Outdoor Knowledge

"How do you know where to ... ?" and "How do you know how to ... ?" are questions I get asked all the time. The answers are what this chapter is all about.

First off, let me assure you that camping is a simple pursuit ‑ well, at least it should be. Granted, bureaucracy has added a layer of modern paperwork to the endeavor, but believe me when I tell you that anyone can go camping.

The first thing to pack is common sense. The second is patience. The third is flexibility. And the fourth? Well, the fourth is the wild card ‑ a sense of humor. If you load up on all four, and add a few necessary permits and other trappings of the civilized world, you'll have a grand old time every time no matter the weather or the surprises Mother Nature may choose to unveil.

As you gain more camping experience, the planning becomes easier and easier, this I promise. In fact, sometimes I don't plan at all anymore, letting spontaneity rule the day. Granted, some of my "spontaneous" adventures lead me down roads that are best remembered for their trials and tribulations, but that is to be expected when planning entails simply snatching a pack from the garage and heading outdoors.

But I digress. This is a beginning for you and we'd best begin to plan a successful camping trip from start to finish.

Determining Your Interests and Needs

Knowing what you want to do is just as important as knowing where you want to go. In fact, determining what you want to do should be the first item on the planning agenda because the answer may very well determine what choices you have in camping destinations. No sense planning a camping trip to the desert if fishing is high on the agenda ‑ no matter how beautiful the spring wildflowers may be.

To make the planning process the most productive, ask yourself the following questions:

What activities am I interested in ‑ fishing, hiking, scrambling, climbing, swimming?
Am I seeking solitude, exercise, group interaction, or photographic opportunities?
How important is seeing wildlife ‑ deer, bear, squirrels, skunks, raccoons?
Is studying the stars or viewing vast fields of wildflowers important to me?
What is the maximum hiking, paddling, biking, or skiing distance I and the members of my group can handle?
How near to the parking area or car do I want to be in case of emergencies?
What kind of temperatures and weather can I tolerate ‑ fog, sun, rain, snow?
What kind of terrain am I looking for ‑ rolling, flat, mountainous, swampy?
Is my group interested in historical events or the historical significance of particular areas such as the Yukon Goldrush, the Donner Party, or the Cumberland Gap?

Timing is everything

Few of us can simply pick up and take off for the wilds at a moment's notice. Scheduling time to recreate, as distasteful as that sometimes feels, is the norm. That said, it is important to find out when to visit and when not to visit the particular areas you may be considering. If you are seeking solitude, for example, you would be ill advised not to plan a camping trip to any National park in the Northeast during the raining season.

Want to know when the best time is to visit a particular park, wilderness, or campground? Call the park or managing agency for the areas you are planning to visit and ask them. Rangers are a helpful lot and happy to steer you away from overcrowded, overheated, freezing, or otherwise less desirable times to visit.

Another resource for determining the best time to visit is a guidebook. Most guidebook authors will add "best times to visit" notes in their descriptions. Of course, their idea and your idea of a best time to visit may not jibe, but it is a starting place.

Two other factors to consider are the length and difficulty of the drive to and from the chosen site. This may not seem like a major matter, but try sitting in a car for too many hours with children craving to "get there" and you have a recipe for frustration, frayed tempers, and outbursts like, "I hate this ‑ why didn't we just stay home?!" Not an ideal way to begin a family outing to the wilderness.

Outdoor Gear and Gadgets

Selecting tents, sleeping bags, and back packs Taking care of your sleeping bag Loading a pack and hoisting it aboard Assembling a camper's kitchen Shedding light on the whole scene.

Before heading out on any camping adventure, you need to equip yourself. Equipping yourself means selecting among many choices, potentially a tough task. To make it easier for you, I cover some basic considerations and guidelines in this chapter.

You can begin by researching what equipment is available for the type of trip you have in mind. Talk to friends about what they like and where they like to shop. Check out magazines that evaluate camping gear such as Backpacker, Canoe & Kayak, or Outside. Head to your local specialty outdoor store and talk to a salesperson about your needs.

After you collect and evaluate enough product information, you will be able to narrow your choices and make fairly educated decisions about buying or borrowing the gear you need. Many outdoor specialty stores rent sleeping bags, tents, backpacks, stoves, and even child carriers. Some also rent boots, although I would discourage renting footwear ‑ no two feet are quite the same, and "walking in someone else's shoes" implies achy feet. The advice I give you within these pages is current and will not be outdated soon. However, I also recommend that if you have access to the Web you log on to www.adventurenetwork.com for the most up‑to‑date equipment buying suggestions, advice, and helpful hints. You should also check out www.GearTrends.com for the latest gear updates directly from the manufacturers.

Tent

Any person's camping domicile had better be a secure and roomy place to spend the night, or that individual will be one very grumpy camper indeed. So, all the time you invest in selecting the right camp shelter and the money you pay for it will be time and money well spent.

A good shelter must be able to slip the wind without caving in, shed the rain without leaking, offer decent ventilation so you don't feel as if you are sleeping in a steamy locker room, and be relatively easy to set up and take down.

Don't take the stated tent capacity too seriously. The tentmaker may say that the tent sleeps three, but most times that's really pushing the definition of comfortable sleeping in my experience. Tents for mobile camping use backpacking, cycling, paddling, adventure travel ‑ should be as light and compact as possible. On the other hand, if your objective is to shelter, for example, four or more adults at a campground, opt for the biggest tent money can buy ‑ short of purchasing a big top.

Buy the best camping gear your budget can afford. Remember that you can't return something when you're in the middle of the wilderness.

A tent buying guide

Buying a tent is like buying a home ‑ you have to decide what you must have and what you are willing to give up.

Basis features :

Every tent should have basic features (see Figure 2‑1) to make your life easier:
Collapsible tent poles of aluminum, high-strength aluminum, carbon fiber, or tubular fiberglass.
Freestanding structure that sets up easily on sand, rocks, snow, or anywhere it Is difficult to get a stake into the ground. You still need to stake a tent down, however, to avoid turning it into a very expensive, disposable kite.
Storage pockets inside for organizing.
Nylon or polyester fabric for durability and lightest weight.
One-piece floors to increase waterproof ness.
Steep walls to increase the useable interior space, shed precipitation better, and help vent out humidity.
Waterproof rain fly that clips to poles and requires only minimal additional stakes.
Mesh windows and doors with zippered closures for battening down the hatches when things get blustery and damp.
Same‑length poles or color-coded poles (each color corresponds to a specific pole sleeve on the tent). This feature makes it easier to set up the tent in less-than-ideal conditions.
Tent body of yellow, white, or beige to let the most light in.
Gear loops inside the tent to hang flashlights and other stuff.
Beefy nylon webbing stake loops at each pole end on the tent body.

The best things about camping are:

The food tastes better than the food at home.
I don't have to worry about staying clean.
I get to stay up late.
I get to sleep under the stars.
I like breathing the fresh air.
The outdoors is peaceful.
I get to see wildlife.
Camping is never boring.

The worst things about camping are:

Mosquitoes.
Noisy, drunk people.
Rain.
Sleeping in the cold.
Having to go to the bathroom in the dark.
Burnt food.