CHAPTER FOUR: Backpacking
“I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day. I’d rather one should
walk with me than merely tell the way.”
Sermons We See by Edgar Albert Guest 1881-1959
Campsites
To help bear the costs of providing recreation, most county, state, and
national forests and parks now require a permit to use their facilities and may
charge user fees for use of trails and campsites.
At developed campsites, build your fire in the fire grate or ring. Keep
all combustible objects at least three feet away from the edge of the
grate. Start your fire with small dry twigs and some kind of fire
starter, such as a candle. Once you get a fire going, keep adding larger
branches and split wood. For most cooking purposes the best fire is small
in area, made up of a bed of very hot coals.
At an undeveloped campsite without fire grates or rings, clear all organic matter
from a circle that is about six feet in diameter. Cut out and set aside a
piece of the surface sod for recovering the fire pit. Next dig down to
mineral soil and remove all combustible organic matter. In the middle of
the fire pit make a temporary fire ring of small stones. The ring should
be about a foot and half in diameter. Avoid using sedimentary rock for
the fire ring as these sometimes contain enough water to cause them to explode.
When you are through using your temporary fire ring, scatter the stones, ashes, and remaining fire wood away from the campsite and replace the surface sod, leaving little trace of your fire pit.
While camping in some wilderness areas, you should limit your nocturnal
activities to the campsite area as large animals, including bears, are usually
more active at night than during the daylight hours. Equally important,
be mindful of the danger of accidentally wandering away from your campsite and
becoming lost in the dark.
“I shall wear white flannel trousers and walk upon the beach. I have
heard the mermaids singing, each to each.”
Thomas Stearns Eliot 1888-1956
Equipment and supplies
For most day hikes of less than ten miles on well maintained, designated rural
or urban trail systems, hikers usually require very little in the way of
equipment and supplies. However, overnight or longer backpacking trips
call for complete camping outfits including the food supply.
Tents
The main function of a tent is to keep out precipitation, wind, and
insects. Unless an internal heat source, such as a stove, has heated the
tent, it does not provide warmth. For the beginner camper, outdoor gear
manufacturers make and sell a bewilderingly huge number of different makes and
models of tents from which to choose. Currently, most backcountry campers
prefer an exterior frame free standing tent with a minimal number of guy lines.
The main idea to remember is to have a tent large enough to allow room for
everyone to sleep in it in a fair degree of comfort. Manufacturers
usually rate tents as to the maximum number of sleeping bags that can fit on
the tent floor; two bags, three bags, four bags, etc. However, putting the
same numbers of live people inside these sleeping bags in these tents sometimes
means packing the tent wall to wall with people leaving little room for gear
and some cases not even enough space for the occupants to roll over. A
good general rule to follow would be to subtract one from the tents suggested
occupant rating. Then a two-person tent becomes a one person tent and so
on.
As with all outdoor gear, quality is very important in buying a tent.
Often, a tent, because it is the only available place to relax and sleep at a
campsite, and can make the difference between a good and a bad camping
experience. A tent protects you from foul weather much better than any
tarpaulin or large tree will. Experienced campers recommend buying the
best that you can afford for three reasons:
First, a better
quality tent is lighter and takes less space in your home, your vehicle, and
your backpack.
Second, it will do
more for you in terms of comfort and convenience.
Third, remember the
important matter of safety and reliability. A quality tent will not fly
apart in a strong wind, leaving you without shelter. People have died
when strong winds have destroyed their tent, and left them exposed to the
forces of nature.
Moreover, when going on a group outing, it is generally a good idea to bring
your own tent as a backup, even if you are assured that there is enough tent
space for everybody. Otherwise, you may end up being the fourth person
crammed into a four-person tent. Some people have very weird ideas about
how many people can realistically bunk in a given-sized tent. Sleeping in
a tent should be comfortable and relaxing, not crowded and cramped.
Without some good night's sleep it is difficult for most people to have an
enjoyable outdoor recreational experience.
When possible, rent the model and size of the tent of your choice and try it
out on a camping trip before making a purchase. If you only plan on going
on one or two camping trips a year, renting a tent might be a better idea for
you than buying one. That way when you go camping, you always have the
use of a new tent and you don’t have to store it between trips.
Now, based on this writer’s personal experience and opinion, unless you are
tenting with a spouse or small child, each hiker should carry their own two
person tent. That way there is plenty of room to sleep and store your
gear and without any conflicts with the comings and goings of tent mates.
Moreover, with a smaller tent, finding a place to pitch your tent is usually
easier.
Setting up the Tent
Before heading out on a camping trip, at least two campers should practice
setting up your tent until you can do it without reading the directions, and
under unfavorable conditions, such darkness or stormy weather. In setting
up a tent, look for a level, well-drained site, eight to fifteen inches larger
than your tent floor. First remove surface rocks and other litter from
the site. Then, to further protect the tent floor from damage, place a
plastic ground cloth about the same size of the tent floor on the ground.
Then place the tent floor over this ground cloth. Make sure that this
ground cloth does not extend beyond the tent floor. Otherwise,
precipitation collects on the exposed ground cloth and will drain under the
tent floor and soak it.
A water proof, tent fly rigged over the tent roof is essential to keep the
insides, as well as the outside of your tent dry. When covered by a water
proof fly, your tent does not have to be waterproof. Consequently, tents
constructed of breathable fabric are free from the condensation of water vapor
generated by their occupants. The fly should overhang the front and back
of the tent, as well as covering the sides down to the floor level.
Always set up the fly every time the tent is pitched, for it provides shade as
well as protection from precipitation and wind. If you don’t have a fly,
rigging a plastic tarp as a fly with duct tape and cord is possible. It
may not look as neat as a tent fly, but it works about as well.
Sleeping Bags
There are three basic types of sleeping bags.
(1) The mummy bag. This is a close fitting, hooded sleeping bag
that retains body heat better than the other two more roomy types, making it a
warmer sleeping bag for chilly nights. However, some people find sleeping
in the mummy bag to be too confining for a comfortable rest. This is a
good reason why you should rent your camping gear before you make an expensive
purchase.
(2) The rectangle bag is the most popular sleeping bag, as its larger
dimensions allow the sleeper more movement. Also, when the air
temperature is high enough or when used inside a camping shelter, the rectangle
sleeping bag can be opened up and used much like a comforter.
(3) The rectangle tapered bottom bag is a compromise between the first
two bags. This smaller size bag is somewhat easier to pack, then the
rectangle bag while allowing more room for more upper body movement than the
mummy bag.
Before purchasing a sleeping bag, rent each of the three basic types for at
least for one night trial so that you can decide which type of bag best suits
your sleeping needs. Keep in mind that In some regions, different seasons
and elevations may call for different shapes and weights of sleeping
bags. For example, camping above the timber line of a mountain range
calls for a different sleeping bag than one that would be adequate at its base.
Buy a sleeping bag with a nylon shell cover that makes it easy to brush off
debris. For sleeping bag fillings, many options are available, with
manufactures creating new developments every year. From the standpoint of
weight alone, down is the best insulation. However, when down becomes wet
the fibers clump and may lose 90% of their insulation value, making the bag
dangerous as well as worthless. Down bags are impossible to dry under
field conditions. Until a damp, down sleeping bag can be machine dried,
it will not provide anyone with a comfortable night’s sleep.
Therefore, down bags are not wise choices for camping in damp climate
areas. Even in extremely cold, dry climates, water generated from a
sleeping body can, over a period of several days, dampen a down sleeping
bag. Being stuck with a damp down sleeping bag in a cold campsite can be
- and has been - fatal. Down sleeping bags might be very good for use for
chilly nights in a cabin with a clothes dryer available. On the other
hand, the better grades of synthetic fiber fills provide insulation even when
damp. They also dry out quickly in the outdoors.
Sleeping pads
Air mattresses, while useful for car and canoe camping, are generally
considered too heavy and bulky for most backpacking trips. Also, air
mattresses sometimes develop hard to find leaks. Many backpackers now
prefer to use one of two types of sleeping pads; the closed cell and the open
cell. The open cell pad is bulkier and has less insulating value, but
offers a softer bed. The closed cell pad is more compact with more
insulation value, but is a harder bed. Because both types of pads are
light in weight, some car and canoe campers use both open and closed cell pads
- placing the open cell pad over the closed cell pad. This arrangement
makes for a very comfortable bed, but is much too bulky a combination for many
backpackers.
Another option for backpackers is Therm-a-Rest ® which is an open cell foam pad
combined with a self inflating air mattress. It is comfortable, easy to
pack, and set up. It seems to fill the bill in meeting the needs of many
backpackers.
Next, we will discuss some hazards the walker can encounter and how to deal
with them.
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