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Sunday, August 18, 2013

How to pack for camping and have everything organized?

camping tables small on South Haven Tribune - Sports and recreation10.12.11Three Rivers spoils ...
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rocio


we enjoy the outdoors and camping, we have bought many items during the years and now we have many things, and they get everywhere in the car during the trip. How do you pack kitchen items: paper plates, utensils, paper towel? bed items (they are bulky)? mosquito repellent bottles ( they love me )I usually put kitchen stuff in a plastic container, but to reach the bottom I have to take everything on top. Any creative ideas? tips? I may buy a space saver bag for the bedding, has anybody tried that.


Answer
For car-camping I use a medium-size Rubbermaid Action Packer bin with sheets of plastic (lexan? stuff from Home Depot) cut into 11" tall dividers and duct-taped into place for my kitchen box. There's room in the box for my pots and pans, three propane canisters, plastic plates and bowels, napkins, trash bags and space for most of my dry foods. On the very top I lay my large griddle, cutting board, campfire grate, collapsible sink, axe, folding saw and 1/2 rolls of paper towels. I have a mesh organizer I made myself and screwed to the inside of the bin's lid to hold my cooking and eating utensils.

I can then strap my Coleman stove and el-cheapo propane grill on top of this. When I get to camp, all the stuff on the top of the bin comes out and generally stays out until it's time to pack-up and go, and the stuff underneath is stored vertically instead of flat, so there's no digging for buried items. The lid, with the utensils attached, also comes out and stays on the mesh shelf under my camp kitchen unit (small folding table with grill shelf).

Generally speaking, each person -- child or adult -- is responsible for carrying their own clothing and sleeping kit. All our sleeping bags compress well into their stuff sacks, and we use self-inflating mattresses that also roll-up tight. The sleeping bags go inside each person's duffel bag or backpack on top of their clothing and personal items, and the mattress gets strapped outside to the top or side. Clothing is organized into dry bags to protect from any weather or mishaps, and for organization. We also use one of the drybags full of clothes with a pillow case instead of a pillow. Each person is also responsible for their own toiletries, which go in a small nylon bag stored the outside pocket of the duffel bag or backpack, along with sun block, insect repellent, flashlight or headlight with extra batteries.

If you are using regular bedding you'll find that sleeping bags will take a lot less space and weight, particularly if you use a compression bag (just remember to loosen the compression bag during storage at home so the insulation doesn't go flat). Our bags compress down to about 9x12". As mentioned above, we put a pillow case over our clothing's dry bags to use as a pillow, or you can get inflatable pillows. Also, camp towels or large "Sham Wow" type towels take up much less room than regular household towels but work just as well, and dry more quickly.

The tent, 2 LED lanterns, 2 bag chairs, roll-up table, dining tarp with poles go into one large duffel. This sometimes leaves one or two loose chairs to sling over your shoulder.

If necessary, I can stack the two coolers, Rubbermaid bin, stove and grill onto a folding luggage cart and drag it to the campsite on one trip, then return and strap the water container, large duffel, and camp kitchen to the cart for my second trip.

What's the difference between wilderness and primitive camping?




cefur d


What's the difference between a wilderness campsite and a primitive campsite?

My boyfriend and I are going camping for the first time and I just had a few questions...

Are reservations really that necessary?



Answer
As you can see from the variety of answers, the two terms are used in various ways, with some overlap between the two.

I just got back from a camping trip at a location that lists it as "primitive" because there are no hookups for water, power and sewage for RVs. However, you would never call it wilderness. It's a campground on a small public preserve, with numbered campsites packed elbow-to-elbow with each other. Each site has a steel fire pit and a concrete picnic table, and enough space for an RV or a tent. Then there's the next number, with the next fire pit and picnic table. There is one water spigot shared by 75 campsites, and roughly one pit toilet (latrine) for every 15 sites.

While there, I chatted with another camper about our experiences in a wilderness area in Canada where campsites are not designated, and no facilities have been provided. No tables, no constructed fire pits, no latrines. Just paddle your canoe until you see a likely-looking spot to pitch your tent. Pull the water out of the lake and purify with whatever chemicals or equipment you brought. Bury your own toilet paper, or pack it out with you. That's real wilderness camping.

And of course, there are places that are somewhere in between.

Try to find out as much as you can about the property where you will be camping, so you will know what to expect. If reservations are recommended, take that recommendation seriously. (Some campgrounds do not even accept reservations, while others insist on them.)

Have a good time!




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