Camping gear FAQs
Q: I do not know what kind of sleeping bag to
purchase, there are too many options and I do not know which is the
best.
A: Your sleeping bag is most important, second only to your tent. The
kind of sleeping bag you want depends mostly on personal preferences
and of course, the temperature that it will be outside at the time you
are camping. However, you should like the fabric and the feel of your
sleeping bag.
If you camp during both warmer and cooler weather, you may want to
purchase a sleeping bag with a removable lining, this way you can accommodate
your needs for both kinds of camping without having to purchase more
than one sleeping bag.
Q: I have trouble getting my campfire going. Can you help me?
A: There are approximately four steps to building a fire. Hopefully
these will be able help you:
1) If you cannot find many very small twigs, definitely add some tinder
under the teepee such as, newspaper and birch bark also makes good tinder.
2) Make a small teepee of dry sticks or twigs and other tinder.
3) Ignite the teepee with a match.
4) As the fire gets going, add larger pieces of wood until the fire
is the size you want.
#1 RULE: Never use gasoline to help you start your fire.
Q: Should I use a gas or propane camping stove?
A: Each of these fuels will make good camping stoves.
White gas stoves will produce more heat than any other kind of camping
stove. The fuel is odorless. A white gas stove burns more cleanly as
well, and there is no effect on the taste of the food you cook on a
white gas camping stove.
Propane creates less heat than white gas, but they are simple to use.
The containers screwed into the stove itself, as opposed to the former,
which is poured into the tank of the camping stove through a small filler
spout. Cooking is also easier when you use a propane stove because it
is more similar to the way you would cook on your stove at home.
Q: Why you should not set your tent up under a tree?
A: There are four good reasons not to set up camp right under a tree:
1) Because trees usually have surface roots near the trunk, it may
be hard to find a level spot.
2) Birds live in trees, so if you would prefer not to clean too much
bird droppings off of your tent, setting up under a tree is not what
you will want to do. And birds often consume lots of berries so their
droppings will not only be icky—but are likely to stain your tent
as well. There is also the stones among the petals of pine trees to
worry about if you set up under a tree—often this stuff will be
difficult and even impossible to remove.
3) Often when it rains, a tree will continue to drip water for a significant
amount of time after the rain has stopped. And it will just keep on
dripping all over your tent.
4) Most importantly, trees are prone to lightening strikes. Therefore
if there is bad whether, you are at great risk of being struck by lightning
much more so than if you were not pitched beneath a tree.
Q: I bought a four-person tent, butt it is almost too small
even for my husband and myself to share. Why is that?
A: Often, tents are labeled “two man” “four man”
“six man” etcetera because that is the number of people
that can be crammed in there. Usually a ten-foot tent is the best tent
to purchase for two adults. In such a tent there will be space for cots
or even a double air mattress to fit comfortably, as well as enough
space to stand and change your clothes instead of crouching over.