A few stupid questions

C

CSRevenant

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Jun 13, 2010
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I have a few dumb questions for all of you experts. I don't come from a camping or survival background.

1. What are some methods for open fire cooking and water boiling, with just a mess kit, no grill or grate. Do I just set the pan on some coles?

2. Space in my bag is limited, and I dont have much room for a sleeping system. Currently, I have one of those mylar poncho blankets, and a big blue tarp. I live in the pacific northwest, so I would need to survive 30-50 degree nights. Should I make space for some kind of sleeping bag? I have a sleeping bag, but it is just the standard kind, and isnt too compact.

3. Would a tarp covered in fir branches and leaves make a decent shelter?


Thanks for any insight.
 
1.) Raise the kit a bit off the fire, maybe with some stones, ( not river rocks, you don't want them to explode.) Maybe put two logs close enough over the fire to rest the Kit on.

2.)You don't give much information, what size pack are you using and what else are you carrying? What kind of pack? If it is small, can you strap a sleeping system to the outside of it?

3.) Probably not. Practice and do a little more research before going out.
 
your going to need to spend a couple bucks in order to get out there and be anything like comfortable.
1. Boiling water - I like the stainless steel guyot water bottles. You take off the lid and set it right in the fire, $10
2. As stated above you can strap whatever sleeping bag you have on the outside of your pack, get a couple of compression straps on it to squeeze it in a bit.
3. If you rig your tarp like a lean to with the bottom side facing the wind and the open side facing the fire and cover it with branches and leaves it will indeed make a decent shelter. I would also advise doing some research and look up some tarp shelters and do a little back yard camping before departing tfor the deep woods.
go check out Bushcraftuse.com, TONS of good info over there
 
Those guys are right on with the cooking/boiling. There are other ways as well, a hot rock can be dropped into a cloth bag of water, it will boil the water. Keep adding rocks as needed. I have a few of the Guyot bottles in stainless, so it serves dual purposes.

I just got a Kifaru Woobie, it's supposed to be good down to 40-50 degrees. They also sell a Doobie, with double insulation, depending on your shelter, clothes, and personal body, you might be okay down to the teens? Basically these are blankets, very compressable, and very light. They have 14 paracord loops built in, tie them together to make a sleeping bag. They are worth checking out.. www.kifaru.net

You will spend some money to have a sleep system that is packable, light, and warm. I use a pad for the gound, bivy or tent, and now my Woobie or when it's real cold I have a 0 degree down bag.

Shelter is a whole other topic, build one, carry one, buy some 4 mil plastic sheeting and cut out something like 10'x10', wrap a rock in the corners to tie some paracord to the corners, run a ridge line through the middle, or lean to, pup tent shaped, or however the situation dictates.
You will spend calories either way. A two person tent with a tarp has weight, you carry that for however many miles, have to set it up, tear it down, and carry it out. Or, you can carry just a tarp, and use nature as part of your shelter. In some locations, the bugs will eat you alive, so a bug screen, or tent, is necessary. Some folks love hammocks, $20-$250, depends on what you need. There's just so many ways to do it.

Maybe I'm more into comfort than others, but good sleep is nice. You'll have to determine your comfort level. The Internet is great for finding products and techniques that you may not be aware of. Do some searches, so you are as informed as you need to be.
 
1. non-river rocks very near edge of fire or suspend pot over fire

2. wool blanket added to what you have would help

3. Many bugs in PNW, but well set-up tarp will work. I did a 10 day trip near Glacier Peak years ago with a tarp, I did have VERY nice weather though.

PNW is a beautiful place with odd weather. Be preppared for wet anytime of year.
 
I just set my pot on coals, but tend to cook things with lots of water to avoid having to scrub the bottom. You can always make a grill out of green wood when using coals. It will eventually burn out on you, but not usually before you've cooked your food.

I am one of those folks who think a sleep system is worth investing in. I bought this bag last year, a down barrel bag for $87 that folds up nice and compact and weighs about 2 lbs. http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441775397&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302889791
It takes me right to freezing temperatures and I've used it to down to 26oF that while chilly was sufficient. Other folks swear by a wool blanket used in conjunction with a long fire for warmth. This takes some practice but can be quite effective. I wouldn't use a sleeping bag with fire for warmth because most bags get ripped up by sparks and I sort of have a nightmare about waking up to melted bag burning into my skin.

You will also need a sleeping pad of some kind. The cheapest, and just as effective albeit less compact, is a closed cell foam pad. I use a thermarest ridgecrest one ($30), but prefer my ultralight thermarest self inflatable ($80) which is more compact. Generally I find it useful to supplement the pads with natural insulation material. You can also go with totally natural, on-site, materials for your ground insulation. In some areas this is great (e.g. where there are plenty of grass reads) but can be more challenging when you haven't pre-scouted a site to know what is available or whether you are allowed to do so in the area you are camping. I'd suggest having a foam pad with you and putting it on a raised platform of logs or sticks and supplementing with pine boughs or grass reads as a comfortable middle ground.

Tarps - I prefer tarp camping in the winter and fall months when bugs are less of an issue. In the heat of the summer I go with a hammock. Tarps are a great light weight method for shelter. They are more consistent with fire and you can use your emergency blanket (hung or taped to the inside of the tarp) to reflect the heat back to you. Many people use this with a wool blanket and long fire to provide their heat. In this case, you will be having to stoke the fire every 2 or 3 h through the night to stay warm, but it works. Like others have said, this takes a lot of practice - both for fire control and safety and to ensure you are protected enough from the elements. Make sure you practice in a safe location until you have enough confidence to do this in more remote areas. It would help to have somebody on hand to show you the best methods here. A short course in survival would be an asset.

Do not overestimate the ability of Nature to kill you in the night. She is pretty indiscriminate about it!
 
I found a nice mummy style bag, rated to 35 degrees, an its fairly compact, Ill just strap it to my bag. Should I still get a foam pad? Or improvise in the field with sticks and whatnot? I dont have much more room, especially for a big foam pad.

I plan on testing out my gear this summer, and doing some backyard camping.
 
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