The military has a term for moving personal equipment from place to place that backpackers have adopted - humping your gear. It’s apt. There’s something about the phrase that suggests effort, and that is certainly true. Hauling personal gear for camping and hiking can be one of the less thrilling parts of the experience.
In order [...]
One of the great joys of camping is experiencing the outdoors - fresh air, beautiful scenery, peace and quiet. But there are advantages to modern civilization, too, and not all of them have to be left behind. Cooking, lighting and powering cell phones, GPS units and other devices all require some kind [...]
Older sleeping bags were little more than a cotton and wool blanket folded over and fitted with a zipper. Modern sleeping bags have benefited from a dozen advances in materials science and ergonomic design, not to mention thousands of (night) hours of field testing.
Almost all have a nylon shell, but that doesn’t mean they’re all [...]
Campers are always faced with a dilemma. Either you bring the entire house or you invariably find that the one thing you need was left at home. There’s no perfect way out of this, but a little thought will help improve your odds. Bring what you really need, without overflowing your vehicle or breaking your [...]
It sounds harsh and even a little bit silly, but the first rule of camping safety is: don’t do anything dumb. You wouldn’t think it should be necessary, and it might be useless, to point out how that’s unsafe. But one can always try. Two common dangers that are easily avoided are lightning and inappropriate [...]
