Tips to Stay Warm When Cold Camping!

Some people would prefer to be cuddled in front of the heater at home rather than camping through winter. Others see the benefits of the quiet sites, seclusion and crisp air, just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy the outdoors.
Personally, I prefer going during the cooler months, no flies or mosquitos, less wildlife on the road and fewer people using sites and facilities. If you’re lucky, you could end up with an entire campground to yourself.

How To Stay Warm

Staying warm during the camping trips starts at home and preparing ahead. The trick is to wear lots of loose layers and to avoid getting wet.

Make sure you pack the following:

• Good quality thermal long pants and long sleeve top
• 10 or better sleeping bag, preferably a mummy type that is tight fitting, check out-out Camping Sleeping Bags page
• Thick socks
• Woollen Beanie
• Thick mittens
• Warm weatherproof jacket
• Warm long pant and long sleeve top pyjamas
• Hot water bottle

The basic principles of staying warm can easily be remembered by thinking of COLD

C- Keep your clothes CLEAN

O- Avoid OVERHEATING

L- Wear lots of LOOSE layers

D- Keep your clothes DRY

Certain materials hold in more heat than others. If you can I would recommend sticking with the list below when it comes to clothing and sleeping bags:

• Wool
• Fleece
• Polypropylene
• Polarguard
• Thinsulate
• Down

The Dreaded Bathroom Run At Night

It always happens, you finally get warm and wouldn’t you know it….you need to go to the toilet. Here are some helpful tips to try and get around this problem:

Try no to drink to many fluids at night, hard to avoid I know. Mind you I don’t think I have ever been able to follow this rule.
DON’T HOLD IT!!! Holding on uses precise energy which would otherwise be used to keep you warm.

If you can, it is recommended you use a bottle. Much easier for males, but I have known females to master the art of using a funnel and bottle. Just make sure that you put the bottle out of reach so that no one mistakes it for drinkable fluid…
If you are REALLY cold, you can use the pee bottle as a hot water bottle.

Tips To Keeping Warm During The Day

Staying warm during the day is a little easier than at night as you can get out and do physical activities such as walking and hiking. Wear lots of loose layers, but make sure that you don’t get too hot as this will cause you to sweat and the sweat will soon get cold. As soon as you start to get hot remove a layer and once you start to feel the cold add a layer.
Having a constant fire will help throughout the days and will also ensure that the fire will be roaring at night time. If you put the clothes that you are planning on wearing during the day at the foot of your sleeping bag during the evening, they will be nice and warm when you put them on. Camping in the rain? Read the following article!

Tips To Keeping Warm During Your Sleep

As you would know, night time is the coldest part of the day, particularly once you have moved away from the campfire. These tips will help you stay warm while you are asleep.

Don’t go to bed cold. Make sure you get warm before hopping into your sleeping bag. It can be done by sitting by the fire or doing some physical activity before bed.

If it can be avoided, don’t sleep on the ground. Try to elevate yourself with a stretcher bed. If this isn’t possible use newspaper or insulation paper under your mattress to keep the cold from the ground reaching you.

Wear a beanie to bed. Most of the heat from your body is lost through your head.

Have a separate pair of socks for sleeping and leave them in your sleeping bag. Never go to bed with wet or damp socks.
Take a small snack to bed with you. If you wake up in the middle of the night due to being cold, your snack will provide enough calories to allow your system to warm you back up.

Don’t put your nose or mouth into your sleeping bag in an attempt to warm them up, instead, use a balaclava. The moisture from your breath can make the sleeping bag damp and cold.

30 minutes before going to bed fill a hot water bottle with hot water and place it in your sleeping bag. When you are ready for bed, refill it will new hot water. Personally, on freezing nights I use two water bottles. 1 for my feet and 1 for my stomach.

Snuggle!!!! If you are with someone else, why not using each other’s bodies to keep warm?

Winter Tents

For winter camping, you need a thick insulated material so that it keeps the heat in and the cold air out. If you can grab yourself all-weather tents that can be used all year round, otherwise the canvas tents are good during the cold weather.
When choosing a tent get the right size. If it’s too big the air that is in the tent will become cold very quickly, the smaller area, the warmer it will stay. Insulate the bottom of your tent with a tarp or a footprint, newspaper, carpet underlay or insulate paper and make sure you are sleeping on something to keep your body off the ground, foam, mattress or stretcher if possible.

Try to ensure that nothing is touching the sides of your tent, especially your clothes or skin, as the condensation will stick to the walls and will be wet.

What To Eat And Drink To Keep Warm

For winter camping, you want small meals that are high in calories, which in return will keep your energy levels high enough to provide more heat. Try to make things that a quick and easy as the last thing you want to be doing it preparing for ages and getting cold. Soups and stews are perfect for heating you up and are very easy to make. Any hot drinks will help to warm you up, such as tea, coffee and hot chocolate. Much of this is common sense; you are obviously not going to eat ice cream while camping in the snow.

from What Camping Tent http://www.whatcampingtent.com/blog/cold-camping-guide/?&owa_medium=feed&owa_sid=

Things You Need to Know if Camping With Dogs

Personally, camping just isn’t the same if I don’t have my four legged furry friend along for the ride. The fact that she is obedient, well trained and has an excellent temperament helps towards a relaxing holiday.

However, if your dog or a nearby dog is not well behaved, it leads to a very stressful getaway.

Some of my personal experiences with other campers misbehaving dogs include:

Urinating on my tent and car tyres
Eating my dog’s food
Getting into the rubbish bag
Scratching through the zip on the tent
Becoming aggressive towards people, children and other dogs
Hunting and killing native wildlife

One particular incident I always like to talk about. A family decided that it would be a very good idea to bring their pig hunting dogs camping to a mainly family orientated spot.
Not only did they bring hunting dogs but they didn’t put them on leads and in this instance they ran off into the bush and not only tracked down a cat but also caught and killed it. This was very distressing to everyone that was within the area. I could never understand the logic of what these people did and still to this day wonder about common sense.

Things To Consider Before Leaving Home

If you are considering taking your dog camping, make sure that you are confident that your dog will:

• Come when called
• Is friendly around other dogs
• Is child-friendly
• Doesn’t bark at everything that moves
• Can be controlled if something goes wrong
• Will not wonder away from the site

If you have never taken your dog on an adventure before it may be a good idea to try to go somewhere, that is secluded away from other people with minimum wildlife just to see how it goes first. Keep the dog on a lead until you are confident that it will behave, bare in mind that dogs should be trained in the basics before taking it camping.

If you are taking your dog with you, make sure you pack everything it needs, such as:

• Food and water
• Food and water bowls
• Good quality lead or harness
• Somewhere to sleep and something to sleep on
• If you are camping in colder climates a dog jumper of jacket is a very good idea, particularly for short furred dogs
• A tether lead just in case
• Plastic bags
• Any medication needed

It’s always a good idea to have your dog microchipped and have an ID tag attached to their collar with your mobile phone number on it. Before you leave, grab a plastic key tag that allows you to write things of a piece of paper that then goes into the plastic tag.
Once you get to your destination, write on the paper where your site is located. This way, if your dog does wander off onto someone’s site, they know where to return the dog to.

It also pays to drop by your local vet clinic for a quick check up and to make sure that your dog is fully vaccinated. While there talk to your vet about where you are going and if there is anything else that your dog may need, for example, if travelling to hot, remote places they may need tick medication.

Some dogs can act out uncharacteristically in new surroundings so it may be a good idea to take a muzzle just in case, especially if you are going to a well-populated campground or if you are going somewhere that is a fair distance from home.

One must do before you leave the house is to check with the local authorities to ensure that dogs are allowed within your planned destination. Throughout The US, many National Parks do not allow dogs, but most State Forests do. A quick check beforehand will save a lot of hassle in the long run.

Courtesy And Common Sense

Make sure that you are always considerate towards other campers with your dogs. If the people in the campsite next to yours have a dog, pay them a visit. Firstly leave your dog at camp and wander over to say hello and ask if their dog is friendly. Once it’s established that it is, ask if it’s ok to bring your dog over to say hello, not only does this allow you to meet other campers but it allows your dog to socialise too.

Quite often if you are camping with a group of people, there will be more than one dog in the group’s campsite.
Here are a couple of things to keep in mind if that is the case.

• Feed the dogs separately and always watch them while they eat. All it takes is for one dog to be a little greedy with food and then you have trouble on your hands.
• Is more than one dog ball enough? Just keep in mind that if more than one dog is a little ball aggressive, it can lead to fights. My dog has been picked up by the back of the neck by another dog and shaken all over a ball.
• Some dogs get very territorial over their camping tents; it’s good manners not to allow your dog to roam other people’s tents.
• Be careful when feeding out treats, as with the first point, some dogs can get very aggressive over food.
• If you are finding that your dog continually wanders away, it may be a good idea to attach it to a tethered lead. That may sound mean, but it’s better than risking a dog fight, snake bite or other accidents. A tether lead is a long rope that attached to the dogs collar or harness at one end and the ground or another solid object at the other end. Another alternative, particularly for smaller dogs, is a free dog inclosure or cage.

As within a local suburban street, always pick up after your dog. Take a couple of rolls of dog poo bags and make sure everything gets picked up and taken away with you when you leave.

What I Use For My Dog

What I take for my dog will depend on where I’m going, how long I’m going for and the weather.
The basics that I take at all times are:

• Plastic bags
• Plenty of drinking water
• Food
• Water and food bowl
• Black Dog Lead and Harness
• Tether rope
• Her favourite ball

If it’s going to be cold and we are sleeping in the tent, she has her waterproof jacket which is lined in with wool and extra blankets. In the tent she sleeps on a dog bed on top of a fold out bed base, yes she is a little spoilt. If we are sleeping in the swags, she will hop into the swag with me so there is no need to take her bedding. In the warmer weather, I will always take plenty of extra water to keep her hydrated and cool.

Hope this post will help my dog-loving readers.
Feel free to post a comment to share your experience and tips!

from What Camping Tent http://www.whatcampingtent.com/blog/camping-with-dogs-tips/

10 Lessons Learned From My Camping Mistakes!

Follow These Good Suggestions & Take The Mistakes Out Of Camping.

Camping should be fun and getting back to the simpler things in life. Unfortunately, newbies to camping seem to make mistakes that, if they only knew about, they would never make.

The whole idea of camping is to get with family and/or friends, enjoy the great outdoors, sleep under the stars (via a tent) and connect with mother nature. But, if you are new at this and human, you are going to make mistakes. Some of the leading nightmares are; not enough food, you are either freezing from the cold or roasting from the heat and finally just miserably uncomfortable.

Most mistakes are avoidable by having a list of things you need to bring with you. Bring the right clothing for where you are camping, have a way to prepare food and make sure you have the right food to cook. Here are some very helpful tips to enjoy your camping adventure.

The Size Of Your Tent

People who sell tents are either very knowledgeable or will try to sell you something that is not right for your needs. The size of your tent is critical if you are going to have a pleasant time with mother nature. If you are new at this, you should get with someone who is a seasoned camper to help you out.

First and Most Important Tip: Buy a size that can accommodate 2 to 3 times more people then will be staying in the tent. If you have three people, get a tent that will accommodate 6 to 9 people to get plenty of extra space! You have got to have room to move around, and you certainly do not want to be cramped in, especially if you encounter a rainy day.

About Your Equipment

It’s critical you go over all your gear before you leave. It might sound lame, but trust me, if you get to your campsite and are missing tent pegs, your sleeping bag is torn, or your air mattress has a leak – you are not going to have a good time.

A few days before leaving on your trip, pitch your tent so you can inspect it for any flaws or problems. Once the tent is set up, pour water over the entire tent to make sure you do not have leaks, and it is properly weatherproofed. If your tent has a tear and it rains, you are going to get wet! Pitching the tent will also ensure you have all the posts and pegs needed. Notice I said a “few days” before; when testing your tent it’s going to get wet, and you need time to let it dry out.

After giving the thumbs up on your tent and its gear, go over all other equipment you will be taking with you. That includes bedding, cooking stove, containers for storing small items you want to keep dry, utilities for cooking and eating, plates, pans, pots, etc. Untested or unchecked items could surprise you in a not so pleasant way once you are at the campsite.

Think About Your Comforts

I doubt a lot of you will enjoy playing mountain men! Think about what you will need to ensure a good night’s sleep. If you always sleep with a pillow, better pack it up for the trip. Always consider the natural fact that it could rain on your trip or the evenings might get quite cold. You should always pack enough blankets, boots, and clothing that might be needed if the temperature or weather turns to the worst. If you have never used a sleeping bag, you might want to bring along an air mattress to give you added comfort from the cold, hard ground. With air mattresses in tow, grab an air pump, unless you want to spend your time huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf! If you are a light sleeper, consider bringing along ear plugs, nature can get noisy and so can neighbors.

Make A List Of Food Items & Utensils

Camping essentials

Decide what are good options for food over the period you will be camping. Don’t plan on serving 5-star meals. Keep it simple with a nice variety of choices so you are not eating the same thing every single day. You want to concentrate on non-perishable foods, canned foods and dry foods such as rice and/or pasta. When thinking breakfast, consider bread, jam, and peanut butter and if cereal is a must, not a problem, just make sure you bring along powdered milk. Powdered milk has come a long way, and all you have to do is add water and powder for the amount of milk you will need for one meal.

Next, make a list of all the cooking items that will be needed to prepare food. One good pot and pan should suffice for cooking. A large fork, spoon and spatula will be enough for cooking as well. Decide if you want to wash dishes after each meal or would prefer to buy paper plates, bowls and cups. Always include a liquid soap for cleaning up your cooking items.

Buy a box of plastic bags for cleaning up the campsite each day and throwing out the garbage. Also, make sure you have a good supply of paper towels for cleaning up the site as well as keeping everyone clean. You might want to bring along a large bowl for washing up each day and another for washing dishes and pots.

Purchase a few air-tight containers to keep items dry, such as matches for the fire.

Bring along a first aid kit just in case; it should have calamine, sunburn lotion, an anti-bacterial ointment, etc. Outdoors can have its nasty little moments so be prepared.

Arrive At The Campground In Daylight

Anyone who has tried to pitch a tent in the dark knows how totally futile it is. You will invariably choose the worst site in the entire place or will have un-even ground to work with. Get there when there is still plenty of daylight hours so you can select a really good site that is flat, convenient to toilets, showers (if applicable) and the main sources of water. You might want to stay away from a site that has too many overhanging branches, if it rains you could get a soaked. Become familiar with your site’s surroundings so if you go somewhere for a day, you will know where your campsite is when you get back!

Campfires & Barbecues

As much as everyone loves the notion of cooking out on a campfire or barbecue, over time, it can get really old. Constantly having to make a fire just to boil water is going to take a toll on your supplies as well. Before doing anything, check with the campground and find out if campfires or barbecues are allowed. Some campgrounds have their own pits and/or grills for campers to use. If these items are not allowed, purchase a good camping stove, they are not necessarily expensive and are safe. And Remember: Keep Your Matches Dry!

Would You Really Consider Cooking Inside Your Tent!

Believe it or not, there are people that think cooking inside the tent would be a good idea! One, a camping stove sends off fumes from the gas used to fire it up, two you could set the tent on fire and three you could get seriously injured or even killed! Sadly there have been some very tragic cases of people becoming asphyxiated from their stoves and suffered carbon monoxide poisoning. Even if you had a tent designed with vented vestibules, if you are in bear country, bear smells food – bear comes to food – it’s totally suicidal! Rule of thumb, do not cook inside the tent.

Let There Be Light

Too many times people overlook lanterns for those dark nights. Unless you plan on hitting the sack as soon as it gets dark, plan on having a lantern or two. Flashlights are ideal for finding your way to the toilets or water supply, but they are not good enough for reading or washing dishes. Smart choices are battery-powered or solar-charged lanterns; they are indispensable. Also, make sure you test your lights before leaving home. If you have battery-powered lanterns, you might want additional batteries as backups.

Books & Games

Sorry about this one I could not resist!

Inevitably, you will experience a rain day and will be stuck in your tent for the duration of it. Always pack a few good books and some board games. Especially if you have children, they are going to go nuts if they have nothing to do. For small children, make sure they have some of their toys, pencils, paper and coloring books will keep them entertained for a while. Board games come in different ages as well and are not audio loud, disturbing your neighbors. Keep in mind if you drag along your Kindles or large iPods they can get broken. Just make sure you have entertainment items on your list before leaving home. Should you have more than one day of rain, you’ll have fun stuff to keep you occupied.

Take Your Shoes Off At The Door

You’ve been out in nature all day long, the last thing you want to do is track mud and dirt into your sleeping area. A smelly, dirty tent will definitely ruin your evenings plus you’ll spend half a day cleaning up the mess left behind. Make sure shoes stay out of the tent but also, make sure you can stow them in a safe, dry place in case of bad weather. Get one or two large plastic containers that have lids that snap shut; they’re perfect!

Camping should be an enjoyable experience and will be if you have a checklist, follow up on all testing and checking of equipment, make sure you have included all necessary items and plan on arriving at your home away from home while there’s still a few hours of daylight. Follow safety instructions and use a little common sense, if you do, you will have a really great time!

Additional video so you can avoid any camping pitfalls:

from What Camping Tent http://www.whatcampingtent.com/blog/how-to-avoid-camping-mistakes/

The Camping Tent’s History

Tents have been a part of the human fiber for thousands of years. They have served as homes to many people in various areas of the world, have played a huge role in camping activities in modern days and have always offered a place for protection from many environmental elements. Tents have been used in many forms throughout the agricultural world for protecting crops and plants and have housed armies as well as nomadic people.

The designs of tents have drastically changed over the years from those of the plains Native Americans’ teepees to constructed shelters used as far back as Ancient Egypt. The modern tent’s design and structure is somewhat the same, but with modern improvements. A piece of fabric or animal skin draped over poles and secured, one way or another, to the ground. This very simple design has offered shade from blazing sun to warmth and comfort during storms.

The First Tents

The submission of a young maharaja the the British empire in 1846 (Sikh War)

Archeologists have unearthed some rather sophisticated tent designs that date back to B.C. Recently, a tent ruin was discovered in Russia that is believed to date back to 40,000 B.C., making this the oldest tent ever found, to date.

Tents have been mentioned in the Bible:

“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations: spare not, lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.” – Isaiah 54:2

Tents were one of the most common homes throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa in B.C. All ancient tents were constructed with wooden supports and stakes, ropes, animal hides, leather and other materials. Their structures were not much different from the tents people use for camping today.

The first 50,000 years of human history, the tent has stayed pretty consistent in its appearance. Many civilizations lived in tents for thousands of years before building permanent structures such as huts.

The Military Tent

Pharaoh, going to battle, would set tents up along the way. The Romans were notorious for innovative designs for traveling from one city to another. They used larger tents like ridge tents and marquee tents where soldiers and their military leaders could meet to discuss battle plans or just socialize. They used calf skins for the tent covers and were described by Pliny, the Elder as “sub pellibus”, meaning “under pelts.”

Thanks to the Army, innovation and design in tent technology has forever been on the rise. The military has relied on and needed tents to house soldiers to keep them safe while being able to pick up stakes and move to a new location. Tents kept Washington’s troops out of critical weather environments, found on the frigid East Coast while fighting for American freedom from England. They also invented camouflage to hide from the British and commit guerrilla warfare along the way. These tents were made from hemp and traveled easily with the army. These tactics were modernized warfare while playing a major role in our eventual victory. The Civil War lined fields with tents in the bloodiest point of history in the United States. Generals met in large marquee tents to discuss battle strategies. Soldiers used smaller tents to sleep and thus came the name Pup Tents because they were small enough to house a family’s dog.

Tents And MASH Units:

Tents were the most convenient way for hospital units to move from one area of a war zone to another and provide medical treatment for soldiers. Mash stands for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, which was Army medical units serving as fully functional hospitals in combat areas. These units were first developed in August of 1945 and were first deployed during the Korean War. Tents allowed for these groups to set up shop and pull up stakes, quickly, to move to another area at the drop of a hat. These units became immortalized in the 1970 American Movie M*A*S*H, directed by Robert Altman and the television series that ran from 1972 to 1983.

Barnum & Bailey:

Circuses have been using tents to travel from town to town forever! Barnum & Bailey simply took this concept to a whole new level with enormous tents for large shows. This began in the 19th century developing colossal tents to protect performers and audiences from various elements. Even though these tents ranged in size, the basic structure remained the same. These tents consisted of guy ropes to stakes that allowed for setting up tents that would hold up to strong winds, but could also be taken down quickly. The term Guy Rope is a British term for ropes that secure a tent or other structure to the ground. This construction would eventually lead to the future recreational and festival tents of today, with some changes.

The Modern Tent For Recreational Purposes:

During the first half of the 20th century, Americans had more money and time to explore the great outdoors. During the Industrial Revolution, these tents were referred to “survival tents” for an ever so popular national pastime. The two leading manufacturers were Coleman and MSR, offering tents for the everyday person or family.

During this time, tent design took on some drastic changes. Support poles were no longer made from wood; instead, they were a light metal element. Eventually, manufacturers went from metal to plastic for easier transportation. These lightweight poles became enormously popular with campers. Some of the more modern tents can be set up in a matter of seconds and offer materials like nylon that are better protection against environmental elements.

Camping absolutely exploded in the 1960s with millions of people heading out to campsites and other rural areas for a weekend. Manufacturers jumped on the challenge to create poles made from fiberglass or aluminum alloys. These materials allowed for greater ranges of shapes and a much lighter transportation. At one point, zippered tent doors were to replace the traditional flap opening.

Over the years, manufacturers have sought to find more convenient, more ease of setting up and better design for the avid campers whose numbers are continually on the increase. Tent designs have constantly adjusted over the past decade creating significant changes to the original survival tent. More on modern tent designs!

Some of these designs have included:

Tunnel Tents:

As the name implies, these tents are literally shaped like tunnels. It allows for better interior space than the standard pole tent and are extremely popular.

Inflatable Tents:

These amazing tents offer inflatable beams and are easy to transport because they are extremely lightweight.
Note: it is strongly recommended that you have an air compressor on hand when camping.

Geodesic Tents:

This design has a crisscross beam design, making them extremely sturdy and exceptional for use in snow, sleet and even hail.

Pop-Up Tents:

For those campers who do not want to spend time driving stakes into the ground, these tents have a series of hoops that will set up almost instantly.

Ridge Tent:

Two flexible poles crossing in the center giving a square dome and three poles a hexagon. The sides are more vertical allowing for greater headroom and more floor space.

Marquee Tent:

Are very large tent used, today, for shelter at events such as shows or festivals. The design has not altered in thousands of years. The roof canopy is supported by very tall center poles with side lines connected to ground pins.

Learn more on how to chose your tent here!

The Camping Experience

Occupy protesters in London – Credits The Guardian

Camping and the design of tents have come a very long way from the time of the Pharaohs and the Romans. What has been used for dwelling, protection and being removed from nature’s elements, has also brought people back to enjoy nature. Modern tents allow campers to enjoy their surroundings, connect with nature and feel safe and warm in the cold, crisp night air. Building a campfire, at night, is an amazing experience while allowing family members to reconnect with each other and does not require cell phones and social media.
Tents were also used in the 60s for peaceful demonstrations against social inequality by setting up tents, having cooking abilities and creating peaceful barriers. They are also often used during protests (example of the Occupy Movement, against social and economic inequality around the world that always set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades when protesting.) where protesters often use camping tents to build camps in public places where they can form communities of protesters of open discussion and start democratic action. Tents are often used when massive events happen like a release of a new Apple product where people often camps for days in front of the stores!

Tents have been in the lives of people for thousands of years and will be here for thousands more to come.

Tents have drastically improved since the beginning and the good news – you do not need WI-Fi or Bluetooth capabilities! Tents allow you to reconnect with nature, venture out into areas that offer the most spectacular surroundings and discover your own state parks or national reserves. Camp by an amazing waterfall, a magnificent landscape of huge, magical mountain ranges and just spend some time realizing how majestic nature truly is!

Tents provide wonderful fundamentally basic needs and safety for all your camping needs. You will experience some of the same feelings that your ancestors experienced when tents were their homes. If you have never experienced the soft sounds of the evening hours while drifting off to sleep, the gentle sound of light rain, tapping on the tent top, to cradle you off to sleep or the glorious awakening of a perfect sunrise – you have no idea what you are missing!

Get with family and friends, find a beautiful campground and spend a weekend in total relaxation while soaking in what nature is all about. You will come away being one of the millions of people that have discovered a whole new, exciting way to explore the great outdoors while capturing life-long memories.

The Time-line Of The Tent

• The first true ancestor of today’s tent was constructed in 1855. A U.S. Army officer modeled his Bell-Shaped Tent after the Native American’s Teepee. Instead of using buffalo hides, he chose to use canvas.
• The first Boy Scout Handbook was published in 1911 and illustrated ten different styles or types of tents.
• World War II had ended, it’s 1945 and with the huge economic boom taking place across America, people were running off to retailers and surplus stores to purchase tents for great outdoor adventures. There were thousands of tents being purchased of all shapes, sizes and designs every week.
• Tentmaker Eureka introduced the first Fast-Set-Up Free Standing Tent on to the market, in 1959.
• Metal, lightweight poles were being mass produced, replacing wooden frames. Allowing for easier setup and much lighter for moving around, this took place in the 1960s.
• Tentmaker Eureka comes out with another design for backpack storage, in the 1970s, selling over one million units in less than ten years.
• The first truck-tent was developed in 1990 allowing campers to pitch this tent on the bed of their pickup truck.
• Even though technology and custom designing brought about the RV, for comfort away from home, 3.2 million American opted for camping with tents instead. This spike in popularity hit an all-time high in 2011 and shows no signs of slowing down.

The timeline of tents is far from over. More and more people are discovering the simple, relaxing beauty of purchasing a tent and entering the outside world with gusto. There’s a reason why, since the 1960s, millions of people have become addicted to camping.
Instead of fighting it, learn all you can about camping, the dos and don’ts and have the best time of your life!
You will not be disappointed and will more than likely become addicted yourself!

Resources:

Wikipedia

Eurekatent Blog

Nikwax

Pastemagazine

from What Camping Tent http://www.whatcampingtent.com/blog/history-of-the-tent/

9 Camping in the Rain Hacks

Anyone who camps knows the weather can change in a heartbeat, bringing in rain showers. It is most common during the spring and summer months, and you should be prepared for it. If you are not ready and equipped for bad weather, your camping trip could turn into a complete nightmare. Soaked clothing, destroyed electronic devices and possible hypothermia.

Rain really should not spoil your trip if you are prepared with the right gear and know what you are doing. Don’t get caught off guard, here are some excellent tips that will ensure you have a safe and happy trip, even if the weather turns bad.

Pay Attention To Mother Nature

Nature has a way of dropping hints when a change in the weather is approaching. Sudden gusts of wind or a sudden calm are telling you the barometric pressure is changing, which should alert you to approaching storms.

Animals can also give you a hint. Coming from an area that has heavy storms, hurricanes, and tornadoes, birds become silent! Dogs have been known to act a little strange when a storm is approaching. Fishermen swear that fish bite more just before a storm! Never overlook hints that might be surrounding you. Pay attention to your instincts and (when all else fails) have a battery-operated radio and find a weather station!

Always Have Plenty Of Plastic Bags

First off, when preparing for camping, always pack plenty of plastic bags in a variety of sizes. Sealed bags are perfect for sandwiches and snacks; larger bags will clean up campsite trash and meal scraps. Bags are inexpensive and take up little to no space, always have bags. Another asset to plastic bags, they can be reused – minus the garbage bags! Inexpensive plastic bags can become a lifesaver if you are stuck in the rain.

You can protect your hiking pack and store wood, so it stays dry. Smaller bags are great to keep small items dry; such as a camera, matches, money or a cellphone. If it starts raining and bags are left at home, you could lose a lot of your items.

Newspapers Can Be Very Useful

A few newspapers are easy to bring along and have some great uses. If everything around you is soaking wet and you want to start a fire, newspapers are a perfect alternative. If your shoes get wet, roll up some paper and put them in your shoes, they’ll dry them out. Also, if boredom sets in, you can always read them!

Hypothermia

Anytime you are out in the wilderness; you should understand the signs of hypothermia. Hypothermia will suddenly and incredibly drop your body’s core temperature. If someone suffers from this and goes untreated, they could very possibly die before getting medical aid. Hypothermia usually develops in very cold, icy regions and colder times of the year. If someone is in cold water for an extended period of time, hypothermia will probably set in.

What happens: the body’s temperature drops below 95 degrees, the average body temperature is 98.6 degrees. Other symptoms will follow, slurred speech and impaired judgment are the most common symptoms. A pale or purple appearance to skin, shivers and frostbite may also follow.

Under the best circumstances, a person with hypothermia should be immediately rushed to the nearest hospital. If this is not possible, remove all their wet clothing and cover them with dry clothes, blankets, and a sleeping bag. Have a charged cell phone to call for help. You want to keep them as warm as you possibly can and continue to monitor their symptoms until medical help arrives. It is always advisable, that when planning a camping trip, get all valuable information you can, regarding the area you will visiting. Some places can provide you with this information, including the nearest hospital.

Place A Tarp Inside Your Tent

Quality tent waterproofing matters

Usually, the ground tarp is placed directly underneath the tent on the ground. They provide a protection and barrier against water. You can opt to place the tarp inside the tent, instead of outside, which will form a better water barrier. If you still want a tarp outside, you can place one outside and one inside.

Tarps come in many different materials from plastic to nylon to woven polyurethane. They are all relatively inexpensive starting around $30.

Keep Your Campfire’s Embers Glowing

Place some large logs onto your campfire before the storm even gets near. Thick logs will continue to burn even during a downpour while protecting the underneath coals that are the foundation of your fire. If lucky enough, the fire will continue to burn through the entire duration. You certainly do not want to deal with wet logs afterward! If this is not an option, take a large, heavy-duty plastic bag or bags and over your campfire site.

Also, keep in mind, once the storm passes, you will need a fire to ward off chilly, wet cold and able to cook your foods. When you first arrive at your campsite, store a sufficient amount of logs in a safe, dry place for use after a potential storm. Rain, like anything else, will eventually pass, and you are going to want to get back to basic comforts.

Wet Rocks & Unstable Terrains

If you are planning a hiking trip, camping in the rain can be dangerous. Rocky terrains will become quite dangerous and difficult to navigate. Wet rocks are hazardously slick and larger rocks can pull loose and roll downward. Moss and grass are also very slippery and can cause a dangerous fall.

If you are hiking a steep, rocky slope, you might want to reconsider and wait until everything has dried out, before attempting the hike. Just setup camp and wait.

Minimize your risks by wearing sturdy, close-toed shoes with ankle support and grip surface soles. That’s what hiking boots are made for! Have a hiking stick to balance where the ground is unlevel. Always make sure your hiking pack’s weight is evenly distributed, to keep your balance.

Be Lightning Wise

Two of the most dangerous combinations, when camping, are lightning and rain. Unpredictable lightning can strike before, during or after thunder clouds have passed by.

Due to Poor Judgment – many novice campers have ended in severe accidents and in some cases death:

If you are swimming or out on a boat, Get Out of the Water Immediately! Water is the greatest conductor of electricity.

If you are on land, head to the highest geographical land point you can find. Never hide under a tree – trees are conductors of electricity as well. Branches can also break off and harm you seriously.

If children are on your camping trip, try and find things to keep them calm during the storm. Children, as a general rule, are afraid of both lightning and thunder.

After The Storm

By the end of your rainy camping trip, you have probably packed up wet or damp clothing, gear, and shoes. Once you have returned home, throw the clothes in the washer and dryer, place shoes and gear in a place where they can properly dry and air out. Never store damp items, they will develop mold and mildew causing an even greater mess. Camping utensils and metal components of the tent need to be cleaned and dried to prevent rusting.

from What Camping Tent http://www.whatcampingtent.com/blog/tips-for-camping-in-the-rain/

When Camping Show Respect For Others

Whether you have been camping for years or have just gotten into it, respecting others and having manners is critical.

More and more people are getting into camping and other outdoor activities. It’s up to everyone to chip in and do the right thing. Never leave your campsite trashed for someone else to clean up. You wouldn’t enjoy cleaning up someone else’s mess, so don’t do it to others.

Clean Up Your Mess, So Someone Else Will Not Stress

After you have packed up your camping supplies and tents, look around and make sure you haven’t left garbage or other unwanted items behind. Grab a spare trash bag and look around for things you do not want anymore, including any plastic or paper items used for eating. Pick up stuff and toss them in the nearest garbage can or dumpster. Bring the campsite back to the condition you found it in, or better.

Remember: “Cleanliness is close to Godliness” and you’d be amazed how quickly you can turn that site into a clean, neat place for someone else; while feeling a little Godly!

Leave Some Wood Behind For The Next Guy

In many cases, campers arrive at sites as the sun is setting. The first thing they want to do is start a fire. Unfortunately, it’s pretty difficult to find wood in the dark. Once you are ready to hitch up the camper, grab a few cords of wood for the next occupant. It’s not a big job or chore, but it is a nice gesture and will be appreciated.

Reach Out To Your Neighbors

Campsites are pretty close together, and it’s always a good idea to get to know your neighbors. If you are already settled in, and new folks are pulling into the site next to you, offer to help them back into the site. It’s a nice gesture and will be greatly appreciated. Some campers are large and quite difficult to navigate into sites that are difficult to get into or are just small. Possibly you have kids, and the family next to you have kids too. It’ll be perfect for the kids to get to know each other and as parents, share mutual stories about camping experiences with the kids, various sports your kids are involved in or those golden moments when parents get to have a night out without the kids.

Get To Know Your Neighbors

Getting to know your camp neighbors could lead to a great new friendship that can last for many years! Maybe you are from the same area, or maybe you like fishing and so do they. Send the kids off to play then take off on a fishing trip. Fishing is a great place to communicate, let’s face it, there isn’t a whole lot to do but wait for the fish, so why not get to know each other!

Set Up a Timer

At some point, everyone has experienced the next door campers who leave their awning lights on all night. It’s annoying if you are trying to sleep but those lights are glaring right through your tent. In many cases, this has simply been an oversight and not trying to annoy you. Pick up a timer so your awning lights will go off at a particular time. Everyone is forgetful from time to time, and this will simply ensure lights will not bother someone else in the late hours.

Leave The Place Better Than You Found It

When I was a child, my father loved camping but also taught me the common courtesy and proper cleanup. I was responsible for cleaning up after ourselves as well as chipping in to clean up other trash as well. It’s a wonderful way to understand the value of respecting others; it’s also a nice way for kids to say: Thank you – we had a great time!

Camping is a wonderful experience for both adults and children. It’s becoming even more popular as time moves on offering affordable options. Showing respect for others (both those you meet and those you will never meet) has a way of being passed on. Enjoy your camping trip and show you are thankful for the memories.

from What Camping Tent http://www.whatcampingtent.com/blog/when-camping-show-respect-for-others/

New Tent Designs and Features in the Camping Industry for 2016

Tents and hammocks designs have been upgrading year after year, with each manufacturer trying to outdo the other. Tent styles and sizes have increased considerably, and campers are now spoilt for choice on a very competitive outdoors market. The new improvement in the tent and camping gear technology means that there is an option to suit all types of campers, even the worst kind…
Let us have a quick look at the new trendy designs and tent concepts that will lead the camping industry in 2016.

The Orange solar tent

Kaleidoscope recently teamed up with Orange and designed a tent that will address the on-site power needs of Glastonbury’s (the annual Glastonbury music festival, which draws campers from around the world to celebrate performing arts, the great outdoors, and other worthy causes) campers. The tent combines the camping systems and solar power to provide earth-friendly solutions that allow users to power their phones, tablets, laptops, etc. Kind of expensive for what this is, my advice, buy a good reliable tent from Coleman for example and get yourself a solar panel system…

The Outwell Smart Air and the Vango Airbeam

This tent uses one-go inflation technology to inflate the polyester tent. All a camper needs to do is just plug the supplied pump into a single air input valve and the tent will be fully upright in a matter of seconds! The Vango Airbeam also uses this technology to erect their canvas pneumatic and polyester tents. Nothing really impressive here, just Outwell catching up with Vango.

Mollusc Nano Tent

This tent is molded in the shape of a dome tent. However, it offers incredible features such as the unique side hubs, which allow the exoskeleton frame of the tent to retract back. The tent can switch between different positions in a matter of seconds: the fully enclosed sleeper, the partially open sun shelter, and the fully open barrier wall. A camper can simply wake up, flip the tent and enjoy the sunrise from inside a sleeping bag. The right choice for star gazers!

Tentsile Flite Tree Tent

This tree tent is very affordable and offers a camper a peaceful night. Suspended over the ground, the tent pulls two adults and their camping gear up off the cold, hard ground for a quiet and peaceful night. The tent can be suspended in tree canopies, over water, or on bluff edges! If you fancy the idea of camping among the swaying branches and on air, then this is just the thing for you. The tent can be set up in approximately 10 minutes and used in all four seasons.

Blackout Tents

These tents are perfect for festival goers, ravers, and just about any other camper that wishes to have a lie-in without the morning light distractions. The lights out technology use dark material for the bedroom section of the tent, which reduces the early morning light.

Hennessy Hammock Expedition Asym

This hammock is a combination of a camping tent, a hammock, and a chair. It has a unique zipperless bottom entry with a rain fly and a bug net. It weighs 2.5lb. It is easy to carry, and the zipperless bottom allows for an easy in and out maneuver.

Eagles Nest Outfitters Single Nest Onelink

This hammock includes a single net hammock, a rain tart, a bug net, suspension straps, and a set of aluminum stakes. The rainfly is waterproof and seam sealed for protection from any weather. This hammock packs up to the size of a softball making it one of the best hammocks to carry with you while you are hiking or backpacking. It includes a stuff sack for easy storage and transport. The whole product weighs 2.4 pounds. Modular, super light, with good quality nylon, highly recommended if sleeping in a hammock is your thing.

What are your thoughts on these new tent or hammock models?

from What Camping Tent http://www.whatcampingtent.com/blog/new-and-modern-tent-designs/