OuterBlogs - Camping

Happy Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:46:00 +0000

For everyone tuning in today, Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for stopping by.

Camping at Tinicum

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:10:00 +0000

The guys and I went camping in Tinicum park in early October and we only had some rain on Friday night. This is unusual for our luck with weather and that particular park. It's still my favorite non-scout camp to camp at.

Next trip in January to Hart Scout Reservation.

Tent Camping

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:04:00 +0000

How many people camp in tents no matter what the weather is?

Small Tents

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:46:00 +0000

Anyone in the trenches able to recommend a good small tent for camping and hiking?

Chainsawing Nut

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 20:38:00 +0000

On the trip late last year I took my chainsaw with me and made short work of the fire wood that we'd otherwise have to cut with a bow saw. Did I cheat? I don't think so...

More Camping More Often

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:10:00 +0000

Having more time on my hands these days lends more opportunity for camping with my scout crew. We've been out 3 times over the past 4 months and are planning another trip for May.

The first trip was just warm enough out to get by with tents but February and March trips we decided on cabins as will be the May trip. Maybe I'll decide to take a tent since it will be milder than it is now. (Although as I type this, weather fox tells me it's 58 outside.)

Shark Fin Soup

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:16:00 +0000

Illegal fisherman are taking 70,000,000 shark fins per year killing that many sharks. This is decimating the entire shark population in the oceans which account for an entire ecosystem. If you're eating anywhere in the world and you see shark fin soup on the menu, please don't eat at that restaurant. If we don't buy it, they won't make it!

Econo Tents

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:35:00 +0000

Want to get started camping but have a tight budget? Check out these low-cost tents at Amazon:

Amazon.com Widgets

Camping, camping, where to next?

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:23:00 +0000

I've been eyeballing these super lightweight like this:

The cost isn't too bad considering it's so light weight and portable.

Laying Low

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 13:24:00 +0000

I took the weekend off for Thanksgiving and am back with some sort of throat cold. I'm going to lay low today and hopefully get a few new posts tomorrow.

Be well!

Happy Thanksgiving to All

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 15:16:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving to All - go camping this weekend!

Winter time trip

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:09:00 +0000

My scout group is now planning a trip in January and it will only cost gas! I hope I am able to go.

Cabela's

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 12:55:00 +0000

I received a $10 off coupon in the mail from Cabela's yesterday. For the first time it doesn't have a minimum spend requirement to use it. Too cool. My gaming buddy is coming over this Saturday and I'm going to see if I can drag him over there early to spend my card.

Nothing to do with camping

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:54:00 +0000

This has nothing to do with camping but affects everyone who works in the U.S. I'm out looking for work and decided to look at elance.com which you bid on a job and the low bid wins the contract.

All of the bidders from India are bidding on jobs at $2.00, $3.00, and $5.00 an hour. It's no wonder we're all getting booted from jobs to overseas workers.

Make the Cut

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 15:05:00 +0000

When camping in the woods, there are many reasons to have good cutting tools on hand. This would include everything from axes, saws, and kitchen and pocket knives. All cutting implements should be kept sharp for the most efficient use.

Axes and Saws

Hand saws are used for cutting downed logs into usable pieces for firewood. Generally speaking you would not sharpen saw teeth but rather replace with a new saw blade.
Axes are used for splitting the cut logs into smaller pieces if needed. I would estimate if the logs are greater than 3 inches in diameter you'll want to split them. Axes are easily sharpened using oiled sharpening stones the same way you would sharpen a pocket knife. Oiling the blade before and after each use will keep it from rusting.

Kitchen Knives

As with your kitchen knives at home you'll want to keep them as sharp as possible for best use. Depending on the quality of the knives you'll want to keep them protected while not in use to keep them rust free if they're not stainless steel. I would recommend sharpening before each use.

Personal Use Knives

Whether you carry a sheath knife or pocket knife they prove invaluable in the outdoors. As with the tools listed above, be sure to keep your knife sharp at all times. I prefer to use a series of oiled stones to sharpen each blade but there are also more modern products to sharpen them as well such as diamond files and the like. Another reason to keep them sharp is in case of an accident. If you should slip and cut yourself it's much better to be cut with a sharp blade since it will be a clean cut rather than with a dull knife which could tear your skin badly rather than a clean slice. Safe knife handling should prevent any such accident, however.

The Coolest Beans

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000

The best baked beans I've ever had were cooked about 2 feet underground. We dug a hole and started a fire mixed with wood and charcoal. We burned the fire for about an hour to get a good base coal bed. Our cook did all the preparations for making a dutch oven full of baked beans from scratch. We placed the entire dutch oven in the ground and buried it in dirt. After about 3 hours of cooking we dug it up and enjoyed the greatest beans we've ever had.

Hot Potato

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:28:00 +0000

Don't have an oven on your camping trip but want some baked potatoes for your dinner? Poke some holes with a fork, wrap them in aluminum foil and toss into your camp fire. They'll cook in about the same time they would in the oven but to be safe I would check them every 15 minutes or so for internal firmness. If they're firm at any depth, they are not done and need to cook longer.

Very easy!

Cabin Camping?

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 15:05:00 +0000

Is staying in a cabin really camping? I think so because short of pitching the tent, all the other activities are exactly the same. Check out the poll and let me know what you think.

Let Me Slip Into A Dry...

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 18:43:00 +0000

Keep it dry. 'What?' you may ask. Everything! If you're expecting any precipitation keep your sleeping gear, tent floor, and clothing dry. If you think you may be venturing out into the unfortunate (or fortunate) weather to play in some snow, either protect the clothing you're wearing with water proofing material such as Goretex or simply pack extra clothes for when you return to camp.

When you're just sitting around in the site, you don't want to be there in wet clothes because you'll never get warm if it's cold out. This makes camping not so fun.

Wet Canvas

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 01:52:00 +0000

Don't forget that if your canvas (or nylon these days) shelter is wet when you pack it up for the weekend to dry it as soon as you get home (or the next sunny day).

If you fold it and leave it in the bag until your next trip it will be full of mildew and plenty of stink. You don't want to be breathing that stench in while you sleep!

Keepin' It Dry

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:40:00 +0000

If you're looking at staying in a site for a period of time (ie more than 2 nights) and rain is in your future you may consider digging your way to dryness. If you dig a trench completely around your tent or shelter that's about 6-8 inches wide, the rain will roll into that trench rather than under/inside your tent and making your floor wet and muddy.

If you have any kind of porch or overhang in front of the door you may want to extend the trench outside of that. This way when you're going into your tent you can leave your muddy shoes at the door and not track it inside your dry living space.

Wooden Vampire Killer Stakes

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 01:33:00 +0000

So after beating wooden stakes into the ground for about 15 years they tend to split at the ends. Here's a super easy way to fix them. Cut their tops off right below the split. I used an electric mitre saw. Cut another rope notch using the saw but cutting several 1/2 to 3/4 inch cuts big enough to fit a rope in.

You get to keep the old stakes and it's free!

Camping Preparation

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 02:31:00 +0000

Proper planning is critical to having a stress-free camping trip. Without a good checklist of items you'll need to take, you can forget a small detail like a can opener preventing you from getting into your Saturday lunch.

Your checklist should consist of the following categories: food, clothing, shelter, sleeping equipment, and cooking equipment.

Food

This will include your menu for the time in camp as well as a shopping list of all the foods, condiments, and drinks you'll purchase ahead of time.

Clothing

This will include all your clothing you'll pack for your stay at camp. Be sure to pack appropriate clothing to where you're traveling (In case it's significantly different from where you live). It's better to have extra as well. You'd rather have an extra pair of socks you don't use then to get your last pair wet and be stuck with damp feet. Don't forget a netted laundry bag for your dirty clothes. If you take a plastic trash bag and the clothes are wet or damp or sweaty, they could produce molds and mildew in the bag making them unhealthy and smell bad, too.

Shelter

This will depend on where you are camping. If you are in a cabin, then you don't need to take a shelter with you. If you're planning to stay in a tent, check that you have the other items like mallets to drive your stakes and maybe some extra rope should one of yours break. The number of tents you'll need depends on the number of people going and how comfortable you want to sleep. Most of the modern tents over-state their capacities. For example a 10' X 10' tent may say it can accommodate 5 adults. This is assuming all 5 are sleeping on the ground with no cots and are laying shoulder-to-shoulder. I personally like to have extra living space so that tent would fit 3 at the most - maybe.

Sleeping equipment

Always pack a little extra here as well. It's better to have a blanket you never use then to be up all night freezing in your sleeping bag. Also, if you can afford one invest in a cot to get you up off the ground. Optional niceties may include an air mattress. Don't forget a pillow!

Cooking Equipment

Figure out if you're cooking on an open fire, taking a portable grill, or using a stove in your toasty cabin. Plan to take all your cooking utensils like spatulas, large mixing spoons, hot pot tongs, etc. Expect to take any pots and pans you need to prepare your meals. And after the meals all the dishes need to be done so don't forget dish soap and a tub to mix soapy water to wash and another to rinse your gear.

Common Camping Equipment

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 00:55:00 +0000

Common tent camping equipment includes:

* A tent, lean-to or other shelter device
* A sleeping bag for warmth
* A sleeping pad or air mattress is often placed underneath the sleeping bag for cushioning from stones and twigs as well as for insulation from the ground
* A portable stove to prepare hot meals and/or drinks where campfires are forbidden or impractical
* A lantern or flashlight
* A hatchet, axe or saw for cutting firewood (where allowed; see campfire) or constructing camp gadgets
* Rope

Some campers may prepare food by cooking on a campfire, sometimes using such equipment as a Dutch oven.

Much of the remaining needed camping equipment is commonly available in the home, like dishes, pots and pans. Lists of what to take are available in camping books. Many people opt not to use their home items but equipment better tailored to camping, such as heavy plastic tableware and salt and pepper shakers with tops that close to keep out rain. Backpackers use special lightweight and highly portable equipment.

Types of Camping

noreply@blogger.com (OuterBlogs - Mattman) — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 00:53:00 +0000

Campers span a broad range of ability and ruggedness, and campsites are designed accordingly. Most campers prefer to use sites with special facilities such as fire rings, bathrooms and utilities, but not all campsites offer similar levels of development. Campsites can range from a bare piece of grass to a level paved pad with sewer and electricity. These latter are often designated for the use of handicapped campers. (For more on facilities, see the campsite article.)

Tent camping commonly employs an automobile to transport equipment to an established campground, although sometimes a pack animal, touring bicycle, boat or bush plane may be used. Some people camp with tents because they feel that camping with a trailer (caravan) or motor home detracts from the experience of being out-of-doors. Because the gear is both relatively inexpensive and rugged, and can be used for years, tent camping is popular with young families. Children tend to enjoy camping. Tent camping sites are often less expensive than campsites with full amenities. Most of them allow direct access by car. Some "walk-in" sites can be reached only by a brief walk, but do not require full backpacking equipment.

Recreational vehicles are more like wheeled houses. Some are outright luxurious, featuring air conditioning, bathrooms, kitchens, showers, satellite TV and even Internet connections. RV campers often choose these devices because they consider tent camping uncomfortable and inconvenient. In the United States, many campgrounds offer "hookups" where motorhomes are supplied with electricity, water and sewer services. Some retirees in the U.S. sell their homes and lead a nomadic lifestyle in their RVs, often moving with the seasons.

Backpacking is a variety of tent camping. Backpackers use lightweight equipment that can be carried long distances on foot. They hike across the land, camping at remote spots, often selecting campsites at will if resource protection rules allow. Backpacking equipment costs more than that for car camping, but much less than a trailer or motorhome.

Canoe camping is similar to backpacking, but uses canoes for transportation. This practice is common in eastern North America.

Survivalist campers learn the skills to survive out-of-doors in any situation. This activity may require skills in obtaining food from the wild, emergency medical treatments, orienteering, and pioneering.

There are also people who vacation in established camps with cabins and other facilities. Many children are sent to camp for periods during the summer. Some camps have the traditional woodsy orientation, some are operated by religious institutions, and children's camps may be specifically educational. Hunting camps are common in some regions, among both subsistence cultures and some developed ones.

Workamping allows campers to trade their labor for a free campsite, and sometimes for utilities and additional pay.

The term camping may also be applied to those who live outdoors out of necessity (as in the case of the homeless) or for people waiting overnight in very long lines (queues). It does not, however, apply to the lifestyle of societies whose technology does not include sophisticated dwellings.