We almost always work in a 5-10 mile hike on Saturday when we camp. The day packs we take need the essentials, whether the terrain and trail is known or not. So here’s a list of items you’ll want to make sure you have with you when you’re striking out for the day. I have not included clothing. The foremost advice I have about that is to make sure to dress in layers and appropriately for the weather.
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Do these look intriguing to you? I have an itch to try them out, but haven’t managed to yet. We used to make hobo stoves, which consisted of a tuna can, emptied and cleaned, with a coil of cardboard, then paraffin wax poured in it. Then you’d take a #10 can, punch a few can-opener holes in it for ventilation, turn it over the flaming tuna can, and there was a nice hot surface to cook on. You just wanted to make sure you were going to need that heat for a while, because they could burn for a couple of hours.
But look how classy these look!
Aluminum Can Backpacking Stove
They operate on a couple of tablespoons of denatured alcohol. Too cool.
I have coveted the bakepacker oven since I saw it demonstrated a few years ago back at Scout Show. I think they made muffins in it, and I was fascinated that you could bake in a pot on top of a stove successfully. Not that anything browns, mind you, but it was definitely cooked. I have friends who love their bakepackers, but I am so cheap I haven’t managed to plop down the $17-$18 for one. So I heard a rumor of a homemade replacement and decided to try it out at home.
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A little planning and shopping at the regular grocery store can save a world of trouble when cleanup time rolls around for the lightweight backpacker, even without freeze dried backpacking meals. Just remember to pack it out, and you’re in business with even a potentially messy meal when you use oven bags to line your pots.
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Here’s something I’ve never tried - a hammock as a tent. I’ve seen them used and wondered if the occupant was just enjoying the novelty, but they really do make sense from a low impact perspective. Assuming, of course, you are attaching the hammock to a tree or object without damaging it. Tobey over at Tobey’s Guide claims he is comfortable in his Hennessey Hammock and can even sleep on his side.
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I just can’t stand it.
I’ve been studying tents to buy to replace the too-small 2-man tent, and I am truly torn between the REI Half-Dome and the REI Taj. Man, this is a tough decision. All things considered, they’re both great tents. Now it’s just a matter of deciding which size will be the most use to us.
Then there’s the backpack issue. I threw away my bright yellow and blue external frame backpack from my youth about 6 years ago. I almost wish I hadn’t. Not that it was in good enough shape to use again, I’m just sentimental (or as my teen says, “semi-mental”) about it now.
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Well, we did it - finally bought a new tent. Of course, it’s replacing the 15-year old one that has a habit of trying to drown my feet. And we tried out the new REI Half Dome tent. I say “we” meaning my son and his camping buddy tried it out. I got his old one, an REI Flyte, complete with footprint and odd tent stakes. It’s a great tent for one person, but I can’t imagine squeezing two adults into it.
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I learned a hard lesson in November. First time I ever had to learn this one, and I’ve learned many.
I took a tent I’ve had for years and set it up in the beautiful Witchita Mountains National Wildlife Preserve during a campout with my son’s Boy Scout troop. I had it to myself, being the only woman in camp, so stationed my sleeping bag in the center and all the paraphernalia conveniently around it.
Well, it was pretty cool weather, and it rained. And rained. Apparently, my poor old dome tent hasn’t seen a lot of rain in a long time. Somewhere around 1 a.m., I woke up when my feet sloshed into a puddle of water. Yes, in my sleeping bag. The one dripping place in the tent was at the very top, where a puddle of water had accumlulated in the slack where the poles crossed, under the fly. Needless to say, the rest of the night was not happy. Luckily I didn’t drive, so I got to sleep on the long drive home the next day, but now I am tent shopping.
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Corn syrup, sugar, starch, gelatin. Doesn’t sound that fascinating does it? But whip those ingredients into a 1 inch cylinder (better yet, just buy a bag of marshmallows), poke a stick through one, and suspend it over a heat source, and you have a marvel of camp lore.
Long before s’mores became the preferred camper’s sweet tooth fix was the marvel of the marshmallow.
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