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General Tips for Camping
This is just a small collection of Camping and Hiking tips that may save you time, money, and aggravation.
- · Do you have tents, tarps, ponchos or other fabrics that need to be waterproofed? Are you sick of spending big bucks on those silicone sprays that just wear off and need retreatment every year or two? Try using Thompson's Water Seal (yup, the same stuff you use to waterproof the deck!). You can paint it on, spray it on, or dip items in it, and it is a hell of a lot cheaper! Test a small area first, and if you are okay with it, go ahead and dip or coat the item.
- · Where you put your campsite or shelter is very important. Just as in the real estate business... Location, location, location! When building a shelter or site in cold weather, it is recommended that it should not be located in a valley or on a hilltop. It should be built 50 to 100 feet above the valley floor. This is because the cold settles down into the valleys, making the valleys 20 or more degrees colder. The hilltops are more susceptible to wind which will chill you all the more. Locate a shelter on the south side of a hill as the ground gets a lot of sun throughout the day and will be warmer both during the day, and at night as the accumulated heat is radiated from the ground.
- · NOTE: The reverse of this may apply in hot temperatures, ie: build shelters in valleys, and on North side of hills.
- · NOTE: Water is important, so be careful to locate your shelter or site near enough that it is easy to get at!
- · Do you do a lot of family or group camping? Ever have a rainy weekend turned your campout into a mudfest? There's a solution. Spend about $30 on a military surplus parachute. Suspend the chute over your site like a huge umbrella. The chutes are not waterproof, but if they are hung with sufficient pitch, they will shed water (just like a tent, do not touch the inside, or you will start a drip. These can also be coated with Thompson's Water Seal as mentioned above. They are typically 30-40 feet in diameter, and will therefore cover an entire campsite, tents and all.
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