A common benefit of having almost any RV is having a sturdy and convenient shelter when camping. A tent can provide a surprising level of comfort and protection from the elements, but an RV is sturdier and most require little setup time. Some tent trailers take a little while, but most travel trailers, campers, and motorhomes, only need to be leveled and stabilized once you arrive in camp. With most RVs you have more than basic shelter. You also have cooking, sleeping, and sanitation facilities. Fully decked out you'll have a furnace, hot water heater, air conditioning, shower, toilet, and a cozy and comfortable bed. An awning will give you your own private patio area next to your RV. The addition of optional TVs, VCRs, DVD players and satellite systems give residential quality entertainment systems.
Ready to go is one of the benefits of just about any RV. You can usually keep your RV stocked and ready to hit the road. You can store clothing, basic supplies and provisions, tools, and cooking utensils so you're ready to go anytime. You might arrange your tent camping equipment so it is easy to load and go, but usually you can get away faster with a well-equipped and properly maintained RV. And you're less likely to leave something you need at home. About all you need to add at the last minute will be perishable foods and maybe fresh snacks. You might also need fresh fuel for your motorized toys.
Tent trailers are often a person's first RV. They are light weight, easy to tow, and relatively inexpensive, yet get you up off the ground and provide many of the conveniences of home. They are easy to store and can often be stored in your garage. Entry level models may have only an ice box instead of a refrigerator and very limited fresh water capacity. Upscale models often have all the features of a self contained RV, including hot water, shower, toilet, and holding tanks. Most tent trailers include a furnace or heater of some kind. They usually do not include air conditioning so they might not be as comfortable if you plan to do a lot of desert or other hot weather camping. Some of the primary benefits of a tent trailer are low initial cost and light weight for easy, economical towing with a regular car. You can often store them in a normal garage so you don't have to purchase RV storage. So, what are the disadvantages of tent trailers? Like a tent, they can be noisy in the wind and will loose heat quickly in cold weather. Setup time is usually longer than solid sided RVs. The tent fabric is subject to wear and fading and may have to be replaced from time to time.
Travel trailers offer more protection against wind and rain than tent trailers. Small, entry level models may have limited facilities, but many are fully self contained and provide all the comforts of home. Always check the loaded weight of your trailer to be sure you don't exceed the Combined Vehicle Weight Rating for your tow vehicle. Travel trailers may require a larger car, an SUV, or pick up truck for towing because of the added weight. Trailers are usually less expensive than motorhomes but can provide virtually the same level of comfort and convenience in camp. If you already have a suitable tow vehicle, a trailer may be a good choice for you. If, on the other hand, you'll be buying an additional vehicle to tow your trailer you'll want to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the extra vehicle and trailer versus having a motorhome. Having a trailer also means you can disconnect the trailer and take the tow vehicle out solo for shopping, sight-seeing, and other trips. Travel trailers are pretty stable so long as you have an adequately sized vehicle to tow them. If the vehicle is too small, the "tail will wag the dog" and the trailer may make the vehicle difficult or impossible to control.
Specialty trailers, like teardrops and toy haulers, cater to niche markets. The teardrop trailer appeals to nostalgic campers or those who need a light weight, easy-to-tow trailer. Toy haulers are ideal for OHV enthusiasts as they provide both comfortable living space and room to haul motorized toys and associated parts and equipment.
We have found motorhomes a good option for our family. We like having all the facilities available on the road. All but the driver can use the on board bathroom without the need to find a rest stop or service station -- a real boon when you're traveling with children. Entertainment systems can stem the incessant chorus of "are we there yet?" that seems to be a significant part of the job description for young people when traveling. Your co-pilot can grab you a cold or hot drink or a snack when you need it. When you arrive in camp all you need to do is find a level parking spot, close the curtains, and hit the sack. Because motorhomes combine both living space and a motor vehicle, they tend to be more expensive than trailers. Because of their size and weight you won't get as good fuel economy as you might with a trailer, although towing a trailer significantly affects fuel economy no matter how efficient the tow vehicle is solo. For added convenience and fuel economy on local trips, some motorhome owners tow a "dingy" vehicle. Towing an additional vehicle will affect highway fuel economy but will make local trips easier and less costly. Ironically, Class C motorhomes often have more sleeping space than many larger Class A units. Class C units are often good for families. Large luxury Class A coaches have a tendency to cater to affluent retired couples. Like most generalities, these should not be taken as absolute rules. Class B van conversions are good for single campers, couples, and small families and often have the advantage of doubling as a second car. Just make sure whatever you choose fits you and your families' needs. Motorhomes are about the most stable of any RVs in wind. The heavy automotive style truck/bus chassis and low-mounted holding tanks give them a relatively low and stable center of gravity. Truck campers, on the other hand, have a fairly high center of gravity because everything sits in or above the pickup bed.
Truck campers are a good option for anyone who already owns a pickup truck with enough capacity to handle the camper. Campers can be unloaded between trips so the truck can be used for other purposes. Of course that means you need extra time to load and unload the camper for each trip, but it might be worth it. Make sure your truck has sufficient load carrying capacity and power to handle the extra weight of the camper. Truck campers tend to be somewhat top heavy and easily affected by wind.
When cost is a significant factor ( and isn't always?), look for good used units. RVs don't get used as often as most of us would like, so you can often get really good bargains on pre-owned units. I have found other benefits to pre-owned RVs: 1) they have passed the stage of "infant mortality" where early problems with new units have already been fixed by the original owners under warranty and , 2) previous owners have often added accessories that make them more convenient or add functionality. Such additions rarely add much to the book value (or price) but a lot to useability.
RV today!
Information on recreational vehicles (RVs) and Off Highway Vehicles (OHVs), Camping, Sailing, and Survival
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Where to Get Camping Equipment
The simple answer is: wherever you can find it! But you have to look. Don't wait until you need something specific for an upcoming outing. If you feel pressured to get something right away you're likely to settle for something less than you want or pay too much for it. Always be on the lookout for good deals on equipment and supplies. There are many places in addition to camping, outdoor, and sporting goods stores, some you might not ordinarily think of: department stores, thrift stores, home centers, garage sales, flea markets, ebay, craigslist, local classified ads, and magazines. TV, radio, and email may bring you ads for sales. You may find things you need or want at camp stores or may be able to purchase them from fellow campers who have duplicates or no longer need them. You may also find things you need in your own kitchen, garage, or attic! I recently found a lot of brand new camping equipment on a year-end sale at 50% off at my local farm and ranch store. Such closeouts are fairly common as retailers clear out seasonal merchandise to make way for a different season.
New or used is a question you want to answer before you go very far in your search for camping equipment. If you have an unlimited budget, you can fill your shopping cart at L.L. Bean, REI, or Cabella's with wonderful new equipment and you're set to go. However, most of us don't have that luxury and have to seek more cost-effective alternatives and almost everyone likes to get a bargain. Some highly desirable and venerable items are no longer available in stores so you may have to search the used market to find them. Funny how once popular staples of camping can be discontinued, but I've see it happen more than once. And just about everyone enjoys getting a good bargain. Watching for and taking advantage of seasonal sporting goods sales can net good savings on new equipment, but used equipment at good prices is more readily available year round. Keep in mind that new equipment is only new once -- before you use it the first time. After that it is used anyway. Some people have reservations about using personal items that others have used. Sleeping bags are at the top of this list, with tents and kitchen items following close behind. If you have any concerns about the cleanliness of any item, it can be taken care of. Sleeping bags can be dry cleaned. Tents can be washed and sanitized. Kitchen items can be cleaned and sterilized in your dishwasher. Even Port-a-Pottys can usually be easily cleaned and sanitized. The question of "new or used" will most likely be answered by how much you are able to spend and whether the item is still in production. Very often the "used" camping items you will find in garage sales or classified ads will have been gently used if at all. Perhaps the used car dealer euphemistic designation of "pre-owned" might be a better way of thinking of it. Many of these pieces of equipment find their way into garage sales because of dis-use or even non-use. People sometimes accumulate duplicates over time or receive them as gifts and never get around to using them. Used camping gear can be an excellent investment. It is not unusual to find brand new camping equipment for sale by private parties. People sometimes buy stuff thinking they will use it or receive items as gifts and just leave them on the shelf. Over time, many of us accumulate duplicates as we find good deals on things we like, creating additional candidates for garage sales. Unless there is a significant factor of durability, wear, damage, or warranties, new usually has little real advantage over used. After all, as I said before, something in only really new once -- the first time you use it. Some vintage items aren't even still available in stores so the only way to get them is to buy used. Sometimes stuff finds its way into garage sales, thrift stores, and classified ads because it is worn out, but most often things fall into dis-use long before their useful life is over. Even so, you want to carefully inspect each purchase to be sure you know what you are getting. Sometimes you can find used items that are no longer available new in retail stores. I much prefer the old style metal containers for Coleman lanterns over their modern plastic "clamshell" counterparts and the only way to get them these days is to buy them used. The metal containers are more square and fit better in cabinets and trunks.
Many department stores offer camping supplies. Places like Walmart, K-Mart, Target, and Sears have large, well-stocked camping departments and are good choices. Camping specialty stores and sporting goods stores like REI, Cabellas, and Big 5 of course have super selections. However, you may find some camping supplies in your local grocery store and places like Rite Aid or even at truck stops. I have had very good luck at farm and ranch stores. I like to browse through the camping displays at any store whenever I have a chance. You never know when you'll come across a new gadget or a "Manager's Special". I once picked up a $125 Camp Chef stove for $25 on a year end close out by checking out the Clearance Table at Big 5. I found a rather unique T-handle socket set at a truck stop when we stopped for gas on a routine family car trip. Granted, a socket set is not directly a camping tool, but with several RVs and OHVs to maintain, it is closely related. It has been very useful and I've never found one like it anyplace else. A good rule to follow is, if you find something you like, get it while you can. On a few occasions I have found items later at a better price, but not nearly as many times as I've passed up an item, then wished I had gotten it, usually because I can't find it anyplace else.
Ebay and craigslist are also good places to look for camping stuff. Be sure to do your homework on checking prices before you bid on ebay or run out to buy that "bargain" tent on craigslist. I've seen people over-bid for common items on ebay, things they could have purchased at their local Walmart for 2/3 their bid or less. You may run across unique items for which you can't get any price comparisons. In that case, set your maximum price based on your budget and how much the item is worth to you. I got into bidding war over an Autolite 12-volt air compressor I wanted for my motorcycle trailer. It was a very unique item, not one of the flimsy little toys that plug into a cigarette lighter, but one with a motor the size of an automobile starter. I suspect the other bidders also recognized the uniqueness of the item and together we probably pushed the price higher than it should have gone, but I have never regretted having purchased it. It serves the function for which I bought it and there is no doubt I would have kicked myself if I had let it get away since I've never seen another one. On the other hand, I saw bidding for a Marine grade (water resistant) 12-volt socket soar past $17 when the very same item could be purchased at the local Walmart for under $8. Of course, if you don't have a local Walmart, snagging something on ebay may be your best course of action and it may be worth paying a little extra for the convenience of having it delivered to your door. But it could have been purchased on line for less from walmart.com. While you can get true bargains on ebay, keep in mind that in order to win an auction, you have to be willing to pay more for the item than anyone else in the world! Getting a good price is often a matter of timing. Bidding early or waiting until near the end of the auction are both strategies that have merit. Bidding early makes you the first winner and if the minimum bid is near the actual or perceived value or you don't have a lot of competition, you might not get outbid. Bidding at the end of an auction limits the possibility of being outbid. There are even computer programs that can monitor your bids and bid for you just seconds before the auction ends so no one has time to outbid you. I like the "Buy It Now" option that completely eliminates the possibility of being out bid. Always check the shipping and handling. A few unscrupulous sellers offer unbelievable (and unrealistic) low prices on items only to hit you hard on "shipping and handling" charges.
Local classified ads and garage sales can often be the source of excellent bargains. Here again, perform due diligence to know the quality and price of the products you are interested in buying. You will often find gently used or even brand new products at a fraction of their original prices. People sometimes buy or receive as gifts items they seldom if ever use. Unfortunate as the circumstances may be for the seller, estate, moving, and divorce sales can produce good opportunities for the savvy shopper. Loss of employment in today's lousy economy has forced a lot of people to liquidate recreational items. Don't be afraid to negotiate for a lower price or seek a discount for purchasing multiple items. Getting to a garage sale early in the day ensures the best selection, but shopping late in the afternoon can get you the best price on anything that is left. Since garage sales are random events and the availability of any particular item even more random, your best bet is just to browse every garage sale you see. You may find that tent or camp stove you're looking for stuck under one of the tables or behind boxes or furniture. Or you may come across interesting and helpful items you hadn't even considered. I lucked out one day when I stumbled on a set of 4 manual RV leveling jacks for a fraction of their retail price. They were mechanical jacks designed to work on a travel trailer but with a little creative engineering I was able to make them work on my 28' Class A Motorhome. They were not nearly as convenient as automatic levelers, but a lot easier to use and more stable than leveling blocks.
You cannot predict what you will find at garage sales but you can often find great bargains on camping equipment there. I've found good deals on both tent camping items and RV accessories at garage sales. Be sure to check out the condition and functionality. Even items that need repairs can be a great find, as long as you know what it will take to restore them -- and have the ability or funds to do so. Gas stoves and lanterns often need the pumps rebuilt or the generators replaced and both are easy and inexpensive tasks. Leaking fuel tanks, on the other hand, tell me to keep looking. Sometimes you might pick up an item you can use for parts but make sure it is compatible with what you are fixing.
Thrift stores can be an excellent source of bargain camping equipment, especially kitchen items. Tents, sleeping gas, camp stoves, lanterns, and ice chests may be harder to find but when you find them you will likely save a lot of money over new prices. Thrift stores usually have a large supply of kitchen items at all times so you can fill out your cooking and serving needs or replace lost or damaged items very quickly and economically. You may have to keep checking back for other camping equipment. I suggest getting cast iron cookware unless you need it for hiking or back packing. Cast iron is durable and can be used directly in your campfire. If you plan to cook on a campfire, avoid light weight aluminum cookware. I've seen aluminum pans melted into shimmering puddles in a campfire. A little breeze acts like a blacksmith's bellows and can create pretty high temperatures, high enough to melt pans and completely consume aluminum cans. An advantage of building your camp kitchen using thrift store items is you won't be out a lot of money if something does happen and they get damaged or lost and you can easily and cheaply replace them as needed.
"Dollar" stores are an inexpensive way to augment your galley and other provisions. Pots, pans, glasses, cups, plates, dishes, kitchen utensils, spices, and cleaning and hygiene supplies can be found at most dollar stores. I've found a lot of good first aid supplies and OTC medication there too. I like to check out their hardware section and have found some useful hand tools from time to time. I can usually count on finding bungee cords, a package of 2 each of 3 different handy sizes. They aren't big enough for securing loads in my pickup truck but they are perfect for packs, keeping lids on camping totes, controlling sleeping pads and sleeping bags, etc. I stocked my camp kitchen with large, sturdy, stainless steel spoons, forks, spatulas, and ladles from Dollar Tree. You can often find inexpensive flashlights and batteries at dollar stores. Flashlights may not be as convenient as Coleman lanterns for general campsite lighting, but getting them at the dollar store will be a lot cheaper. Even efficient LED lights are starting to show up there now. LED lights last hundreds of thousands of hours and batteries last a LOT longer (about 10-12 times longer) than when using ordinary flashlight bulbs. Dollar store flashlights are perfect for kids, who have a tendency to break or misplace them fairly regularly. I tried to avoid letting my kids use my $30 Maglites and when they did get their hands on them the results were disappointing and expensive. My son once "borrowed" my brand new, blue anodized Maglite to explore a local cave. It came back in one piece but it looked like it had been through a war! Dollar stores have "D" and "C" cell plastic flashlights and "AAA" powered aluminum LED models that are perfect for pocket, purse, fanny pack, or little hands. Cheap flashlights make good loaners too, since you don't have to worry too much about getting them back. Recently they've had solar walkway lights,that are good for marking your tent pegs so you don't trip over them in the dark or to mark your RV steps and sometimes you can remove the stakes and add some kind of hanger or stick the stake into a can filled with sand, beans, glass beads, or rice to use them as small, general purpose hanging or table lights.
Military surplus stores can be an excellent source of camping gear. Tents, sleeping bags, tarps, first aid kits, mess kits, canteens, and troop cook kits are just the start of what you may find there. You can always find creative ways to use surplus parachutes and paracord. Boots, coats, and other combat uniform items make great hiking and camping wear. One word of caution: the popularity of surplus military items has created a market that invites imitations. Be skeptical if the Army coat or skillet has a label that says "Made in China" -- unless it is a Chinese army coat. Hand tools designed for military use can be handy for camping. Folding shovels and axes are among the favorites. Bayonets are popular as hunting or survival knives, but most survival experts recommend a smaller fixed blade knife, with a 3-5" blade. It is more convenient to carry and works better for more survival tasks, which tend to be more carving than hacking. Unfortunately, the popularity of military surplus items for camping has inflated the price over what it once was when I was younger and there was a lot of "war surplus" items to be had, but you will still often find sturdy merchandise that is well suited to camping at reasonable prices. Military first aid kits are compact and usually pretty complete. Sometimes you find things there you won't find anyplace else. You probably won't have much use for troop sized cooking and first aid kits unless you have an unusually large family or intend to regularly support some other large group. Some of the military field medical kits contain far more supplies than most people would know how or be qualified to use, so make sure you buy what is appropriate for your needs and your skills and training. Most of us would have little use for a field surgical kit but it might make a good addition to your emergency supplies if you have, know someone who has, or are able to get some appropriate training.
Home centers and hardware stores can also be a source of camping supplies. Tools are among the more obvious options at these locations. I like to carry a "roofers hammer", which is a combination hatchet and hammer. Some home centers and hardware stores have extensive camping sections. I even got a great close-out price on a tent at a home center. I've also found it more economical and more convenient to purchase my awning mats from home centers. They sell indoor-outdoor carpet in bulk in a variety of colors, including an artificial grass style, that works well for awning mats. You can buy just the length you need to correspond to the length of your awning and I've usually found it to be less expensive than pre-made awning mats from RV supply stores. However, some of the awning mats are made of materials that lend themselves better to their intended use. For example, some will let rain pass through whereas indoor-outdoor carpet might retain water and other spills. By buying just the length you need to match your awning you avoid paying extra for two mats when one isn't long enough for your awning. I add grommets to each corner and about every 3' along the long sides, plus one on each side of where the RV step will be. I use 12" nails with flat fender washers on them to secure the mat to the ground. If you have a welder, tack-weld the washers to the nails so they don't get lost. If you don't have a welder cut some discs from heavy plastic like motor oil bottles and push the nails through them so they retain the washers against the heads of the nails so they don't get lost in storage between uses. When parking on asphalt, I use a 22 caliber nail gun to literally shoot my mat to the pavement where tent stakes won't work. One of our favorite camp sites was on a once paved cul de sac in an abandoned housing development in the Mojave Desert near California City. There was enough pavement remaining beneath the sand that had blown in to completely cover the old roads that it was impossible to drive ordinary tent pegs.
Most department stores have camping sections and often the prices are lower than you'd pay at specialty camping, sporting goods, or RV stores. Walmart, K-mart, Sears, and Target always seem to have pretty complete camping selections during camping season. Pre- and post- season sales can deliver excellent bargains, but selection may be limited. If a Coleman lantern isn't in your current budget, kerosene lanterns are a lot less costly. The light isn't as white and bright as a gas lantern and it gives off a distinctive kerosene odor similar to a jet engine, but they were the staple of lighting not only in camping but in homes and businesses for many, many years before electric lighting came along. If you find the kerosene odor objectionable you can burn scented lamp oil or unscented liquid paraffin. Using citronella oil will also help repel insects.
Camp stores. Whenever you stay at a commercial campground, check out the camp store. They often stock unique camper related items you won't find anywhere else. Prices may be higher for regular RV and camping supplies, but it is usually worth the convenience if you happen to need something right now. If nothing else, you might get some ideas of things you'd like to add to your gear and can shop around for better prices when you get home. Be sure to hang on to a business card or receipt from the camp store so you can contact them if you can't find an alternate source. They might be willing to ship it to you. Just to be sure, grab anything that is manufactured or produced locally when you see it. You probably won't find it anywhere else. It just might be worth paying more for something when you see it rather than miss out on it entirely. I have NEVER bought something on the spur of the moment and then regretted buying it but many times I've regretted NOT buying something when I had the chance.
Gas stations and travel centers often stock a few camping and RV supplies especially in areas where camping is prevalent. This can be convenient if you need something while on the road. You probably won't find the lowest prices here but you sometimes find unique items you won't find any place else or be able to pick up a necessary item without having to make special trip to town for it.
Garage sales, thrift stores, and flea markets can be an excellent way to get real bargains on pre-owned camping equipment. Sometimes you may even find brand new items. Flea market vendors often purchase liquidated merchandise and offer it at a fraction of its original suggested retail price. Individual owners may have brand new equipment they received as gifts or simply never got around to using. Even used items will often be in excellent condition. Often the reason they are being sold is they have gotten little use. Check used items to be sure they are complete and look for damage that you might not be able to repair. You will want to set your own guidelines for what you'll pay for used gear. My usual target is 50% of retail. I might pay more for a particularly rare item or one in exceptionally good condition -- like new-in-the-box. It mostly depends on now badly I want it and how much disposable cash I have available at the time.
Your own garage/basement/attic. You may find useful items you already have in your own garage, basement, or attic. Tools and kitchen implements and small appliances you set aside when you upgraded or replaced them may find new life in your camp gear. Or you may have duplicates that have accumulated from gifts over the years. Old clothing, towels, and linens might serve well in camp. Some tools, like axes and hammers, may have multiple uses around the house and in camp. Why spend money if you already have items you can use? Allocating duplicate or "retired" items specifically for camping makes spontaneous trips easier. The old 2-slice toaster you replaced when your family outgrew it may be just the right size for your camper. Converting items for camping might give you a good excuse for upgrading your kitchen stock at home. If you have duplicates, or your budget will allow you to acquire extra tools specifically for camping, it will make hitting the road easier and reduce the chances of leaving something important at home. You can save money by using some of your home tools for camping, but you'll have to remember to pack them when you go and to unpack them when you get back. I may go overboard in this area -- I have separate tools in my motorhome, my garage, and my motorcycle trailer, plus a "race kit" I can toss in the truck when we're going somewhere with the dirt bikes without taking the enclosed motorcycle trailer. I've never been sorry I brought along any tool.
Rummage sales and church auctions. Like garage sales, these events can often produce amazing bargains. It may take some searching through tables of uninteresting junk or piles of musty smelling clothing to find something you want or need, but it is often worth the time and effort. Since items for these events are usually donated, the seller has no cost-of-goods to recover. Like garage sales, you'll find the best selection early in the day and can negotiate the best prices near the end of the event. An old Army field jacket makes a great camping/hiking coat, and it is even more versatile if you can find the fleece liner that adapts them for colder weather. I've seen them in rummage sales and thrift stores for a few dollars each, often in remarkably good condition.
Make your own. You can make some of your own camping equipment. Not only can this be fun, it can save you money. Don't have a camp stove? Make a rocket stove from an old 1-gallon tin can and a couple of soup cans. Hot coals from charcoal briquettes or wood fires will burn through the thin tin over time, but it will be sufficient for preparing several meals, which may be adequate for a short camping trip or to get you through a few days during an emergency, especially if you only burn small twigs. Check on the Internet for how to make your own "alcohol stoves" too. These usually consist of a roll of toilet paper placed in a 1 qt paint can and saturated with denatured alcohol. You can make a very efficient "rocket stove" from a #10 can an 4 soup cans. Rocket stoves can prepare a meal for 4 using just a handful of twigs as fuel. Simple tents can be formed using inexpensive tarps. They probably won't provide the 360 degree protection you get from a commercially made tent with screened windows, a zippered door, and a sewn-in floor but they'll keep most of the rain off. You can make up your own "cowboy bedroll" instead of buying expensive sleeping bags. The ideal and authentic cowboy bedroll is made from sturdy waterproof canvas, but again, an inexpensive tarp will be OK to get you started or in an emergency. You need enough of this outer material so it is a little longer than as you are tall and wide enough to fold over and under your body. You lay it out, then lay out blankets, quilts, or comforters, and fold it over in thirds. When it is done you should have at least 2 layers of the outer material on the bottom and two or three on the top to protect you from cold, wind, and rain. Having the finished product a little longer than your height by 2 or 3 feet allows you to fold it over to protect your head once you're snuggled inside. For detailed instructions search "how to make a cowboy bedroll" on the Internet. If you expect to use it frequently or for a long time, investing in good quality canvas duck for the shell is a good idea. If you just want to try it out once or twice and inexpensive poly tarp will do. Simple hotdog and marshmallow cookers can be made from wire coat hangers. I like to bend a handle into one end. Then I slide them into a piece of 3/4" or 1" PVC pipe before I put them in my outside RV cabinets. It keeps the mess off everything else, keeps them from getting tangled, and even helps keep them cleaner than they would be loose in the bottom of the cabinet. Burn the paint off the end before you cook your first hot dog or marshmallow so you don't cook the paint into your treat. After that you'll probably want to burn the rust off the end before mounting your treat.
Get it when you can. When you see something you'd like to add to your camping gear, get it if you can. Many times I've thought I'd wait and pick it up later only to find that it was no longer available. I snagged some half price bargains a few weeks ago and when I came back the following week they were already sold out so I was glad I bought them when I could. There have been many times I've thought "Gee I wish I'd bought xxxxx" but I don't think I have ever looked at any of my camping gear or tools and said "Gee I wish I hadn't bought that!" Even though I have sometimes accumulated duplicates that later had to be sorted out and passed along to other family members or garage saled, I have never regretted getting any of it, but have often regretted passing up an opportunity. My wife keeps telling me we need to thin out our camping gear but the last time we did that the kids came asking to borrow stuff shortly thereafter -- even though they had been strong proponents of putting in a garage sale in the first place. Likewise, it wasn't very long before we found ourselves lamenting having disposed of some of the items. Being a pack-rat usually isn't productive, but it often pays to be judicious in choosing what to get rid of. Sometimes, when you're traveling, you'll come across things you don't usually find near home. Try to give yourself a little room in your budget and your vehicle, to take advantage of such discoveries. I discovered a locally owned discount auto parts store in the distant city where my parents lived and often augmented my home and RV tool boxes with great bargains I never saw at home almost every time we visited. But don't assume you can get the same deals on stuff at big box stores when you get home. I bought some battery powered LED above ground pool lights with remote controls on sale at a Walmart in Colorado to use as tent lights. I like them so much I wanted more, but I had trouble finding them at any local Walmart and on the Internet when I got home and when I did find a few they were 4 times as costly! Remember, "Manager Specials" may or may not be the same across different locations of the same retailer.
Shop smart!
New or used is a question you want to answer before you go very far in your search for camping equipment. If you have an unlimited budget, you can fill your shopping cart at L.L. Bean, REI, or Cabella's with wonderful new equipment and you're set to go. However, most of us don't have that luxury and have to seek more cost-effective alternatives and almost everyone likes to get a bargain. Some highly desirable and venerable items are no longer available in stores so you may have to search the used market to find them. Funny how once popular staples of camping can be discontinued, but I've see it happen more than once. And just about everyone enjoys getting a good bargain. Watching for and taking advantage of seasonal sporting goods sales can net good savings on new equipment, but used equipment at good prices is more readily available year round. Keep in mind that new equipment is only new once -- before you use it the first time. After that it is used anyway. Some people have reservations about using personal items that others have used. Sleeping bags are at the top of this list, with tents and kitchen items following close behind. If you have any concerns about the cleanliness of any item, it can be taken care of. Sleeping bags can be dry cleaned. Tents can be washed and sanitized. Kitchen items can be cleaned and sterilized in your dishwasher. Even Port-a-Pottys can usually be easily cleaned and sanitized. The question of "new or used" will most likely be answered by how much you are able to spend and whether the item is still in production. Very often the "used" camping items you will find in garage sales or classified ads will have been gently used if at all. Perhaps the used car dealer euphemistic designation of "pre-owned" might be a better way of thinking of it. Many of these pieces of equipment find their way into garage sales because of dis-use or even non-use. People sometimes accumulate duplicates over time or receive them as gifts and never get around to using them. Used camping gear can be an excellent investment. It is not unusual to find brand new camping equipment for sale by private parties. People sometimes buy stuff thinking they will use it or receive items as gifts and just leave them on the shelf. Over time, many of us accumulate duplicates as we find good deals on things we like, creating additional candidates for garage sales. Unless there is a significant factor of durability, wear, damage, or warranties, new usually has little real advantage over used. After all, as I said before, something in only really new once -- the first time you use it. Some vintage items aren't even still available in stores so the only way to get them is to buy used. Sometimes stuff finds its way into garage sales, thrift stores, and classified ads because it is worn out, but most often things fall into dis-use long before their useful life is over. Even so, you want to carefully inspect each purchase to be sure you know what you are getting. Sometimes you can find used items that are no longer available new in retail stores. I much prefer the old style metal containers for Coleman lanterns over their modern plastic "clamshell" counterparts and the only way to get them these days is to buy them used. The metal containers are more square and fit better in cabinets and trunks.
Many department stores offer camping supplies. Places like Walmart, K-Mart, Target, and Sears have large, well-stocked camping departments and are good choices. Camping specialty stores and sporting goods stores like REI, Cabellas, and Big 5 of course have super selections. However, you may find some camping supplies in your local grocery store and places like Rite Aid or even at truck stops. I have had very good luck at farm and ranch stores. I like to browse through the camping displays at any store whenever I have a chance. You never know when you'll come across a new gadget or a "Manager's Special". I once picked up a $125 Camp Chef stove for $25 on a year end close out by checking out the Clearance Table at Big 5. I found a rather unique T-handle socket set at a truck stop when we stopped for gas on a routine family car trip. Granted, a socket set is not directly a camping tool, but with several RVs and OHVs to maintain, it is closely related. It has been very useful and I've never found one like it anyplace else. A good rule to follow is, if you find something you like, get it while you can. On a few occasions I have found items later at a better price, but not nearly as many times as I've passed up an item, then wished I had gotten it, usually because I can't find it anyplace else.
Ebay and craigslist are also good places to look for camping stuff. Be sure to do your homework on checking prices before you bid on ebay or run out to buy that "bargain" tent on craigslist. I've seen people over-bid for common items on ebay, things they could have purchased at their local Walmart for 2/3 their bid or less. You may run across unique items for which you can't get any price comparisons. In that case, set your maximum price based on your budget and how much the item is worth to you. I got into bidding war over an Autolite 12-volt air compressor I wanted for my motorcycle trailer. It was a very unique item, not one of the flimsy little toys that plug into a cigarette lighter, but one with a motor the size of an automobile starter. I suspect the other bidders also recognized the uniqueness of the item and together we probably pushed the price higher than it should have gone, but I have never regretted having purchased it. It serves the function for which I bought it and there is no doubt I would have kicked myself if I had let it get away since I've never seen another one. On the other hand, I saw bidding for a Marine grade (water resistant) 12-volt socket soar past $17 when the very same item could be purchased at the local Walmart for under $8. Of course, if you don't have a local Walmart, snagging something on ebay may be your best course of action and it may be worth paying a little extra for the convenience of having it delivered to your door. But it could have been purchased on line for less from walmart.com. While you can get true bargains on ebay, keep in mind that in order to win an auction, you have to be willing to pay more for the item than anyone else in the world! Getting a good price is often a matter of timing. Bidding early or waiting until near the end of the auction are both strategies that have merit. Bidding early makes you the first winner and if the minimum bid is near the actual or perceived value or you don't have a lot of competition, you might not get outbid. Bidding at the end of an auction limits the possibility of being outbid. There are even computer programs that can monitor your bids and bid for you just seconds before the auction ends so no one has time to outbid you. I like the "Buy It Now" option that completely eliminates the possibility of being out bid. Always check the shipping and handling. A few unscrupulous sellers offer unbelievable (and unrealistic) low prices on items only to hit you hard on "shipping and handling" charges.
Local classified ads and garage sales can often be the source of excellent bargains. Here again, perform due diligence to know the quality and price of the products you are interested in buying. You will often find gently used or even brand new products at a fraction of their original prices. People sometimes buy or receive as gifts items they seldom if ever use. Unfortunate as the circumstances may be for the seller, estate, moving, and divorce sales can produce good opportunities for the savvy shopper. Loss of employment in today's lousy economy has forced a lot of people to liquidate recreational items. Don't be afraid to negotiate for a lower price or seek a discount for purchasing multiple items. Getting to a garage sale early in the day ensures the best selection, but shopping late in the afternoon can get you the best price on anything that is left. Since garage sales are random events and the availability of any particular item even more random, your best bet is just to browse every garage sale you see. You may find that tent or camp stove you're looking for stuck under one of the tables or behind boxes or furniture. Or you may come across interesting and helpful items you hadn't even considered. I lucked out one day when I stumbled on a set of 4 manual RV leveling jacks for a fraction of their retail price. They were mechanical jacks designed to work on a travel trailer but with a little creative engineering I was able to make them work on my 28' Class A Motorhome. They were not nearly as convenient as automatic levelers, but a lot easier to use and more stable than leveling blocks.
You cannot predict what you will find at garage sales but you can often find great bargains on camping equipment there. I've found good deals on both tent camping items and RV accessories at garage sales. Be sure to check out the condition and functionality. Even items that need repairs can be a great find, as long as you know what it will take to restore them -- and have the ability or funds to do so. Gas stoves and lanterns often need the pumps rebuilt or the generators replaced and both are easy and inexpensive tasks. Leaking fuel tanks, on the other hand, tell me to keep looking. Sometimes you might pick up an item you can use for parts but make sure it is compatible with what you are fixing.
Thrift stores can be an excellent source of bargain camping equipment, especially kitchen items. Tents, sleeping gas, camp stoves, lanterns, and ice chests may be harder to find but when you find them you will likely save a lot of money over new prices. Thrift stores usually have a large supply of kitchen items at all times so you can fill out your cooking and serving needs or replace lost or damaged items very quickly and economically. You may have to keep checking back for other camping equipment. I suggest getting cast iron cookware unless you need it for hiking or back packing. Cast iron is durable and can be used directly in your campfire. If you plan to cook on a campfire, avoid light weight aluminum cookware. I've seen aluminum pans melted into shimmering puddles in a campfire. A little breeze acts like a blacksmith's bellows and can create pretty high temperatures, high enough to melt pans and completely consume aluminum cans. An advantage of building your camp kitchen using thrift store items is you won't be out a lot of money if something does happen and they get damaged or lost and you can easily and cheaply replace them as needed.
"Dollar" stores are an inexpensive way to augment your galley and other provisions. Pots, pans, glasses, cups, plates, dishes, kitchen utensils, spices, and cleaning and hygiene supplies can be found at most dollar stores. I've found a lot of good first aid supplies and OTC medication there too. I like to check out their hardware section and have found some useful hand tools from time to time. I can usually count on finding bungee cords, a package of 2 each of 3 different handy sizes. They aren't big enough for securing loads in my pickup truck but they are perfect for packs, keeping lids on camping totes, controlling sleeping pads and sleeping bags, etc. I stocked my camp kitchen with large, sturdy, stainless steel spoons, forks, spatulas, and ladles from Dollar Tree. You can often find inexpensive flashlights and batteries at dollar stores. Flashlights may not be as convenient as Coleman lanterns for general campsite lighting, but getting them at the dollar store will be a lot cheaper. Even efficient LED lights are starting to show up there now. LED lights last hundreds of thousands of hours and batteries last a LOT longer (about 10-12 times longer) than when using ordinary flashlight bulbs. Dollar store flashlights are perfect for kids, who have a tendency to break or misplace them fairly regularly. I tried to avoid letting my kids use my $30 Maglites and when they did get their hands on them the results were disappointing and expensive. My son once "borrowed" my brand new, blue anodized Maglite to explore a local cave. It came back in one piece but it looked like it had been through a war! Dollar stores have "D" and "C" cell plastic flashlights and "AAA" powered aluminum LED models that are perfect for pocket, purse, fanny pack, or little hands. Cheap flashlights make good loaners too, since you don't have to worry too much about getting them back. Recently they've had solar walkway lights,that are good for marking your tent pegs so you don't trip over them in the dark or to mark your RV steps and sometimes you can remove the stakes and add some kind of hanger or stick the stake into a can filled with sand, beans, glass beads, or rice to use them as small, general purpose hanging or table lights.
Military surplus stores can be an excellent source of camping gear. Tents, sleeping bags, tarps, first aid kits, mess kits, canteens, and troop cook kits are just the start of what you may find there. You can always find creative ways to use surplus parachutes and paracord. Boots, coats, and other combat uniform items make great hiking and camping wear. One word of caution: the popularity of surplus military items has created a market that invites imitations. Be skeptical if the Army coat or skillet has a label that says "Made in China" -- unless it is a Chinese army coat. Hand tools designed for military use can be handy for camping. Folding shovels and axes are among the favorites. Bayonets are popular as hunting or survival knives, but most survival experts recommend a smaller fixed blade knife, with a 3-5" blade. It is more convenient to carry and works better for more survival tasks, which tend to be more carving than hacking. Unfortunately, the popularity of military surplus items for camping has inflated the price over what it once was when I was younger and there was a lot of "war surplus" items to be had, but you will still often find sturdy merchandise that is well suited to camping at reasonable prices. Military first aid kits are compact and usually pretty complete. Sometimes you find things there you won't find anyplace else. You probably won't have much use for troop sized cooking and first aid kits unless you have an unusually large family or intend to regularly support some other large group. Some of the military field medical kits contain far more supplies than most people would know how or be qualified to use, so make sure you buy what is appropriate for your needs and your skills and training. Most of us would have little use for a field surgical kit but it might make a good addition to your emergency supplies if you have, know someone who has, or are able to get some appropriate training.
Home centers and hardware stores can also be a source of camping supplies. Tools are among the more obvious options at these locations. I like to carry a "roofers hammer", which is a combination hatchet and hammer. Some home centers and hardware stores have extensive camping sections. I even got a great close-out price on a tent at a home center. I've also found it more economical and more convenient to purchase my awning mats from home centers. They sell indoor-outdoor carpet in bulk in a variety of colors, including an artificial grass style, that works well for awning mats. You can buy just the length you need to correspond to the length of your awning and I've usually found it to be less expensive than pre-made awning mats from RV supply stores. However, some of the awning mats are made of materials that lend themselves better to their intended use. For example, some will let rain pass through whereas indoor-outdoor carpet might retain water and other spills. By buying just the length you need to match your awning you avoid paying extra for two mats when one isn't long enough for your awning. I add grommets to each corner and about every 3' along the long sides, plus one on each side of where the RV step will be. I use 12" nails with flat fender washers on them to secure the mat to the ground. If you have a welder, tack-weld the washers to the nails so they don't get lost. If you don't have a welder cut some discs from heavy plastic like motor oil bottles and push the nails through them so they retain the washers against the heads of the nails so they don't get lost in storage between uses. When parking on asphalt, I use a 22 caliber nail gun to literally shoot my mat to the pavement where tent stakes won't work. One of our favorite camp sites was on a once paved cul de sac in an abandoned housing development in the Mojave Desert near California City. There was enough pavement remaining beneath the sand that had blown in to completely cover the old roads that it was impossible to drive ordinary tent pegs.
Most department stores have camping sections and often the prices are lower than you'd pay at specialty camping, sporting goods, or RV stores. Walmart, K-mart, Sears, and Target always seem to have pretty complete camping selections during camping season. Pre- and post- season sales can deliver excellent bargains, but selection may be limited. If a Coleman lantern isn't in your current budget, kerosene lanterns are a lot less costly. The light isn't as white and bright as a gas lantern and it gives off a distinctive kerosene odor similar to a jet engine, but they were the staple of lighting not only in camping but in homes and businesses for many, many years before electric lighting came along. If you find the kerosene odor objectionable you can burn scented lamp oil or unscented liquid paraffin. Using citronella oil will also help repel insects.
Camp stores. Whenever you stay at a commercial campground, check out the camp store. They often stock unique camper related items you won't find anywhere else. Prices may be higher for regular RV and camping supplies, but it is usually worth the convenience if you happen to need something right now. If nothing else, you might get some ideas of things you'd like to add to your gear and can shop around for better prices when you get home. Be sure to hang on to a business card or receipt from the camp store so you can contact them if you can't find an alternate source. They might be willing to ship it to you. Just to be sure, grab anything that is manufactured or produced locally when you see it. You probably won't find it anywhere else. It just might be worth paying more for something when you see it rather than miss out on it entirely. I have NEVER bought something on the spur of the moment and then regretted buying it but many times I've regretted NOT buying something when I had the chance.
Gas stations and travel centers often stock a few camping and RV supplies especially in areas where camping is prevalent. This can be convenient if you need something while on the road. You probably won't find the lowest prices here but you sometimes find unique items you won't find any place else or be able to pick up a necessary item without having to make special trip to town for it.
Garage sales, thrift stores, and flea markets can be an excellent way to get real bargains on pre-owned camping equipment. Sometimes you may even find brand new items. Flea market vendors often purchase liquidated merchandise and offer it at a fraction of its original suggested retail price. Individual owners may have brand new equipment they received as gifts or simply never got around to using. Even used items will often be in excellent condition. Often the reason they are being sold is they have gotten little use. Check used items to be sure they are complete and look for damage that you might not be able to repair. You will want to set your own guidelines for what you'll pay for used gear. My usual target is 50% of retail. I might pay more for a particularly rare item or one in exceptionally good condition -- like new-in-the-box. It mostly depends on now badly I want it and how much disposable cash I have available at the time.
Your own garage/basement/attic. You may find useful items you already have in your own garage, basement, or attic. Tools and kitchen implements and small appliances you set aside when you upgraded or replaced them may find new life in your camp gear. Or you may have duplicates that have accumulated from gifts over the years. Old clothing, towels, and linens might serve well in camp. Some tools, like axes and hammers, may have multiple uses around the house and in camp. Why spend money if you already have items you can use? Allocating duplicate or "retired" items specifically for camping makes spontaneous trips easier. The old 2-slice toaster you replaced when your family outgrew it may be just the right size for your camper. Converting items for camping might give you a good excuse for upgrading your kitchen stock at home. If you have duplicates, or your budget will allow you to acquire extra tools specifically for camping, it will make hitting the road easier and reduce the chances of leaving something important at home. You can save money by using some of your home tools for camping, but you'll have to remember to pack them when you go and to unpack them when you get back. I may go overboard in this area -- I have separate tools in my motorhome, my garage, and my motorcycle trailer, plus a "race kit" I can toss in the truck when we're going somewhere with the dirt bikes without taking the enclosed motorcycle trailer. I've never been sorry I brought along any tool.
Rummage sales and church auctions. Like garage sales, these events can often produce amazing bargains. It may take some searching through tables of uninteresting junk or piles of musty smelling clothing to find something you want or need, but it is often worth the time and effort. Since items for these events are usually donated, the seller has no cost-of-goods to recover. Like garage sales, you'll find the best selection early in the day and can negotiate the best prices near the end of the event. An old Army field jacket makes a great camping/hiking coat, and it is even more versatile if you can find the fleece liner that adapts them for colder weather. I've seen them in rummage sales and thrift stores for a few dollars each, often in remarkably good condition.
Make your own. You can make some of your own camping equipment. Not only can this be fun, it can save you money. Don't have a camp stove? Make a rocket stove from an old 1-gallon tin can and a couple of soup cans. Hot coals from charcoal briquettes or wood fires will burn through the thin tin over time, but it will be sufficient for preparing several meals, which may be adequate for a short camping trip or to get you through a few days during an emergency, especially if you only burn small twigs. Check on the Internet for how to make your own "alcohol stoves" too. These usually consist of a roll of toilet paper placed in a 1 qt paint can and saturated with denatured alcohol. You can make a very efficient "rocket stove" from a #10 can an 4 soup cans. Rocket stoves can prepare a meal for 4 using just a handful of twigs as fuel. Simple tents can be formed using inexpensive tarps. They probably won't provide the 360 degree protection you get from a commercially made tent with screened windows, a zippered door, and a sewn-in floor but they'll keep most of the rain off. You can make up your own "cowboy bedroll" instead of buying expensive sleeping bags. The ideal and authentic cowboy bedroll is made from sturdy waterproof canvas, but again, an inexpensive tarp will be OK to get you started or in an emergency. You need enough of this outer material so it is a little longer than as you are tall and wide enough to fold over and under your body. You lay it out, then lay out blankets, quilts, or comforters, and fold it over in thirds. When it is done you should have at least 2 layers of the outer material on the bottom and two or three on the top to protect you from cold, wind, and rain. Having the finished product a little longer than your height by 2 or 3 feet allows you to fold it over to protect your head once you're snuggled inside. For detailed instructions search "how to make a cowboy bedroll" on the Internet. If you expect to use it frequently or for a long time, investing in good quality canvas duck for the shell is a good idea. If you just want to try it out once or twice and inexpensive poly tarp will do. Simple hotdog and marshmallow cookers can be made from wire coat hangers. I like to bend a handle into one end. Then I slide them into a piece of 3/4" or 1" PVC pipe before I put them in my outside RV cabinets. It keeps the mess off everything else, keeps them from getting tangled, and even helps keep them cleaner than they would be loose in the bottom of the cabinet. Burn the paint off the end before you cook your first hot dog or marshmallow so you don't cook the paint into your treat. After that you'll probably want to burn the rust off the end before mounting your treat.
Get it when you can. When you see something you'd like to add to your camping gear, get it if you can. Many times I've thought I'd wait and pick it up later only to find that it was no longer available. I snagged some half price bargains a few weeks ago and when I came back the following week they were already sold out so I was glad I bought them when I could. There have been many times I've thought "Gee I wish I'd bought xxxxx" but I don't think I have ever looked at any of my camping gear or tools and said "Gee I wish I hadn't bought that!" Even though I have sometimes accumulated duplicates that later had to be sorted out and passed along to other family members or garage saled, I have never regretted getting any of it, but have often regretted passing up an opportunity. My wife keeps telling me we need to thin out our camping gear but the last time we did that the kids came asking to borrow stuff shortly thereafter -- even though they had been strong proponents of putting in a garage sale in the first place. Likewise, it wasn't very long before we found ourselves lamenting having disposed of some of the items. Being a pack-rat usually isn't productive, but it often pays to be judicious in choosing what to get rid of. Sometimes, when you're traveling, you'll come across things you don't usually find near home. Try to give yourself a little room in your budget and your vehicle, to take advantage of such discoveries. I discovered a locally owned discount auto parts store in the distant city where my parents lived and often augmented my home and RV tool boxes with great bargains I never saw at home almost every time we visited. But don't assume you can get the same deals on stuff at big box stores when you get home. I bought some battery powered LED above ground pool lights with remote controls on sale at a Walmart in Colorado to use as tent lights. I like them so much I wanted more, but I had trouble finding them at any local Walmart and on the Internet when I got home and when I did find a few they were 4 times as costly! Remember, "Manager Specials" may or may not be the same across different locations of the same retailer.
Shop smart!
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Be Prepared
"Be Prepared" is the Boy Scout motto. It is also excellent advice for campers -- and would be campers. Preparation takes many forms. In the beginning, preparation may mean mostly learning about your options. You need to know the advantages and disadvantages of various types of RVs and tents and other equipment in order to make informed decisions about choosing a camping method and purchasing items to meet your needs. Once you have more or less committed to a camping lifestyle, you need to continue to learn about your options -- and learn how to make the most of what you have. Learn how to use and how to care for your equipment. And you need to learn how to prepare for an outing (see my post on Pre-trip procedures for more details.
If you decide tent camping is the way to go for now, educate yourself about types of tents. Know which types will be suitable for the type of activities you plan to engage in and the climate where you'll be using them. Know the range of prices for new and used equipment so you can make your budget go as far as possible. Once you have acquired your basic equipment, learn all you can about using and maintaining it. Know how to set it up and take it down correctly and quickly. Know how to store it safely. Know how to make appropriate repairs when something is damaged. Learn what tools you need. Acquire them and learn how to use them and take care of them. Learn how to use your equipment to best advantage and know and respect its limits. Always make sure your equipment is clean and dry before your store it. Dirty equipment attracts insects and vermin and the natural decay of organic contaminants may damage fabrics or other components and leave foul odors. Some forms of mold may even be toxic! Damp tents and sleeping bags foster growth of mold and mildew that can rot fabrics and produce stains and unpleasant odors. Don't store your sleeping bags tightly rolled. It will compress the filling and destroy much of the insulating quality.
Choosing the RV lifestyle has many advantages but it also brings additional expense and responsibilities. An RV can provide more comfortable living space for camping and during emergencies that a tent, but it takes more effort and expense to maintain it and there are additional things you need to learn. If you have an RV you need to learn about each of the on-board systems (electrical, water, sanitation, propane, cooking, heating, cooling, entertainment), how to use them, how to maintain them, and how to make basic repairs. Being able to take your RV to the shop whenever something goes wrong may be convenient, but is can also be expensive. More importantly, when something goes wrong in a remote area or during an emergency, you may not have the luxury of access to mechanics and technicians so it is incumbent on RV owners to be able to perform basic repairs themselves. Being able to affect basic repairs in camp can mean the difference between a slight inconvenience and a ruined outing.
Whether you are an RVer or a tent camper, you will want to keep your camping equipment in good repair and ready to use at a moment's notice. Disasters strike without warning: an earthquake, a tornado, a flood, a fire, a chemical spill can all put you into disaster-survival mode in a matter of seconds. How well you handle the situation will depend largely on how prepared you are. Do you have your survival equipment prepared and accessible? Do you have sufficient food, water, and medical supplies to meet your immediate needs? How much do you know about potential disasters in your area? Do you have a disaster plan for you and your family? If your camping gear is somewhere in a collapsed basement or garage or your RV is crushed by a falling tree or failed wall, it isn't going to do you much good. I like to have multiple options. My RV is my first choice if I have to abandon my home, but tent camping is a secondary backup . I try to keep my RV as ready as possible and my tent camping gear readily accessible and easy to gather and go if I have to.
In many disasters, access to emergency services is going to be severely restricted for several days or even weeks. When involved in activities in remote locations, you may be miles and/or hours from a hospital or emergency medical services. In a local emergency like an earthquake or tornado, local emergency services are likely to be overwhelmed if not completely disabled for some time after the event. Regardless of your situation, you should be prepared to deal with medical emergencies until normal service is restored. That means you need at least first aid and CPR training and you need to stock basic first aid and medical supplies. Your disaster first aid training should include triage -- knowing how to quickly assess injuries and classify victims/patients to ensure effective and appropriate treatment to do the most good for the most people. As human beings we tend to respond first to the bloodiest, most gruesome injuries or the loudest victims or the first victims we encounter. However, in doing so you may waste your efforts trying in vain to treat a fatal injury while other victims that could have been saved may die. Proper triage will let you prioritize your treatment resources to save as many people as possible. Triage on your own family will be difficult, but is still necessary. While trying in vain to save one fatally injured family member another who could have been saved if reached in time may die. Take care of those you can save before trying to revive someone who is already dead or dying. Contact your local Red Cross, community emergency services agency, or fire department to find out where you can get appropriate first aid and disaster preparedness training. C.E.R.T. (community Emergency Response Team) training is an excellent way to prepare yourself to deal with disasters, protect your family, and assist your neighbors.
If possible, carry appropriate spare parts for you vehicles and equipment and know how to make repairs in the field. Belts and hoses are common points of failure for most motor vehicles. They are fairly inexpensive and usually pretty easy to change . OHVs often break clutch, brake, and shift levers, and drive chains. Being able to replace or repair such failures quickly can prevent the loss of an entire weekend's activity or keep you from getting stranded in a remote camping area. Failure of a camp stove or lantern may not be a major catastrophe, but being able to diagnose and repair common problems on site will add to your comfort and convenience. Repair kits for stoves and lanterns are usually available at retail stores where ever the stoves and lanterns are sold. They are not terribly expensive and are a good investment in convenience and peace of mind. Always carry a basic tool kit and learn how to perform basic repairs. If you don't already know how to do fundamental mechanical and carpentry repairs or are out of practice, take an adult ed class to renew or acquire basic skills.
Maintain emergency provisions in your RV or tent camping supplies. Provisions should include food and water to supply your family for at least 3 days. You should also have medical supplies, including prescription medications. Review you provisions regularly to be sure they are up to date. Expired medications and ingredients have many potential problems, ranging from loss of effectiveness to serious illness or even death. Out dated adhesive bandages and tapes will be useless. They become slick or dried out and won't stick. Check canned goods for signs of spoilage. Bulging, rusted, or leaking cans should be discarded and replaced immediately.
Get proper training. The most expensive and complete first aid kit in the world will do you little good if you don't have basic first aid skills. A fully equipped ER treatment room would be useless without at last some idea what needs to be done and how to do it. Likewise, the best tool set will be useless without some mechanical skills. If you plan activities in remote areas, consider survival training. You may find yourself in survival mode if you get lost or your vehicle breaks down. Learn how to use your RV range and camp stove correctly and how to maintain them. Learn basic cooking skills. In addition to basic first aid and CPR skills and certifications, my wife and I have both expanded our emergency medical training to become certified Red Cross Professional Rescuers. Because many of our outings are in remote areas I have also obtained a certificate in Advanced Wilderness Life Support. First aid and CPR training and certification are available through the Red Cross almost anywhere. The only place I've seen the Advanced Wilderness Life Support class is the University of Utah. For more information see "WWW.ALS.ORG". Be aware the course is intended primarily for medical professionals and costs several hundred dollars. There may be some parts of it that are beyond what you as a "civilian" can do ethically and legally, but most of it is good training for anyone who may be involved in remote activities.
Aquatic adventures bring their own special needs. Fishing, swimming, boating, canoeing, water skiing, and jet skiing all put you in or near the water where you may need to know specialized rescue skills to ensure the safety of your family and your companions. First of all, always observe proper safety procedures for the equipment you are using. Wear approved flotation devices when using any kind of watercraft. Don't go in the water during electrical storms or soon after eating. It is always a good idea to appoint a member of your group as "safety officer" during an activity. The safety officer should not be a participant in the activity, but remain as an observer to keep an eye on everyone else and call a halt or launch rescue efforts if needed.
Mental/emotional preparation is often underestimated. You may think you know how you will react in an emergency, but until you are faced with one, you won't really know for sure. One of the modules in the C.E.R.T. course is Disaster Psychology. It helps you understand what to expect of disaster victims, including yourself and how to deal with it. Participation in planned community exercises is a good way to hone your skills. Lacking opportunities for formal exercises or between exercises you can do your own "what if" exercises in your mind. What if there is an earthquake, flood, blizzard, fire, or tornado while I'm camping or at home? What if I am without power for several days? What if I can't contact emergency services or they aren't available? What if I don't have normal fuel to heat my home or cook with? What if I am faced with multiple victims from a large scale disaster? What if my vehicle is disabled and I'm stranded in a remote campground? What if I have to forage for food to survive? What if my OHV breaks down out on the trail? What if I can't find my way back to camp? What if my fellow campers panic? What if I or another OHV rider are injured on the trail? A dirt biker friend of mine foolishly went riding alone. He hit a rock in a dirt road, crashed, and ended up with a broken collar bone, several broken ribs and a broken ankle. Suffice it to say his self-rescue was very slow and painful. Remember, YOU may be the only first responder you can really count on.
Never ride alone is a good motto for all OHV riders. The principle can also be applied to any kind of camping activities. You should always use the buddy system so if one of you becomes ill or is injured, the other can render aid and go for help. When you go camping or hiking or riding, make sure someone at home or in camp knows when you are leaving, where you are going, and when you expect to be back. That way, if anything happens to you, they'll know where and when to start looking. Once you have begun to execute your shared plans, stick to them. Spontaneously changing your route may be fun, but it could prove disastrous if someone gets hurt and searchers don't know where to look.
Most states have "Good Samaritan" laws that protect people who offer help in emergency situations. Helping others in an emergency is a good and natural thing to do, but you don't want to put yourself or your family in jeopardy. Improper medical procedures can expose you and those you love to unnecessary health risks and perhaps make you liable for expenses or penalties if you exceed your authorization and protection under the law. For your own protection, know your limits, not only in your home state, but anywhere you may be traveling. Keep disposable rubber gloves where you can easily get to them in an emergency. Blood born pathogens are a significant cause of infections being transferred from victims to would-be care givers. There are some really scary diseases (like AIDS) passed along in "bodily fluids". A guideline I learned is, "if it's wet and it isn't yours, don't touch it". A mouth guard to protect you while giving CPR could save your life!
Be prepared!
If you decide tent camping is the way to go for now, educate yourself about types of tents. Know which types will be suitable for the type of activities you plan to engage in and the climate where you'll be using them. Know the range of prices for new and used equipment so you can make your budget go as far as possible. Once you have acquired your basic equipment, learn all you can about using and maintaining it. Know how to set it up and take it down correctly and quickly. Know how to store it safely. Know how to make appropriate repairs when something is damaged. Learn what tools you need. Acquire them and learn how to use them and take care of them. Learn how to use your equipment to best advantage and know and respect its limits. Always make sure your equipment is clean and dry before your store it. Dirty equipment attracts insects and vermin and the natural decay of organic contaminants may damage fabrics or other components and leave foul odors. Some forms of mold may even be toxic! Damp tents and sleeping bags foster growth of mold and mildew that can rot fabrics and produce stains and unpleasant odors. Don't store your sleeping bags tightly rolled. It will compress the filling and destroy much of the insulating quality.
Choosing the RV lifestyle has many advantages but it also brings additional expense and responsibilities. An RV can provide more comfortable living space for camping and during emergencies that a tent, but it takes more effort and expense to maintain it and there are additional things you need to learn. If you have an RV you need to learn about each of the on-board systems (electrical, water, sanitation, propane, cooking, heating, cooling, entertainment), how to use them, how to maintain them, and how to make basic repairs. Being able to take your RV to the shop whenever something goes wrong may be convenient, but is can also be expensive. More importantly, when something goes wrong in a remote area or during an emergency, you may not have the luxury of access to mechanics and technicians so it is incumbent on RV owners to be able to perform basic repairs themselves. Being able to affect basic repairs in camp can mean the difference between a slight inconvenience and a ruined outing.
Whether you are an RVer or a tent camper, you will want to keep your camping equipment in good repair and ready to use at a moment's notice. Disasters strike without warning: an earthquake, a tornado, a flood, a fire, a chemical spill can all put you into disaster-survival mode in a matter of seconds. How well you handle the situation will depend largely on how prepared you are. Do you have your survival equipment prepared and accessible? Do you have sufficient food, water, and medical supplies to meet your immediate needs? How much do you know about potential disasters in your area? Do you have a disaster plan for you and your family? If your camping gear is somewhere in a collapsed basement or garage or your RV is crushed by a falling tree or failed wall, it isn't going to do you much good. I like to have multiple options. My RV is my first choice if I have to abandon my home, but tent camping is a secondary backup . I try to keep my RV as ready as possible and my tent camping gear readily accessible and easy to gather and go if I have to.
In many disasters, access to emergency services is going to be severely restricted for several days or even weeks. When involved in activities in remote locations, you may be miles and/or hours from a hospital or emergency medical services. In a local emergency like an earthquake or tornado, local emergency services are likely to be overwhelmed if not completely disabled for some time after the event. Regardless of your situation, you should be prepared to deal with medical emergencies until normal service is restored. That means you need at least first aid and CPR training and you need to stock basic first aid and medical supplies. Your disaster first aid training should include triage -- knowing how to quickly assess injuries and classify victims/patients to ensure effective and appropriate treatment to do the most good for the most people. As human beings we tend to respond first to the bloodiest, most gruesome injuries or the loudest victims or the first victims we encounter. However, in doing so you may waste your efforts trying in vain to treat a fatal injury while other victims that could have been saved may die. Proper triage will let you prioritize your treatment resources to save as many people as possible. Triage on your own family will be difficult, but is still necessary. While trying in vain to save one fatally injured family member another who could have been saved if reached in time may die. Take care of those you can save before trying to revive someone who is already dead or dying. Contact your local Red Cross, community emergency services agency, or fire department to find out where you can get appropriate first aid and disaster preparedness training. C.E.R.T. (community Emergency Response Team) training is an excellent way to prepare yourself to deal with disasters, protect your family, and assist your neighbors.
If possible, carry appropriate spare parts for you vehicles and equipment and know how to make repairs in the field. Belts and hoses are common points of failure for most motor vehicles. They are fairly inexpensive and usually pretty easy to change . OHVs often break clutch, brake, and shift levers, and drive chains. Being able to replace or repair such failures quickly can prevent the loss of an entire weekend's activity or keep you from getting stranded in a remote camping area. Failure of a camp stove or lantern may not be a major catastrophe, but being able to diagnose and repair common problems on site will add to your comfort and convenience. Repair kits for stoves and lanterns are usually available at retail stores where ever the stoves and lanterns are sold. They are not terribly expensive and are a good investment in convenience and peace of mind. Always carry a basic tool kit and learn how to perform basic repairs. If you don't already know how to do fundamental mechanical and carpentry repairs or are out of practice, take an adult ed class to renew or acquire basic skills.
Maintain emergency provisions in your RV or tent camping supplies. Provisions should include food and water to supply your family for at least 3 days. You should also have medical supplies, including prescription medications. Review you provisions regularly to be sure they are up to date. Expired medications and ingredients have many potential problems, ranging from loss of effectiveness to serious illness or even death. Out dated adhesive bandages and tapes will be useless. They become slick or dried out and won't stick. Check canned goods for signs of spoilage. Bulging, rusted, or leaking cans should be discarded and replaced immediately.
Get proper training. The most expensive and complete first aid kit in the world will do you little good if you don't have basic first aid skills. A fully equipped ER treatment room would be useless without at last some idea what needs to be done and how to do it. Likewise, the best tool set will be useless without some mechanical skills. If you plan activities in remote areas, consider survival training. You may find yourself in survival mode if you get lost or your vehicle breaks down. Learn how to use your RV range and camp stove correctly and how to maintain them. Learn basic cooking skills. In addition to basic first aid and CPR skills and certifications, my wife and I have both expanded our emergency medical training to become certified Red Cross Professional Rescuers. Because many of our outings are in remote areas I have also obtained a certificate in Advanced Wilderness Life Support. First aid and CPR training and certification are available through the Red Cross almost anywhere. The only place I've seen the Advanced Wilderness Life Support class is the University of Utah. For more information see "WWW.ALS.ORG". Be aware the course is intended primarily for medical professionals and costs several hundred dollars. There may be some parts of it that are beyond what you as a "civilian" can do ethically and legally, but most of it is good training for anyone who may be involved in remote activities.
Aquatic adventures bring their own special needs. Fishing, swimming, boating, canoeing, water skiing, and jet skiing all put you in or near the water where you may need to know specialized rescue skills to ensure the safety of your family and your companions. First of all, always observe proper safety procedures for the equipment you are using. Wear approved flotation devices when using any kind of watercraft. Don't go in the water during electrical storms or soon after eating. It is always a good idea to appoint a member of your group as "safety officer" during an activity. The safety officer should not be a participant in the activity, but remain as an observer to keep an eye on everyone else and call a halt or launch rescue efforts if needed.
Mental/emotional preparation is often underestimated. You may think you know how you will react in an emergency, but until you are faced with one, you won't really know for sure. One of the modules in the C.E.R.T. course is Disaster Psychology. It helps you understand what to expect of disaster victims, including yourself and how to deal with it. Participation in planned community exercises is a good way to hone your skills. Lacking opportunities for formal exercises or between exercises you can do your own "what if" exercises in your mind. What if there is an earthquake, flood, blizzard, fire, or tornado while I'm camping or at home? What if I am without power for several days? What if I can't contact emergency services or they aren't available? What if I don't have normal fuel to heat my home or cook with? What if I am faced with multiple victims from a large scale disaster? What if my vehicle is disabled and I'm stranded in a remote campground? What if I have to forage for food to survive? What if my OHV breaks down out on the trail? What if I can't find my way back to camp? What if my fellow campers panic? What if I or another OHV rider are injured on the trail? A dirt biker friend of mine foolishly went riding alone. He hit a rock in a dirt road, crashed, and ended up with a broken collar bone, several broken ribs and a broken ankle. Suffice it to say his self-rescue was very slow and painful. Remember, YOU may be the only first responder you can really count on.
Never ride alone is a good motto for all OHV riders. The principle can also be applied to any kind of camping activities. You should always use the buddy system so if one of you becomes ill or is injured, the other can render aid and go for help. When you go camping or hiking or riding, make sure someone at home or in camp knows when you are leaving, where you are going, and when you expect to be back. That way, if anything happens to you, they'll know where and when to start looking. Once you have begun to execute your shared plans, stick to them. Spontaneously changing your route may be fun, but it could prove disastrous if someone gets hurt and searchers don't know where to look.
Most states have "Good Samaritan" laws that protect people who offer help in emergency situations. Helping others in an emergency is a good and natural thing to do, but you don't want to put yourself or your family in jeopardy. Improper medical procedures can expose you and those you love to unnecessary health risks and perhaps make you liable for expenses or penalties if you exceed your authorization and protection under the law. For your own protection, know your limits, not only in your home state, but anywhere you may be traveling. Keep disposable rubber gloves where you can easily get to them in an emergency. Blood born pathogens are a significant cause of infections being transferred from victims to would-be care givers. There are some really scary diseases (like AIDS) passed along in "bodily fluids". A guideline I learned is, "if it's wet and it isn't yours, don't touch it". A mouth guard to protect you while giving CPR could save your life!
Be prepared!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Camp Showers
In this post we're not talking about unexpected drizzle that dampens your picnic. We're talking about comfortable methods of personal hygiene while camping.
For many years, camp showers were a luxury available only to owners of self-contained RVs or people staying in developed campgrounds with full service restrooms. Some forest service campgrounds provided rudimentary facilities, but they were often shunned by potential users due to cleanliness, privacy concerns, cold water, and fear of disease. These days there are many alternatives for tent campers and owners of RVs with limited facilities so they're not dependent on campground facilities.
Campground showers for many years had very bad reputation. They were often fairly primitive, poorly maintained, and sometimes lacked privacy. This was especially true in remote facilities. Most modern RV parks offer clean, comfortable, private, and secure showers. You won't always find showers at forest service and other primitive campgrounds. Some RVers like to bring along portable shower grate for added safety and sanitation. These are usually made of wood or bamboo. They are light weight and easy to clean. They prevent slipping and keep your feet off the floor someone else might have recently contaminated in community showers. IF you're worried about picking up a disease from the shower floor, wash your feet again when you get back to your camp and apply some anti-fungal foot spray or rub them with hand sanitizer.
Showering in your RV is very much like showering at home -- except you want to limit your use of water -- and you might have to duck your head and keep your elbows pulled in tight to avoid bumping your funny bone. Remember, unless you're connected to campground water and sewers, your water supply and holding tank capacity is limited. To begin with, don't waste the cold water that comes out waiting for the hot water to get there -- collect it in a jug or dishpan for future use rinsing dishes etc. The hot water heater in most RVs is much smaller than the one at home so you'll quickly run out of hot water -- and waste propane -- if you let the water run needlessly or take extra long showers. You want to take what is called "Navy showers" (ships at sea have some of the same limitations as RVs). Turn on the shower to rinse and wet your body. Then turn it off while you soap and scrub. Then turn it on again to rinse away the soap. Don't let the water run any longer than is necessary. This is also true for washing your hands or brushing your teeth. Many RV showers have a shutoff built in to the shower head. This allows you to turn the water on and off without having to readjust the temperature each time. If your shower doesn't have a shutoff, one can usually be added fairly easily and inexpensively. You can conserve water and avoid needless filling holding tanks by running the water into a plastic dishpan or a jug while waiting for the hot water. This water can then be used for pre-rinsing dishes, cleaning tasks, or dousing the fire. One of my dirt biking buddies solved the problem of his teen age kids using up all the water showering and shampooing their hair every day in the desert. He allocated each of them 2 or 3 gallon jugs of water for each trip and let them use it however they wanted: all at once or rationed for the trip. If they tried to use the water in the shower instead of using their jugs, he shut off the pump. If your RV happens to have an on demand tankless water heater you won't have to worry about running out of hot water prematurely but you still want to conserve water to avoid filling your holding tanks and minimize propane usage.
Sun showers are an easy, inexpensive way to have a comfortable shower anywhere. The system consists of a large, heavy duty black plastic bag and a hose and shower head. You simply fill the bag with water and let it lie out in the sun until the water reaches the desired temperature. Hang the bag on a convenient tree branch or any other sturdy overhead structure. A portable shower enclosure can be used for privacy. Sun showers are a good option for tent campers or if your RV is doesn't have a bath or shower. Many RVers with fully self-contained units use sun showers to conserve propane, limit water use, and avoid filling their holding tanks. In a pinch you could use your hydration pack as a mini sun shower but I wouldn't want to contaminate my drinking water pack with non-potable water or use up my drinking water just to take a shower.
Portable hot water systems are available too. They are usually powered by the same small propane cylinders you use for your lantern and camp stove but could run off larger propane tanks if you have the means to transport them and have the right hoses and adapters. They are quite a bit more expensive than sun showers, but you can use them anytime, day or night, rain or shine, without the need for sunlight to warm the water. They can also provide hot water for doing dishes and other tasks. You won't want to take these with you hiking or backpacking, but they are a nice addition for car camping, base camps. and small RVs that don't have a shower.
Shower enclosures are available to go with portable hot water systems and sun showers to provide privacy when showering outdoors. These are usually free standing stalls like little roofless tents about 3' square. You might also use them with the outdoor showers on some RVs. Some are designed to hang from a tree or other overhead structure; some are free standing. Be sure you know which style you want before you buy.
Cat baths are an alternative to showering and will conserve water. You can usually do a pretty good job of cleaning your body with a small basin of water and a wash cloth. It isn't as refreshing or as thorough as a shower, but it will help keep you healthy and smelling better. Cat baths can be done just about anywhere, even hiking or backpacking and are simple solutions for people in tents or campers with limited facilities. You can have a pretty comfortable cat bath with just a pan full of water heated on your campfire. Cat baths may even be an options in survival mode.
Air showers. Your showering options when hiking or backpacking or in survival mode will be limited. If you're lucky you may be able to occasionally bathe in a lake, spring, or stream along the way. Lacking a water source for bathing, plan on taking an "air shower" or smoke shower at least very day or so. Remove as much clothing as privacy permits. Hang your clothing out so it can air out and dry any accumulated perspiration while you let the air and sun purge your skin of unwanted moisture and bacteria. It won't be as cleansing or comforting as a real shower, but it will help to keep you healthier and more comfortable than staying in the same soiled clothing for days on end. A variation of an air shower suggested by some survival experts is a "smoke shower". Allow smoke from you campfire in under your clothing to help dry up sweat and kill bacteria that cause odor and may cause disease. Sagebrush, common in many parts of the western United States, is particularly useful for smoke showers since sagebrush smoke contains anti-bacterial agents and has a pleasant fragrance.
Tent campers may be able to avail themselves of hot showers at local RV parks. Some sell showers to non-guests. Don't expect to use them for free or to piggy-back on a friend's RV reservation. When that happens, parks often withdraw their services. After all, the park has to pay for the water and the fuel to heat it and for sewer services as well as recouping the cost of building, maintaining, and servicing the facility and paying taxes on it. A clean hot shower can be very welcome after a few days roughing it and something your companions will also appreciate.
Keep clean!
For many years, camp showers were a luxury available only to owners of self-contained RVs or people staying in developed campgrounds with full service restrooms. Some forest service campgrounds provided rudimentary facilities, but they were often shunned by potential users due to cleanliness, privacy concerns, cold water, and fear of disease. These days there are many alternatives for tent campers and owners of RVs with limited facilities so they're not dependent on campground facilities.
Campground showers for many years had very bad reputation. They were often fairly primitive, poorly maintained, and sometimes lacked privacy. This was especially true in remote facilities. Most modern RV parks offer clean, comfortable, private, and secure showers. You won't always find showers at forest service and other primitive campgrounds. Some RVers like to bring along portable shower grate for added safety and sanitation. These are usually made of wood or bamboo. They are light weight and easy to clean. They prevent slipping and keep your feet off the floor someone else might have recently contaminated in community showers. IF you're worried about picking up a disease from the shower floor, wash your feet again when you get back to your camp and apply some anti-fungal foot spray or rub them with hand sanitizer.
Showering in your RV is very much like showering at home -- except you want to limit your use of water -- and you might have to duck your head and keep your elbows pulled in tight to avoid bumping your funny bone. Remember, unless you're connected to campground water and sewers, your water supply and holding tank capacity is limited. To begin with, don't waste the cold water that comes out waiting for the hot water to get there -- collect it in a jug or dishpan for future use rinsing dishes etc. The hot water heater in most RVs is much smaller than the one at home so you'll quickly run out of hot water -- and waste propane -- if you let the water run needlessly or take extra long showers. You want to take what is called "Navy showers" (ships at sea have some of the same limitations as RVs). Turn on the shower to rinse and wet your body. Then turn it off while you soap and scrub. Then turn it on again to rinse away the soap. Don't let the water run any longer than is necessary. This is also true for washing your hands or brushing your teeth. Many RV showers have a shutoff built in to the shower head. This allows you to turn the water on and off without having to readjust the temperature each time. If your shower doesn't have a shutoff, one can usually be added fairly easily and inexpensively. You can conserve water and avoid needless filling holding tanks by running the water into a plastic dishpan or a jug while waiting for the hot water. This water can then be used for pre-rinsing dishes, cleaning tasks, or dousing the fire. One of my dirt biking buddies solved the problem of his teen age kids using up all the water showering and shampooing their hair every day in the desert. He allocated each of them 2 or 3 gallon jugs of water for each trip and let them use it however they wanted: all at once or rationed for the trip. If they tried to use the water in the shower instead of using their jugs, he shut off the pump. If your RV happens to have an on demand tankless water heater you won't have to worry about running out of hot water prematurely but you still want to conserve water to avoid filling your holding tanks and minimize propane usage.
Sun showers are an easy, inexpensive way to have a comfortable shower anywhere. The system consists of a large, heavy duty black plastic bag and a hose and shower head. You simply fill the bag with water and let it lie out in the sun until the water reaches the desired temperature. Hang the bag on a convenient tree branch or any other sturdy overhead structure. A portable shower enclosure can be used for privacy. Sun showers are a good option for tent campers or if your RV is doesn't have a bath or shower. Many RVers with fully self-contained units use sun showers to conserve propane, limit water use, and avoid filling their holding tanks. In a pinch you could use your hydration pack as a mini sun shower but I wouldn't want to contaminate my drinking water pack with non-potable water or use up my drinking water just to take a shower.
Portable hot water systems are available too. They are usually powered by the same small propane cylinders you use for your lantern and camp stove but could run off larger propane tanks if you have the means to transport them and have the right hoses and adapters. They are quite a bit more expensive than sun showers, but you can use them anytime, day or night, rain or shine, without the need for sunlight to warm the water. They can also provide hot water for doing dishes and other tasks. You won't want to take these with you hiking or backpacking, but they are a nice addition for car camping, base camps. and small RVs that don't have a shower.
Shower enclosures are available to go with portable hot water systems and sun showers to provide privacy when showering outdoors. These are usually free standing stalls like little roofless tents about 3' square. You might also use them with the outdoor showers on some RVs. Some are designed to hang from a tree or other overhead structure; some are free standing. Be sure you know which style you want before you buy.
Cat baths are an alternative to showering and will conserve water. You can usually do a pretty good job of cleaning your body with a small basin of water and a wash cloth. It isn't as refreshing or as thorough as a shower, but it will help keep you healthy and smelling better. Cat baths can be done just about anywhere, even hiking or backpacking and are simple solutions for people in tents or campers with limited facilities. You can have a pretty comfortable cat bath with just a pan full of water heated on your campfire. Cat baths may even be an options in survival mode.
Air showers. Your showering options when hiking or backpacking or in survival mode will be limited. If you're lucky you may be able to occasionally bathe in a lake, spring, or stream along the way. Lacking a water source for bathing, plan on taking an "air shower" or smoke shower at least very day or so. Remove as much clothing as privacy permits. Hang your clothing out so it can air out and dry any accumulated perspiration while you let the air and sun purge your skin of unwanted moisture and bacteria. It won't be as cleansing or comforting as a real shower, but it will help to keep you healthier and more comfortable than staying in the same soiled clothing for days on end. A variation of an air shower suggested by some survival experts is a "smoke shower". Allow smoke from you campfire in under your clothing to help dry up sweat and kill bacteria that cause odor and may cause disease. Sagebrush, common in many parts of the western United States, is particularly useful for smoke showers since sagebrush smoke contains anti-bacterial agents and has a pleasant fragrance.
Tent campers may be able to avail themselves of hot showers at local RV parks. Some sell showers to non-guests. Don't expect to use them for free or to piggy-back on a friend's RV reservation. When that happens, parks often withdraw their services. After all, the park has to pay for the water and the fuel to heat it and for sewer services as well as recouping the cost of building, maintaining, and servicing the facility and paying taxes on it. A clean hot shower can be very welcome after a few days roughing it and something your companions will also appreciate.
Keep clean!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Camp Cookware
To keep the cost down when you're first getting started, you can usually just bring along some of your home cookware. The biggest downside is that it may get blackened, lost, damage the handles, or even melted using it on a campfire. As long as you take care to avoid melting down your aluminum pots in the campfire and are prepared for the extra cleaning, using your home cookware is an acceptable and economical solution, at least to begin with.
A more convenient option is to put together a set of cookware specifically for camping. If you camp in an RV, it can be stored in the cabinets, ready for immediate use. If you're a tent camper, store it in one or more plastic totes, chuck box, or portable camp kitchen you can bring along. Either way will make your outings more convenient and avoid damaging your home cookware. Having a set of cookware set aside especially for camping means you don't have to worry about getting your kitchenware blackened and you'll already have it ready to go for each outing. To keep the cost down, pick up some used pots, pans, and utensils at a garage sale, online auction or classified site, or thrift store -- or just recycle some old stuff you have at home. Thrift stores usually have an abundance of cookware. For the most durable albeit heavier to transport option, look for cast iron cookware. It is practically indestructible and will easily withstand use directly in the campfire. It also distributes heat evenly for better cooking. For greater convenience and less weight to pack around look for cook sets designed specifically for camping. The major components will stack to fit inside each other to they take up less space in your RV or camp box. New camp sets can be found starting at $12.00 - $30.00 a set so they're not terribly expensive. These are often made of light weight aluminum so you're better off using them in an RV or on a camp stove instead of in the campfire. Some, more expensive sets (think $100-$150), are stainless steel and will stand up to more intensive use and last longer. These camp cook sets are light weight and designed to take up as little room as possible, a real advantage when space is limited. Having sufficient space in our RV, we like to carry some cast iron cookware along with our camp cook set so we can sometimes take advantage of cooking directly on the campfire. Some camp cook sets even include several (usually 4) place settings so you have cook ware and dinner ware all in one package. And it is designed to all fit together in one pot for easy transport and storage.
Dutch ovens and other cast iron cook ware are good choices for functionality and durability. You won't want to haul them around when you're hiking or backpacking unless you want to turn your hike into a high stress upper body workout, but they are excellent options for RVs and base camps. I like to think of dutch ovens as pioneer crock pots. You can simmer a meal for hours and have a full meal in one pan. Line them with aluminum foil to make clean up faster and easier. Cast iron skillets and griddles are ideal for cooking directly on the campfire. Remember you need to season cast iron before using it or after any aggressive cleaning or washing with detergents. Avoid cleaning cast iron with soap and detergents. Just rinse them out with hot water and wipe them clean. One of the best cleaners for cast iron is a wad of old newspaper. A final wipe with paper towels will ensure you can be confident it is clean. Cast iron griddles and grills are great for pancakes, bacon and eggs, chicken, hamburgers and steaks.
Cooking utensils. You'll need many of the same cooking utensils at camp that you use at home. For camp you may want larger or sturdier versions, especially if you plan to cook over an open campfire. Wooden spoons and stainless steel utensils are durable. Extra long handles are usually helpful. Plastic and other synthetic options are acceptable, but are less durable than steel. I also like speckleware or graniteware spoons and ladles. T hey have a kind of nostalgic appearance I find matches the camping ambiance well. They're also pretty easy to clean and they aren't likely to get mixed up with any home items you might have brought along. You may even find they make interesting conversation pieces, especially if they have any family history. Even if the ones you have weren't passed down, they may be LIKE ones your grandparents used to use and that can provide both pleasant memories for you and interesting anecdotes for your companions. Restaurant size and quality utensils are a good choice, but an be kind of pricey if you get them at a restaurant supply store. They are usually extra large (which comes in really handy when cooking over a campfire) and durable. They don't have to be expensive. I've seen some pretty nice looking stainless steel pieces a my local dollar store. I keep a set in my RV and a second set in my tent camping totes. My wife liked some of my camping utensils so well that she snagged them for the kitchen and I had to look for replacements.
What do you really need? Ultimately what you need is determined by what you plan to cook, what you'll be cooking on, and what you like to cook with. If all you ever intend to cook are hot dogs, you can get by with a couple of wire coat hangers. I like to keep a variety of pots and pans in my motorhome or camper and in my tent camping totes. Your basic cook set should include at least one frying pan and one pot. For greater convenience you'll probably want a couple of different sized frying pans and at least a couple of different sized pots. Those with metal or other heat resistance handles will withstand fire, but the handles will get hot so plan on using heavy gloves, pot holders or a wooden or metal pot lifter to move them about. A coffee pot is handy, even if you don't drink coffee. It is a good way to heat water for other hot beverages and for cleaning and medical use. You'll need some mixing and serving utensils. I like to bring along a couple of big spoons, at least one large meat fork, a couple of spatulas, and at least one ladle. You'll also need basic cutlery -- a paring knife and a medium sized butcher knife are probably sufficient for most needs but if you have room for a more complete set it may make some chores easier (like a bread knife for slicing bread). If you go for a complete set of cutlery, plan to store it in a wooden block to keep things organized and protect the sharp edges -- and protect your fingers from the sharp edges! You want them to stay sharp yet not be where you're going to get cut on them. Having them loose in a drawer or tub contributes to both dulling the edges and accidental injuries. In your RV you may want to secure the storage block to a counter top or inside a cabinet for additional safety. I use small bungee cords or velcro to anchor the block in my RV. You can glue the block inside your tent camping tub. Clever idea I recently saw in the "Quick Tips" section of motorhome magazine (submitted by a subscriber) was to make a vertical storage block about 1" thick that attached to the inside wall of the pantry. It kept all the knives safe and handy and when the door was closed, they were secured safely for travel and used hardly any space.
If you like to cook and plan any special meals you will probably want to include other favorite kitchen tools. You will want to be somewhat choosy so you don't weigh down your camp kit or your RV or camp totes with unnecessary items, but feel free to include whatever makes your food preparation easier or more fun. What is an unnecessary toy to one person may be essential to you. You can get by peeling vegetables with a paring knife but you may find it is faster and easier with a peeler. You can chop nuts and veggies with a knife, but a chopper is faster and easier -- and more fun to use. Whether you bring along the specialty tools depends on how much room you have, how often you use them, and how much you enjoy using them. You might need an angel food cake pan for special occasions, but it probably isn't necessary for your basic cook kit. A small square cake pan takes up little room and can be used for a variety of purposes.
Military surplus stores are often a good place to purchase camp cookware. Your choices may range from individual mess kits to super-sized army mess hall pots and pans. For individual and family camping you probably won't have a need for a huge stock pot, but if you're planning a family reunion or any other large get-together one or more might come in handy. You will usually find an assortment of cast iron cookware at military surplus stores. Military cookware is designed to be rugged and portable, both desirable characteristics for camp use. Of course you can buy camp cookware at camping and outdoor stores and department stores like Walmart, K-mart, and Target. And, as mentioned above, thrift stores are often a good place to find cookware you can adapt to camping without spending a lot of money.
Emergency/survival cookware. If you get stranded in camp you'll have your camp cookware in an emergency situation, but if you have problems out on the trail, you'll have to improvise. Obviously, primitive people survived without modern cookware, so how did they do it? Many types of food can be cooked on a stick over a campfire. But what if you need some hot water and don't have a pot to heat it in? If you have an OHV, you might be able to scavenge a headlight can to use for a cooking pot. Lacking any kind of suitable metal object, form a rough bowl out of clay or mud. Fill it with water, and drop hot rocks into it until the water reaches the desired temperature. Some foods can be cooked on hot rocks. Place smooth, flat, non-porous rocks into the coals of your campfire. Why non-porous? Porous rocks absorb water and could explode when heated! When they're hot enough that water sizzles when dropped on them, brush off the coals and place your food on the rocks to cook. This works pretty well for things like eggs and breads or even meat and fish. Some foods can be wrapped in large leaves for direct campfire cooking. Y ou can carve your own eating utensils from wooden sticks to make knives, forks, and spoons. This may take some practice, so don't expect your first attempt to yield restaurant quality items. Even crude utensils will beat using your fingers. But in a survival situation, etiquette is not your priority -- "fingers were made before forks" is more than just a clever excuse for eating with your fingers. In an emergency situation, it becomes a rule of survival. A sharpened stick may suffice for many foods. So, why would you even want to carve eating utensils? For one thing, it gives you something productive to do, helping to take your mind off your troubles and improve your attitude. Adding some level of productivity and normalcy can also make life easier and more comfortable, helping to avoid panic. In many survival situations, water is scarce so you may not have many options for cleaning your hands before or after eating. Having functional utensils avoids contaminating your food and helps keep your hands cleaner. Hey, even a sharp stick or a pair of sticks used like chopsticks is better than nothing. If you do find yourself in a survival situation, take stock of your resources and use them to best advantage. Survey your surroundings and look for natural resources or discarded materials that you may be able to use. Things that you would normally consider trash might become treasures. An old tin can might be used for a cook pot . Plastic trash bags could become water bags or rain ponchos or part of the roof of your shelter. Be creative!
Happy cooking!
A more convenient option is to put together a set of cookware specifically for camping. If you camp in an RV, it can be stored in the cabinets, ready for immediate use. If you're a tent camper, store it in one or more plastic totes, chuck box, or portable camp kitchen you can bring along. Either way will make your outings more convenient and avoid damaging your home cookware. Having a set of cookware set aside especially for camping means you don't have to worry about getting your kitchenware blackened and you'll already have it ready to go for each outing. To keep the cost down, pick up some used pots, pans, and utensils at a garage sale, online auction or classified site, or thrift store -- or just recycle some old stuff you have at home. Thrift stores usually have an abundance of cookware. For the most durable albeit heavier to transport option, look for cast iron cookware. It is practically indestructible and will easily withstand use directly in the campfire. It also distributes heat evenly for better cooking. For greater convenience and less weight to pack around look for cook sets designed specifically for camping. The major components will stack to fit inside each other to they take up less space in your RV or camp box. New camp sets can be found starting at $12.00 - $30.00 a set so they're not terribly expensive. These are often made of light weight aluminum so you're better off using them in an RV or on a camp stove instead of in the campfire. Some, more expensive sets (think $100-$150), are stainless steel and will stand up to more intensive use and last longer. These camp cook sets are light weight and designed to take up as little room as possible, a real advantage when space is limited. Having sufficient space in our RV, we like to carry some cast iron cookware along with our camp cook set so we can sometimes take advantage of cooking directly on the campfire. Some camp cook sets even include several (usually 4) place settings so you have cook ware and dinner ware all in one package. And it is designed to all fit together in one pot for easy transport and storage.
Dutch ovens and other cast iron cook ware are good choices for functionality and durability. You won't want to haul them around when you're hiking or backpacking unless you want to turn your hike into a high stress upper body workout, but they are excellent options for RVs and base camps. I like to think of dutch ovens as pioneer crock pots. You can simmer a meal for hours and have a full meal in one pan. Line them with aluminum foil to make clean up faster and easier. Cast iron skillets and griddles are ideal for cooking directly on the campfire. Remember you need to season cast iron before using it or after any aggressive cleaning or washing with detergents. Avoid cleaning cast iron with soap and detergents. Just rinse them out with hot water and wipe them clean. One of the best cleaners for cast iron is a wad of old newspaper. A final wipe with paper towels will ensure you can be confident it is clean. Cast iron griddles and grills are great for pancakes, bacon and eggs, chicken, hamburgers and steaks.
Cooking utensils. You'll need many of the same cooking utensils at camp that you use at home. For camp you may want larger or sturdier versions, especially if you plan to cook over an open campfire. Wooden spoons and stainless steel utensils are durable. Extra long handles are usually helpful. Plastic and other synthetic options are acceptable, but are less durable than steel. I also like speckleware or graniteware spoons and ladles. T hey have a kind of nostalgic appearance I find matches the camping ambiance well. They're also pretty easy to clean and they aren't likely to get mixed up with any home items you might have brought along. You may even find they make interesting conversation pieces, especially if they have any family history. Even if the ones you have weren't passed down, they may be LIKE ones your grandparents used to use and that can provide both pleasant memories for you and interesting anecdotes for your companions. Restaurant size and quality utensils are a good choice, but an be kind of pricey if you get them at a restaurant supply store. They are usually extra large (which comes in really handy when cooking over a campfire) and durable. They don't have to be expensive. I've seen some pretty nice looking stainless steel pieces a my local dollar store. I keep a set in my RV and a second set in my tent camping totes. My wife liked some of my camping utensils so well that she snagged them for the kitchen and I had to look for replacements.
What do you really need? Ultimately what you need is determined by what you plan to cook, what you'll be cooking on, and what you like to cook with. If all you ever intend to cook are hot dogs, you can get by with a couple of wire coat hangers. I like to keep a variety of pots and pans in my motorhome or camper and in my tent camping totes. Your basic cook set should include at least one frying pan and one pot. For greater convenience you'll probably want a couple of different sized frying pans and at least a couple of different sized pots. Those with metal or other heat resistance handles will withstand fire, but the handles will get hot so plan on using heavy gloves, pot holders or a wooden or metal pot lifter to move them about. A coffee pot is handy, even if you don't drink coffee. It is a good way to heat water for other hot beverages and for cleaning and medical use. You'll need some mixing and serving utensils. I like to bring along a couple of big spoons, at least one large meat fork, a couple of spatulas, and at least one ladle. You'll also need basic cutlery -- a paring knife and a medium sized butcher knife are probably sufficient for most needs but if you have room for a more complete set it may make some chores easier (like a bread knife for slicing bread). If you go for a complete set of cutlery, plan to store it in a wooden block to keep things organized and protect the sharp edges -- and protect your fingers from the sharp edges! You want them to stay sharp yet not be where you're going to get cut on them. Having them loose in a drawer or tub contributes to both dulling the edges and accidental injuries. In your RV you may want to secure the storage block to a counter top or inside a cabinet for additional safety. I use small bungee cords or velcro to anchor the block in my RV. You can glue the block inside your tent camping tub. Clever idea I recently saw in the "Quick Tips" section of motorhome magazine (submitted by a subscriber) was to make a vertical storage block about 1" thick that attached to the inside wall of the pantry. It kept all the knives safe and handy and when the door was closed, they were secured safely for travel and used hardly any space.
If you like to cook and plan any special meals you will probably want to include other favorite kitchen tools. You will want to be somewhat choosy so you don't weigh down your camp kit or your RV or camp totes with unnecessary items, but feel free to include whatever makes your food preparation easier or more fun. What is an unnecessary toy to one person may be essential to you. You can get by peeling vegetables with a paring knife but you may find it is faster and easier with a peeler. You can chop nuts and veggies with a knife, but a chopper is faster and easier -- and more fun to use. Whether you bring along the specialty tools depends on how much room you have, how often you use them, and how much you enjoy using them. You might need an angel food cake pan for special occasions, but it probably isn't necessary for your basic cook kit. A small square cake pan takes up little room and can be used for a variety of purposes.
Military surplus stores are often a good place to purchase camp cookware. Your choices may range from individual mess kits to super-sized army mess hall pots and pans. For individual and family camping you probably won't have a need for a huge stock pot, but if you're planning a family reunion or any other large get-together one or more might come in handy. You will usually find an assortment of cast iron cookware at military surplus stores. Military cookware is designed to be rugged and portable, both desirable characteristics for camp use. Of course you can buy camp cookware at camping and outdoor stores and department stores like Walmart, K-mart, and Target. And, as mentioned above, thrift stores are often a good place to find cookware you can adapt to camping without spending a lot of money.
Emergency/survival cookware. If you get stranded in camp you'll have your camp cookware in an emergency situation, but if you have problems out on the trail, you'll have to improvise. Obviously, primitive people survived without modern cookware, so how did they do it? Many types of food can be cooked on a stick over a campfire. But what if you need some hot water and don't have a pot to heat it in? If you have an OHV, you might be able to scavenge a headlight can to use for a cooking pot. Lacking any kind of suitable metal object, form a rough bowl out of clay or mud. Fill it with water, and drop hot rocks into it until the water reaches the desired temperature. Some foods can be cooked on hot rocks. Place smooth, flat, non-porous rocks into the coals of your campfire. Why non-porous? Porous rocks absorb water and could explode when heated! When they're hot enough that water sizzles when dropped on them, brush off the coals and place your food on the rocks to cook. This works pretty well for things like eggs and breads or even meat and fish. Some foods can be wrapped in large leaves for direct campfire cooking. Y ou can carve your own eating utensils from wooden sticks to make knives, forks, and spoons. This may take some practice, so don't expect your first attempt to yield restaurant quality items. Even crude utensils will beat using your fingers. But in a survival situation, etiquette is not your priority -- "fingers were made before forks" is more than just a clever excuse for eating with your fingers. In an emergency situation, it becomes a rule of survival. A sharpened stick may suffice for many foods. So, why would you even want to carve eating utensils? For one thing, it gives you something productive to do, helping to take your mind off your troubles and improve your attitude. Adding some level of productivity and normalcy can also make life easier and more comfortable, helping to avoid panic. In many survival situations, water is scarce so you may not have many options for cleaning your hands before or after eating. Having functional utensils avoids contaminating your food and helps keep your hands cleaner. Hey, even a sharp stick or a pair of sticks used like chopsticks is better than nothing. If you do find yourself in a survival situation, take stock of your resources and use them to best advantage. Survey your surroundings and look for natural resources or discarded materials that you may be able to use. Things that you would normally consider trash might become treasures. An old tin can might be used for a cook pot . Plastic trash bags could become water bags or rain ponchos or part of the roof of your shelter. Be creative!
Happy cooking!
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Emergency Shelters
Your RV or tent or maybe even your boat may serve as an emergency shelter if your home is damaged and becomes unusable during a disaster situation. There was a time during the Holiday Farm Fire last year that we thought the only abode we might have left was our boat in the lake about 60 miles away! But what do you do for an emergency shelter when you're away from home? You might find yourself in survival mode if you get stranded while hiking, horseback riding, hunting, or riding your OHVs or if your vehicle malfunctions. Shelter is often one of your first priorities. Shelter is seldom considered when the weather is moderate but it becomes critical as it gets hotter or colder or wetter. And you never know when it will change!
You can only survive about 3 hours before you die of exposure in unhealthy weather conditions. That's a lot faster than you would die of thirst or starvation. Unhealthy weather includes excessive heat as well as cold and wet conditions.
Types of emergencies. You could find yourself in an emergency/survival situation at any time. Natural and man-made disasters can occur without warning. You don't have to be camping or hiking in a remote location. Disasters can occur at work and at home too. We had to evacuate our suburban neighborhood when a service vehicle knocked the valve off a large chlorine tank and released a big chlorine gas cloud. Earthquakes, tornadoes, fire, can flood also strike without warning. Events some distance from your location can put you in an emergency situation. Flash floods can occur miles from where the rain falls. Mudslides or collapsing highway and rail bridges can interrupt delivery of food, fuel, and other necessities and may strand you where ever you are. These days, freeways and railroads crisscross the countryside and handle countless loads of hazardous materials so unless you live in a really remote location, you could be the victim of a hazardous spill on the freeway or railroad. Fortunately, good business practices along with rigorous safety regulations make such incidents rare, but they do happen. Some manufacturing plans present significant risk. Just ask the people who lived anywhere near the fertilizer plant that exploded in Texas a year or so ago! We learned there was a similar facility only a mile or two from our house! Localized emergencies, like if your house catches fire or is damaged by a storm or flooding from a burst dam may allow you to get help from your friends and neighbors, but any large scale or wide spread disaster such as an earthquake is likely to shut down utilities and emergency services and impact your neighbors too and you'll be totally on your own for at least 24 hours and perhaps for a couple of weeks or more. If that happens, what are you going to do?
Don't wait until you NEED shelter to get started. You should already have plans for what to do if you are forced to evacuate your home. If not, start planning now. For camping or other emergencies away from home you may need more primitive skills. It will take some time to find or build a shelter in the wild, so don't wait until it is getting dark or starts to rain or snow before you start looking. By then it is probably too late. You want to have a place ready to go to when you need it. If you wait until you need shelter, you could die of exposure before you could construct one. Waiting until it is raining or snowing means you'll be working in bad weather with materials that are already wet or snowy. Much better to build a dry shelter ahead of time and stay dry. Your core temperature can drop enough in about 3 hours to make you dangerously hypothermic, so ofttimes shelter will be your first priority. A common mistake of lost campers is to wait until too late in the day to begin working on a shelter. Starting too late often means you won't be able to finish it before it gets dark and you can no longer see to find materials and finish construction and it will start getting colder after the sun goes down. If you have any daylight left after you get it done you can always put that time to good use searching for food or water, but if spending your daylight hours searching and end up without shelter for the night it could be a fatal mistake.
If you find yourself in a survival situation, shelter will probably be your number one need. You will need water and food eventually, but, depending on weather conditions, you may not live long enough to get thirsty or hungry without appropriate shelter. Remember The Rule of Threes: 1) you can live only about 3 minutes without air, 2) 3 hours to maintain body temperature (shelter) 3) 3 days to find water, 4) 3 weeks to find food. If an emergency forces you from your home you may be able to use your RV or tent as an emergency shelter. If you are lost or experience a vehicle failure in the wilderness, you'll need to learn to make do with whatever is available. Shelter in a hot desert climate will mostly mean finding or creating shade to protect you from excessive sun and heat. In some desolate desert areas the only shade may be from what you have on you. A dirt bike or ATV doesn't provide much shade, but its better than nothing. Your shirt might be used to make a sunshade if there is anything to attach it to. In cool or wet climates, you'll need to focus on keeping warm and dry. Even in the desert, staying warm at night may be a priority. Seek or construct a shelter to protect you from the elements -- sun, wind, rain, and snow. Being able to create some kind of shelter may mean the difference between surviving and succumbing to the effects of exposure. Remember the "Rule of Threes" (and yes it is worth repeating): you can survive about 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter in adverse weather conditions, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food. Use that as a guideline to prioritize your survival activities and your efforts to help others. You may be able to save a life by simply clearing an airway for someone who isn't breathing. Yes, that's twice I mentioned the Rule of Threes in this paragraph. I hope that tells you something about how important it is.
Vehicles as shelter. If your vehicle malfunctions and you are stranded, usually your best bet is to stay with the vehicle. Although I recall being told you would freeze to death staying in a disabled car in winter, you are more likely to freeze to death outside in the wind and snow. The vehicle at least provides some protection and, if you are only stuck in the snow, you may be able to run the heater occasionally to take the chill off. The glass and metal construction of most vehicles allows heat to escape pretty easily, but the being inside a vehicle will at least shelter you from wind and precipitation and most likely will help preserve body heat since it won't be escaping into the open air. It will also be easier for rescuers to locate your vehicle than your body stuck in a snow bank! However, many vehicles have very little insulation and the most common single pane glass is pretty good conductor of heat, so there may be some validity to finding better shelter if you can. Even a dirt bike or an ATV might provide some shade in the desert or a bit of a wind break during a storm. If you must abandon your vehicle, consider whether there are any components you can scavenge that may assist your survival. I read of a young couple who got their 4x4 pickup totally stuck in the snow on a back road (they unwisely had chosen to take a little used short cut in winter). Since there was little chance of any traffic on the remote road they chose to leave their truck and try to walk to safety. Following something they saw on an episode of Survivorman, they ripped up the seats and used the upholstery and foam padding to make mukluks to protect their feet tramping through the deep snow -- and, happily, they survived! If you're lucky enough to have a vehicle with a working engine, fuel, and heater, you may be able to stave off the cold by running it periodically to warm things up. If the engine or heater doesn't work or you run out of fuel, you may need to consider whether the vehicle provides enough shelter against the elements for you to remain inside. Open a couple of windows a little bit to ensure proper ventilation and prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. If you are stuck in the snow, try to dig out around the tailpipe so exhaust fumes can escape without being drawn into the passenger compartment. In some winter situations you may find it easier to stay warm in a snow cave. That may seem counter intuitive, but having a properly sized snow cave could keep you warmer than trying to heat all the empty space in a vehicle.
Simple shelters can be created from many natural materials. However, building a shelter from natural materials isn't going to be a easy as you think it will be -- nor as hard. One survival expert said he'd NEVER built an emergency shelter that didn't leak. Those made with large leaves, like palm fronds, are easier to overlap to asvensure a drip-free interior as possible. Covering a shelter with pine boughs or leafy branches will require many layers to keep out the wind and rain. Better to have a ready-made waterproof shelter with you. A large orange plastic bag is the top suggestion of many survival experts. Solar and thermal blankets are lighter but not as durable. If there is brush or trees you can usually create a lean-to type shelter to help protect you from sun, rain, wind, and snow. You'll need a couple of uprights plus a cross member to create the main framework. Then add rafters from the cross member to the ground on the windward side and cover them with leafy branches, pine boughs, large leaves, birch bark, or even grass and leaves, pine needles, or other debris. Any kind of plastic tarp, trash bag or poncho to help waterproof the roof will be helpful. A lean-to can provide shelter for several people, depending on the size. Don't waste time and materials building a shelter larger than you need. You don't want to be cramped, but neither do you want to lose your body heat because your shelter is too big or too open. Another really simple and primitive shelter is a debris hut. It is exactly what it sounds like: a hut made of debris. Even a squirrel knows how to build a debris hut. Essentially it is just a pile of "stuff" (leaves, grass, pine needles, dry weeds) you can burrow into to keep warm. I read of a Boy Scout separated from is troop and wearing only light clothes who survived a night in sub-freezing temperatures by building a debris hut.
A debris hut is pretty easy to build and can provide a surprising amount of protection from the elements. Just gather leaves, pine needles, etc, to create a pile big enough for you to burrow into for shelter. Even a lowly squirrel can build a debris hut. It may not be the most appealing and comfortable option, but it could save your life in a survival situation as it did for a young Boy Scout lost overnight in sub-freezing temperatures in Utah this past winter. He had wandered away from his troop wearing a short sleeved shirt, not expecting to be facing temperatures below freezing. Make sure your debris is dry and free from insect infestations. For one-night use you can just pile it up and burrow inside or lie down and cover yourself. If you anticipate using it more than once you might want to try to build a framework of sticks or branches covered with debris so you can get in and out of it and reuse it. When constructing any shelter, avoid making it any larger than necessary. It will just be that much harder to keep warm. Insulate the walls and roof as well as you can using leaves, brush, pine needles, etc. The exception to this rule is a debris hut. The more debris you pile around you, the more insulation there is between you and the cold. However, building TOO big a pile of debris may just sap your strength or make you sweat, losing both energy and precious body fluids. I'd shoot for about a foot of debris between me and the elements. And don't forget to put something between you and the cold, cold ground. If you need a heat source, such as a fire, in cold weather, provide adequate ventilation, including an opening in the roof of your shelter for the smoke to escape and keep your fire away from the combustible walls and ceiling! Or keep your fire outside and use heated rocks or reflected heat to warm your shelter. This applies especially to a debris shelter. Don't even think about bringing fire into one of these! Even "Survivorman" managed to set one of his driftwood shelters on fire -- and it was made of rocks and large pieces of wood -- so be extra cautions using fire inside or close to any shelter. Better to build a fire outside the door with a reflector behind it to direct heat into the shelter. Or heat up some rocks and drag them into your shelter to provide heat without flames. Keep the hot rocks away from fabrics or other combustible materials.
Supple branches, such as young willows and poplars, can be bent and woven like a basket to create a simple framework for a temporary shelter. You might secure the intersection of branches by wrapping each joint with cordage (vines, reeds, long grass, rope, string, twine, wire). With a little practice and patience you can create a shelter of almost any size and shape. Cover the framework with leafy branches, pine boughs, etc. until it keeps out the wind and rain. You can use the weaving same technique to create a door for an igloo or debris hut.
Don't expect your crude emergency survival shelter to be perfect. I've heard more than one survival expert admit it is nearly impossible to create a survival shelter that is completely leak proof using natural materials. A tarp or some plastic sheeting would go a long way toward keep you dry. However, what you can manage with pine boughs, leaves, etc, should keep a lot of the rain off and provide at least some protection against wind. The more protection you have against wind and precipitation, the better.
Sod shelters. American pioneers built homes from sod on the plains where trees were scarce. Simply chop blocks of sod from a grassy area and pile them up like bricks or concrete blocks. Take care to ensure the stability of your structure so it doesn't collapse on you. A sod house provides excellent insulation to keep you warm when its cold outside and cool when in hot weather. Because of the effort and difficult of building a sod shelter you probably won't want to undertake such a task unless you expect to be there for some time or if conditions (such as high winds or constantly changing wind direction) make using a simple lean to ineffective. You also need some substantial tools to cut sod. A shovel or an axe or adz is ideal, but probably not something you have in your pocket. You may have to make do with sticks or a piece of shale you can push into the grass to cut out the blocks of sod.
Snow shelters. It may seem counter intuitive, but snow actually makes a pretty good emergency shelter. You can make a simple snow cave by burrowing into a snowdrift. Another simple snow shelter is a snow trench. Dig a trench big enough for your body, then cover it over with branches or boards and snow. If you have the time, energy, and inclination, (and he snow is right) you can cut blocks of snow and build an igloo but it isn't as easy at it sounds. An alternate way to build an igloo if there isn't enough snow to cut blocks is the roll a bunch of snowballs about the size of basketballs and pile them up. Then pack snow between the balls to make a solid mound. Poke some sticks about 2' long into the mound, then hollow it out until you reach the ends of the sticks. A foot of snow provides about the same insulation R-value as the 3" fiberglass insulation in the walls of your home. Another type of snow shelter is a snow trench. Dig a trench deep enough for you to lie down in, then cover it over with branches and snow and crawl in it to get out of the weather. Just getting out of any wind will save you a lot of body heat. The walls and ceiling of the snow trench will also contain and reflect back much of your body heat.
Be creative. If you find yourself in a survival situation, look for any resources that will help you create appropriate shelter. A cave, a hollow tree, a fallen log, or an overhanging ledge can provide ready made or partially ready made shelters. A thicket or stand of trees may provide ready-made uprights for building a lean-to or other shelter. If you anticipate you may need to survive for some time, the sturdier and more permanent your shelter, the better off you'll be. If you are stranded due to an accident or mechanical failure of a vehicle, the vehicle itself or parts of it, might be used to create or improve a shelter. An intact, enclosed vehicle can provide shelter from sun, wind, rain, and snow. Be aware that most vehicles have limited insulation and will loose heat quickly in cold, windy conditions, but still not as quickly as your body will if directly exposed. In winter you may improve your level of protection using snow to insulate the exterior of the vehicle. In cold weather you might need additional insulation to keep your body warm. Gather pine boughs, leaves, grass the same as you would for a debris hut and use it like you would a blanket to keep warm. You might remove parts of a wrecked vehicle to help create a lean-to or tear apart upholstery to get materials for bedding or clothing or insulation or for waterproofing the roof of your shelter. Use whatever is at hand: driftwood on a beach, fallen limbs and branches in a forest, scrub brush in the desert, palm fronds in tropical climates, trash bags and other debris along roadways. Even snow can be used to create an emergency shelter. People live in igloos in arctic climates, but they require considerable effort and skill to build. A simple snow cave can be made by burrowing into the face of a drift to hollow out enough space for your body. A foot of snow provides about the same amount of insulation against outside air temperatures as the fiberglass insulation in your walls at home. That is significant when outside temperatures drop below zero F. It may seem counter-intuitive for something as cold as snow to keep you warm, but it works, by trapping air around you and reducing the loss of heat from your body. If you can, use leaves, pine needles, etc. as a buffer between you and where you sit or lie on the snow.
Using your R, boat, or tent as an emergency shelter. It case of a local catastrophic event like an earthquake, fire, or some other disaster that interrupts normal utilities and emergency services or damages your residence, your RV. boat, or tent can serve as a temporary emergency shelter. Staying in or RV, boat, or tent on your property may reduce the chance of vandals stealing things from your damaged house or causing additional damage. You will also enjoy more privacy and probably be more comfortable than you would be in a community shelter set up in some school gym. In order to take advantage of your RV boat, or tent as an emergency shelter you need to make some advance preparations. First off, you'll need to make sure your RV or boat is parked safely, where it won't be rendered useless by falling trees or having your house fall on it. If you're a tent camper, keep your tent and all your camping gear in ready to use condition and store it where it can be quickly and easily accessed in an emergency. If it is buried deep inside the debris of collapsed garage or basement it isn't going to do you much good. You might even consider keeping it in a separate metal shed in your back yard if your other options would risk having it inaccessible after a disaster. Keep your RV ready to roll -- holding tanks empty, motor fuel and propane full and, climate permitting, fresh water tanks full. Both RV and tent campers should keep your first aid kit and other emergency tools and supplies (and training and certifications) up to date and easily accessible. Keep at least a 3 day supply of basic non-perishable foods and water on board your RV or safely stored in plastic tubs with your camping gear. Your RV will provide sanitation facilities for a time, but for tent camping, you will need alternate means of handling human wastes -- a porta-potty or some other kind of portable toilet. Even a plastic bucket will do in a true emergency. Emergency preparedness suppliers have toilet seats that fit on a 5-gallon plastic bucket for added convenience. Porta-pottys will have to be dumped periodically. Waste deposited in plastic bags in buckets or folding toilets needs to be carefully stored for disposal when things get back to normal. Avoid burying human wastes in your yard, especially if there is any chance it will contaminate ground water. Accumulated human waste is considered a bio-hazard and creates serious health risks if not handled properly, treated correctly, and disposed of safely. For added convenience and safety, get some "Wag Bags". These are bags containing chemicals to handle human waste. It helps control odor as well as turning it into a gel to reduce the chance of spillage.
Be prepared is more than just the Boy Scout motto. It is essential advice for surviving any emergency, on the trail, in camp, or at home. Preparation has two primary components: resources and training. Resources include up to date first aid kits, emergency tools and supplies, and provisions (medical supplies, food, fuel, and water). However, having all the resources in the world won't do you much good if you don't know how to use them. Practice your survival skills. Start your camp fire using flint and steel or a bow drill instead of matches. Practice making various styles of temporary shelters appropriate to your usual camping environment. Use your RV and/or your camping equipment frequently. Not only is it fun, it will help you be prepared if you need it in an emergency. Having had first aid and CPR certification 10 years ago is a start, but you need to keep your training and certifications up to date. Even without the advances in techniques and equipment that are typically introduced over time, you will eventually forget much of what you learned unless you are using it constantly or refreshing your training frequently.
Be smart enough to "get in out of the rain".
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Setting Up a Base Camp
First of all, what do I mean by "base camp"? I'm sure you've seen mountain climber movies where they have a "base camp". But if you're not scaling K2, why do YOU need a base camp? A base camp is your primary base of operations for any camping activity. From there you may go forth for fishing, hunting, boating, hiking, OHV riding, horseback activities, or sight seeing. Your primary vehicle (car, truck, or RV) is usually near or even part of your base camp.
When you are group camping in an RV, your base camp is the primary campground from which you and your associates launch various activities. Your base camp may be a group site or collection of individual sites in a developed campground or a chosen part of the designated open camping areas in primitive locations. Either way, the site needs to be large enough to contain all of the vehicles and accommodations for the group. Sometimes you may have to limit the size of the group when staying in group sites at developed campgrounds. You will also want to visit any remote sites ahead of time to be sure there will be sufficient room for everyone and that they will have suitable access. Your personal base camp if you're going solo is where ever you park your RV or set up your tent. Make sure you select a campground that is accessible for your vehicle. Just because you can get there in your Jeep doesn't mean it is good for motorhomes and trailers. Consider whether the access route will accommodate the vehicles you expect in the group. Inspect ground clearance, road width, sharp turns, obstacles in the road, bridge limits, and overhead clearances. You should choose a location for your base camp that allows easy vehicle access and is near activities you want to enjoy. You'll want a fairly level spot. T he top of a gentle rise is a good choice. DO NOT set up camp in a depression or a sand wash that could be flooded by sudden rain storms. When we set up a base camp for dirt biking in the Mojave desert, we choose a large, flat area close to passable access roads and within an hour or less off road riding time of appropriate trail systems and destinations for our OHVs. We used the old wagon train pattern and "circled the wagons" around a central community fire pit. To guide new members of our group, we put out "Desert Rat" signs on the highway and access roads near the location. I have a "Desert Rat" flag I fly on a flagpole mounted on the front of my dirt bike trailer to help identify our group and at night I put flashing strobes on the roof to guide after dark arrivals. You want to leave the right amount of space between your vehicle(s) and others in the circle of wagons. You'll all need room to unload and park your OHVs and you'll need to open awnings and slides (if your RV is so equipped). Leaving too much room wastes space and spreads the group out too far for convenient sharing. Parking too close to another vehicle limits access for both you and your neighbor and may put you too close for privacy. When using the wagon train model, be sure to leave sufficient space in the interior circle for a common fire pit, group activities, and safe walking between units. Until you get a feel for how much room is appropriate, watch others in the group or look at other groups and follow their example. Or park your vehicle and attempt to unload your equipment. If you don't have room to open the ramp door and unload your OHVs, you're obviously too close. You may need to adjust your spacing a few times before you get it right. For large groups you may have more than one row of campers. Those on the outside may not enjoy the same benefits as the "inner circle", but sometimes multiple rings are necessary. Sometimes you can mitigate the situation by parking support vehicles in the outer ring and reserve the inner ring for primary tent and RV space.
Tent base camps should follow most of the same basic guidelines as RV base camps. Choose a level site with good access in a location that is not subject to flooding if there is a sudden storm. Arrange your vehicles and tents in a circle around a community fire pit. It usually works best to have the tents as the inner ring of the circle, with the vehicles outside. Sometimes it works to have the vehicles and tents side by side, but that may not be the best use of real estate and you might force some members of your group outside the circle. Of course, if that begins to happen, you can always have some folks move their vehicles behind their tents to make room for others to join the circle. Having the vehicles beside the tents can make access to provisions in your vehicles more convenient, but usually getting everyone's tent in the inside circle takes priority. Give special consideration as needed to campers using truck and SUV tents so they're able to be an active part of that "inner circle". Sometimes you may need to accommodate truck and SUV tents and you may want to use vehicles as wind breaks to minimize wind impact on tents.
Community services. Base camps function well to coordinate shared community services. A central community fire pit lends itself to active and enjoyable social gatherings. A shared fire usually means you don't have to bring along enough firewood yourself for all the nights you'll be there. Make sure you do bring your fair share. You may want to plan shared meals. Even a spontaneous potluck can be a lot of fun. Your base camp can serve as a resource center, lending mechanical and medical assistance to each other. I always have a large first aid kit in my dirt bike trailer and my motorhome or in my backpack when tent camping. My wife and I are both certified as Red Cross Professional Rescuers, with lots of first aid and CPR training. I also became certified in Advanced Wilderness Life Support. We always let our fellow campers know we are available in case of an emergency. I have splinted more than one broken bone and prepped the patients for transportation to the emergency room. My well-equipped dirt bike trailer attracts a lot of interest and has allowed me to assist many fellow campers with emergency repairs. Before we acquired the skills and equipment to be self-sufficient and to be able to help our fellow campers, we often enjoyed the hospitality of others in the group. In any given group you are likely to have people with a variety of skills and equipment that can be helpful to the whole group. It is good to share your background, skills, experience, and resources and encourage your fellow campers to do the same. Our Desert Rat group has included engineers (quite literally, rocket scientists), doctors, nurses, mechanics, and welders. A well organized base camp provides ready resources for almost any emergency. Sometimes it may be as simple as borrowing a cup of sugar. Other times you may need or provided life-saving assistance.
Individual base camps. If you're not camping with a group, you will still have your own personal base camp. In a developed campground, this will be your assigned site. In a primitive area, you will choose where you set up. Many of the basic criteria stated above for group camping applies to choosing a your individual site in a remote area. You want a spot that is fairly level, free from any flood danger, and also free from possible wind hazards. Camping under a nice shady tree is always appealing in warm weather, but consider whether the tree is laden with "widow makers", which are loose or dead limbs that might be blown down by the wind. Also, don't camp under or near a single tree or the tallest tree around if there is ANY chance of lightning! You never want be or to be near the highest thing around when there is lightning. You'll want to choose a location that is convenient to planned activities. If you're going to be fishing, try to get a spot near the fishing holes you plan to use. If you're hiking, you'll want to be close to the trail head to avoid too much walking before your hike even starts. For OHV activities, try to choose a spot more or less centrally located among the trail systems or destinations you plan for your rides. Make sure you know how to find your campsite when you leave it. In designated campgrounds, be sure to remember which loop you're on and your site number. In open camping areas, note permanent landmarks that will guide you -- or tag your vehicle with an easily recognizable flag that can be seen from a distance. You'd be surprised how similar different groups of RVs may appear out in the desert.
Setting up your base camp. As previously mentioned, it is a good pattern to set a group camp up around a central fire pit. Have everyone bring their wood and stack it near the fire. If you are in a developed campground, there will probably be a permanent fire pit for your use. In a primitive site, there may be one constructed by previous campers or you may have to build your own. You'll have some flexibility when setting up your personal base camp in primitive camping areas. Make sure you choose a location for your fire that is free from bushes and overhanging limbs that might catch fire. Try to place it downwind from your tent or RV. Follow all normal fire precautions, including clearing the ground of combustible materials for at least 5' all around your fire pit. If you're tent camping where there aren't any toilet facilities, you may have to create a latrine. You'll want that located downwind of any prevailing winds. It should be close enough to camp for convenience, but far enough away to provide privacy and keep odors away from camp. These days there are many types of portable toilets to add convenience to remote tent camping. They range from simple foldable stools to which you attach plastic bags to catch your waste to fancy "porta-pottys" that have self contained water supplies and holding tanks. Some are even battery operated. You will need to properly dispose of waste from all portable toilets. Do NOT just toss the used plastic bags into trash cans and NEVER burn them in your campfire (I promise you will not like the smell!). Dump porta-potty holding tanks into an RV dump station or carefully empty them into a flush toilet. If your porta-potty gets full and you won't be able to reach a proper dump facility, dig a hole deep enough to hold the contents and bury it. Take care that you do not build a latrine or dump waster anywhere it could contaminate water supplies (e.g. within 200' of lakes streams, lakes, springs, wells). Lacking any kind of portable toilet, dig a small hole in which to deposit your waste, then cover it up when you're done.
Well equipped based camps can greatly expand your options and comfort when tent camping. You can bring a long a generator to power entertainment equipment, appliances, and lighting. You can set up a larger tent where you can have stand up headroom and room to get your gear in out of the weather. You can set up a large canopy for group activities. You can use a portable hot water system and a shower enclosure for a really comfortable way to wash off a day's dust and sweat from strenuous activities. You can right size your campfires for each evenings' gatherings without running out of wood like you might out on your own.
Build on a solid base!
When you are group camping in an RV, your base camp is the primary campground from which you and your associates launch various activities. Your base camp may be a group site or collection of individual sites in a developed campground or a chosen part of the designated open camping areas in primitive locations. Either way, the site needs to be large enough to contain all of the vehicles and accommodations for the group. Sometimes you may have to limit the size of the group when staying in group sites at developed campgrounds. You will also want to visit any remote sites ahead of time to be sure there will be sufficient room for everyone and that they will have suitable access. Your personal base camp if you're going solo is where ever you park your RV or set up your tent. Make sure you select a campground that is accessible for your vehicle. Just because you can get there in your Jeep doesn't mean it is good for motorhomes and trailers. Consider whether the access route will accommodate the vehicles you expect in the group. Inspect ground clearance, road width, sharp turns, obstacles in the road, bridge limits, and overhead clearances. You should choose a location for your base camp that allows easy vehicle access and is near activities you want to enjoy. You'll want a fairly level spot. T he top of a gentle rise is a good choice. DO NOT set up camp in a depression or a sand wash that could be flooded by sudden rain storms. When we set up a base camp for dirt biking in the Mojave desert, we choose a large, flat area close to passable access roads and within an hour or less off road riding time of appropriate trail systems and destinations for our OHVs. We used the old wagon train pattern and "circled the wagons" around a central community fire pit. To guide new members of our group, we put out "Desert Rat" signs on the highway and access roads near the location. I have a "Desert Rat" flag I fly on a flagpole mounted on the front of my dirt bike trailer to help identify our group and at night I put flashing strobes on the roof to guide after dark arrivals. You want to leave the right amount of space between your vehicle(s) and others in the circle of wagons. You'll all need room to unload and park your OHVs and you'll need to open awnings and slides (if your RV is so equipped). Leaving too much room wastes space and spreads the group out too far for convenient sharing. Parking too close to another vehicle limits access for both you and your neighbor and may put you too close for privacy. When using the wagon train model, be sure to leave sufficient space in the interior circle for a common fire pit, group activities, and safe walking between units. Until you get a feel for how much room is appropriate, watch others in the group or look at other groups and follow their example. Or park your vehicle and attempt to unload your equipment. If you don't have room to open the ramp door and unload your OHVs, you're obviously too close. You may need to adjust your spacing a few times before you get it right. For large groups you may have more than one row of campers. Those on the outside may not enjoy the same benefits as the "inner circle", but sometimes multiple rings are necessary. Sometimes you can mitigate the situation by parking support vehicles in the outer ring and reserve the inner ring for primary tent and RV space.
Tent base camps should follow most of the same basic guidelines as RV base camps. Choose a level site with good access in a location that is not subject to flooding if there is a sudden storm. Arrange your vehicles and tents in a circle around a community fire pit. It usually works best to have the tents as the inner ring of the circle, with the vehicles outside. Sometimes it works to have the vehicles and tents side by side, but that may not be the best use of real estate and you might force some members of your group outside the circle. Of course, if that begins to happen, you can always have some folks move their vehicles behind their tents to make room for others to join the circle. Having the vehicles beside the tents can make access to provisions in your vehicles more convenient, but usually getting everyone's tent in the inside circle takes priority. Give special consideration as needed to campers using truck and SUV tents so they're able to be an active part of that "inner circle". Sometimes you may need to accommodate truck and SUV tents and you may want to use vehicles as wind breaks to minimize wind impact on tents.
Community services. Base camps function well to coordinate shared community services. A central community fire pit lends itself to active and enjoyable social gatherings. A shared fire usually means you don't have to bring along enough firewood yourself for all the nights you'll be there. Make sure you do bring your fair share. You may want to plan shared meals. Even a spontaneous potluck can be a lot of fun. Your base camp can serve as a resource center, lending mechanical and medical assistance to each other. I always have a large first aid kit in my dirt bike trailer and my motorhome or in my backpack when tent camping. My wife and I are both certified as Red Cross Professional Rescuers, with lots of first aid and CPR training. I also became certified in Advanced Wilderness Life Support. We always let our fellow campers know we are available in case of an emergency. I have splinted more than one broken bone and prepped the patients for transportation to the emergency room. My well-equipped dirt bike trailer attracts a lot of interest and has allowed me to assist many fellow campers with emergency repairs. Before we acquired the skills and equipment to be self-sufficient and to be able to help our fellow campers, we often enjoyed the hospitality of others in the group. In any given group you are likely to have people with a variety of skills and equipment that can be helpful to the whole group. It is good to share your background, skills, experience, and resources and encourage your fellow campers to do the same. Our Desert Rat group has included engineers (quite literally, rocket scientists), doctors, nurses, mechanics, and welders. A well organized base camp provides ready resources for almost any emergency. Sometimes it may be as simple as borrowing a cup of sugar. Other times you may need or provided life-saving assistance.
Individual base camps. If you're not camping with a group, you will still have your own personal base camp. In a developed campground, this will be your assigned site. In a primitive area, you will choose where you set up. Many of the basic criteria stated above for group camping applies to choosing a your individual site in a remote area. You want a spot that is fairly level, free from any flood danger, and also free from possible wind hazards. Camping under a nice shady tree is always appealing in warm weather, but consider whether the tree is laden with "widow makers", which are loose or dead limbs that might be blown down by the wind. Also, don't camp under or near a single tree or the tallest tree around if there is ANY chance of lightning! You never want be or to be near the highest thing around when there is lightning. You'll want to choose a location that is convenient to planned activities. If you're going to be fishing, try to get a spot near the fishing holes you plan to use. If you're hiking, you'll want to be close to the trail head to avoid too much walking before your hike even starts. For OHV activities, try to choose a spot more or less centrally located among the trail systems or destinations you plan for your rides. Make sure you know how to find your campsite when you leave it. In designated campgrounds, be sure to remember which loop you're on and your site number. In open camping areas, note permanent landmarks that will guide you -- or tag your vehicle with an easily recognizable flag that can be seen from a distance. You'd be surprised how similar different groups of RVs may appear out in the desert.
Setting up your base camp. As previously mentioned, it is a good pattern to set a group camp up around a central fire pit. Have everyone bring their wood and stack it near the fire. If you are in a developed campground, there will probably be a permanent fire pit for your use. In a primitive site, there may be one constructed by previous campers or you may have to build your own. You'll have some flexibility when setting up your personal base camp in primitive camping areas. Make sure you choose a location for your fire that is free from bushes and overhanging limbs that might catch fire. Try to place it downwind from your tent or RV. Follow all normal fire precautions, including clearing the ground of combustible materials for at least 5' all around your fire pit. If you're tent camping where there aren't any toilet facilities, you may have to create a latrine. You'll want that located downwind of any prevailing winds. It should be close enough to camp for convenience, but far enough away to provide privacy and keep odors away from camp. These days there are many types of portable toilets to add convenience to remote tent camping. They range from simple foldable stools to which you attach plastic bags to catch your waste to fancy "porta-pottys" that have self contained water supplies and holding tanks. Some are even battery operated. You will need to properly dispose of waste from all portable toilets. Do NOT just toss the used plastic bags into trash cans and NEVER burn them in your campfire (I promise you will not like the smell!). Dump porta-potty holding tanks into an RV dump station or carefully empty them into a flush toilet. If your porta-potty gets full and you won't be able to reach a proper dump facility, dig a hole deep enough to hold the contents and bury it. Take care that you do not build a latrine or dump waster anywhere it could contaminate water supplies (e.g. within 200' of lakes streams, lakes, springs, wells). Lacking any kind of portable toilet, dig a small hole in which to deposit your waste, then cover it up when you're done.
Well equipped based camps can greatly expand your options and comfort when tent camping. You can bring a long a generator to power entertainment equipment, appliances, and lighting. You can set up a larger tent where you can have stand up headroom and room to get your gear in out of the weather. You can set up a large canopy for group activities. You can use a portable hot water system and a shower enclosure for a really comfortable way to wash off a day's dust and sweat from strenuous activities. You can right size your campfires for each evenings' gatherings without running out of wood like you might out on your own.
Build on a solid base!
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