Camping Out Ideas

Camping tips......?

Please share any camping tips. Also, anyone have any ideas for heating up a tent, when you can't get ahold of a portable tent heater. Maybe a single burner propane stove? Any camping tips and/or ideas? Thanks. Catalytic Heaters?

Public Comments

1. If you have questions about specific things more people will reply. As far as heating your tent you never want to have an open flame near your tent...they can be quite flamible...then you would have much worst things to worry about. My suggestion is to invest in a good quality sleeping bag rated for the tempurature you'll be camping in. I have two ...one for the winter and one for the summer....I let the weather forcase determine which one I bring in the spring and fall. Hoped that helped a little.
2. NO OPEN FLAMES ARE ALLOWED IN A TENT - EVER!!! You really don't want a tent burning up while you're inside of it. If it's too cold, put on more clothes or a heavier coat. If you don't have the clothes, you're not prepared for the environment where you're camping. It sounds like you're a camping newbie. I'd say that you should go car camping if possible. That means that while you're sleeping in a tent, you still have your car parked at the campsite, so you can bring some extra stuff. You'll learn soon enough that you don't need ALL of that stuff, but this will let you enjoy your first time out. First - go with someone who has more experience. You can learn from them, and they will hopefully remember to bring the essentials. Second - have a good sleeping bag. If it's cold, you'll want something that's really, really warm. A cold night spent sleeping on the ground is miserable, and you'll never want to camp again. And that would be a shame. Get an insulated pad to put under the sleeping bag too, or at least a heavy blanket that you can fold in 2 and put under you. It will make a big difference. Pick out basic clothes that you can wear in layers if it gets colder or warmer. Wool is good, synthetics like a pile coat are good, too. Cotton is a poor choice, because if it gets wet, it loses almost all of its insulation. Some diehard campers and hikers call it "death cloth". Figure out what you will eat, and how you'll cook it. A camp stove works well. Cooking over an open fire is a poor choice. It's harder to do, and takes longer. You'll want your first time out to be enjoyable. Talk to your more experienced partner, and figure out what to bring, and how to cook it. Finally, figure out what you'll be doing during the day when you're not cooking, etc. Will you go hiking, or biking, or swimming or boating or fishing? What do you need for those activities? When you get home, sort through all the stuff you brought with you. Separate it into 3 piles - stuff you used all the time, stuff you used once or twice, and stuff you didn't use at all. Next time, bring only the first pile, and maybe some of the 2nd.
3. a good way to stay warm in a tent is to have a woman to cuddle with
4. Proper synthetic clothing, insulating layers and head wear combined with a sufficiently rated mummy sleeping bag with hood will keep you warm inside your tent. The tent itself isn't supposed to be kept warm, which would cause condensation on the inside, potentially soaking your gear. A tent is strictly for rain protection and as a partial wind break. But good ventilation is key to avoid condensation, so getting as much outside air flowing through here is top priority.
5. No flames in a tent. Get a good sleeping bag, put some cardboard or other heavy material between you and the ground to keep the cold of the ground from coming up. Also, wear a stocking cap, you lose a lot of heat through your head. Don't sleep on an air mattress or elevated cot when it is cold. The air underneath you will get cold and you will be cold. Hope this helps. Also, this seems wierd, but if you strip down to your underwear in a good sleeping bag it helps. If you sweat and you have clothes on, the sweat will make you cold. If you are naked, it just absorbs into your sleeping bag if it is a good one.
6. No propane stove in tent. To dangerous. Rather than heating your tent, keep yourself warm by equiping yourself with the proper gear. A four-season tent, which basically has a rain fly that goes all the way to the ground, and even creats a little vestabule to store your boots, is good. A sleeping bag rated the lowest you can afford, 0 degrees at least. A fleece liner to slip inside that sleeping bag. Chemical hand warmers to slip in your mittens, pockets, boots, shirt. Drop a pair in your boots at night with wadded newspaper to remove damp and warm 'em up for morning. Plenty of wool socks. Keep your feet dry. Don't sleep in the clothes you wear during the day, as they will be damp with sweat and snow, rain, whatever. An hour before bed, toss a handwarmer into your sleeping bag. You'll need a flashlight for inside your tent, and a propane lantern for outside. Never take any flame of any kind inside your tent. Leave the food in your car, too. Or stored inside coolers. You don't need racoons tearing into your tent for your Twinkies. Layer your clothes, with thin, light synthetics or silk next to your skin, and cotton over that, or fleece, and wool on top, with a nice Carhardt on top of it all. Good boots are a must for keeping your feet warm. Get insulated. Hmmm. Can't think of anything else right now. Oh, yeah, cover your head with warm tuc, and wear mittens rather than gloves. Wool.
7. Well I camp a lot and the biggest mistakes I make are: 1) Never enough blankets (no matter how many I bring I always freeze. I recommend like 6-8) 2) Never enough water. You'll need like 6-8 liters/day. Keep in mind the cooking and washing dishes, face, teeth, etc... 3) Don't put an open flame heater in your tent or you may not have a tent or you may be asphyxiated. My most important point is this: make a list of everything you think you'll need (do some internet research if you like for a jump start) but bring the list camping with you. Everytime you think of something you wish you had, write it down, then eventually after a few trips, you'll a have the ultimate camping item list specially customized to your preferences. Good Luck and vote for me, I need the help.
8. you need as stove and makesure your tent wasnt cheap, going with friends is fantastic and many warm layers even in the middle of summer, quiet sites are best as for warming your tent, just take blankets! good luck!!
9. For heating up your tent i would not recommend using anything but battery operated lights because a stove flare-up will wreck the tent and both lanterns and stoves create an excess of carbon monoxide because a tent is not sufficientely ventelated. Also to keep your tent floor dry, put the groundcloth insie he tent and fold it up the sides of the tent walls.
10. There is something that you can buy for your tent called a mr. heat or mr. heater. something like that. It runs on propane and heats the tent very well. The only problem is once you run out of propane the coldness just bites you.
11. Wear more clothes?
12. Don't do any propane type heater in a tent....Carbon Monoxide poisoning and potential for fire. Best is to have a good sleeping bag, a foam pad to sleep on, warm clothing, wool socks. A way to keep warm at night is....collect a few nice river rocks and place them by the fire to heat up...once you are ready to head in for bed....grab the rocks and wrap them in some clothing or a towel and slip them in your bag.