Ease in to first-time overnight camping

By Craig Macartney

Camping is fun, but only if you’re prepared for it. Otherwise, it can become frustrating and cold very quickly. Weather can change without warning and a would-be camper sitting under a tree, soaking wet and wondering how to set up the tent, is having no fun at all. You don’t want that. When camping stays fun, you get hooked for life. Here’s how.

Start with a low-stress trip and build from there. A simple overnight or weekend at a nearby park – one that offers conveniences like toilets, showers and driers. If you’re too ambitious, bad weather and unfamiliar gear can overwhelm any fun you might have.

Be prepared. Try out the important stuff before you leave home. Set up your tent in

the backyard the day before you leave, to ensure you have all the pieces and nothing is broken or torn. If you’ve never lit a fire on

your own, practise. It isn’t as easy as it looks or sounds in books or the movies, especially when the wood was rained on last night. Test your camp stove, and test the cook’s skills. Make sure you know how to use it, and it’s not leaking gas.

Be like Santa – make a list of necessary stuff and check it twice – once when you’re packing gear and a second time as you load it into your car.

Expect rain. The weather channel isn’t always right. Pack for rain even if the forecast calls for sun.

With extra socks, a tuque and a knife. Dry socks are essential for any adventure, especially on a cold night after a day of hiking. A tuque fits the old adage: “Cold feet? Put on a hat.” A good knife is a basic survival tool, and useful in countless ways around a campsite.

With a tarpaulin, and set it up as soon as you reach the site – even under sunny skies. (Wise campers say this alone will guarantee excellent weather.) Find a good location near your tent, but not right beside it, to set up a kitchen, store food, and eat. A tarp will keep you dry in rain, and shaded on hot days. Make sure you slant it so rain is directed away from your tent.

With a sleeping mat. A thick sleeping mat keeps you off the cold ground, and warm.

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DIG IN

And create a shallow two- to three-centimetre-deep trench around your tent. One corner should lead away to your campsite’s low ground. Even in a downpour this trench will keep rain flowing away from your tent.

TURN IN

Fluff up your sleeping bag before bed. You’ll be amazed how much warmer you’ll be. Flattened sleeping bag material does not hold body warmth worth a darn.

And if you think you’re comfortable now, wait until you survey the wonders of dawn from a warm sleeping bag. 

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