Preventive Maintenance for Campers, RVers, and Boaters

 

Maintenance is usually defined as routine servicing or repair of equipment or units as need to keep them operating correctly.  Way too often we wait to perform maintenance until something has gone wrong, like doing an oil change when the oil light comes on or checking the radiator when the engine starts to over heat.  Too many times maintenance is ignored until the lack of it precipitates necessary repairs.

Preventive Maintenance (PM) is a predetermined program to keep machinery and equipment in optimal operating condition.  Changing the oil on your car on a regular schedule is a form of preventive maintenance.  All too often maintenance is put off until something fails and has to be repaired.  A good preventive maintenance schedule can often avoid expensive repairs. It also keeps machinery working better.  For example, cleaning or changing the air filter on internal combustion engines helps them run better and regular lubrication keeps things rolling smoothly and avoids premature wear on moving parts.

Preventative Maintenance is standard procedure on critical machines and equipment worldwide.  Aircraft have a very strict schedule for required preventative maintenance.  Same with trains, city buses, school buses, and hospital equipment.  Many of these are even set by law to ensure public safety.  Although you may not be bound by law to perform preventative maintenance on YOUR personal equipment, you may be under an obligation to do so to maintain warranties.  Even if your vehicles and other equipment is out of warranty you should still adhere to the prescribed maintenance schedule to ensure optimal performance and avoid unnecessary and often expensive repairs.

Preventive Maintenance for new vehicles, vessels, and other mechanical equipment is usually described in the owner's manual.  Often you must show proof of performing required preventive maintenance before any warranty will be honored.  Preventive maintenance usually includes inspecting or changing lubricants and filters but may also include adjustments and inspections of parts that wear down in normal use, such as brake pads and shoes.  Lacking an owner's manual for your vehicle or boat, contact a qualified dealer or mechanic or another owner of s similar piece of equipment to learn what they do.  If all else fails, try to find a maintenance schedule for a similar piece of equipment, perhaps a different brand to form the basis for creating your own maintenance schedule.  Typical preventative maintenance on any piece of machinery or equipment involves regular lubrication of moving parts, regular inspection and/or adjustment of specific items, inspecting all safety features to ensure they are working properly, inspection and if needed, replacement of air and fuel filters, belts and hoses, and general cleaning.

Anything with an engine (RV, OHV, boat) will require regular attention to oil changes, and oil, fuel, and air filters.   While many maintenance schedules specify miles or hours of use to define the frequency of maintenance, there are also time intervals.  Lacking an owner's manual, you should change oil, oil filter, air and fuel filters on most engines at least once a year.  That would apply to RVs, tow vehicles, OHVs, boats, outboard motors, generators and things like gasoline powered power washers.  Two good times to do this is when preparing equipment for winter storage or when getting it out of storage and ready to use again.  Some people like to do both, as lubrication can break down when a piece of equipment is in storage for several months.

Preventive Maintenance on non-mechanical gear is also usually described in the original owner's manual or instruction sheet.   Maintenance of tents usually includes cleaning and also inspecting and repairing poles, tie downs, zippers, and stakes.  Over time you may need to replenish the waterproofing via a spray or liquid waterproofing product.  Sleeping bags should be regularly aired out and occasionally dry cleaned.  Back packs and pack frames should be inspected to ensure straps and buckles are safe and functioning properly, any fasteners are secure, and snaps and zippers are in good shape.

Preventive Maintenance on camp stoves and lanterns mostly consists of regular cleaning and sometimes servicing of pump gaskets on liquid fuel devices.  Replacing the mantles on lanterns might be considered maintenance but is more appropriately part of the normal operations as they usually need to be replaced at the beginning of each use.  Likewise with fueling liquid fuel appliances but regular cleaning of the fuel tanks and servicing pump gaskets might be part of the preventative maintenance.  The generators on liquid fuel appliances usually don't have any preventative maintenance procedures but may need to be replaced when they age out and fail.

Preventative Maintenance may also be applied to clothing, such as hiking gear and OHV riding gear.  Proper cleaning after each use will extend the life of most articles.  Dirt and grime can cause accelerated wear and any kind of chemical contamination might compromise the integrity of the fabric.  Items should be regularly inspected for any tears, loose, or damaged fasteners (buttons, snaps, zippers, cords, etc.).  Some items, such as boots, may require special cleaners and/or polishes.  Hiking and riding boots often benefit from a waterproofing treatment as well.  I also like to use SC-1 Detail Spray on the plastic and leather parts of my dirt bike riding boots.  It gives them a nice shine and helps keep dirt and grime from sticking.

Camping tools like hatchets, axes, and shovels will also benefit from regular Preventative Maintenance.   All three should be checked often to ensure the handles are not coming loose and are safe to use.  Regular sharpening is also a basic requirement.  Metal tools or metal parts of tools should be given a light coating of oil when in storage to prevent rust.  Linseed oil can also be used on wooden handles to keep them smooth and prevent splinters.  Cracked or broken handles should be replaced.

Camp furniture should be regularly inspected to ensure all joints operate smoothly, that legs haven't lost their foot caps, and that any damage gets repaired.  Awnings should always be stored clean and dry.  Camp chairs will usually benefit from regular cleaning and sometimes need a drop or two of oil or dry lubricant at the pivot points.

Each RV or camping appliance will have its own preventative maintenance schedule and requirements.  It is important to know and follow those procedures to ensure proper operation of your appliances.  Many times an appliance failure can be traced directly to failure to perform required maintenance, and that can be a frustrating and expensive proposition.  This applies to stoves, refrigerators, water heaters, water pumps, furnaces, ice makers, and any other devices you may have onboard your RV or in your camping kit.  Even ice chests need regular cleaning and might sometimes required repair to prevent moisture for intruding into and defeating the insulation.  Broken or damaged hinges and latches should be repaired or replaced.

Lacking a prescribed maintenance schedule it is a good idea to perform preventive maintenance at least once a year.   Good times to do that are when you put things away for the winter and when you get them out again in the spring for the next season's use.  Doing them at the end of the season helps ensure things are clean and dry for proper storage and gives you time to acquire parts or replacements before the next season.  Checking or re-checking everything each spring ensures things are in good condition for to be used in the new season.  If  you do PM when putting things into storage they should be good to go when you get them out again next season, but always look them over.  Sometimes pests or other unfavorable conditions may introduce problems in storage.  Looking everything over when getting things out of storage can catch both things that crept in during storage and anything you might have accidentally missed when putting them away.

Even your body will benefit from good preventative maintenance.  Many medical insurance plans require you to have an annual "wellness check".  Many times this may uncover a developing problem BEFORE it becomes serious or life threatening.  We all know that insurance companies are most interested in their own bottom lines so offering free wellness checks is one way they avoid paying for costly treatment by detecting and correcting problems early.  The fact that you avoid unpleasant and painful disabilities is a nice side effect!  You could consider your regular exercise program a form of preventative maintenance.  Personally I follow the 5BX program developed for the Canadian Air Force and adapted by the U.S. Air Force.  It takes only 11 minutes a day and requires no special equipment..  I am pleased that at 76  years old I maintain an exercise program intended for 49 year olds!  Same with maintaining a good sleep schedule and proper diet.   Consistently getting the right amount of sleep is critical for maintaining optimum physical and mental condition and performance.   Pre-hydrating before strenuous activities, especially in hot weather, is another good preventative maintenance for your body.  Proper warm ups before beginning any strenuous activity is also helpful in preventing injuries and enhancing the enjoyment of your experience,

Do not delay PM!

How To Restore Teak Trim on a Boat

Teak trim is an important part of the beauty of many boats, especially sailboats.  Teak is quite durable but over time it may fade to a dull, concrete gray color and dry out and develop cracks, especially if not properly maintained.  Fortunately, faded teak can usually be salvaged and restored to very near its original beauty.  It just takes a little time, patience, elbow grease -- and oxalic acid.  Here is a photo showing two pieces (the companionway slides) from my 50 year old sailboat.  The one on the left is what it looked like when we got the boat; the one on the right is after cleaning it with oxalic acid.  What a difference!  And the cleaning took only minutes!

To restore teak trim it is best to first remove it from the boat.  Usually the time it takes to remove it is less than the time it would take to mask off the surrounding areas and the results will be much better.  With the wood off you it is much easier to clean, bleach, sand, and refinish each piece.  Be sure to keep track of the fasteners.  Sometimes you will find different length fasteners used in different places on the same piece of trim. Putting them back in the right places can be critical.  Using a short fastener where a long one is needed will weaken the connection.  Trying to use a long fastener where a short one came out may let it poke through, damaging other surfaces or equipment.  It may seem overkill, but if there are differences, it is a good idea to number them and the corresponding places the go as you remove them.  For better performance as well as a better looking finsihed product, clean the old hardware to remove dirt and corrosion.  If any are stripped. broken, or badly corroded, get new stainless steel or brass hardware to replace them.  The new hardware will be much easier to install, will be safer and more secure, and will give you many years of good service.  Using damaged hardware can yield unsightly and unsafe results and might cause expensive damage.  Brass is typically needed in underwater applications and either brass or stainless steel should work find above the waterline where most of your teak bright work will be.

If you have large areas of teak decking or other places where removal isn't practical, mask off any adjacent surfaces to protect them from damage from cleaners, solvents, sanding, and new finishes.   Blue painters tape (or the green ''frog'' tape) and plastic drop cloths or newspaper should be sufficient.

Teak trim usually needs a good cleaning as the first step in restoration.  A solution of TSP is often recommended for removing dirt and grime.  If the teak is badly faded, use oxalic acid to bring it back to near its original color.  I couldn't believe how well it worked on the teak trim from our 50 year old Venture 24!  It started out concrete grey and cleaned up to a nice, natural teak color.  Use a stiff brush to get into any grooves and crevices in the wood.   I used a 4" plastic scrub brush.  You don't want to use a steel brush because you don't want to make new gouges in the wood, only clean out dirt in existing grooves and scratches.  When you are finished rinse and wipe of any excess cleaner and let it dry thoroughly.  Next you will most likely want to bleach out and deep clean the faded surface using oxalic acid.   Oxalic acid usually comes in a powder or granular form.  Follow the directions on the container to mix it with water for use  Brush the solution on the teak, working it well into crevices  You should quickly see faded, grey surfaces returning to their natural teak color.  If at first you don't get good results right away you may need to repeat the process, perhaps using a stronger concentration of oxalic acid.  Once your teak is clean (it will actually look like teak again!), rinse and dry it.  Then sand it lightly to smooth the surface and prepare it for the final restoration steps.  If there are any major cracks or any holes that won't be used for installation, fill them with wood putty and stain it to match the wood.  An alternative to wood putty is to use sawdust or sanding dust from the piece your are repairing mixed with wood glue to fill holes.

Once your teak has been cleaned and restored using oxalic acid and dried, rub it down with teak oil.  Be generous as you apply it and rub it in well.   Let the teak oil soak in for a few hours until it is no longer wet to the touch, perhaps even overnight.  Then give it a light sanding with fine sandpaper and wipe it down with a tack cloth before applying your finish coat.  Teak oil will give it a deep, rich tone and help protect it from the elements.

Apply a finish coat of clear varnish or clear polyurethane.  I prefer to use spar varnish.  It has been proven through centuries of use on wooden boats and yields a rich, shiny finish.  Polyurethane, a modern replacement, is usually less expensive but will probably yield good results, at least for a time.  I recently read that varnish may chip or chalk over time and polyurethane will retain its deep shine longer so I may be switching to polyurethane and in fact am trying it out on some teak handrails now.   For best results and a deeper shine you should apply two or more coats with light sanding with 400 grit wet and dry sandpaper between coats.  Some experts recommend as many as 6-8 coats!  Do not sand after the final coat!  Handrails and toe rails that get a lot of use are strong candidates for multiple coats of varnish to protect them against wear and exposing the wood to the elements.  Same with teak decking in high traffic areas.  The recommendations I've found online suggest 6-8 coats of varnish or polyurethane for teak but I find most people usually only use 2-3 coats.  Give yourself plenty of time since it will take several hours for each coat to dry before you can apply the next coat.   There is some support for the idea of "hot coating", e.g., applying a second coat while the first one is still tacky to enhance bonding of the two coats.  Everything I've read says never do more than two layers at a time when hot coating.  You don't need to and probably can't sand between coats when hot coating.  Letting each coat dry enough to be sanded between coats ultimately should yield the deepest, smoothest, shiniest finish.  I have found I usually get a nice, deep shine with just 3 or 4 coats of clear finish, but it may not stand the test of time as well as the recommended 6-8 coats, especially in high traffic areas.  While many products will be dry to the touch in 2-3 hours,  I have found letting it dry overnight gives the best results when sanding between coats.  Sanding too soon will dull the finish and gum the sandpaper as it digs into soft material under the dry top layer.

Finally re-install each piece in its original position, using new stainless steel hardware as necessary.  If you reuse the original hardware clean the thoroughly and make sure it isn't damaged.   Tighten securely but don't over tighten.  If you refinished pieces in place, remove the masking around them.  Then sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor, including the compliments from fellow boaters as well as how nice it looks to you!

If your hand rails are too badly damaged to be restored you can buy replacements.  They come in sizes from 1 loop to about 6 loops.   If your boat doesn't have hand rails you can install them fairly easily.  I would measure the length of the area where I want the rails and order the size and/or number of new teak rails I need to cover it.  When they arrive I would take them inside the cabin and mark the ceiling in the center of each place the rail will contact the deck.   Choose stainless steel screws long enough to pass through the mounting surface and about 3/4""to 1" into the base of the rail.  Then drill holes through the mounting surface just large enough to accommodate the the stainless steel screws you will use to install the teak.    You might also want to drill small pilot holes in the handrail to make installing the screws easier and prevent splitting.  Most of the hand rails I've seen are attached using wood screws from the bottom but there could be models that have bolts pre-installed in each base.  The procedure is still basically the same.  You could mark and drill the holes from the outside but I prefer starting inside in case there is a light fixture or some other obstacle I might drill through from the outside.  Of coarse you need to make sure the entire space they will occupy on the outside is also clear.  You will want to put a durable finish on your new handrails before installing them.  I like spar varnish for its rich, deep finish and a long (hundreds of years) history of use on wooden boats.  You might want handrails inside the cabin for added stability when moving around when the boat is in motion.  Another common place to add hand holds is near any stairs or steps.  I added a single loop teak hand rail to the end of my companionway slide to make it easier to grab and pull it closed.  When installing the hardware make sure it is secure but don't over tighten it, which could risk stripping or damaging the wooden rail.  Always use correct sized washers and/or backing plates to prevent the screws from pulling through the mounting surface.  You might use finish washers with pad head or recessed head screws for a more finished look.  For added backing, use a fender washer sized to fit the screw.  Fender washers can be used alone or under finish washers.  If you plan to use fender washers without finish washers used round headed screws instead of recessed heads.

Large pieces of teak, such as hatchboards, sometimes swell or warp due to damp weather or high humidity.  Swelling can usually be corrected by letting the boards dry thoroughly.  You can sometimes correct the warping by laying the boards on a hard, flat surface, placing another flat straight panel on top and adding 50-100 lbs of weight.  Leave the weight in places for several days.  It might help if the boards are kept someplace with fairly high humidity at first.  If that isn't possible, try wrapping the boards in a damp towel before stacking the weights.  Take the boards out and check to see if there has been any improvement every day or so.  If using a towel and it has dried out,  re-dampen it when you re-stack the weights to further straighten the boards.  If you can't get them to straighten out you might be able to plane them to improve appearance and fit -- if you have the right equipment and skills to do the planing.  If you have to plane or sand them, be sure to refinish them for both aesthetics and to seal the wood against more moisture.   Maintaining a good top coat will help prevent moisture from them from swelling or causing other damage.  If there are signs of the varnish or clearcoat wearing away, refinish them as soon as practical to prevent additional damage.

Hatchboards and sliding hatches often begin to stick after a few years of use.  Sometimes it is because the boards have warped or swollen.  Sometimes the sliding surfaces have become worn.  If the surface is worn you may be able to install some UHMW or HDPE tape over the damaged surface to restore smooth operation.  Swollen batch boards need to be dried.  If they still bind try sanding down the edges until they fit into the slot again.  Be sure to refinish them after sanding.  A proper waterproof finish will look good, reduce friction, and reduce water absorption to prevent further sticking.  Pay special attention to the edges where moisture is most likely to seep in and cause problems.  I had some hatchboards made of a masonite like paneling material and in order to restore the mating edges I had to soak them with varnish to stiffen the fuzzy, mushy edges, then file and re-varnish them for both appearance and so they will slide better and be more resistant to moisture in the future.

Teak hatchboards can be very expensive to replace if they are warped or damaged beyond repair.  A good modern alternative is make hatchboards out of marine grade starboard, an HDPE plastic material.  It looks good, needs no varnish and won't warp.  Teak hatchboards are usually notched to fit into the slides.  You can usually use starboard about the same thickness as the notch so you don't have to notch it.  If the starboard is too thick for the slides you may have to notch it or replace the slides with formed aluminum channels.  If your boat has 2 or 3 piece hatchboards you an either replace them a single piece of starboard or cut the starboard to match the original pieces.  A single piece might be too heavy or too awkward so you may have to cut it to match the originals.  If you choose to cut it horizontally, I suggest cutting it at 45 degree angle with the high side inside and the low side outside so water running down it won't go inside.  Starboard usually doesn't need to be painted and in fact painting it might not even work.   Manufacturers discourage painting starboard.  Try to choose a color that works for your boat when you buy the starboard.  There aren't a lot of colors to choose from so just pick the one you like best or best matches the color scheme on your boat.  White is usually a safe bet in almost any situation.  The hatchboards on our 1985 Macgregor 25 were recently replaced when we bought the boat.  The previous owner had purchased hatchboards made of pre-finished pressed hardboard (similar to Masonite).  They are light weight and easy to handle and look good but they absorb moisture and swell.  After one season I filed and sanded the swollen edges, then refinished the boards with clear polyurethane, apply extra to the exposed edges to minimize moisture intrusion in the hardboard.

Don't freak out, teak out!

First Aid for Campers, Boaters, and Outdoor Recreation

First aid is mentioned over and over in various articles in the blog.   It is a basic skill everyone who participates in outdoor recreation should have.  I would even go so far as to say no one should ever venture out into remote outdoor recreational activities without at least basic first aid knowledge, skills, and supplies.  Anytime you are going to be any significant distance from immediate medical assistance you should be prepared to administer first aid.  If you participate in high-risk activities, such as dirt biking, mountain biking, or rock climbing, you should seek advanced first aid training to be prepared for the kinds of injuries you and your companions may encounter.  As a minimum that should include knowledge of how to control bleeding and how to splint broken bones.  Also when and how to move an injured patient.

Because many of our outdoor activities take us to remote places it may take some time for EMS help to arrive.  We need to be prepared to take care of ourselves and our associates until professional help reaches us.  In many remote locations that could take hours!  Here is a link to my post on Getting Emergency Medical Services When Camping for more information on preparing to obtain EMS services in remote locations.

To some extent it is assumed that most people have a pretty good idea of what "first aid" means.  However, individual perceptions seem to vary quite a bit.  There are at least two recognized levels of first aid:  basic and advanced.  As a volunteer firefighter and EMR I have had the chance to learn and use both basic and advanced first aid and have found the skills as useful in camp and out on the trails as they are on a fire department call.  I have splinted broken bones, dressed wounds and abrasions, and prepared patients for transport to the emergency room on several occasions while dirt biking.  I even spent about an hour removing cactus spines from a rider's arm using the needle-nose pliers from my tool kit.  Not exactly life-saving, but certainly necessary.

The basic definition of first aid is:   help given to a sick or injured person until full medical treatment is available.  Sometimes first aid is all that is needed and full medical help is not required, such as dealing with minor cuts and scrapes or a common cold.  More advanced first aid may be required to assist someone with more serious, even life threatening injuries or illnesses, pending full medical support.  In times like this first aid will almost always make the patient more comfortable and reduce the chance of additional complications.  In some cases first aid can be life saving, such as performing CPR, stemming arterial bleeding, warming a hypothermic (frozen) patient, or cooling a hyperthermic (heat stroke) patient.

Basic first aid skills are important for just about everybody.  You are likely to use them at home as well as during outdoor recreational activities.  Getting and maintaining good first aid skills is especially useful for outdoor enthusiasts who are likely to find themselves in remote locations where access to medical assistance is limited.  At home you can probably ask a neighbor for help if you encounter a problem you can't handle or, in more severe situations you can call "911".  Sometimes you can call "911" when you are camping, but often the remoteness of camping, boating, RV, and OHV activities is out of cell phone range.  Even if you can make the call, it will probably take some time before any Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel can reach you and you will be the only one who can help the patient(s) until they arrive.  What you do during that time can sometimes save their lives!  I once read that "You are the only first responder you can really count on."  Know your best options for getting help where ever you go.  There were signs scattered over the area we often went dirt biking near California City giving the local police department number.  In talking with police we learned that 911 calls went to a state police office hundreds of miles away and often took extra time getting routed to a local response team while calling the local number got you connected to a local agency right away and significantly reduced response time.  Reduced response time will always mean less suffering for your patients and can literally mean the difference between life and death in life-threating situations.

Advanced first aid skills may be needed to tend to severe injuries in remote areas while you wait for EMS folks to arrive.  Advanced skills can often reduce the suffering and prevent secondary injuries.  In some cases advanced first aid may even be lifesaving!  You should seriously consider getting advanced first aid training if you are involved in any kind of vigorous activities that can lead to serious injuries, such as rock climbing, mountaineering, mountain biking, riding OHVs, and riding horses.  Knowing how and when to perform CPR, how and when to control bleeding, and how to splint broken bones are among the fundamental advanced first aid skills that may be needed during outdoor recreational pursuits.  Knowing when and how to move an injured patient can be critical.  Basically, only move an injured patient if they are in an unsafe situation.  If you must move someone, be sure to stabilize their spine including the cervical spine neck) and splinting or otherwise securing broken limbs before moving them.  Then move them very carefully.   Being able to deal with heat and cold related injuries like hypothermia and heat stroke can be life-saving skills.  Hypothermia is fairly common in winter activities but can also occur in relatively warm environments when the patient is in wet clothing. Whenever you are dealing with a victim of a serious impact (vehicle accident or fall) always check for ABC.  That's Airway, Breathing, and Circulation.  Airway means making sure their throat is clear so they can breath.  Breathing means listening or feeling the breath from their nose and mouth and/or watching their chest rise and fall.  Circulation means looking for any obvious signs of bleeding and checking the extremities to make sure blood is reaching them.  To check circulation, pinch fingernails and toenails and watch for the color to return.  Color should return in 1-2 seconds.  If it doesn't, something is affecting blood flow.  It might be a severed or pinched blood vessel that must be taken care of to avoid loss of the affected area.

There are many good books that provide instructions for basic first aid.  There are even some for advanced first aid.  However, having a hands on course will make you much better prepared.  You can usually find local first aid classes offered by the Red Cross or by your local fire department.  They are usually inexpensive or often even free!  Many fire departments now offer Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.) training that includes  emergency medical triage and light search and rescue in addition to first aid and fire suppression.  Reading a good first aid book is a good start and keeping them handy for future reference is a good idea.  Getting hands on training is critical to actually being able to perform the required duties in an emergency situation.

Basic first aid will usually be enough to take care of splinters and minor cuts and scrapes but you might need advanced first aid to handle life threatening injuries. Knowing how to control bleeding could save someone's life.  Being able to splint a broken bone will almost always make a patient more comfortable and reduce their suffering as well as preventing secondary injuries.

When looking for a first aid course or book, here are some of the primary treatments you should look for in any basic first aid instruction for the following issues:

• Minor cuts and scrapes
• Blisters
• Insect bites
• Heat cramps
• Sprains 
• Minor illnesses (e.g., colds etc)
  

 As you learn more or if you are regularly involved in high-risk outdoor adventures such as dirt biking, mountain biking, or rock climbing, you should look for advanced first aid training that covers these situations:

• Controlling bleeding
• Splinting broken bones
• Recognizing strokes and symptoms of head injuries
• Heat Stroke (Hyperthermia)
  
• Hypothermia
  

It is always a good idea to maintain CPR certification.  You never know when someone is going to have a heart attack or suffer some injury that causes heart problems.   Drowning victims often need CPR.   CPR certification is usually good for 2 years before it needs to be renewed and you should faithfully get your renewals.  Not only will you refresh your memory you will usually learn new techniques or practices that have been developed as CPR continues to evolve.  The best way to get CPR certification is to take a formal training class from the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.  Click on the links provided to find a course near you.   You can also find  online CPR classes, but they will obviously lack the hands-on practice you get from an instructor.

Proper first aid training will also give you the ability to better access whether more advanced medical treatment is necessary and how urgent it might be.  You probably don't need to call "911"or rush a patient to the ER for a sprain but they might need advanced treatment urgently for a broken bone.  Compound fractures (those in which the broken bone penetrates the skin) are more serious than simple fractures, which can be very painful and debilitating but not as subject to infection or bleeding.  Being able to discern the difference between a suspected appendicitis and an ordinary tummy ache or indigestion would help you decide what to do to ensure your patient gets proper care without an unnecessary trip to the ER, which in itself can be traumatic and expensive.

Basic first aid courses usually don't take very long, typically just a few hours.  Expect to invest a little more time to gain advanced first aid skills.  You will find it to be a good investment.  Even if you never have to use it, knowing you could if you had to can give you a lot of peace of mind.  Your confidence in your skills will be a significant factor in calming down any person you may have the opportunity to assist.  Police and fire fighters are usually certified as Emergency Medical Responders (EMRs) and that would be a good level to shoot for.  That may take 40 hours or so of training.  More advanced training is required for Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and Paramedics.  While having that level of training would never hurt, obtaining it can be time consuming and expensive and is probably more than you would need or ever use in normal outdoor recreational activities.  If you have the time, money, and inclination, by all means get as much training as you can!  In addition to my EMR certification I completed a course in Advanced Wilderness Life Support that gave me skills I might need during remote outdoor activities or during a wide scale natural or man-made disaster.

If you venture into the wild or want to prepare for a long term disaster situation you might want to look into natural remedies.  My favorite is an easy one:  willow bark (or poplar or aspen bark) can be used as a substitute for aspirin.  It contains salicylic acid, which is similar to acetylsalicylic acid, which is the chemical name for aspirin.  Aspirin is actually a synthetic version of salicylic acid.  Other "back yard" or natural sources of medicine abound.  Seek out information about what useful remedies can be found where you live or play.

First aid training is not a one time thing.  You will learn that certifications have an expiration date.  There are two very good reasons for that.  First of all, you need to reaffirm your knowledge of many first aid skills on a regular basis.  Most people don't use their first aid skills frequently and will need regular refreshers to maintain proficiency.  Secondly, medical science continues to make advances and new or better techniques often become available.  When I was growing up I was taught a technique for treating snake bikes than involved making an "X" shaped incision over the bite and sucking out the venom.  Modern medical protocol says not to do that, but to just elevate the bite if possible and seek professional medical help as soon as possible.  Working with outdated protocols could significantly limit the level of help you could give and might even have liability issues.  Plan on scheduling yourself to get updated training at least every couple of years at the very least.  The more frequently, the better!

As you learn more about first aid you will also learn more about the equipment and supplies you need to provide appropriate treatment.   Training and supplies go hand in hand.  Neither is of much use without the other.  You could have a fully equipped mobile emergency room and it wouldn't do you any good unless you knew how to use the equipment and supplies.  You could be a fully qualified paramedic but your options for helping someone would be limited by the availability of proper equipment and supplies.  If you do reach EMT or higher training levels you will probably purchase your own personal emergency medical kit you can take with you where ever you go and that would ensure you could  always use your training to best advantage and provide the best possible care for your patients.  Minimum first aid supplies for everyone should include dressings, bandages, splints, and antiseptics.  I like to include some basic OTC pain relievers, but be aware that there are times you should NOT give pain relievers.  It is usually a good idea to give a person experiencing a heart attack about 325 mg of aspirin (4 children's tablets or one adult tablet) unless they have ulcers or are allergic to aspirin.  Do not give anyone any medication they are allergic to.  Be sure to ask them, if they are conscious, or ask a family member or friend.  Never attempt to administer any kind of oral medication or even water to an unconscious person.

In addition to the knowledge and the physical skills and equipment and supplies needed to perform first aid, you need to be psychologically prepared.  Fortunately, unless you work in an emergency room, you probably aren't exposed to a lot of injured persons.  Most of  us are not used to seeing injuries to human bodies and many people have strong negative reactions to the sight of blood or deformed body parts.  To be effective in providing first aid you must be prepared to accept the injuries and proceed to take the appropriate actions, regardless of how gruesome or frightening they may be.  You need to remain calm and present a confident and positive attitude in order to provide proper care for your patient(s).   I, for one, have never been particularly bothered by the sight of blood, but twice I have nearly passed out viewing close relatives being given injections of anti-pain meds to repair their injuries.  I don't mind getting shots myself, but for some reason watching the needles being poked into my sister and my son made me light headed!  Since becoming a volunteer firefighter I have forced myself to watch our EMTs introducing IVs and watching the techs draw my own blood for lab work to mitigate my reaction.  Any sign of panic or unusual excitement by an emergency responder can introduce a negative affect on your patients.  Try to remain calm and confident in all you do and never attempt anything that is beyond your training and skills.

A very important psychological aspect to giving first aid is to be confident in your own abilities.  Patients can see and/or sense if you are apprehensive and that is NOT a good thing!  Your patients need to feel secure in what you are doing and that means YOU must be secure in what you are doing.  That is one of the reasons keeping your first aid training up to date is critical.  When you are faced with an emergency, let your training guide you and accept your role as provider and your patients will accept you -- and benefit from your treatment.  In C.E.R.T. training were taught to approach potential patients using the following statement/question:  "Hi, I am (name).  I am medically trained.  Is it OK for me to help you."  Saying you are medically trained does not mean you are a doctor or a nurse but you should only use the phrase if you are in fact at least trained in first aid.  Of course all of our C.E.R.T. people were properly trained in first aid.

If your patient in conscious you should get their permission to treat them before you start any treatment beyond a visual inspection.  As mentioned above, in our C.E.R.T. classes we were taught to say something like, Ï am (your name), and I am medically trained.  Is it OK if I treat your injuries?"  Of course you should only say you are medically trained if you have in fact been trained.  The training we got in C.E.R.T. and most basic and advanced first aid certifications would allow you to say you are medically trained.  You shouldn't claim to be a doctor or nurse or other medical professional unless you are currently licensed as such.   If you are working on a family member or someone you know well you probably don't need to mention your medical training, but it is a comfort and will be of value to strangers to know that you know what you are doing.  Most people who have been injured are going to grateful for any assistance and will agree to treatment.  If they do not agree, you should not touch them.  However, if you observe life threatening situations (arterial bleeding or they are in a situation that places them in danger of life-threatening injuries) you should advise them of the situation and the risks and attempt to convince them to accept your help.  If they continue to refuse you may eventually be able to treat them under the concept of "implied consent" after they have passed out.  The law recognizes implied consent for an unconscious person since most normal people would consent to treatment for life-threatening injuries if they were able to do so, even if they had previously refused treatment.  Of course it is better to begin treatment as soon as possible as in some life-threatening situations, seconds count!

What are your risks in providing first aid?  Some people are reluctant to get involved in helping an injured person for fear of legal repercussions.  Pretty much all states have "Good Samaritan" laws that protect people who come to the aid of injured parties.  That being said, you do have an obligation to act appropriately and within the scope of your training.  If you attempt something you have not been trained to do you could be held liable but you should be OK, for example, performing CPR if you have been trained in CPR and your certification is current.  Personally I would not hesitate to assist to the best of my ability.  I would rather have to justify my actions than live with my inactions if my help might have saved a life!  Of course you can be held liable if you attempt to provide treatment for a patient who has refused treatment and is still conscious or if you attempt procedures that are beyond your training.  I have heard of highly trained military corpsmen being prosecuted for practicing medicine without a license when they used their very good and appropriate medical skills to assist accident victims because they were not licensed EMTs in that jurisdiction!  BTW, that was a jurisdictional problem, not a medical  or even ethical issue!  So, always work within your certified skills and the legal scope of practice your training allows.  As a volunteer firefighter and EMR I have to keep up with and limit my actions to the scope of practice for EMRs here in Oregon, which tells us exactly what we can and cannot do.   Note:  there are sometimes exceptions when you may be asked by a higher trained medical professional to perform a task under their direction, but never try anything outside your training without authorization by a qualified provider.

Know what you can do and do it!

Fixing Tent and Awning Leaks

Tent and awning leaks are more obvious and usually more immediately problematic than RV leaks.  If there is any problem with the integrity of your tent, it will leak when it starts to rain and you will know it and will need to mitigate it right away.

Tent and awing fabric is easily damaged by embers blown from a fire, by debris falling from trees, by gnawing pests, and by accidents as well as ordinary wear and tear.  It is best to make repairs as soon as possible, both to protect the contents/occupants and avoid further damage.   Bird droppings that aren't cleaned off can damage fabric, weakening it or damaging the water proofing so it fails when it rains.

Small leaks in awnings might be ignored for a while but larger tears should be patched or the awning should be rolled up until it can be repaired.  Often a judicious application of duct tape is sufficient to control an awning leak and secure a tear until you can get it home and make permanent repairs.

As always, prevention is preferable to repair.  Inspect your tent or awning and address any problems regularly, especially before you start on an outing.   Things to look for include loose stitches or visible needle holes in the seams, frayed or otherwise damaged fabric, and broken or missing ties and zippers to close windows and doors.  Loose stitching should be re-stitched to maintain the integrity of the seam.  Visible needle holes can often be sealed using a wax sealer or a waterproofing liquid or spray to cover the holes.  Broken or missing ties or zippers should be replaced.  Things like bird droppings and sap should be carefully removed before they can introduce damage or attract pests that will cause damage.

Some temporary emergency repairs can be done using waterproof tape, like Eternabond.  Waterproof tape is sometimes hard to find and kind of expensive.  It is advertised for use on RVs but should work just as well on tents and awnings.  In a pinch you might be able to make temporary repairs using duct tape.  The tape will stick best if applied to dry surfaces but sometimes you can make it stick to wet ones.  Mythbusters once used duct tape to repair underwater leaks on a leaky boat in the water but I have never had very good luck using it on wet surfaces.  Waterproof tape is designed to stick on wet surfaces.  Tape can be used to cover leaking seams and thin spots and tears in the tent or awning fabric.  Clear tape will make most repairs almost invisible.  Use a single piece of tape oriented to the direction of the tear on small tears.  Larger tears may need to be secured by sturdy strips of tape across the tear before putting one over the tear to seal the leak.

Large holes may require stitching or even patching with additional fabric to effect permanent repairs.  Patches should be of a material and weight (and color if possible) similar to the original material.   Patches should be stitched to the outside of the tent and should be at least 1/2" or so larger than the hole.  Hemming the patch to prevent unraveling is a good idea too.  Try to match the color as closely as possible to maintain cosmetic appearances.  I patched a large hole in the roof of a blue cabin tent with white canvas when I couldn't find anything to match the original fabric.  It was only about 3" across and not too noticable and it sure beat having a big hole in the roof!  Once stitched into place, seal the seams using wax, liquid, or spray seam sealer.

An alternative sometimes used instead of repairing leaks in the field is to cover the tent with a tarp.   That is one way to get immediate relief from water dripping on you and your belongings and may allow the damaged area to dry enough for you to make temporary repairs with duct tape.  Installing a tarp takes a bit of time and skill and you will want to leave an easy way to get in and out of your tent with the tarp in place..  If you know or suspect you have leaks you may want to set up the tarp over your tent BEFORE it starts to rain.  Polytarps are small, light weight, and inexpensive so it would be a good idea to get one big enough to cover your entire tent and tuck it in one of your camping bins.  Be sure to inspect the tarp from time to time.  It would be really disappointing to pull it out when needed and discover a kitchen knife in your camping bin had made holes it in or holes had been worn in it by heavy items in the bin or perhaps even by its own weight over time.  Awnings are usually pretty difficult to effectively cover with a tarp, but it might be worth a try if you have away to securely anchor them so they protect the awning.

Leaks in the tent floor can be more difficult to find and more difficult to repair.   Once again, prevention is better than repair so always clear the ground of rough debris and use a sturdy, waterproof ground cloth beneath the tent.  Protect the floor from the inside use a sturdy ground cloth or foam tiles.  Check to see if the water entered the tent from a door or window before assuming there is a leak in the floor.  If you get water coming up through the floor you not only need to patch the holes but you need to find out how and why the water is getting under the tent and take proper measures to stop it.  A tent that is properly set up should not have water underneath it in the first place.  Make sure the ground cloth doesn't extend beyond the walls of the tent.  If possible, trench around the tent, digging a little ditch to catch and redirect water from running under the tent.

Stay dry!

Fixing RV Leaks

Nothing short of a fire or major accident will destroy the structural integrity of your RV faster than a water leak.  You my get leaks from plumbing, roof damage, cracked seams, old caulk, and around windows, doors, and other openings.  If you see signs of leaks or water damage, the first step is to locate the source of the problem.  Signs may include drips, puddles, wet spots on the floor, ceiling, or walls, soft spots in floors, ceilings, and walls, and discoloration of upholstery, carpet, ceilings or wall coverings.  Water damage can be sneaky.  Water can seep into ceilings, walls, and floors and they my get rotted out to where major structural repair is required before you even notice it if you aren't paying attention.  Odd, musty smells, soft spots, and discoloration are some of the clues that point to water damage in progress.  One of the problems with water damage is that it often goes unnoticed until things are almost beyond repair.  Keep an eye open for possible signs and seek rapid remediation.

You may be able to mitigate some leaks in the field.  Others may require significant work by you or a professional RV technician when you get home.  A waterproof tape such as Eternabond or Gorilla All Weather Outdoor Waterproof Duct Tape would be handy for field repairs.  Even ordinary duct tape might help mitigate leaks for a while.  The sooner you can stop a leak the less damage it is likely to cause.

It may take quite a bit of investigation to locate the source of a leak.   Even what appears to be rather obvious, like a drip around a roof vent, is frequently traced to a problem some distance away.  A hole in the roof or spot where caulking has failed far from the vent may be where the water is coming from.  Water will sneak around inside the ceiling until it finds the easiest way out, like around the interior trim on a roof vent.  Then it appears that the vent itself is leaking.  Of course, the vent could be leaking, but if further investigation proves the caulking around the vent is in tact, you may have to look elsewhere.  Similarly, the real source of just about any leak might be several yards away from where the symptoms show up.  We once discovered damp carpet next to the outside wall in the bedroom of our Class A motorhome.  At first we suspected a problem with the screw strip on the outside at about the same height as the interior floor.  Eventually we discovered the wetness only showed up after using the shower and we tracked it down to a problem with the plumbing in the shower, more than 10' away on the far side of the bathroom!

Many RV leaks can be traced to places caulking or other sealing materials have eventually failed.  RV roofs normally need to be re-caulked every couple of years.  I solved that problem on one Class A by having a commercial roofing company seal the entire roof including all the seams.  The white sealer they used is also used for commercial buildings and they gave a 10-year guarantee against leaks.  The roof actually has an expected lifetime of more like 20 years.  RV roofs always have seams around the edges where the roof meets the walls and often have cross seams where different pieces of the roof were joined.  There is also caulking around vents, air conditioners, and any other accessories mounted to the roof.  Over time caulking dries out and begins to crack or pull away from  roof or the accessories it is meant to seal.  When this happens you must completely remove the old caulk and re-caulk.  Of course, it is best to do this before the old caulk fails, hence a common suggestion of re-caulking every couple of years.  By doing so not only will you avoid the damage that failed caulk would allow, removing the old caulk will be easier before it becomes too brittle.  A waterproof tape like Eternabond or Gorilla All Weather Outdoor Waterproof Duct Tapecan often be used to tape over leaking seams for in the field repairs.

Leaking roofs often lead to failed infrastructure.  If the roof feels spongy, the underlying roof structure has been compromised and you will likely have to remove the roof and replace the damaged sections of underlayment instead of just sealing the leaks.  That is one reason it is important to find and fix leaks early, before they lead to dry rot and difficult and expensive repairs.

RV Windows are normally sealed with butyl tape (sometimes called "dum-dum tape").  Like any other sealant, it eventually dries out and begins to leak.  Replacing it means removing the window frames, scraping off the old sealant, applying a new strip of sealant all around the window, and reinstalling the frame.  When reinstalling the frame take care not to over-tighten the screws as this will dent the frame.  Sometimes you can effect a pretty good temporary seal around leaking doors and windows using a good clear silicone sealer like DAP.  Lay a bead of about 3/16" along the edge of the frame, making sure there are no gaps along the frame or the wall.   This will probably control the leaks for an extra season or two until you can remove the windows and re-seal them properly.  DAP is best installed on a dry surface so you might have to wait out a storm before you can use it to re-seal your windows.

RV roofs are subject to damage from falling debris, like tree branches, hail or even wind.  If a large branch falls on your RV it may crush part of the roof.  When that happens about your only option is to rebuild the damaged section, and that may very well require professional help.  If a branch pokes a hole in your roof you might be able to repair it yourself.  A small hole, say less than 1", can usually be sealed with a sealant that is appropriate for the roof material.  Typical RV roofs may be fiberglass, aluminum, or rubber.   Rubber roofs require special sealants that are compatible with the specific type of rubber.  Holes in fiberglass and aluminum can usually be sealed with any good exterior sealant.  You might need a little patch of fiberglass cloth to reinforce holes larger than the width of a pencil.  If you get an even bigger hole, say a few inches across, you can sometimes reinforce them with a drywall patch and then cover the whole are with appropriate sealer.  On holes up to a couple of inches or so I've even used an old tin can lid.  One downside to using tin is that it may rust, so the plastic or aluminum drywall patches are preferable.  In a pinch you might be able to cut a patch from a plastic lid or even a milk carton.

Waterproof tape is a handy way to at least temporarily seal leaking seams and small holes.  You might be tempted to try it with ordinary duct tape, but unless you can dry the surface before applying the tape, it probably won't stick very well or for very long.  Waterproof tape will stick to wet surfaces and prevent any further intrusion, giving you time to get home and make proper permanent repairs.

Plumbing leaks can be difficult to locate.   As mentioned before the source may be far away from where the water is detected.   Sometimes you can get a clue about where the leak is coming from based on the color or smell of the leaks.  Foul smelling, blue, green, orange, or brown liquid is probably coming from the black water tank.  Gray, soapy, or greasy liquids are usually from the sinks, showers, or gray water tank.  Clean water is usually from the fresh water supply system.  While these may be good clues as to what is going on, they can not always be counted on.  Sometimes clean water leaching through building materials may pick up colors or odors.  Likewise, contaminate from gray or even black water tanks might be caught and filtered on their way to where they finally show up.  One way to help diagnose the source of a plumbing leak is to turn off the water pump or disconnect the city water.  If you immediately see a decrease in the flow or have a hissing sound that goes away, you know it is related to the water supply.  If you can't see the decrease or change in sound it may take some time to determine if the leak is in the supply side or in one of the drain systems.  Leaks inside walls or under floors can be VERY difficult to locate.  Always check the accessible plumbing inside cabinets and behind furniture first.  That is the place things usually get jostled around and start to leak.  Another fairly common source of damage to RV plumbing is unintentional penetration of plumbing by screws used to install accessories.  If a leak shows up soon after installing a new accessory and especially if it is anywhere the new installation, that could be the cause.  Damage like this usually involves opening up the wall or floor and replacing the damaged section of pipe.  Violent twisting of an RV on rough roads (or off road!) can sometimes cause plumping fittings to separate or leak.  If you suspect an event like this try to trace all the pluming lines where ever they are visible:  under sinks, inside cabinets, etc. to look for leaks.  If you are lucky you may be able to tighten the fitting.  If that doesn't work you will need to replace it.  Many RVs use a type of pipe called PEX for fresh water lines.  They usually have crimp fittings that require special tools for installation but there are some replacement fittings, like Flair-It brand fittings, that usually don't require special tools.

Anytime you have a leak there is a good chance there will be residual water under the surface that may cause future problems.  Sealing out any additional water may also seal in the water that is already there, allowing it to continue to stimulate further rot.  If have access, do whatever you can to dry it out.  Sometimes a heat gun or even just a hair dryer can be used to speed drying.  

When I lived in southern California and even in Utah, leaks were an inconvenience.   Now that I live in Oregon where it rains a LOT, leaks are a major concern.  If YOU live in a wet climate, finding and fixing leaks as soon as possible will save you a lot of frustration and money.

 Don't take a leak, take care of it!

Wranglerstar on Youtube -- A Good Resource For Campers

I have found an excellent source of woodsman information on the Youtube videos by  Wranglerstar.  You might not find him under camping or RVing.  His focus is on modern homesteading and he covers a wide range of useful subjects, from how to sharpen tools, to felling trees, and construction techniques and he frequently reviews and tests tools, often at the request of his viewers.  Many of the skills and much of the information he provides can be directly applied to camping and RVing.  Just go to Youtube and search for Wranglerstar.  I have found his videos to be entertaining as well as educational and many of the skills he presents can be directly applied to camping.  He has over 2000 videos online and is constantly adding new videos so be sure to check back regularly.  He has reviewed a number of Harbor Freight Tools and tells you what works and what doesn't.

Wranlgerstar rocks!

How To Build A Campfire Safely

 Oh yeah!  What'so hard about building a campfire?  Just throw some wood in the fireplace, stove, or fire pit and light it!  Right?  WRONG!  There are better ways, ways that make it easier and safer to light your fire.  Doing it wrong can be frustrating and delay getting your fire going but, more importantly, it can be hazardous!  In more than 40 years of camping I have seen many different ways of building campfires, some rather clever and successful and some definite disasters!  I've seen more than one over-ambitious camper go home without any hair on his arms and missing his eyebrows after over-dousing a fire with gasoline.  A well built fire will be safe, comfortable, and enjoyable.  And it isn't that hard to do.

Most techniques for building fires can be used for campfires, fireplaces, and wood stoves.  Getting a fire going quickly and easily usually depends on proper preparation.  When building a campfire, always make sure your site is properly prepared.  Clear the area for at least 5 feet around the fire pit and at least 10 feet overhead.  When lighting fires in fireplaces and stoves check the dampers and flues and ensure there are no combustible materials on or near the device before igniting your fire.  Proper techniques for starting a fire include the preparation and use of tinder and kindling to get the fire going, the adding appropriately sized fuel as needed.

The first step for building a campfire is to prepare your fire pit.  One of the most common and iconic fire pits is the rock ring.  Another useful option for use in the wilderness is Dakota fire pit.  Always clear the ground around any fire pit for a radius of 5' to make sure your campfire stays where you want it.  When using fireplaces and stoves it is always best to start with a clean space.  Take care removing old ashes as they can sometimes contain hot spots!  Be sure they are cold before putting them into any trash bins.  As a firefighter I once responded to a dumpster fire caused by someone dumping hot charcoal in it.

To build a rock ring, gather enough rocks to make a circle about 3'in diameter, larger if you have a large group and need a bigger fire.  Rocks about 8" or so in diameter are usually large enough to do the job but small enough to move without straining your back.  Scrape the ground inside the rig to remove ALL combustible material and build up a berm along the inside of the ring to fill the gaps between the odd shaped rocks.  You want to control the flow of air to your fire, not have it susceptible to every little ground breeze that blows by between the rocks!

If there are no rocks around, dig down a little bit and build a berm to make a fire pit.  You need something to define the fire area and contain and control the spread of hot ashes once the fire gets going.   A rock ring or berm also helps mitigate ground-level breezes that might have an adverse affect on your fire and control ashes as the fuel burns.

To build a Dakota fire pit, dig a hole about 1' in diameter and about 1' deep.  Then make a smaller hole, 3-4" in diameter about 1' away and dig a tunnel from the top of the small hole the bottom of the larger hole at about a 45 degree angle.  The smaller hole and tunnel will provide a draft down to the bottom of the fire pit.  A Dakota fire pit make a good cooking fire and will not be very visible.  If you need to warm several people or need a signal fire, use a regular rock ring fire pit.  A Dakota fire pit lets you conserve your energy because it usually takes less work than building a rock fire ring and it will conserve fuel since it is quite efficient as a cooking fire.  If your goal is heating an area or a number of people use an open fire pit.

The traditional way to build a fire is from the bottom up. Start with your tinder, then small kindling, then larger kindling, etc and finally add your big logs on top.   Here is an article on tinder and kindling.  The two most common ways to this are the log cabin and tipi structures.  In both of these methods you build a sort of cage of firewood around  your tinder.  For a log cabin structure, the cage is a square shape by alternating pieces of wood stacked  perpendicular to each other around the perimeter, all built around your tinder and kindling.  For the tipi form, the "cage" is built in tipi shape, leaning the tops of pieces of wood against each other to form a cone above your tinder pile.  Then light the tinder and your fire should slowly grow as it consumes larger pieces of fuel.  As it burns, keep adding fuel until  it is a big as you want it.

 Firestarters can be used as an aid to getting your fire going.   You might buy commercial firestarters or make your own.  Bascically a firestarter is bundle of combustible materials that is easy to light and will continue burning long enough to get your tinder and kindling to burn.

 I saw an interesting alternate way to start a fire in a wood stove on a Youtube by Wranglerstar.  It is a top down method.  You start by laying your larger pieces of firewood on the bottom, then lay a second layer of medium sized pieces perpendicular to the first, leaving about a 1" air gap between each piece.  Note each layer is laid all the way across the fire, not just around the outside like  you would with the log cabin method.  Then add your kindling and tinder on top, nestle in some fire starters, and top it off with more kindling.  Then light  the fire starters and you're ready to go.  An advantage to this method is that it doesn't need the frequent attention bottom up fires need to add fuel.  It is pretty much self feeding as the fire works its way down.  Once you set one up like this and light it, you won't need to add fuel for probably at least an hour, depending on how much fuel you start with and how fast it burns.  That can be a particularly nice feature if you have other things to attend to, giving you time to take care of them or for your shop to warm up  before your fire goes out.

I suggest you give the top down method a try one of these days.  It takes a little longer to set up, but not much.  And it frees you up from constantly tending the fire to get it going so overall it may actually save some time.  That can be really handy if you have other tasks around camp or are just firing up the wood stove out in the shop and have other things to do while it warms up.

No matter how you chose to build your fire you will need tinder and kindling and a source of ignition to get it going.  Tinder is very small, dry combustible material like dry grass, wood shavings, or cotton balls.  Kindling is small twigs or sticks, usually smaller than the diameter of your little finger. See my post on log splitting for more information about making kindling. Matches and lighters are the most common and convenient sources of ignition, but in a survival situation you may need to know How To Start a Fire Without Matches.  Normally you start with a small bundle of tinder which can be easily ignited, then add kindling until the fire is large enough to ignite bigger pieces of fuel.

If you are new to building fires you might want to practice in your backyard before setting out on a camping trip where your skills could be put the test and consequences of failure very inconvenient and unpleasant and maybe embarrassing.  Make sure fires are allowed in your jurisdiction.  Cooking fires, like BBQs and small campfires, are usually permitted in residential areas, but some places do prohibit open fires (like campfires) in your own backyard.

Speaking of Fire restrictions.  In many areas you will encounter more stringent fire restrictions during dry summer months, especially in forested areas.  These restrictions are NOT harassment!  They are in place because the risk of a forest fire is great.  Sometimes you can still have a campfire in a forest service approved fire pit (usually only found in forest service campgrounds) but in extreme fire conditions NO fires will be permitted.   Some people think it is OK to have fire after a day or two of rain, but that isn't enough to eliminate the dry condition of the trees so the forest is still a large mass of dry, ready fuel so ALWAYS check the fire condition at the local ranger station or camp host before lighting up!  Remember, if you cause a wildfire you can be held liable for the damages, and that can run into many millions of dollars!  Last year I was called out with our fire department to put out a brush fire at a local campground.  One of the campers had ignored posted fire restrictions and direct personal orders (multiple times!) from the camp ground personnel about having a campfire during the then posted Extreme Fire Danger.  Their belligerent refusal to comply resulted in the loss of several acres of forest at the campground and they were fined by the campground and probably faced further charges for damages from the forest agencies in charge of the area

Learn to burn and burn to learn!

Risk Management for Campers, Boaters, and RVers

Just about every part of our lives involves some kind of risk management.  Whether it has to do with health, traffic, crime, or weather, there is always some risk associated with everything we do.  Some risks are acceptable, some are not.  Some people manage risks effectively, others seem overwhelmed by them.

Non-riders used to criticize the "risks" they thought we were taking by riding dirt bikes.   In actuality, the highest risks were driving the freeways to get to our riding areas, very much like the risks they took driving to work everyday!

Have you ever seen the 4-quadrant risk management chart?  That may seem like a trick question because there are more than 1 4-quadrant risk management charts around, with different charts designed to focus on different aspects of your life.  The one I've found most useful is not related to any particular business or endeavor.  It applies to evaluating ANY kind of risk.  The four quadrants are:  1) High risk/low frequency, 2) High risk/high frequency, 3) Low risk/high frequency. and 4) Low risk/low frequency, in order of decreasing risk

High risk/low frequency are those activities which we seldom do but have a high cost if something goes wrong,  This is where we are most likely to encounter problems because we don't face the situations often enough to develop good skills or procedures for handling them.  High risk/low frequency events often underlie serious failures even by highly trained professionals.

High risk/high frequency are those activities which do have a high cost of failure but we encounter them often enough to develop effective procedures and skills for dealing with them.  For that reason, they represent a lower risk than high risk/low frequency problems.

Low risk/high frequency activities are next in line.  Because they are low risk we don't have as much to lose, even if they are high frequency.  Plus the high frequency tends to give us experience in dealing better with these situations.

Low risk/low frequency activities are the lowest priority, simply because there isn't very much as stake and it isn't very likely to happen.  However, the low frequency may mean we are less likely to be adequately prepared to deal with these kinds of situations.

And, yes, there is a sort of a conflict between the ratings of high and low risk versus high and low frequency.  High risk/low frequency is more likely to cause us grief because the cost is high and our lack of familiarity with the situation significantly reduces our ability to handle things successfully.    While you might think the same logic should be applied to low risk/low frequency events, the combination of minimal cost and minimal exposure combine to give make this category of less concern.

I have a personal standard for risk measurement.  When evaluating any decision I ask myself if either the cost or probability of failure is high.  If either the cost of failure or the likelihood of failure high for a given choice, that choice should be discarded.  I figure that if the cost is high enough it doesn't matter how low the probability is, I don't want to take that chance  Likewise, if the likelihood of an unacceptable outcome is high, no matter how low the cost, it might not be a good choice.

Outdoor recreational activities, such as RVing, OHVing, boating, and camping,  like everything else we do, have some risk associated with them.  A lot of the risk of RVing, boating, and OHVing is associated with driving or operating our vehicles.  Risks of camping usually involve weather, accidents, or illness.  Regardless of what the risks are, there are always ways to mitigate the risks to minimize our chances of being injured or suffering a loss.   

Vehicle risks can be mitigated by proper maintenance, appropriate and legal use, adequate insurance, and using proper personal protective equipment.  

Camping risks can be avoided by careful planning, keeping eye on the weather, and through safe camping and campfire practices.   

Boating risks can be minimized by following regulations, having required safety equipment, and wearing appropriate Personal Flotation Devices (e.g., life jackets).  

Overall, the more we participate in a particular activity, the better prepared we are to deal with anything bad that may happen.  But, of course, doing some more frequently also exposes us to more opportunities for this to go wrong, especially if we aren't conscientious about doing things safely and correctly.  We always need to make sure we aren't developing bad habits.  ALWAYS follow appropriate safety procedures and obey laws, rules, and regulations to prevent accidents and avoid litigation,

For anything you chose to do, examine the potential risks and determine if they are acceptable, or if there is anything you can do to make them acceptable, before proceeding.

Stay safe!

Fire Pits for RVing, Camping, and Boating

Campfires are one of the best and most popular camping traditions.   Even boaters often go ashore to have a campfire on the beach.  Most places you will camp may already have a fire pit.  Developed campgrounds almost always one and many times you will find left over fire pits in dispersed camping areas built by previous users. It is almost always advantageous to use a previously used site when doing dispersed camping and is more friendly to the environment.  Having a ready-built fire pit in a previously used site saves a lot of time and effort and often you may see where other vehicles have already been parked on the most level part of the site.  Having a ready-made rock ring can save you from lugging lots of heavy rocks around to build your own.  Many campers bring their own portable fire pit with them for use where ever they go.

The rock ring fire pit is one of the most common forms of fire pit.   Easily constructed from loose rocks they are not only popular in dispersed camping but you will often find them in developed campgrounds.  If you need to build your own the process is a little tedious but well worth the effort.  Begin by clearing the ground where you will build your fire all the way down to the dirt.  Remove all flammable material such as twigs, branches, weeds, and roots.  Collect enough rocks to make a circle the size of the fire you want to build.  A fire pit with a 3' diameter is usually about right for most family or small group campfires.  If you are solo camping you might want a smaller one or, if you will have a large group around the campfire, make it bigger.  Usually something about 5-6' across is adequate for most groups.  Beyond that you're moving into the area of bonfires instead of campfires!  Bonfires should be reserved for special events for large groups and require extra preparation to make sure they don't get out of control.    For building a fire ring for a standard campfire you can use just about any size rocks that you can move by yourself.  I find that those 8" to 12" are about the right size for most fire pits.  If you use smaller rocks you may have to pile them up to form a little rock wall about 8" to 12" high.  Then scoop out the dirt from the middle of the fire pit to build a little embankment against the inside of the rocks to block drafts.  Before you light your fire be sure to clear the ground outside the rock ring of all flammable material for at least 5 all around.  Stack your fire wood outside the cleared area.  The cleared area helps prevent an accidental spreading of your fire and gives you a good place to sit to enjoy your fire.

If there are no rocks around, dig down a little bit and build a berm to make a fire pit.  You need something to define the fire area and contain and control the spread of hot ashes once the fire gets going.   A rock ring or berm also helps mitigate ground-level breezes that might have an adverse affect on your fire like making it hard to light or blowing embers that might ignite surrounding materials.

Metal fire rings are found in some developed campgrounds.  Sometimes they are as simple and mundane as a section cut from a 55 gallon steel drum.  Other, more decorative ones are formed from sturdy sheet metal and often have woodland or wildlife scenes cut into them so you can watch the flames dance behind the cutouts.  Watching the campfire is always enjoyable and the cutouts make it even more so.  You can purchase metal fire rings to bring along when boondocking, if you have room to carry them.  Some are even collapsible for easy storage and transport.

My favorite portable fire pit is an old washing machine tub.  We call it R2D2 (because of its squat round shape and the way the fire sparkles through the perforations like R2D2's lights) and have used them for decades after being introduced to one by a fellow dirt biker.  With their porcelain finish they are both easy to clean and very durable.  In fact, we've been using the same one in my dirt bike trailer for more than 40 years!  Most washing machine tubs have center tube where the agitator used to be.  Sometimes that gets in the way of putting wood in the fire but if you cut your wood the right size that isn't a problem.  I make use of the center tube by sliding it down onto a cut-off RV table post and using a 3-pronged portable table base for the post.  I cut the table post so the top of the tub is a comfortable height for cooking.  It also makes a nice space beneath the tub to warm toes on cold nights.   I bolted a pipe flange to a wire grill from an old BBQ to install the grill on the fire pit using the top of the agitator tube.  The perforations in the tub protect the fire from wind gusts yet allow sufficient circulation for a good burning fire.  At the end of the night I put a metal trash can lid on top.  When its time to pack up it is easy to dump out the ashes.  The holes in the washing machine tub flicker enchantingly when with the flames.   It is a bit large to haul around in the family car but it fits well along with our dirt bikes in our motorcycle trailer.  We like our R2D2 so well we put one in the fire pit in our picnic area by our house and anchored a second one in a little cove for a fire pit down by the McKenzie River behind our house.

If transportation space is an issue you can find collapsible fire pits.  They are often made of metal panels, sometimes wire mesh and sometimes solid sheet metal and can be folded flat so they take up little space in your car trunk or RV cabinet.

Gas fire pits are becoming more popular, especially with RVers.  They are clean, easy to transport, set up and light, and you only need a small propane cylinder to run them,  They may lack the fragrance of a wood fire but still provide the same warmth and ambiance, without the annoying smoke of some wood fires.  To put out the fire simply turn off the propane supply.  You can buy wood chips to sprinkle on some gas fire pits to add fragrance to the smoke and flavor to anything you cook over it.  You can run them off the propane tank on your RV using an Extend-A-Flow kit that taps into your RV propane system near the tank.  Sometimes you may still be able to use a gas fire pit during early stages of fire restrictions where real open campfires are prohibited.

As mentioned in the first paragraph, clear the ground of flammable material for 5' all around ANY campfire as a safety measure to make sure your campfire doesn't spread.  You should still clear the area around gas fire pits to prevent burning material dropped from items cooked over the campfire from igniting fire outside the fire pit.  Marshmallows seem to have a wondrous way of flaming up even when you are going for golden brown!  Also make sure there are no branches at least 10-15 feet overhead that might catch fire.  Also, be careful building fires under trees when there is snow.  The heat can melt snow on the branches and cause it to fall on the campfire -- or on you!

It can be fun (and around) in these pits!

PPE -- Personal Protective Equipment ( YES, again!)

I have written about Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) before.   I bring it up again because I see way too many people failing to use appropriate PPE for the recreational activities in which they are involved and often suffer unnecessary injuries because of it.  And now, with the COVID-19 situation, EVERYONE needs to be aware of and make use of appropriate PPE on a daily basis!  Also, as a volunteer firefighter, I am continually reminded of the absolute need to wear appropriate PPE for ANY activity.  The need in the fire service is pretty obvious and difficult to ignore.  It is way to easy to ignore proper PPE precautions when performing many routine tasks, like chopping firewood or building campfires.  I've seen too many dirt bike riders injured for lack of proper body armor and, quite honestly, have to admit having been guilty of it myself.  I once rode in just my jeans instead of my riding pants and knee pads and ended up with one leg bruised from ankle to knee for several weeks,  It wasn't supposed to be any kind of vigorous ride and I was in a bit of a hurry.  Bad mistake!  I came up over the crest of a little rise, the back wheel hit a rock and kicked out from under me and the motorcycle landed on my unprotected knee.  If I had a been wearing the knee braces I normally wear when riding, it would have been no big deal.  Since I had left them off, I ended up getting an injury that took weeks to heal. Never again!

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is not just for sissies!  Many vocations and avocations have Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that is peculiar to their specific needs.  Doctors and other heath care professionals wear face masks, eye protection, and latex gloves.  Firefighters wear heavy, fire-resistant "turn outs".  Road workers wear reflective vests or suits.  Football players wear helmets and pads.  Race car drivers wear helmets and fire-resistant suits.  OHV riders wear helmets, goggles, and other "body armor".  Boaters need personal flotation devices (life vests or belts).  Hey, you probably even use PPE in your kitchen at home -- in the form of hot pads or oven mitts -- or at least you should.

Some Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is required by law or by regulations in a particular sport.  Sometimes PPE is matter of choice.  However, it is called PERSONAL Protective Equipment because it protects your person, not so much because it is a personal choice.  In come cases, PPE is required by law or other safety regulations but proper PPE should always be considered and worn by anyone when possible.  Anyone involved in any activity that requires PPE must wear the designated equipment.  Anyone involved in any kind of activity that has any risk of personal injury should always wear proper PPE.  A thought that puts it in perspective for me:  when riding a dirt bike, its OK to put your head in a $10 helmet -- IF you have a $10 head!   Good helmets run at least $200-300. Yes, some PPE can be expensive, but always consider how expensive it might be NOT having proper PPE!  Medical bills and loss of income while disabled will usually be much higher than the cost of protection, to say nothing of pain and suffering!

There are laws in many jurisdictions that require OHV riders (at least those below a certain age) to wear helmets.   Use of other PPE by OHV riders is usually at the discretion of the rider.  Having been a dirt bike rider for about 40 years I can personally attest to the value of proper PPE on EVERY ride.  In addition to a helmet, every rider should wear goggles.  Other useful items include proper riding boots, jerseys, pants, gloves, knee pads, elbow pads, kidney belts, and chest protectors.  You might limit what PPE you wear while riding in a UTV or side-by-side to a helmet and goggles, but I strongly advise anyone riding a dirt bike or ATV to wear full body armor.  When you part company with your ride and enter into a durability contest with the dirt and rocks I guaranty you the dirt and rocks are going to win!  You will come out the loser even landing on grass, dirt, or sand,  Wearing proper body armor will mitigate many of the injuries you might experience.  I have some rather deep and nasty scratches on the back of my chest protector that would have sliced deep into my back had I not been wearing it when I fell into a rock pile or skidded on the pavement.

I have provided other posts that describe specific types of PPE for OHV riders.  Check out the follwing links:

     OHV Helmets and Goggles 

     OHV Riding Boots 

     OHV Riding Pants and Jerseys 

     OHV Jackets and Coats

     Additional OHV Body Armor

Water sports have their own unique PPE.  For the most part this consists of a Coast Guard Approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD), usually in the form of a life vest or life belt.  Most boats are also required to carry throwable floatation devices, such as a life preserver or throwable cushion.  If you are involved in boating on cold water, a wet suit or even a dry suit may be needed to protect you against hypothermia should you fall overboard.  You may not see regulations dictating cold water protection, but a little research into deaths from hypothermia for professional racers who fell in the water should quickly convince you of the true need. Standard boating rules require every boat to carry a life jacket or vest  for every person on board,  The law does not mandate they be worn at all times but common sense certainly does.  In some sailboat races, all crew are required to wear PFDs  all the time when the winds are above a certain speed  Some folks are campaigning for a similar rule for wearing wet or dry suits when the water is below a certain temperature.   Exposure to cancer-causing UV radiation in sunlight requires proper hats and sunscreen plus good sunglasses.  In my mind, wearing appropriate PPE for any situation is ALWAYS mandatory, if not by the rules, by common sense!

PPE for some common outdoor activities may be a little less well defined.   But that doesn't mean you should ignore proper safety measures.  For hiking, properly fitted boots are a basic requirement.  A lot of folks opt for lighter weight running shoes, but they lack the ankle support often needed when hiking.  Good hiking advice says to wear an appropriate sock system.  That's right, a system, not just a single pair of socks!  A strong, correctly sized hiking stick is also a good idea.  Even a good hat and appropriate sunglasses could be better thought of as PPE than a fashion statement.  Sturdy leather gloves and eye protection are needed for cutting and handling firewood.  Gloves and eye protection are a good idea when building and lighting campfires too,  A proper hat for protection from the sun, along with sunscreen, could be considered PPE for almost any outdoor activity.  Oven mitts or other sturdy hand protection should always be worn when cooking on a campfire.  Hey, even a swimsuit could be considered proper PPE for some aquatic activities!  Bicycle riders often ignore PPE, sometimes much to their dismay when they have an accident.  A bicycle helmet tops the list, followed by proper shoes, gloves, and riding shorts.  I like to wear a baseball cap under my riding helmet because my helmet doesn't have a visor to keep the sun out of my eyes.  Cowboy hats are common head wear for equestrian activities.  They provide pretty good protection from sun and even rain.  However, they do not provide impact protection if you are thrown or fall off your horse.  Did you knot that head injuries from equestrian accidents exceed those from motorcycle accidents?  There are fairy stylistic equestrian riding helmets you should consider.

Of course we are currently required by law in most places to wear a face mask due to COVID-19.   Anyone working with COVID patients, such as first responders and medical professionals, also wear latex gloves, goggles, and often a protective gown.  To some the precautions may seem excessive, but given the risks associated with COVID-19, they are appropriate.  I know a doctor who has personally treated more than 2000 COVID patients and remained free from infection, due to proper PPE and proper protocols, such as hand washing and disinfecting equipment and facilities.

And yes, I realize this is at least a second post on PPE.  But it is a topic that too many people tend to ignore and an occasional reminder is often worthwhile.

Be protected!