doing so it reduces blood flow to extremities so your hands and feet -- and nose and ears -- will get cold first.  Your body will willingly sacrifice fingers and toes to preserve vital organs.  Wear thick wool socks to protect your feet.   Mittens will keep your hands warmer than gloves.  Chemical hand and toe warmers (see more below) work wonders.  A good ski mask or balaclava can help protect your nose and ears.   I have a fairly thin nylon mask I can wear under my helmet when dirt-biking and it provides a surprising amount of protection for my face against the cold.  The only problem I have is, if I cover my nose and mouth, it fogs my goggles. If I don't cover my nose, my nose gets cold.  When snow camping I found it helpful to double up the ground cloth, then roll out an open sleeping bag on the tent floor to put the sleeping bags on.   We then pulled another extra open sleeping bag over the top of our individual bags and stayed warm all night, even with outside temps into the lower teens.  Remember the movie Jeremiah Johnson? He rolled out his bedding over a fire that he had somewhat covered with earth. His more experienced partner later noted, when Jeremiah jumped out of bed on fire, that he hadn't used enough dirt "see'd that right away".  Putting your bed on top of a defunct fire may be one way of staying warm, but be sure there is enough dirt to prevent catching your bedding on fire!   Some sleeping bags can be zipped together.  This doesn't work with "mummy" style bags, but it does with most rectangular bags.   By zipping two bags together you and a willing partner can share each other's warmth throughout the night.

Hand and toe warmers can provide a lot of comfort.  There are reusable hand warmers that run on lighter fluid or butane but the most popular and convenient styles are chemical packs.  You simply remove them from their air-tight packaging, shake them in the air, and slide them inside your gloves -- or stick them to your socks.  The chemicals inside react with air to produce heat.  Larger versions are available as "body warmers" and you can put these on your chest or your back.   Hand and toe warmers can be used to help warm your blood to raise your overall body temperature.   The best places to put the smaller packets for general warming are in your armpits and on your thigh near the groin where it can warm blood in large arteries close to the surface. Blood vessels are also near the surface on the inside or your wrists. Sometimes you can warm cold fingers faster with warming pads here than in your palms. Hand warmers work better in mittens than they do in gloves, just as mittens generally keep your hands warmer than gloves. On cold nights I pulled one of my hand warmers out to warm my nose too. Hand warmers can last for several hours. If they start cooling down, take them out and shake them.  This exposes more of the chemical to fresh air and restarts the heating process.  Same thing applies to toe warmers, but its a lot harder to take off your boots to shake the toe warmers than it is to refresh the ones in your gloves.  Unless you have a sheltered place to remove your boots, your feet will probably be colder than if you'd just left your boots on.  Sometimes stomping your feet or wiggling your toes will reactivate the toe warmers.  It is definitely worth a try -- and, if nothing else, the exercise may help increase blood flow and help warm those tingling toes.  Your hands will freeze in wet gloves.   Change to dry gloves as often as you can if they keep getting wet.  Store wet gloves on a broom handle or a small bottle with the fingers pointing up to allow them dry inside more quickly.  Do not put them in an oven or close to a heater or fireplace. Rapid drying will stiffen leather gloves and may cause a fire hazard.  If you have trouble getting them dry inside, try using the blunt end of a pencil to turn each finger inside out so moisture isn't trapped inside.

Staying warm in your RV.  Your RV provides several basic features to help keep you warm.   First, it keeps you out of the wind and weather.  Second, its walls provide insulation to preserve heat.  And, of course, its furnace should be able to maintain a comfortable temperature inside 24 hours a day. Sometimes, if it is cold enough, your furnace may have trouble keeping up with the demand.  Give it all the help you can by limiting opening of doors and by covering the windows with foam bubble insulation inserts and keep the blinds or curtains closed.  Check for drafts, even inside cabinets.  Many times you can seal cracks with spray foam insulation or by stuffing pieces of fiberglass insulation into the openings.  Adding styrofoam sheet insulation to exterior cabinet doors can also help. Of course, these are all things you need to do BEFORE you go camping in cold weather.   If you find drafts in camp you might get away with stuffing paper towels or tissue into the openings to reduce heat loss.   If you do a lot of cold weather camping and your furnace is not adequate to keep you comfortable, you may need to upgrade your furnace.  One option is to replace the existing unit with one with higher output.  Another alternative is to add a second furnace.  This is an especially good option for large RVs where one end stays cold.  You just have to find appropriate cabinet space you can sacrifice for the installation, run appropriate fuel and electrical lines, and provide proper ventilation.  Another option is to install a catalytic heater.  Permanently mounted catalytic heaters will require plumbing for the propane.   Portable units run off 1 lb bottles.   Catalytic heaters are usually radiant heaters and don't require any fans so they won't run your batteries down.  If you have a generator or are usually staying in campgrounds with electric hookups, an electric heater can sometimes add enough heating capacity if your existing furnace performs marginally.  The electric fireplace we use in our motorhome gives a nice ambiance and delivers 1500 watts of heat. Higher output heaters are available if you need more.  Keep ALL heaters away from curtains, drapes, upholstery, carpets, and other combustible materials.  You may be able to reduce the heat loss by parking in a sheltered area when possible.  And don't forget sweaters and long johns!  If your RV isn't warm enough, maybe just putting on a sweater will be enough to keep you comfortable during waking hours.  At night, forget the sexy silk pajamas and go for the fluffy flannel ones with bunny feet!  You may be warm enough in bed without them, but you'll appreciate them if/when you have to make a middle of the night trip to the bathroom!   If your RV has hard surface floors, add some carpet  runners.   They will help insulate the floor against the cold and be more comfortable to walk on.   Keep some warm slippers handy.  I have an old pair of snow boots I use as "desert bedroom slippers" in my RV and around the campfire.

Staying warm in your tent my be a little more challenging.  Even 4-season tents are fairly thin compared to the walls of an RV and tent heaters aren't nearly as efficient or as effective as RV furnaces.  Exercise caution whenever using a tent heater and carefully follow all of the manufactures instructions and recommendations.  Even a catalytic heater that doesn't give off toxic fumes will consume oxygen and you can suffocate without adequate ventilation.  Using an extra long rain fly or extending the original rain fly so it nearly reaches the ground will help prevent excessive heat loss from your tent.  Or cover it with a tarp.  Provide as much insulation between you and snow or cold ground as  you can.  Extra layers of ground cloth will help.  Foam tiles like those used in front of workbenches will add even more comfort and insulation.  You  may get some benefit by setting up your tent where it will receive maximum sunlight.  That won't help you a lot after dark, but it will make it more comfortable during the day and may even capture a little heat in the things inside the tent to stave off the cold as long as possible.  Try to protect your tent from direct wind whenever you can.  Wind will carry the heat away much faster than still air.  That is one reason for using a long rain fly or a tarp over your tent.  Keep the doors and windows closed as much as you can while maintaining sufficient ventilation for safety and avoid going in and out except when it is absolutely necessary.  Tents with a vestibule to protect the entrance may help minimize losing heat when going in and out.  An extra sleeping bag, extra sleeping pads, air mattress, or foam times beneath your sleeping bags help you stay warmer at night.  You may be surprised how much warmer it will be in your tent than it is outside even without a tent heater.  I recall a rather rude awakening on one boy scout outing with one of my son's.  It was cool in the tent when we woke up, but it was freezing outside (literally!).   Even though it may seem counterintuitive, snow is actually a pretty good insulator.  If your tent is strong enough to support some snow, it might actually help keep the inside warmer, essentially turning it into an igloo!  If you choose to try this, keep an eye on the weight and don't let it build up enough to bend or snap the poles.

Whenever you are caught in cold weather there is a good chance you're going to get wet.   Cold rain, sleet, snow, hail, any kind of precipitation is likely to get your clothing wet.  And once it gets wet, you're going to get cold.  You will loose body heat as much as 25 times faster in wet clothes than you will in dry ones.  Therefore, if you get wet, try to change into dry clothing as soon as possible.  If you don't have any dry clothes to change into, hang your wet clothes somewhere to dry (inside a warm vehicle or tent or near -- but not TOO near -- a fire or stove.  Wrap yourself in a blanket or crawl into your sleeping bag to get and keep warm while your clothes are drying.  If you have leather gloves that get wet, they are likely to get very stiff when they dry.  You might be able to restore some of their flexibility and suppleness by rubbing them with leather balm or even hand lotion.  A leather preparation such as Leather Balm is better, but you probably don't carry that around with you whereas you just might have some hand lotion in your RV or camp kit.  The best way to dry gloves is to put them on a stick with the fingers pointing up.   Or hang them by the finger tips.  Either way lets the damp air fall out as it cools. And don't rush the drying.  That will only increase the risk of scorching and will most likely make them stiffer than if they dry slowly.  Take care when donning clothes that have been dried near a stove or fire.  They may be very in some spots!  If there were near a fire there might be embers that have blown inside.  Zippers and the copper rivets on jeans can be especially treacherous.

Keep warm!

Getting A Good Night's Rest In Camp

Getting a good night's rest is essential to enjoying your outings whether you're camping in a luxury RV or a simple tent. For many people it is an after thought, or not thought of at all until they find themselves lying awake tossing and turning for hours and hours, and not knowing why. They kind of assume it will just happen because they sleep at home every night -- more or less. After all, it is a natural thing to sleep when you get tired and the variety of camping activities that are outside our normal day to day routine will probably make you even more tired than usual.  Sometimes when you are over tired it is difficult to sleep.  Moreover, nights in camp may take some getting used to.  You will be in a different environment that you are used to.  Different sights, sounds, and smells; different bed.  You may have other campers much closer to you than even your family is at home.  You may be keyed up by the day's activities or by anticipating what you're going to do tomorrow.

Sleep is not a luxury and is not optional. You will not enjoy your trip much if you're worn out -- and fatigue can introduce extra potential for accidents and injuries. Make sure you are prepared to get a good night's rest. Just because you are tired doesn't mean you're going to sleep well.  In fact, being over tired sometimes make sleep even more elusive. I can't count the number of times I've been dog tired and laid there staring at the ceiling for hours, mostly due to my mind racing -- reliving the day's activities or planning tomorrow's -- or fretting about things I should just forget, at least for the time being!  And that is at home!  It can be even worse in camp.  That is one of the biggest deterrents to getting to sleep:  thinking too much!  It is also one of the hardest things to fix, because the more we think about trying to go to sleep, the more our brains keep us awake.  It is an easy thing to say "clear your mind" but not such an easy thing to do.  That is why time-honored techniques such as counting sheep are effective -- focusing on counting helps you let go of the other more complex and frustrating thoughts and gives you a better chance of falling asleep.  Try to avoid rigorous intellectual activities just before retiring, especially things like arguments or heated discussions that stir up powerful emotions and set your mind (and often your heart) racing.  Sometimes a mild herbal tea or other sleep aid such as valerian or melatonin can also help you to relax, but a camping trip is not the best place to experiment with things you haven't already tried out at home.

Clear your mind of distractions that might keep you awake.  Make sure your campfire is dead out and everything is secure before you hit the sack.  Check to make sure your OHVs or bikes are locked up.  If its windy make sure everything is tied down.  Camping usually provides enough unusual things to disturb your slumber without adding unnecessary worries to the list.  You don't want to realize after you've snuggled into bed that you forgot to turn off the gas on your OHV, left the campfire burning, or left your tool box sitting out to be dampened by rain or dew or to be stolen.  One way to relax is to make sure you have taken care of everything that needs to be taken care of before bedtime.  Make it a habit to turn off the fuel after every ride and to put your tools away every time you use them.

Camping, in a tent or an RV, is a unique experience for most people -- at least to start with. You are in a strange place and a strange bed, with strange sounds and strange smells and you've probably been involved in activities all day long that you don't normally participate in. Unusual activities may result in unusual aches and pains and levels of excitement that can keep you awake.  Take advantage of your favorite pain reliever to help get you past those new ouchies. You may just be "wound up" by the day's activities or thinking about your plans for tomorrow and find it hard to relax. Clearing your mind is essential. If you keep replaying recent events or planning tomorrows activities, you'll have a really hard time getting to sleep. In addition, being in strange surroundings heightens our natural and instinctive fear. Chances are you are perfectly safe, but being in unfamiliar surroundings instinctively puts your body on high alert. Bad weather further exacerbates your discomfort. Fortunately, sleeping in an RV provides most of the comforts of home, but just like sleeping in a hotel, it is different than being at home. Bring along your favorite blankets and pillows if you like and if you have room for them. The more familiar your surroundings, the better you will sleep. Avoid caffeinated drinks and excessive consumption of alcohol after about 2:00 pm. Set the temperature of your RV furnace about the same as the night setting at home. You may find that you need to adjust it a little the first few nights until you find what is comfortable for you and your family in your RV. On hot summer nights you may need to leave some windows and a roof vent open and sleep on top of the covers -- at least until it cools down. You are probably not used to having the kids or grandkids as close as they will be in the RV and they will probably be restless -- and noisy. Do what you can to make their sleeping environment as familiar and comfortable as possible for their comfort and to ensure your own uninterrupted sleep. If the blinds or curtains do not block light from coming in from outside, hang a towel or blanket over the windows to ensure consistent darkness for good sleep. Inserts made from windshield sunshades or cut from reflective bubble-foam insulation such as Reflectix brand are very effective ways to block light and insulate your RV. They help keep it warmer in cold times and cooler in hot times. Light from campfires, other campers, passing vehicles, parking lot lights, and even moonlight will seem brighter and more annoying than at home. Interestingly enough, on moonless nights, it may be much darker than you are accustomed to at home and that is sometimes disturbing. Having a low amperage LED night light may be a comfort in this situation as well as making it easier to find your way to the bathroom, get a drink of water, or to adjust the thermostat.  Try to adhere to your normal routine as much as possible.  The more familiar things feel, the easier it is going to be to get to relax and get to sleep.

Sleeping in an RV. Sleeping in an RV is much like sleeping at home -- or more like in a hotel or motel. You usually have a furnace or heater to maintain a comfortable temperature and sufficient structure to keep out the elements, insects, animals and other potential intruders. You will be sleeping on a mattress or cushions. You may sleep in sleeping bags or ordinary bedding. Choose what will be most comfortable and convenient for you. Initially set the thermostat on the furnace near where yours is normally set at night at home, then adjust it up or down according to your needs. You may find it needs to be higher or lower than at home depending on weather, bedding, and how well insulated your RV is. The number of people may also affect the heat requirements. A number of bodies in an enclosed space can generate a lot of heat.  Follow your normal bedtime routine as closely as possible to give yourself the best chance of getting a good night's sleep. Chances are your schedule isn't going to match what you do at home, especially if you hang out around the campfire at night. Don't stress over it, just do the best you can. If you find staying up past your normal bedtime makes it hard for you to get to sleep, try hitting the sack at your normal bedtime. It may be worth it to sacrifice some social time at night to be more energetic and sociable for the next day's activities. The more you sleep in your RV, the more normal it will become until one day (or night) you will be just as comfortable there, if not more so, as you are at home. If possible, wear the same thing to bed in your RV that you do at home.  If you find your RV mattress isn't comfortable, it can be replaced or augmented with a mattress pad or topper to make it more to your liking.  A good memory foam mattress topper will do wonders for an old, uncomfortable or otherwise inadequate mattress.  They aren't too expensive and are easy to install.

Sleeping in a tent requires significantly more adjustments. Your physical environment will be very different from home, unless you are normally a desert nomad. There isn't much you can do to change your basic physical environment, except be prepared for what you will experience and make yourself and other family members as comfortable as possible. With only the thin fabric or your tent between you and the world you will be far more susceptible to outside sounds and smells -- and weather. The tent itself will rustle in the breeze. You will probably be sleeping on a thin sleeping pad or unfamiliar air mattress. Using foam tiles to cover the floor of your tent will add a little extra padding and insulation to increase your comfort. Camp cots make some people more comfortable, but they still lack the reliable, comfortable, and familiar soft support of a good mattress. Some people find they feel claustrophobic in sleeping bags. If you are one of them, unzip your sleeping bag or use ordinary blankets and quilts. Remember, the more familiar you can make it, the better. Any little breeze may cause the tent to flap enough or nearby branches to make enough noise to disturb your slumber. Insects that may have found their way inside your tent may annoy you throughout the night. Insects and animals outside the tent may make unfamiliar noises that are distressing. Other members of your family that share your tent may be restless and have trouble sleeping and that may disturb your own slumber. Even when sleeping in a tent you and your kids may find having favorite blankets and pillows (and teddy bears!) greatly increases your comfort level and reduces your stress. Much of the discomfort comes from simply not knowing what is going on. When we recognize and understand the unfamiliar sounds and smells, we are less apt to develop unfounded concerns. Our imaginations can quickly turn the rustling of nearby branches by a light breeze into sounds of some monstrous beast about to devour us or our kids or our pets if we aren't prepared for it. While younger children are more likely to overtly show their fear and anxiety, even mature adults can find that "things that go bump in the night" quite disconcerting in unfamiliar circumstances. If you find sleeping in a tent disturbingly uncomfortable, you might want to try some variations, such as a truck-tent in the back of a pickup or sleeping in the car or try camping in your own backyard until you get used to it. If that still doesn't work, take the next step: try an RV. Even a simple tent trailer gets you up off the ground and provides more familiarity, creature comforts, and perceived security than a simple tent, but you still have only canvas between you and much of the world. And don't forget the option to set up your tent in your own backyard and get a few nights "practice sleep" before venturing out into the "unknown". Doing so minimizes the variables and lets you adjust a little at a time to the new sensations. 

Regardless of your camping style, having an adequate bed is essential to getting enough sleep.  For RVs and boats that means a good mattress.  For tent camping it might mean a good sleeping pad.  See my post on Sleeping Pads and Mattresses for additional information.

Pajamas. If you are used to wearing pajamas at home, bring them along. If you are camping in cold weather, you may want to substitute fleece jammies with bunny feet for your regular light weight home wear. The basic rule is still, maintain as much familiarity as possible. In warm weather, stick to the light weight stuff or even wear lighter versions. Sleeping nude may give some relief from excessive heat, but not everyone feels comfortable with this option even at home, let alone when camping. Sometimes summer nights can get quite cool, but I've also seen it stay too hot to sleep all night long. You won't likely be able to run the A/C in your RV unless you are in a campground with electricity and even then there might be restrictions because A/Cs are noisy. Even if you are boondocking and not restricted by formal "quiet hours", you shouldn't run you generator after about 10:00 pm or before 7:00 am. Furthermore, running the generator while you're sleeping could subject you to potential carbon monoxide poisoning from the exhaust and you'll never wake up! Better to find other ways to keep cool at night than risk being permanently cold!  A 12-volt fan can often move enough air to keep you comfortable.  Or just open the roof vent(s) and a window or two.  Opening the roof vent allows hot air (which rises) to escape out the top of the RV, drawing fresh, cooler air in through open (and screened) windows.  Often that is all it takes to create enough of a breeze to keep you comfortable.  Sometimes RV A/Cs are too noisy to run at night -- if not for you inside, it may be too noisy outside for your neighbors.  So even if you have A/C and are in a full hookup campground, you may need to plan for alternate ways to keep cool at night.  One handy trick is to spritz yourself with water from a spray bottle now and then.

Sleeping in your clothing. Some people like sleeping in their clothing while camping, in case they have to make a middle of the night trip to the bathroom or in case of some other emergency or fear of being seen by strangers. Some think they'll stay warmer in their clothing, but that isn't always true. If you do choose to sleep in your clothes, remove bulky items from your pockets before retiring. Lying on your keys or wallet can cause a lot of pain by morning. I once fell asleep sitting in a lounge chair and my wallet cut off circulation to the point that my leg literally would not support me and buckled when I tried to stand up. It was days before I regained full normal use of that leg! For the most part, you will be most comfortable if you are able to dress (or undress) the same as you do at home. Remember, familiarity is your friend. You'll have enough strangeness that you can't change without adding to it by further altering normal behavior. Sometimes sleeping in your clothing actually makes you feel colder. Clothing may cause you to sweat inside a sleeping bag, or you may have already been sweating before you go to bed and your clothes are already damp -- then you get chilled. Damp clothing will leave you cold all night long. Better to take it off, hopefully before it gets more damp wearing it inside your sleeping bag. When sleeping in our RV, I always hang my clothes on convenient hooks in the bedroom so they can air and dry out during the night and where they'll be handy if I have to get up in the middle of the night. When sleeping in a tent, especially in cold weather, I like to roll my clothes up and put them in the bottom of my sleeping bag so they'll be somewhat warm to put on in the morning. Of course, don't try that if your clothes are wet or damp from rain or sweat--hang them out to dry before tucking them inside your sleeping bag.  If your clothes are damp when you go to bed, hang them up inside your tent so they have some chance of drying out before morning.  I promise you won't like putting on cold, damp clothes in the morning.

Sleep aids. There are lots of over the counter and prescription sleeping pills available but I would recommend using them only if you find you simply cannot get to sleep without them and only after checking with your doctor. Of course, if you routinely use sleep medications at home, you should probably continue to use them when you are camping, but I wouldn't recommend experimenting with something new "on the road". If you MUST take something, I would suggest trying a gentle, natural option, such as valerian or melatonin before moving onto to stronger commercial preparations with more potential side affects. If you have serious problems sleeping you might want to contact your doctor for safe prescription medications for future trips. In the unlikely event that something DOES go wrong in the middle of the night, you don't want to be groggy or unable to wake up! Also, you don't want to be experiencing potential side effects for the first time when you're in unfamiliar surroundings and with limited resources to combat them. Plus, you don't want to learn what side effects the medication may have through trial and error in unfamiliar circumstances. Your favorite over-the-counter pain reliever should take care of those pesky aches and pains that come from over-doing unfamiliar activities and make it easier to sleep if pain is keeping you awake. Don't wait for sore muscles to cramp and become very painful. Take something when you first begin to experience discomfort. It is easier to stave off serious pain than try to eliminate it. This is especially true of muscle pain where pain causes tension which causes more pain.  Dehydration can lead to severe muscle cramps so be sure to drink plenty or water or electrolytes.  If you wake up with heat cramps, drink some pickle juice or salt water to replenish your liquid and electrolytes.  We've found pickle juice to be particularly effective, especially if you hold some under your tongue for immediate absorption into the blood stream. It may be just a placebo effect, but it seems that the relief begins instantly with the first taste of pickle brine.

Lighting. If your are sleeping in an RV, close the curtains or blinds. If they do not shut out the light from street lights, traffic, moonlight, or other campers sufficiently, try putting towels or blankets over the windows or putting folding windshield covers between the curtains or shades and the window to block the light. For many years I have made covers to fit all the windows in my RV, made of silvery, reflective bubble-foam insulation. At first I just modified cheap auto windshield sunshades, then I bought a big roll of reflective foam insulation at a big box home center and cut pieces to fit all the windows. This foam is thicker than typical windshield covers and offers better insulation and can be cut to fit each window exactly. Being thicker, it is also a little stiffer and stays in place better. I cut mine so they're just slightly larger than the openings so they fit tightly and stay in place. These covers help keep the heat out during hot summer days, keep heat in on cold nights, and block unwanted light at night or nap time. The light from a full moon, or even just star light may be enough to keep you awake. To me, the moon and stars always seems brighter when I'm out camping. Perhaps because the skies are clearer than they are back home and there is less ambient light from street lights, traffic, and buildings. Keep in mind that any change in lighting, brighter or even darker than you're used to, can make it harder to get to sleep. Moonless nights or camping under a deep forest canopy may be a lot darker than it is at home with street lights and other lights in the neighborhood spilling into your windows. Controlling light inside a tent is a bit more difficult. Many tents have a rain fly that goes over the tent. Although the primary function is to divert direct rain from the main part of the tent, they also provide additional shade from moonlight or other unwanted light. If your tent does not have a rain fly or if you still need more light-blocking than the rain fly provides, try tossing a tarp over the outside of the tent and tying it down or hanging blanket over your sleeping area inside the tent. If it is TOO dark, turn on a small LED flashlight. LED "tea lights" are inexpensive and about the right amount of illumination for a night light. Lightning and thunder can be startling and many people are genuinely frightened by it. You should be pretty safe in your RV, unless you've parked under a tall tree or pole that might attract lightning. If you're in a tent, make sure you have it tied down securely before you retire and are not under or near a tall object that might attract lightning or in a depression or gully that may fill up during a storm. A tarp over the top might help temper the brightness of lightning flashes but you'll pretty much just have to deal with the rumbling of the thunder -- or wear ear plugs. In a pinch, try pulling the blankets over your head like you might have done as a kid. Make sure you stay warm. Nothing will spoil a good night's sleep faster than being cold. Until you know how well your sleeping bag will do in cold weather, keep an extra blanket or two or a second sleeping bag handy in case you get cold during the night. It is not unusual for nighttime temperatures in some mountain and desert areas to drop into the 40s after being near 100 during the day.

Storms. Eventually, if you do more than just a little camping, you're going to get caught in a storm. Sleeping through a storm is largely a matter of preparation. I found myself seriously worried during one very windy night. We were sleeping in the overhead bunk in our little Class C motorhome, which was not stabilized by leveling jacks so the body rolled with every gust. We happened to be parked so the wind hit the left side of the vehicle. The winds were fierce enough and the rocking violent enough that I spent most of the night lying awake and actually planning how we would escape through a roof vent when the RV was blown over onto the side with the entry door! It really was rocking that badly! If our unit had been stabilized by leveling jacks -- or even parked so it was headed into the wind instead of broadside, it would have not been rocked so violently by the winds and I probably would have gotten a better night's sleep. If you own a motorhome, camper, or travel trailer without leveling jacks, consider at least adding stabilizers that will brace the body of the unit against the ground instead of leaving it to bounce on the springs that connect it to the axles. Stabilizing jacks come in a set of 4 for about $40.00 for standard height. Larger ones may be required for big motorhomes and trailers or you may have to set them on sturdy blocks. Scissor jacks are mostly used on travel trailers but can sometimes be adapted to moderate sized motorhomes. They are easier to use since they are permanently attached to the vehicle frame. You will greatly improve the solid feel of the unit and be more likely to sleep through storms. Simply leveling the unit by using leveling blocks under the wheels won't stabilize the body, which will still bounce on the suspension. If a storm is imminent, roll up your awnings and secure them in the travel position before retiring. Head your RV into the wind if possible. Also put away any loose camping gear, like camp chairs and dining flys and tie down any items that are left out. At a minimum, we ALWAYS fold up our camp chairs at night. I've seen more than one chair burned beyond recognition when an evening breeze blew it over onto the smoldering remains of a campfire after everyone had retired. Of course good fire safety calls for making sure your campfire is dead out before your leave it, but I've often seen fires left smoldering at desert camp sites with errant chairs being the only victims. Still, a breeze could easily blow embers against your tent or under your RV or OHV or other vehicle and start a fire, so the best course is to make sure all fires are dead out before you go to bed. If, for example, you go to bed while others hang out around the campfire, put your camp chairs away or at least fold them flat before retiring -- in case the others go to bed without putting out the fire or taking care of your chairs. If you are the last one out, as a courtesy to your fellow campers, make sure all the chairs left around the campfire are folded flat and moved some distance from the fire. A strong breeze might still pick them up, but they are safer than standing up when even a light breeze can launch them tumbling to a smoldering death.

Dealing with storms if you are tent camping is a little more difficult. Tents provide a surprising amount of protection against the elements, but they are still quite susceptible to wind and rain. I've often been surprised how much warmer it is inside a thin nylon tent when it's cold outside. It blocks the breeze and retains a surprising amount of body heat. Gentle rain isn't usually a problem, in fact it can often be quite soothing, but high winds or a downpour can be very disturbing and can have serious consequences. Our kids insisted on sleeping in a tent outside our RV one night -- until it rained, a lot. About 2:00 am they came pounding on the RV door. The tent blown was flat and filled with water and their sleeping bags and clothing were totally soaked. If you are caught in severe weather make sure your tent is securely anchored and your rain fly is in place. If you don't have a rain fly, rig a tarp over the tent so it takes the brunt of the storm. Make sure you haven't set your tent up in a depression where water will accumulate or in the path of runoff from nearby hills or off the roof of your RV or nearby structures. If you can, add a waterproof tarp over your tent and anchor is securely, even if you already have a rain fly. Most tent fabrics are water resistant but rain will wick through or may be driven through by high winds or heavy, steady rain. Heavy canvas tents are more waterproof than their light weight nylon counterparts, but the fabric can still eventually become waterlogged if it rains long and hard enough. Keep your sleeping bags, packs, clothing, and body parts etc away from the walls of the tent as anything that touches the inside will draw moisture through the fabric or collect the moisture that condenses on the inside. Try to pitch your tent where it is as sheltered as possible from wind and rain. If you find your tent isn't providing enough protection, seek shelter in your vehicle. If you are in a developed campground, you may find some respite under canopies over picnic areas or in the clubhouse or a maintenance shed. Be sure to check with the campground hosts before entering any buildings or occupying any unauthorized spaces. If your tent is securely anchored and you have adequate bedding, you should be able to weather all but the most severe storms in relative comfort and surviving a storm will make a great campfire story for years to come.  If you are too uncomfortable in your tent, try sleeping inside your vehicle, if there is room.  Full size sedans, SUVs and pickups usually have room for one or two people to sleep.  You might have to pull you knees up in a pseudo-fetal position in small compact vehicles, but just getting in out of the weather and the flapping of the tent in a storm may be enough to help you make it through the night in relative comfort.  In a real pinch you can run the vehicle for a short time and use the heater to help you dry off and warm up.  Don't let it continue to idle while you're sleeping or you may get exhaust fumes inside that can kill you.

Sleep when the wind blows. I recall the story of a farmer who hired a lad to help out one summer. He asked the boy what he thought was his strongest attribute. The boy said "I can sleep when the wind blows." The old farmer didn't think much of that whimsical response and thought the boy was just being flippant or arrogant until several weeks later when a storm hit the farm. He went to wake the boy to help him batten everything down and couldn't rouse him. Angry with the boy, the old man stomped out into the storm to take care of the farm alone. He discovered the cows and horses were already safe in the barn, all the doors closed, all the gates were securely latched, and even the trash cans had been moved inside so they wouldn't blow over. He couldn't find anything that hadn't already been done ahead of time -- by the boy. It was only then that he began to understand the significance of the boy's pronouncement. The boy had seen the signs of the approaching storm and had taken all the steps necessary to prepare for it. Having done so he could comfortably sleep when the wind blows. Whenever we are camping, whether in a tent or an RV, we should take our cue from the farm lad and take care of everything we need to take care of BEFORE the storm actually hits.  Doing it in the wind or rain or snow when storm arrives will be very difficult and uncomfortable, maybe even dangerous.  Then we, too, can sleep when the wind blows. Believe me, you won't be able to sleep if you're listening to your camp chairs or awnings blowing around outside or worrying about your dirt bike being blown over.

Practice. They say practice makes perfect. The more you sleep in your RV or your tent, the more familiar and comfortable you will become doing so. Eventually, you will be as comfortable there as you are at home. You can practice without going anywhere. Try sleeping in your RV or tent at home for a few nights to get used to it. Then, when you ARE out and about and in a really new and strange place, you will have already adjusted to some of the variables and be more likely to be able to welcome the sandman. You will also have had a chance to work on temperature, lighting, bedding, and night clothing in a less-intimidating environment so you can relax and rest in camp. When tent camping, I like to stuff my clothes down inside my sleeping bag so they'll be safe from overnight moisture and be warm to put on in the morning. Leaving them lying or hanging in the tent is OK, but they may absorb moisture from the air (including that contributed by your own breathing) and may be cold and damp to put on in the morning. The moisture from your breathing is likely to condense on the inside of the tent, creating light rain inside when the fabric moves, either from you moving around or touching it or from outside breezes.

No matter how you prepare, you may still encounter unexpected environmental attacks on your serenity. We've been where freight trains lumbered past in the middle of the night, just a few yards away, and, unfortunately, we were close enough to the crossing where the road to the campground crossed the tracks that we could hear the train horn and the bells on the crossing signals clanging for what seemed like hours. Hear heck! The volume of that train horn nearly blew us out of bed by the shear force of the sound waves! Of course we were aware of the existence of the tracks even before we selected the campground, but since we had been told they were "inactive" and seldom used, we hadn't given them much thought -- until we were rudely awakened in the middle of the night. Unless you live near railroad tracks at home and are used to trains passing in the night, such an occurrence is bound to shake you from even the deepest sleep. Traffic near a freeway, highway, truck stop, fire house, police/sheriff station or a hospital may have a similar affect. If you think any of these will be a problem, try to check out potential camp sites in advance and avoid noisy locations. In some cases you may get lucky and be able to get assigned a more remote site within a campground, but for the most part you'll need to simply avoid campgrounds near offensive locations altogether.  In the case of our railroad encounter there were no "remote" sites.  All the sites were strung out between the railroad tracks and the beach.  Some folks find the sound of the surf soothing. If you're not one of them, you might want to avoid camping near the beach or close to a stream. If you are camping in primitive locations you may experience animal sounds you're not used to. We've done enough desert camping to actually welcome the nightly coyote serenades, but if you're not used to it, you may find their concert disconcerting. Especially if you're sleeping in a tent and feel vulnerable.  If so you might want to try to disguise or hide the sounds with soft music. I recommend using a battery powered portable audio device so you won't run the risk of running down your RV batteries or vehicle batteries. Headphones might help keep outside sounds outside -- if you find them comfortable to wear. Or just buy some cheap earplugs. The little foam cones used by construction workers are sold by the dozens in boxes, bottles, and bags at hardware stores and home centers. They are inexpensive and surprisingly effective. And they're small enough and light enough to even take back packing.   By the way, coyotes are not especially aggressive but other large mammals, such as wolves, bears and mountain lions are sometimes.  If you are tent camping in bear or mountain lion country, be sure to get and follow advice from the local rangers on how you and your pets can avoid becoming their next meal or midnight snack.

Home remedies. Tradition has it that a glass of warm milk will help you sleep. My wife recently had that recently confirmed by on-line research which suggested adding a spoonful of honey to a glass of warm milk. It works for her. The same article cautioned against drinking hot chocolate before going to bed. The warm drink is soothing and tasty, but chocolate does contain enough caffeine to interrupt sleep patterns. Some herbal teas can be soothing and help induce sleep.  Not sure how effective "counting sheep" may be (seems pretty boring to me), but relaxation exercises are a pretty good bet. Start with your toes and work your way up one section at a time. Tighten the muscles and let them relax while taking slow, deep breaths and telling yourself to relax. Imagine yourself in the most relaxing and comforting environment possible. I like lying on a a gentle, grassy slope, watching puffy white clouds drift across a clear blue sky on a lazy summer afternoon. Try to avoid thinking too hard and stressing over they day's activities or tomorrow's plans. Racing thoughts are one of the biggest deterrents to getting to sleep, so try to clear your mind and relax. It is easy to say but very hard to do.  Pain can also be a sleep deterrent. If your body aches from the day's exertions, you may benefit from an OTC pain reliever. If you frequently suffer from chronic pain and have a prescription for it, make appropriate use of it.  Gentle stretching exercises before bed can sometimes relieve tight muscles and improve circulation, making it easier to relax. And don't forget your teddy bear! Hugging a familiar object, even a pillow, (a live partner is even better!) can be comforting and aid relaxation. Heat cramps, a result of dehydration, are very painful. Make sure you drink enough water and electrolytes during the day. If you experience cramps at night, drink a half cup of pickle juice or salt water to replenish your electrolytes. We've found pickle juice particularly effective. Whether purely psychological or as a result of instant absorption of electrolytes under the tongue, it often brings immediate relief.

A good night's sleep is NOT a luxury and is not optional. Even if you are in survival mode, you should strive to get sufficient sleep every night. During normal camping activities you are going to need to be well rested for the next day's scheduled activities. In survival mode, you need to be as alert as possible if you are going to survive. No matter what your situation, do everything you can to ensure a comfortable bed, acceptable temperatures, and freedom from pain and stress. If you still can't get enough sleep, try taking an afternoon nap to help your body recover. But keep in mind that napping can also make it harder to get to sleep at night if you overdo it.

Sweet dreams!