Camping
Submitted by: Doug Warburton

Camping is one of the all time bonding experiences. It's great way to get out of the house and spend quality time with the family as well as remind us of all the luxuries we sometimes take for granted. Most importantly for me, it is the best way to relax and leave the stresses of life at home and just enjoy my daughters. You don't always have to plan a big elaborate trip sometimes you can just go as far as your backyard.

I am fortunate enough to live in Alaska so the great outdoors is my backyard. If you're planning to go out further than your backyard you'll want to be sure, you pack some basic necessities to have a fun safe camping trip. There are a few slight differences between what I pack and what someone else might but I have compiled a list of the necessities, and of others things that I pack. Yours will probably very depending on where you live and climate and so on.

First is the actual camping gear, as I call it.

A tent, and again depending on where you live, certain ones will work just great and other ones may be needed! Also, how big? I have one that is 20' by 10'. We call it the "cabin". It has 3 rooms that can separate it, or it can be used as one great big room. This can be very useful both ways, if you would like to play games or if it is pouring rain outside and everyone wants to hang out and stay dry. It is also useful for changing rooms if you have others that need to change into or out of dry or wet cloths and would like a bit of privacy! It is also a pain to put up and take down, so it depends on how many people you are camping with!

I like this tent, but I have a 4 season dome tent, and is big enough for my family, but very easy to put up and take down and will take on any weather you can throw at it! I also have 6 more, but we can move on.

Moving on would be the need of sleeping bags, again depending on where you live, dictates the bag. I have some for spring/summer/fall and a few others for winter. Winter camping is AMAZING, but requires a lot more prep work and less amenities or perhaps comforts. What? You have to carry some of this on your back, or at least on a snow machine and unless you want to pull a sled behind, keep it somewhat simple. I also carry these bags in a Packer along with our Arctic gear, so if we end up in a pinch, we have shelter and warmth! My mom taught me that! She always had a few sleeping bags in the car if we were out on a trip in winter.

After the bags are the sleeping pads. No need to worry about where you live, just having not to feel the rocks or roots works for me! I will say some are better than others, but just get off the ground, warmth and comfort are the key! I like thinsulates! Various sizes and thickness.

Oh, I do have a little dome lamp that I have a carabiner attached to so that I can clip it up in the tent so everyone can see, and also to read bedtime stories too!

Now on to cooking. I received this from some great friends and have added more over the years. They gave me a smaller action packer that had some of the bigger items, but again, more has been added.

2 collapsible handled fry pans

4 stainless steel mugs that don't get hot handles, yes they make them.

4 sets of utensils that are really hard plastic (washable and dishwasher safe when you get home)

4 pots that all fit one into the other

1 assorted spice kit

1 roll of paper towel

1 pair of tongs

2 hot dog/marshmallow forks that extend

1 spatula

1 one mixing spoon

1 can Pam

1 small bottle of oil

1 small salt/pepper shaker

1 box water proof matches

1 lighter

1 strike flint

1 small bottle of bleach (for water if necessary)

1 bag of sugar

1 sharp steak knife

1 can opener

1 sponge

1 small bottle of dish soap

1 roll of TP (just in case!)

1 bar of soap

3 toothbrushes and a small tube of toothpaste

2 wash cloths.

1 Table Cloth

Oh and one really black coffee pot that likes to hang out next the fire so there is always hot water for anything, including washing hands and faces and so forth, (cooled of course with other water in another pot)

This seems like a lot but I take the soaps and sponge and some of the other small things and place them in zip lock bags and put them into the smallest pot of the 4 and put the lid on. It also goes into a mesh bag and everything stays together. When I need it, I know where it is. If you do it right, everything you really need to cook is in that packer, and I can say I know. My packer is smaller than an average cooler by a long shot.

So besides all of that, I have my trusty stove and a portable mini grill, one is white gas, the other is propane. Also the propane or white gas lanterns. I also take a couple of tarps and avalanche cord. These are the very first thing to go up! Nothing like having it rain as you setting up camp, or would really love to get out of the rain for a bit. Also helps to keep tables and chairs dry, a fire pit and a place to cook too!

I have also added a Duraflame log to the mix of things. It goes in a different tub, it smells. But hack of a bit of that and put that on some kindling, and then stack around it and you will have a fire. I gathered some branches off a fallen tree once in the winter, broke a few more to make the base. Crumbled that thing up so that it sat right on top. I HAVE CREATED FIRE! And warmth and it was fast. You don't need to use the "whole" log at once and you will understand why.

So really that's all of maybe some of the basic stuff to allow you to be comfortable while camping. There a few other things we take the bikes, foldable chairs and bubbles and books. I also have bought a charger for in the truck and now take a 100" extension cord and my laptop. If the girls want too, or it's just a plain downpour for a bit, we can watch a movie while hanging out and that is fun too!

As far as safety goes, I do have a kit similar to the Daddy Care Kit, I have modified mine a bit. I not only added a few other medications but lollipops too. Safety is something that I am all about living in Alaska with my girls so I added a couple other items and some may do the same, again depending on where you live.

My additions happen to be a Remington 12 Gauge Marine Magnum, a Maussberg 12 Gauge and Colt 44. The 12 gauges both hold 8 rounds each and I use the Rottwiler 50 Caliber 600 grain round. The 44 holds six, and gets the 328 Alaskan load. I prefer the 12 Gauge, more bang for the buck and shooting things quick and going down fast! First line of safety is not to put your self in a position of needing to use these, but we live in Alaska. Also I carry Bear Spray as the potential first use, but I love my little girls and I will put myself in front of that bear, regardless.

Doug