Pack: When it’s finally empty, give it a good shake to remove food remnants and loose dirt. If it’s wet, loosen all the compression straps, unzip all the pockets, and let it air dry. When storing your pack, make sure it’s got some breathing room so the hipbelt and shoulder strap padding doesn’t buckle and wrinkle. Hanging it on a peg by the grab loop works well.
(”Neat and Clean,” Backpacker, May 1997)
Always bring rain gear. A large trash bag with holes cut for your head and arms will work if you get stuck. Boots will keep your feet dry.
Note: This can apply when tent camping also! Camping unprepared when rain hits can be pretty uncomfortable and may, in fact, discourage you to the point that you go home early - Mike
Wear hiking boots instead of shoes. In rugged territory, boots can really help prevent that twisted ankle or knee.
Break in new boots BEFORE hitting the trail.
Wear two pairs of socks to help prevent blisters.
Source: hikerscorner.com
Toting a weapon such as a knife, gun, or Mace may seem like the easiest way to deter someone, but someone bent on foul play will probably be more adept with a weapon than you are. Besides, guns are illegal in national parks and must be licensed even where allowed. Mace is also illegal in many states. You don’t need a license for everyday items like a set of keys, a ballpoint pen, a nail file, or your walking stick, however.
Source: “Playing it Safe”, Backpacker, Feb 1994
Consider buying used gear at yard sales, flea markets or army/navy surplus stores. Splitting costs with neighbors or friends and renting equipment with an option to buy are other considerations. Some enthusiasts like to make their own tents, sleeping bags, tables, chairs, food boxes and other stuff. A fine sleeping pad, for example, can be created from a piece of egg carton foam or by filling a used water-bed mattress with air. Check the public library for how-to books on the subject.
Source: “Cost-buster Camping,” Outdoor Life, Aug 1993
A length of chain and a piece of coat hanger bent into an S-shape will allow you to hang your lantern from a tree limb.
Source: A Better Home & Garden
Most food should be removed from its commercial packing and placed in sealable bags before packing your backpacks. Sealable bags secure food and reduce bulk and garbage. Empty bags can be placed inside each other and packed out for reuse at home. This method can reduce the amount of garbage your group must pack out at the end of the trip and eliminate the undesirable need of stashing or burying unwanted trash.
Source: Leave No Trace
Lightweight stretch shoe rubbers (the kind that slip over dress shoes) make great camp shoes. Slip one inside the other and they can be stuffed into a small space in your pack.
Source: “Put pepper in your socks,” Backpacker, October 1994
Aluminum cookware is lighter and usually less expensive than cast-iron, but a too-cheap set of pots and pans, cups and plates will scorch food, burn tongues and lose heat quickly. If you choose aluminum, buy the best quality equipment you can afford; in particular look for skillets with Teflon coating. Enamel steel and stainless-steel cookware are excellent alternatives to cast iron and aluminum.
Source: “What’s Cooking,” Outdoor Life, August 1992
Carry soft shoes to wear around camp. Your feet will be happier, and so will the environment. In warm weather you can wear sport sandals, although they add more than a few ounces to your pack weight, as do sneakers. You can also try inexpensive thong or slip-on sandals from your local discount department store. In winter, toasty, lightweight down booties scrunch down in a pack and weigh almost nothing.
Source: “25 keys to camp comfort,” Backpacker, April 1996
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