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How to Fix a Broken Tent
[The following is a guest post from How to Fix. There you can learn How to Fix a Dishwasher, how to fix a flat tire as well as how to fix a toilet]
Having a tent is an absolute necessity when you’re out in the woods – that is, unless you can find some other form of shelter. Tents keep moisture out, protect you from the elements, and separate you from the wild, even if the separation is a thin one. So if your tent breaks or tears while you’re out camping, you’ll probably recognize when it happens fairly quickly. The only question that remains is simple: how can you fix it without buying a new one?
There is no one answer to this question, because there is more than one way that a tent can be broken. But in this article, we’ll handle two of those ways:
Your tent tearing: If your tent tears, then duct tape is your best friend. It’s generally a good idea to keep some basic tools in your car – duct tape is one of them – around for just this kind of situation. Duct tape won’t only help re-attach the two sides of the tear in your tent, but it will continue to seal out moisture and its adhesive will generally keep the duct tape where you put it. It’s generally a good idea to use more duct tape than you think you need rather than less; don’t be afraid to go a little overboard. After all, you’re not going for beauty here – you simply want to keep your tent working. So make sure you have duct tape with you. The next time you head to the hardware store, buy a couple of rolls of duct tape and put one in the back of your car. It just may come in handy.Tent poles breaking or bending: The structure of the tent is generally held up by loosely-assembled tent poles. These aren’t always the most sturdy foundations to have with you, but they make for light packing and generally an easy tent setup. If one of them breaks, you’ll want to consider your situation. Can you possibly bend the pole back into place, or is it lost forever? If it’s totally broken, you may simply want to toss that pole out and keep your tent up with the rest of the poles. Your tent may be a little uneven because of this, but at least it will stay up, continue to shelter you from the weather, and will continue to work. Worry about a replacement pole or tent once you’re safely back to civilization.
Photo Credits: bgautrea
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How to Make Your Camping Trip More Exciting
Camping trips are meant to be exciting whether you’re going with your family or with a group of friends. Whether your group is adventurous or just looking to brave the outdoors there is something for everyone. If you’re off to a bad start though, what can you do to make your camping trip more exciting? This article will list a few ideas that can get your camping trip back on the right track.
Go Exploring
If you’re already at the campsite what’s stopping you from going to explore the wilderness? You never know what you may find out there and it’s a good way to take your mind off any hardships you may be facing. It’s amazing how even the smallest discovery can be exciting when you’re out camping with a group of friends. It’s important that when you go out exploring that you at least bring other person with you in case you get lost. Two heads are better than one when trying to find your way back!
Play Games
Making up different games is half the fun when you’re out camping with your friends and family. There are all sorts of games that you can come up with using the environment that you may have found, whether that is trees or a lake. From freeze tag to racing the woods is a great environment to play all sorts of games. Try to keep them safe because it could be very easy to hurt yourself in the woods, especially if you’re playing in the water.
Try To Rough It
Many people like to rough the great outdoors when they go camping. To them this can either mean being completely helpless to just have to catch your own dinner, whether that is a fish or whatever. This creates a sense of isolation; some people love this feeling because camping is a way to get away from the hustle and bustle everyday life.
Look For Wildlife
Looking for animals is great fun in the woods because often times they’re smart enough to stay away from you making it hard for to observe them. This can even be turned into a competition of who can find whatever animal first. It’s important that if you do seek out wildlife that you don’t anger it. Even the smallest animals can be dangerous if they attack you, especially if you don’t have the proper first aid.
Remember, camping trips are meant to be exciting, don’t just go outside put up the tent and go to sleep. Try to have some fun, catch some dinner, explore, there are endless possibilities waiting for you in the great outdoors.
Photo Credits: TheNickster
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Hiking: Should You Bring a Light Backpack or a Heavy Backpack?
When someone is going for a hike, they inevitably run into a decision to make: should they pack heavy and be sure they have plenty of supplies, or should they strip down to the minimum and carry a lighter load? It doesn’t take much thought to imagine that the heavier your bag is, the more supplies you’ll want to keep (such as food and water to remain hydrated and fueled). Is either strategy better than the other one? Let’s take a closer look.
Bringing a heavier bag will sometimes be necessary. If you’re going on a long hike, there are certain supplies you’ll need that you wouldn’t carry on a short hike. If you’re going on a weekend backpacking trip through the hills, you’ll want to carry supplies for camping at night, as well. If you’re just going for a quick jaunt up the hiking trail, you’ll only need a first aid kit, and some food and water.
But what if you want to strip down your backpack for a light experience even when you’re on a long hike? Can you still enjoy a light backpack?General wisdom amongst minimalists who like light backpacks suggests that the lighter your load is, the less you’ll need to carry. To consider the alternative of wearing a heavy backpack, we’ll have to consider the benefits that adding extra supplies might carry with it.
Ultimately, the things you bring in your backpack should either be necessary for your survival - first-aid, food, water, etc. - or should make your life easier in some way. This brings us to the idea of technology.
Some gadgets, such as GPS navigation devices, can really make your life easier. However, they aren’t always totally necessary. The decision ultimately comes down to enjoying the convenience of a heavier load against depending on yourself with a smaller amount of supplies.
It’s recommended that you bring everything you need to keep safe, and work to keep it as simple and light as possible. For example, a GPS watch is easy to carry. Make a list of all of the things you’ll want to bring hiking, and then narrow it down to the bare necessities, or the excellent conveniences that don’t add too much weight to your load.
Ultimately, experience and skill will help determine how little you’ll be able to carry. Even if you want a very light load to carry, try going on a brief hike to see what kind of supplies are and aren’t necessary. Good hiking starts with you.
Photo Credits: rebonnett
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Three Essential Camping Safety Tips for Families
Depending on just how daring you are, your camping trip with your family might or might not fraught with potential hazards. These hazards don’t necessarily refer to the minor inconveniences that come with bug bites or sleeping on a harder surface – instead, the more recklessly you camp, the more you expose your family to real danger. That’s why you’ll want to make sure you camp the right way from the first time on. These three camping safety tips will help you be prepared for camping hazards, hopefully leading to a safe and enjoyable camping trip for you and yours.
- Tip #1: Set clear rules for the campfire.
- One of the most obvious hazards involved with campfires. If you have smaller children who are in the stage of their life when their legspeed far exceeds their common sense and they feel like they have to explore, you’ll have to make it explicitly clear that the fire pit is not the place to explore. The campfire serves both practical and aesthetic purposes -it doesn’t need to be played with.
Once you’ve established clear boundaries for your children, give them viable alternatives to enjoy when it’s time to light the fire. Toys, stories, and even a portable video game can help them keep their mind occupied – and away from the fire. Remember to be acutely aware of where your children are once you light the fire.
- Tip #2: Scout out water yourself first.
If you’re near a new lake, pond, or river and aren’t exactly sure about issues like water depth, temperature, or potential hazards like animals or insects, you’ll want to take a dip yourself to make sure that everything will work well for your children. In destinations with higher traffic, this won’t typically be an issue. If you’re a little further out into the American frontier, however, you’ll want to make sure to act as the scout for your family.
- Tip #3: Make sure your children are aware of the dangers of provoking animals.
Even seemingly harmless creatures might carry diseases, so it’s important to make sure your children know how to react when they come across an animal. Larger mammals like raccoons can be potentially deadly – don’t just leave these situations to nature. Even if animals are generally scared away when they detect human activity, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t let your children know about animals. Don’t send them into situations where they might confront a dangerous animal.
Photo Credits: Joi
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The Pros and Cons of Family Hiking
You’re out there on the trails, enjoying the feeling of an early-morning breeze and wondering why you don’t get out more often. When you look back to see the companion(s) you’ve brought with you, what do you see?
If you pictured a friend or a spouse, you may not have thought about how fun it could be to take your entire family hiking. And if you imagined your entire family – spouse, kids, and all – with you, you might have what it takes to be a great family hiker. But should you always bring your family with you on a hike? Here are some pro’s and con’s to help you consider the possibility.
Pros
- Exercise for the entire family – If you can get your kids hooked to physical activity at an early enough age, you won’t have to worry as much about their health and fitness. NOt only is exercising good for you, it’s good for the entire family, and promotes a sense of bonding that you can’t get at home watching television on two separate TV sets. Exercising is good, clean, honest fun – and it’s good for you, too.
- Teaching basic skills – the more hardcore family hikers will be able to relate certain skills to their children – survival skills and principles, the right mental attitude for tackling obstacles, and when they get older, even medical skills. Of course, in order to teach these skills, you have to know them yourself – why not making your childrens’ education a great excuse?
Cons
- Loss of solidarity – If you have a busy job that takes a lot out of you, sometimes a jaunt through the woods is exactly what the doctor ordered. As long as it’s alone. Some people simply need to get away, and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing: if you arrive back home re-energized and in a better mood, it will have been worth it. Sometimes you deserve to treat yourself to a good exercise session.
- Whining! Let’s face it: kids aren’t always angels. And when you’re trying to enjoy a camping trip, having two teenagers whine at you isn’t exactly what you envisioned. That’s why you’ll want to make sure you don’t force anyone into doing something they’re violently opposed to.
For many people, the positives of family hiking will far outweigh the negatives. For others, the negatives will outweigh the positives. Ask yourself what kind of experience seems most appealing to you.
Photo Credits: Yatmandu -
Tent Product Review: Eureka’s Apex 2XT Adventure
When it comes to camping, there are campers, and there are campers who enjoy treks through what’s known as the “back country.” Depending on what kind of camper you are – either a casual camper with a family in tow or a borderline professional – you’ll want to get a tent that’s right fo you.
The Eureka Apex 2XT Adventure 7-Foot by 5-Foot Two-Person Tent
is a straightforward, no-thrills tent that emphasizes performance over entertainment: you casual campers might want to try a different one. But if you’re looking for a tent product that is lightweight, flexible, and sturdy, the Apex Adventure is a camping tent that you’ll want to take with you on those trips through the back country across North America.
What does a tent that offers “performance” really do? In addition to being lightweight – hence easy to carry – a tent like the Apex Adventure is built for ideal storage space and ventilation, allowing for comfortable nights that protect you and your equipment from getting wet.
It also emphasizes the experience of camping, with a wall of “no-see-um” mesh that is built for stargazing on clear nights in the summer. This means that the Apex Adventure is built to be your home away from home when you’re on a serious camping trip that tests your resolve. It’s also a welcome respite from a tough day of building fires, gathering wood, hiking, and exploring.A clothesline loop and flashlight loop are also included if you really want to get serious about your camping trip and, you know, do your own laundry.
What are the disadvantages to a tent like the Eureka Apex Adventure? Unless you’re a hardcore “casual camper,” this tent could also work wel for you because of its simplicity and its structure – built for durability even in tough winds.
This means it’s not, shall we say, built for recreational camping, the way you might camp if you’re just camping out with the kids in the backyard. Many of the options featured in the Adventure would be lost on these “urban” campers, as storage space would become less of a worry and entertainment would become the top priority.
The Eureka Apex 2XT Adventure also weighs in at a hefty 99 dollars or so, making it an expensive tent for a two-person option. There are better ways to spend your money if you don’t plan on camping that much in the future.
If, however, you’re looking for a tent that will last through several hiking and camping trips per year and will support you when you feel adventurous, you might want to look into a tent like the Apex Adventure. Durability and security become higher priorities for the camper looking to travel the back-country, more worried about keeping him or herself dry with a tent they can trust than anything else.
This leads to the conclusion that the Apex is a tent for the hardcore camper, the ambitious camper, but not for the camper with kids who’s looking for a more casual time.
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Five Reasons to Bring a Swiss Army Knife
Many of us marvel at television shows like the Discovery Channel’s “Man vs. Wild” and marvel at all of the things the survivalists are able to accomplish with so little support out in the wilderness. But there’s a common denominator to many of these shows – and to better survival, in general – that helps explain their success.
Their knife.
Any knife has a million and one uses in the wild, but a quality knife like a Swiss Army Knife, with its variety of blades and options, is even more practical. With that in mind, here are five reasons to bring a Swiss Army Knife on your next camping trip.
1. Scissors.
Each Swiss Army Knife comes with a small scissors. These scissors might seem superfluous indoors, but it’s only out in the wild where you discover the kind of help they can offer. Whether you’re repairing tents or untying knots, it’s definitely more practical to have a small pair of scissors in your back pocket.
2. Fold-away blades.
It’s not only convenient to have a variety of blades and tools at your disposal, but being able to fold them away safely is a major plus. You can keep all of the different tools and blades tucked away in your back pocket, saving you both worry and space. A Swiss Army Knife can be like having a toolbox the size of a Chicken McNugget.
3. The knife, stupid!
Don’t forget the benefits of a knife – whether you’re cutting meat, gutting a fish, shaving bark, or peeling an apple. The chances aren’t very good that you’ll find yourself in a life-or-death situation on your next camping trip, but it can’t help to be prepared while enjoying the benefits of a strong blade.
4. Preparing for the unexpected.
If you’re really venturing far into the wilderness for a more rustic camping experience, the chances are good that you’ll encounter something you didn’t plan for. A simple knife is definitely beneficial, but a knife with all of the options of a Swiss Army Knife will help you feel that much more prepared.
5. Getting used to the outdoors.
It’s not the same “outdoors” experience when you bring a camper into the woods and enjoy all of the same luxuries you have at home. Sometimes, it’s better to get out there, use tools you wouldn’t otherwise use, and explore your “survivalist” side.
There are more reasons to bring a Swiss Army Knife along with you on your next camping trip – this is just a small sampling. To explore more of the reasons, why not make a purchase and get off of the couch and into the woods?
Photo Credits: Alesist
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How to Find North on the Hiking Trip
If you’re out hiking at night, or in an unknown area, while on a hiking or camping trip, it will be important to keep your bearings. This is especially true if you’re camping in a place you’ve never been before, where almost every location will look new and consequently, a little confusing. But if you always know how to find north and have the resources to do it effectively, you’ll be in better shape. Here are some ways to find north while you’re hiking.
Bring the right equipment:
Most of your problems will be eliminated if you bring a GPS device or a compass with you – or both. Of course, not every one of us has access to these once we’re out in the woods, so you don’t want to rely on technology alone. That’s why having other ways of determining direction will be extremely valuable. If you are informed and bring the right technology with you, you’ll have no trouble determining your direction.
On a clear night, use the stars.
Navigating by the stars has been important for seafaring civilizations for hundreds – maybe thousands – of years. On a clear night out in the woods, you should have an excellent view of the right stars to help point out where north is. In the northern hemisphere, locate the Big Dipper. At the “spoon” end of the dipper (not the handle end), the two end stars point toward the North Star.
Click here for an illustration. Note: in the southern hemisphere, you can use a similar technique with the Summer Cross. Research this more to learn how it’s done.
During daylight, use the presence of the sun.
If you know what time it is, you should have a good idea of where the sun is. In the northern hemisphere, the sun will be due south at noon – this won’t help as much the closer to the equator you are. It will rise in the east and set in the west, although you don’t want to use the sun’s rising or setting to indicate exact directions east and west.
Most importantly, in a situation where you need to use navigation like this, try to keep calm. Staying relaxed will help you to remember tips and tricks like this, so keeping your wits might be the most important tip of all.
Photo Credits: cwalker71
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How to Stay Safe During Your Camping Trip
Camping can be a dangerous undertaking because it requires you to spend an extended time in the great outdoors. If you’re planning to take your children camping with you, then you need to spend extra time examining certain precautions that you need to take. What should you worry about when you’re about ready to go, though? This article will give you a few common concerns and what you should do to prepare for them.
Watch the Weather
Being outdoors, it’s very important that you pay very close attention to the forecast when you’re going camping. If you’re going in the winter months it can be extremely dangerous if you camp in the midst of a snowstorm because you could easily run out of food and have no way of getting back to civilization. Be sure to watch the weather reports and if you’re already at your campsite you can always ask any rangers or other campers you see what the forecast looks like.
Bring the Right Supplies
Brining supplies with you can help you feel much safer during your trip as it offers you a backup and can be used anytime an unexpected problem occurs. Common supplies include: bug spray, extra food, and medications. It’s extremely important that you bring any medication that a family or friend needs in case they have any issue during the trip. You should also bring a first aid kit as it’s very easy to be injured by falling or possibly by an animal in an extended visit.
Plan Ahead
Perhaps the best thing you can do before going on your camping trip is planning ahead. Plan things like where you’re going to camp and for how long you’re going to stay. This planning should include both of the previous items, watching the weather and considering the essential supplies. It’s important that you think of any possible problem that can occur while you’re camping and be ready to address it accordingly.
Use Common Sense
Not using common sense is probably the cause of most problems that occur in the woods. Don’t attempt to do anything that could be potentially fatal, and make sure you follow basic camping guidelines such as leaving food out near or inside of the tents. With a little common sense it should be easy for you to avoid any problems that you could experience.
If you follow the above advice it should be easy for you to plan a fun and safe camping trip for you and your family.
Photo Credits: Omer Simkha
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Fun Things to Do On a Camping Trip
In this digital age many people have no idea what they can do for fun on a camping trip in the great outdoors. There are so many possibilities for fun, whether you are a family with young children or a group of young adults, there is something that everyone can enjoy doing. This article will outline a few of the choices you have for having fun on your camping trip.
Fishing
If you go camping anywhere near a lake or body of water, why not try your luck in fishing? Many people find fishing relaxing and some people even find it to be a competition. ESPN has even aired shows where people are competition to catch the largest bass. You can teach your children how to fish, or you can turn your fishing experience into a competition of who can catch the biggest fish for dinner.
Go Exploring
Preferably if you’re camping you picked a location that is somewhere that’s not right next to a road. One of the biggest appeals to camping is the sense of adventure that you feel being alone outdoors. Kids and adults alike can appreciate exploring and finding neat animals, trees and streams in the woods. It is amazing how something like a climbable tree can go from being just a tree to being a discovery.
Scavenger Hunt
Can’t find a way to make your kids enjoy going for a hike? Why not try a scavenger hunt. All you have to do is compile a list of things that you want your kids to locate and watch as suddenly a boring hike turns into a fun game for them. Be sure to make the difficulty appropriate based on their age. If they’re young make it easy, and if they’re a little older make sure you make it appropriately more difficult.
Campfire Games
When it gets dark out that’s when there are all sorts of opportunities for fun games. You can tell ghost stories by the campfire or you can play flashlight tag out a ways. Be careful when it’s dark, however, as people can get hurt or even lost very easily in the woods. This is much more important if you’re camping in a habitat that supports animals like bears or any animal that poses a threat to humans.
With a little creativity you can turn a boring camping trip into a fun experience for your family or friends. Remember to keep the activities safe and make sure that everyone wants to do a certain activity; don’t focus on what just you want to do.
Photo Credits: wili_hybrid
