HIGH SIERRA adventures

Skills and Tips    from your virtual guide

Camping Tips

The number one rule for camping is to plan ahead and prepare.
Figure out exactly where you want to go and explore the possibilities of that location. Make sure to get a wilderness permit if it is required in that area and be sure to let someone know where you're heading and when to expect your return.

Plan your meals. Plan every single serving and try to bring a little extra if possible. In order to optimize your dining experience, you should have every meal separated and easily accessible. That way at the end of a long day of hiking, you don't have to fumble around trying to organize a meal. It's all right there ready to cook. For more information, check out the backcountry cooking link above.
Water is life. Hydration is critical. Know where you'll have sources of water. Make sure that you have access to water several times a day. When in doubt, pack extra water for the day. It could save your life.

Plan for the weather. If you know it might rain, bring a rain jacket. The less obvious thing to do would be to make sure to bring a few tarps and rope. If it rains, you can set up some small shelters for your group to hang out under instead of crowding the tent.

Bring the appropriate gear. You want to make sure that you have everything that you will need. But NOTHING that you don't. Bringing extra stuff ("just in case") can create heavy packs and dampened spirits. Research the area and know what you'll need to enjoy your experience.

CAMPING GEAR
If you take a TENT into the backcountry, you want to consider a few things.

1. Weight: should you consider a tarp setup? can you distribute the tent materials (poles, tent, rainfly) amongst your group?
2. Size (sleeping capacity): how many people do you need to account for? do you need to store your gear inside?
3. Ventilation: is the tent going to get too hot or condensate water on the walls too easily?
4. Ease of setup: does the tent require more than one person to set up? should you practice setting up the tent before leaving?

Not only do you want a SLEEPING BAG, you'll also want a PAD to prevent the ground from sucking all your body heat away. A pad provides you with insulation and also serves as a comfortable surface to rest. Most people think that a sleeping pad is for comfort, but it mainly serves to insulate you from the ground. Without a sleeping PAD, your sleeping BAG will only do you a little good.
The best type of sleeping pad depends on your situation. But for the most part, a self-inflating pad that fills with air and packs down to almost nothing will be your best bet. Air is the best insulation of all. Your body heat warms up the trapped air and provides you with a barrier from the cold.

FIRE
Having a fire can complete the picture for the ultimate backcountry experience. Deeply engrained in our roots as social beings, fire has brought us together and provided us with so many things. Light, heat, and entertainment being a few, fire also gives us a sense of comfort in nature that nothing else can compare to. But fire can also destroy the wilderness that we love. So be careful and make sure to put your fire out completely. Most places in the Sierra allow fire up to 10,000 feet. Make sure to use ONLY DEAD AND DOWN firewood. Picking branches from trees that are still alive leaves unsightly scars and when burned will create an unpleasant and heavy smoke. Dry wood from dead trees that already lie on the ground (DEAD AND DOWN) will produce the best fire and minimize the impact on the land around.
In situations where fire is prohibited, a tea candle can fill the void and create that "social flame" that brings the group together and lifts your spirits. So bring a couple small candles on your next camping trip and be amazed at the difference a small flame can make on your experience.

Bring a MAP and COMPASS. You need to be aware of the terrain and your location at all times so that you don't get lost. End of story.

Drink plenty of water. Your body cannot function properly without water and symptoms of dehydration can be difficult to recognize. So make sure to stay hydrated, even if you don't feel thirsty.

Some symptoms of dehydration are:

• headache
• thirst
• disorientation
• low blood pressure
• dry mouth/lips

Once you recognize any of these symptoms, you are already badly dehydrated and should drink water immediately. Do not let your state of dehydration worsen. It could be fatal.

Bring a water bag. You can use it as a backup stash for filtered water AND use it for rinsing off your dishes. Having extra water at camp is NEVER a bad thing. The water you have left over from dishes in the morning can fill your water bottles for the day ahead. If you're out with just a few friends, then a 4-liter bag will be plenty. However, you might want a 6-liter bag for more than 4 people on a trip.

Using the "bathroom" in the Backcountry
It's a common misconception that burrying your used toilet paper is fine because it's biodegradeable. But the fact is that before your paper can biodegrade, some type of wild animal will smell it, dig it up, and spread it all over your campsite. So here is the solution:
Pack as many sheets of toilet paper as you think you'll need (about 6/day for guys and 10/day for girls). Put them in a plastic bag (protected from rain). Another thing you should do is to carry a brown paper lunch bag for your used toilet paper (pack it out or burn the used paper in the campfire every night). The brown lunch bag keeps the used paper separate from other stuff and also prevents you from having to look at it. You can put this brown bag inside the plastic bag to keep all the toilet paper together so that when you need to go, you only have to find and grab one bag.
Make sure that you burry your human waste AT LEAST 6 inches deep. If you are hiking and camping in the alpine tundra and cannot dig a hole that deep, you can spread your waste thinly over a rock so that it dries and biodegrades quickly. Make sure you wander far away from the trail if you do that.

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