Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Basic Beginner Info

Alright, so I've outfitted myself with decent gear and I'm ready to hit the woods. I can handle the hunting part and the orienteering part, but I could use some additional info as far as basic camping goes. I have done very little camping in my life, and that has all been using vehicles to transport gear and setting up at established sites. So, I would like to learn more about basic camping, such as how to choose a campsite, how to prepare a campsite, how to orient a tent to maximize ventilation and minimize negative impacts from inclement weather, and how to best secure a tent during inclement weather. Realize I will be camping in the moutains in Colorado, ranging from 8,000 to 10,000 feet for the majority of the time, so combating wind and weather will be very important. I would imagine there are some good resources on the web for beginners like me. Can someone point me in the right direction...?

Hard to explain the best spot. Never camped in Colorado. I look for spots away from direct wind. My Kifaru tipi is nearly wind proof but the trees overhead are not. Look around for rockslide risk and widow makers (dead branches and trees). Don't know if that is a risk in your area. Look at the ground to see if you are in a flood path. Just look at the environment. Wild animals are not a real risk in my view. The environment can be. However store food away from your camp. Remove dirty dishes and fry pans before you sleep.

Look for a flat spot. Do not sleep with your head lower than your legs. Never panic if lost. Do not try and hike your way out during a storm or near dusk. Set up your camp when you still have daylight. If you camp in the winter avoid avalanche areas and have some kind of wood stove. Layer your clothes so you can remove and add layers to avoid overheating Keep an eye on the hands and feet. Always have a hat even in summer. Even in summer you can get chilled at elevation if you get wet. Remember in the backcountry you must take responsibility for yourself. If you take the proper precautions back country camping is great fun.

1950s era Boy Scout manuals.

US Army Ranger Manual (21-76) (Survival) about half is command stuff)
Map Reading and Land Navigation (FM 21-26)
Special Forces Handbook (ST 31-180)

For about the best basic primer on back country navigation you'll find anywhere, see Dick Blust's Back Country Navigation for the Hunter on the Kifaru website.

http://www.kifaru.net/forums.htm

Online ......... The Inquiry Net



Books :


"The Outdoor Survival Handbook", by Raymond Mears
"A guide to the resources and materials available in the wild and how to use them for food, shelter, warmth, and navigation."


"Bushcraft", by Mors Kochanski
"Outdoor skills and wilderness survival".


"The New Way of the Wilderness", by Calvin Rutstrum
"The Classic Guide to Survival in the Wild".

Great link Walker. It's now on my favorites list for EZ reference.

Thanks for the ideas. I have read several survival manuals over the years and feel pretty good about my woodsman and survival skills. I'm also not too concerned about my navigation and orienteering. Instead, I'm trying to find something akin to "tips" for the beginning backpack camper, like how to choose and prepare a campsite, how to best meet your water needs, how best to cook and clean, etc. I know I can figure this all out on my own, but would rather learn from the mistakes and accumulated knowledge of others. I just don't think the backcountry is the best place to be learning about camping...

I would suggest trying to find a copy of "The Wilderness Handbook" by the late Paul Petzoldt, among the first American Himalayan climbers and a guy who knew his stuff. This is probably the best outdoor manual for ordinary backcountry trekking/camping that I have ever read and his advice is realistic and experience-based.

Another fine book of this type is "Backpacking One Step At a Time", by Harvey Manning, a bit "greeny", but, again the guy "walks his talk".

You HAVE to read Colin Fletcher, "The Complete Walker", it is worth it for the philosophy and fine writing as well as the various tips on hiking and camping.

The survival books are all well and good, but, they really are aimed at guys who want to think that they are Dan'l Boone resurrected or those who travel in truely extreme conditions. Kochanski's book is good, "Down But Not Out" by the Royal Canadian Airforce is excellent and there are several others of this type, if, you want to experiment with survival techniques....not a bad idea.

I would also STRONGLY recommend the following IF you travel in sub-Arctic and Arctic conditions and/or in bear country.

"Winter Wise" by Monty Alford--Heritage House Pub. Surrey, B.C.

"Bear Encounter Survival Guide" by James Gary Shelton-Partners Pub.-Holt, MI. USA

These are the two BEST books on their respective topics I know of, based on my experience here in western and northern Canada.

Try to find Petzoldt's book, it is really worth having, he started National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander, WY. and, although he had an ego the size of a Kenworth, he was the "real deal" and did what he talked about. Hope this helps.

Reading survival books may have you going crazy with carying too much stuff. If you have too much stuff, you'll wear yourself out, and then likely over correct and go out on day excursions with next to nothing and perhaps get in trouble.

Find a spot out off the wind, and with a flat spot big enough for your sleeping bag. Even when you're beat at the end of the day, if you disregard what looks like a small rock or root, you'll get a lousy night sleep.

Guy down the tent to keep the wind from blowing it away, and keep your gear covered.

If you're a flat lander, beware that it'll take a few days for you to aclimate to the elevation. Expect fatique and mild headaches. Keep exertion and distance travelled the first couple days on the mild side. I spent lots of time in the Sierra Nevadas and whenever we'd leave early in the morning, I'd be pretty useless at elevation later in the day. An evening trip and a good night sleep at elevation made for a much better start.

All of that, and much more, can be found in the first book I recommended to you, "The Outdoor Survival Handbook", by Raymond Mears. Calvin Rutstrum's "The New Way of the Wilderness", although dated in some respects, offers loads of the kind of advice you are looking for.

The more you know, the less you need to carry. Therefore, if you are as lazy as I am, I would suggest that you seek the advice of those who have been there, and done that. Mears, Rutstrum, Kochanski, Lofty Wiseman, Greg Davenport, and George W. Sears all qualify, to name just a few.

for a novice like myself, cameron hanes' new book backcounty bowhunting has offered some good pointers for the beginner, i.e. equipment, clothing, planning, etc. i'm reading as much as possible and will be including the suggestions above in my library.

Cool, I'll check out some of the suggestions, maybe all of the suggestions before I'm done. Thanks again to everyone for their guidance and assistance.

I second Kutenay's recommendation of Colin Fletcher's "The Complete Walker".

Besides the wealth of info Fletcher is a very engaging writer and you'll be turning the pages over rapidly. There are some very funny passages in the book.

I second all of the other threads. The first thing I do is to look up. As mentioned in one of the threads dead stuff falling on top of you is the main concern. The door of the tent should face away from the wind. Usually there will be a prevailing direction the wind will come from. Make sure you have your guy ropes snug. And, your rainfly taunt. If it snows you may have to get up and shake off the snow especially if it is wet and heavy. Water is usually packed in where we packback in. If you are lucky and have a source make sure you purify it somehow-filters, idodine etc. About a gallon a day will do you if you have to pack it in. Cooking is done on a white gas Whisper Lite stove. I use Lipton Rice dinners spiked with dried veggies and anything else you can think of. Easy to cook and digestable. One of the most handy items to have is a headlamp. It frees your hands whether gutting in the dark or cooking dinner. Also one of the thread mentions the altitude. You will be up there where it will affect you. Even if you are in tip top shape be careful and listen to your body. Have fun.

Forkhorn