Going camping this weekend...tips?

[Guest Cogent Design]

I'm going hiking/camping this weekend with an experienced buddy in East TN. Overnight lows are expected to be in the lower 20's, and there's a probably chance of it raining on us while we're out there. We're camping Friday night, hiking Saturday, camping Saturday, then hiking back to the truck Sunday. I'm not worried about food or water, I have some high calorie and high protein meals in my bag, and there are a couple springs from which to draw water. I'm armed with water purification tablets and bottles.

 

My fear is the cold weather, rain, and as a result the inability to get a fire going. I have a few methods of fire starting in my bag, but if all the wood is wet, they may not be effective. Any suggestions or experience would be awesome.

 

By the way, I am fully expecting it to be a miserable yet awesome trip. :pleased:

[NoBanStan]

Make sure your sleeping bag is rated for the temp. Most people just assume that any old bag is fine but trust me, if you sleep cold you'll stay cold.

 

Bring extra socks in case your feet get wet.

 

One thing people forget is to bring some entertainment. If you're stuck out in the woods for a few days, having something to do like a deck of cards can really help take your mind off it.

[peejman]

Are you car camping or backpacking? 

 

Do everything possible to keep you and your stuff dry.  Cold isn't fun, wet isn't fun, cold and wet sucks beyond imagination.  Damp wood will burn, but it takes a hot fire.  You might consider one of those fire starter logs to help get the fire hot enough to get the damp wood going. 

[Garufa]

This would be a fine weekend for Hypothermia.  Stay dry and warm!

[Kenstaroni]

Collect some of your dryer lint and put it in a ziplock bag.  That stuff lights great.  You can also go to Wally World and grab a couple fire starter sticks or pack in one of the smaller logs.  It's cheating but should work.  Strip bark off any wood you think is too wet and that sometimes helps too.

Edited January 31, 2013 by Kenstaroni

[Paisan]

Dress in layers and avoid cotton. Take warm headgear and a couple changes of socks. Bring low water weight calorie dense food and lots of it. Keep your sleeping bag bone dry. Split wet sticks to expose dry wood. Other poster mentioned dryer lint. Also petroleum jelly . and find dry tinder and kindling on underside of down trees. Warm liquids are a big plus. Keep gear DRY. Enjoy.

[2.ooohhh]

Look for squaw wood. These are branches that have died but not hit the ground for one reason or another. often they fell from higher up and got entangled on the way down. They will be much drier than anything you find of the forest floor. Start your fire with them, get a bed of hot coals and then you can even burn reasonably wet wood.

 

When building a fire, don't get ahead of yourself, start with very small kindling and slowly work the diameter of the wood up.

 

Remove layers quickly as you begin to hike other wise you'll soak them with sweat and they may not dry before you need them again. Always better to be a little chilly at the start of a strenuous hike than get cold when you stop and only have wet layers to put back on.

 

Wear dry socks and a warm hat to bed, can't count the times I've woken up with a cold head from roling my neck out of the bags hood.

[UncleJak]

A Wool blanket is great for cold nights. It even works wet, but I prefer mine dry.

[Guest USMC 2013]

Waterproof your pack and be prepared to be cold!

 

Joe

[runco]

Be careful, I seen this Bulletin the other day on the local news. Two men are lost in East Tennessee, they too are likely looking for heat. They have a fondess of hog phonics. Here is a photo of the two men:

 

http:// 

Edited February 1, 2013 by Runco

[Slpeod]

Keep a set of lightweight clothes to sleep in only, change before you get in the sack then again in the am. Keep them and your bag dry as possible. Dryer lint for your fire collect a decent amount in a ziplock then mix in some petroleum jelly till you get a lightly sticky mess, this will work wonders starting your fire when damp.

[MattCary]

DO NOT WEAR ANY COTTON!!! Period. Wool or synthetics. (this includes denim.) Cotton is death if it's not the hottest months of summer.

 

A synthetic filled sleeping bag rated for lower than the expected lowest temp is a HUGE plus. If it has a draft collar inside you'll be extra warm and cozy. (A draft collar is a drawstring collar that cinches around your neck and keeps all the heated air you've generated in the sleeping bag. Without one, you'll feel hot air escaping and cold air coming in all night.) A down filled sleeping bag is also acceptable, and it will compress smaller for hiking, but it will provide you ZERO insulation if it gets wet.

 

Beg, borrow or steal a 15 degree or lower sleeping bag and you will have a good trip. Skimp on the bag and you will freeze all night and be miserable.

 

Eat well before turning in so you have lots of calories to burn in the night to keep you warm. 

 

Most important!! Take a wide mouthed water bottle that is clearly taped and marked DO NOT DRINK into your bag with you. When you have to go in the middle of the night, you can do so in your bag and not have to get out and get cold. Do not put off relieving your bladder, as your body will spend a lot of energy keeping the fluid in your bladder warm all night and not keeping your core warm.

[monkeylizard]

Take some of the "shake-em-up" hand warmers. You can throw them down in your bag to keep warm and they take up very little space/weight.

 

I'll second the fire sticks. They'll burn long enough to get the real wood burning. A few charcoal briquets might work too.

[JR2ATN]

Sleeping bag ratings only mean you'll survive when the temps dip to that bag's rating....but you'll be miserable.  Always take a bag warmer than the temps you expect....for 20F temps I'd want a 0F bag.  I'm assuming you have a tent with a rain fly.  Don't forget an insulating ground pad to go under your sleeping bag.

 

For starting a fire drier lint is good, as are cotton balls soaked in vaseline, even a bag of Fritos.  Hand sanitizer will also help in a pinch.  The problem is usually finding enough dry tinder to maintain the fire until the larger stuff will catch and stay lit.  If it's wet out I might even want to pack a handful of fatwood in a ziploc (usually they'll have boxes of it in the picnic aisle of your grocery store).

[1morethan8]

I can remember going "light"... but them days are over! I'm just to old to sleep in a bag on the ground under a light shelter.

When the weather is like this, it's nice to have a base camp. I still camp year round in tents, even going on 65. But, you got to be prepared for any weather and conditions!

 

If you're going to be above 1,500', you're looking at temps below 20* Friday night... and below 32* Saturday night with snow/rain.

 

This maybe a trip you'll remember for a long time!

[glock55]

Motel 6, They will leave the light on for you

[Guest Cogent Design]

Wow guys, those are some awesome tips. I'll be sure to pack the drier lint for kindling and a change of clothes for sleeping.

 

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll be sure to post again when I return.

[Caster]

Wool, and lots of it. 

 

Start a good fire and bring plenty of hot chocolate mix.  When no one is looking, you can whip out the hip flask and top your off with some Bailey's.  

 

As far as the fire, you could always cheat and put a couple of Duraflames in your pack to get going.  Then just keep it stoked and it'll dry itself out unless it's just waterlogged.  

[gjohnsoniv]

Don't die is an obvious one.

[2.ooohhh]

Reading the thread I thought of one more thing, if your like me and you can't sleep comfortably on the ground it might not be your pad. You may just be doing it wrong.

 

[1morethan8]

Don't forget to take the sausage, eggs, and coffee...

 

 

oh, and biscuits...

 

 

For dinner you could fix skillet cornbread and homemade soup...

 

 

or maybe a pizza...

 

 

maybe some sweet rolls for dessert...

 

 

Well, if it's not your birthday... you can forget about the cake!

 

[Glenn]

Don't forget a small hatchet to split wood. The bottom dead limbs on pine trees are usually fairly dry.  If you can find a down rotten pine that you can bust up easily, you will find knots that are full of sap and don't rot as quick. they will light easily and burn a long time. I repeat what others have said. NO COTTON. Polypropylene Or other synthetic long underwear will keep you warm and wick the moisture away from your skin. Have fun

[JR2ATN]

If you can't see it from space it's not a real fire!   :D

 

[TripleDigitRide]

I just stepped out on the deck to let the dogs out. It's freezing out there.

[Glenn]

If you can't see it from space it's not a real fire!   :D

 

That's what we called a white mans fire. White man builds a big fire and sits far away. Indian builds a small fire and sits close.