Camping Gear

AFTER choosing your tent, you need to select the right camping gear for sleeping, cooking and other activities at camp.

Your sleeping gear starts with a sleeping bag, and you need to select one that will keep you warm enough on chilly nights when the cold seeps up from the ground beneath you, even when you're on top of a waterproof ground sheet. It may be moisture-proof, but your body heat will quickly be sucked away by the icy cold earth beneath you.

The best quality sleeping bags have traditionally been filled with goose down — the fluffy chest feathers from birds. Down bags are lighter and compress smaller when packed, but they won't keep you warm if they get wet. Synthetic sleeping bags filled with feathery-like bits of foam do not compress as small as down or feathers, but they will still keep you warm if they get wet. Choose what you will, but do buy the best you can afford. It's very miserable to lie awake shivering and waiting for the dawn, because you bought a lousy sleep sack.

Now a camp cot or an air mattress will get you off the ground, but you'll sleep cooler because of the air currents underneath you. These exist even in a blow up air bed, so these sleeping aids are great when the weather is warm. But when the weather is cold, you'll sleep much warmer on a foam sleep pad or on a camping mattress of some kind because the air is trapped, and therefore it works as an insulator.

Your most basic camp furniture would have to be a folding camp chair for each person in your group and a collapsible table. You'll want the table as a bench top for preparing food and a dining table for eating the food once it's ready. In some circumstances you might even use the camp table to support your camp stove while you're cooking, and your washing-up bowls when it's time to clean up after meals. But don't try this if the table is in any way flimsy.

Your camp kitchen needs continue with an ice cooler to keep your perishable foods from spoiling too fast. Place your milk, butter, eggs and meat in the insulated cooler and add ice purchased from a gas station or liquor store. In hot weather, you may need to keep other food in there as well, such as bread, vegetables or even fruit. And since most places don't allow open wood fires any more, you'll need to look at camping stoves as well.

Those with bigger bank balances may prefer to buy a powered camping refrigerator of some kind. The cheapest and least effective camp fridges use 12v DC from the cigarette lighter of your car or truck. Slightly better ones use bottled propane gas or mains electricity. But if really hot conditions are likely you may want to invest in a camping fridge/freezer. These are the best quality money will buy. They usually work on 3-way power — AC mains, 12v DC from the car or they use bottled propane gas. The flame actually makes the inside of the fridge or freezer icy cold — even in summer. These freezers are also super-insulated, so they can use little power as long as the lid is not opened very much.

Consider taking a camping lantern along as well. There are ones that run on batteries, liquid fuel or propane gas. The battery ones usually have a fluorescent lamp and throw out a rather weak light in my experience. But they are easiest to use. Propane lamps throw a lot of light but don't touch the top as it gets almost red hot. (I learned that the hard way then I was a kid.) Fuel lamps (such as the USA's Coleman or Australia's Tilley lamps) also throw a lot of light, but they are rather fiddly to operate, especially for the inexperienced.

It is also a good idea for each camper to carry a small personal flashlight. The new L.E.D. types are ideal, and some can be worn on your head or your hat for hands-free use while walking in the dark. A real plus.

Lastly, don't forget to take a long a small toilet kit. Just a toothbrush, towel and some soap, toothpaste or tooth powder. Place it in a small cloth bag together with any prescribed meds... and don't forget a roll of toilet paper. Don't leeave home without it! ;-)

And now a word about sanitation when camping.