• Welcome to The Bushcraft Forum

    You are currently viewing the site as a guest and some content may not be available to you.

    Registration is quick and easy and will give you full access to the site and allow you to ask questions or make comments and join in on the conversation. If you would like to join then please Register

Tips for camping

lee

lee

Slightly Obsessed
Messages
7,740
Points
1,230
Please post any camping tips you have guys. . .


Here are a few that come to mind:


Pitching up:

Be careful pitching under trees, look for dead branches and remember beech trees drop branches regularly. If you dont want to be disturbed dont pitch next to amenities, kids swings or water taps. Lower ground and the middle of fields tend to get waterlogged after heavy rain. Pitching very close to rivers or lakes will be an itchy camp as moseys will be around your camp, Citronella candles and sprays are not 100% effective.


Cool boxes:

Freeze your meat and fish the night before you go as it will keep longer and kept milk, butter etc colder for longer. As well as using your ice packs freeze 2lt bottles of water or diluted juice this helps keep the contents cool for 2 days, plus you've got ice cold drinks for 48 hrs (leave a few inches below the bottle lid unfilled to allow for expansion when you put them in the freezer)


Bedding:

Always pack more than you think you will need, spare bedding can always be used as pillows and outside sitting blankets etc.


BBQ'S, Lamps & Cookers:

NEVER use bbq's, gas/petrol/paraffin lamps or cookers in a tent unless the tent is designed for cooking and has very good and obvious ventilation NEVER use these items in fully zipped up tents. All bbq's, cookers gas/petrol/paraffin lamps give off carbon monoxide an odorless and tasteless killer even the disposable bbq's!



In my experience some campers are reluctant to ask other campers to borrow a pump, tin opener etc or to ask for help pitching a tent etc. . . if you've forgotten something or need a hand just ask your neighbors you can bet your camping neighbors are as like minded as you! Ive helped many a camper out willingly and had fellow campers help me out many a time. :D
 
CHECK YOUR GEAR
If you haven't been camping in AGES (unlikely here I know) then check your gear before setting off... I once went camping with some mates. Setting up, one of us was obviously dismayed and looking confused. His tent (very old and a loaner from a family friend) was literally disintegrating as he was erecting it. Completely rotten, it was like tissue paper!
But this also goes for tent poles and tent pegs.
I only remember that I am missing a few pegs and all the poles are 'touch and go' when I am setting it up..... crossing fingers that I can get it set up before it breaks.

Take sellotape. (leading on from above)
If your flexipoles start to go at the ends, you can wrap them in sellotape and its strong enough to hold it together, yet thin enough to still be able to slot into the tubes that hold it in place.

Drinking? Eating shellfish etc?
If there is a slope then set your tent up with your head higher than your feet.
Leave the outer and inner zips slightly open.
When you need to leave the tent in an emergency (you do NOT want to throw up (or worse) in your tent). Having the zips slightly open (just a few inches) will make opening them much faster rather than drunkenly fumbling for a zip.
Head higher than feet? When you are truly smashed.... you wake disorientated, in a hot cramped tent...no balance.... Simply put its better to be falling towards the door (with the partially open zip) than be falling into a tent wall.
 
If you must throw up, make sure you do it silently and outside someone elses tent, not yours. If your fellow camper gets really drunk remember Pot Noodle is your friend. Make the pot noodle as per the instuctions, wait for the drunk one to pass out in their tent, then quietly pour it on the floor outside their tent. When the drunk one comes out in the morning just silently shake your head side to side.
 
Also if they are in a conventional lined tent do not forget to remove the flysheet and replace it back to front whilst they are sleeping. Remember to all be up and waiting for when they awake and try and fight their way out of the tent :)
 
Beech tree Widow maker.jpg Wiped out.jpg
Thought it might be worth a friendly reminder about checking the trees near you when you camp.

We all know to check the trees above and camp away from overhead branches, but what is not so obvious and more difficult to judge is the area that might actually be effected.

I discovered in my wood this weekend that I have just lost the complete top half of a large beech tree. Any one underneath it would have been in serious trouble. The tree dropped its branches in an area about 5 metres from the tree which you would probably have guessed. However it also hit a younger tree which came down meaning even if you were stood 20 metres away you would have still had branches coming down on you.

This was an extreme example but I have already had to deal with several big “widow makers” this last month. So thought it worth reminding people.

Clive
 
Chalkflint said:
View attachment 12109 View attachment 12110
Thought it might be worth a friendly reminder about checking the trees near you when you camp.

We all know to check the trees above and camp away from overhead branches, but what is not so obvious and more difficult to judge is the area that might actually be effected.

I discovered in my wood this weekend that I have just lost the complete top half of a large beech tree. Any one underneath it would have been in serious trouble. The tree dropped its branches in an area about 5 metres from the tree which you would probably have guessed. However it also hit a younger tree which came down meaning even if you were stood 20 metres away you would have still had branches coming down on you.

This was an extreme example but I have already had to deal with several big “widow makers” this last month. So thought it worth reminding people.

Clive
Click to expand...
Good info Clive
 
Clearing a campsite area I once disturbed some wild bees living underground. Had to make a hasty retreat.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top