First night in the bush

COngrats on your first adventure. If you stich with it your eventually going to end up with a lot cf camping stuff. I still have my ancient Boy Scout sleeping bag and several tents from the last 30 years.
Couple reccommendations: Alpine Designs makes very nice 1 man backpacking tents, I got mine for $40 a couple months ago, the tent itself will pack into a nalgene bottle, but not the poles. Its a very good tent that is mostly screen, the rainfly is seperate and can be mounted several ways so that it lets in the most air or covers you up from rain and weighs less than 2 lbs. Do a search for Jungle Bag, its a light weight 55 degree sleeping bag that packs down very small, several companies make them, I have a Sleep Sack from REI and its excellent. Most of my backpack camping will be south florida so I don't need a heavy one, it was about $40 I think. I also snagged a sleep pad from REI for $100, it is 3" thick and self inflating. It is the largest item in my rig, but I am old and I like the padding. There are lighter, thinner ones out there and the prices go from $20 to $300. I use a piece of Tyvek for a ground cloth, its cut to fit under my tent and stick out about 6" all the way around, got it off a construction site fer free.
Rain gear: I just got a Silnylon poncho from Campmore, excellent piece of gear that can be used as a poncho, rain fly or as a shelter when strung up as a tarp, $50 and it goes in a very small stuff sak and weighs 3 or 4 ounces.
Get a set of silk long johns from any ski shop to sleep in if its cool out and along with a light sleeping bag you will be fine
 
Congrats on starting your camping hobby! I think you did a very wise thing by checking out the equipment in the backyard for the night. I still do that myself with unfamiliar equipment before I take it to the woods and have to rely on it. Congrats also on posting your first night's adventure with us at BladeForums. Many folks wouldn't want to share for fear of getting "finger wagging" advice.

I agree with the sentiments about buying a ground pad. I never used them for years, but once I did, I was hooked. They make a huge of difference. I personally do not like sleeping bags and use blankets and sheets if I am camping where I can drive the car right up to the campsite, but I will use a sleeping bag if I am hiking the gear in instead.

Before you start investing money into gear, I recommend that you first post an inquiry here about a specific piece of equipment. Many times you might get contradictory advice because a lot of it is based on personal preference, but once you start knowing what YOU like and don't like, you will be able to cull through the posts and figure out what you should do.

Congrats again and Happy Camping!
 
Nice work. The hardest part in anything I find... is getting started.

The sleeping pad suggestions are bang on. Nothing will make sleeping on the ground as pleasant. I have two thremarests from the 90's, an "Ultralite" and a "Deluxe" model. I far prefer the deluxe for many reasons. At the very least, get something with a non slip surface.

A rubber ground sheet can help to cut down on the moisture in the tent. It really does make a difference.

Dont sleep in waterproof fabric, as you already found. Your body puts out alot of moisture as you sleep.

I often dont even bother tying my guylines at all.... and you experienced why. If gale force winds are a comin, chances are you will have time to tie those lines. Better yet, place the tent in a location where you are not going to need to walk around it that much, and tie the lines where you *cant* walk around them.
 
Congrats on starting your camping adventure, Joben! I was just a little younger than you when I got started. my family didn't camp when I was growing up, but I always wanted to. When I was in college, I very slowly started accumulating some basic gear. It wasn't until a girlfriend dumped me that I embarked on my first solo trip, a long weekend drive around Lake Michigan. It was fun, but it was a learning experience.

Joben said:
I'm trying to decide if I want to get a tent or a hammock and tarp.

I think the hammock setups look really slick, but one thing troubles me slightly...

If you need insulation, how do you handle having a bag in there, and getting in and out of the whole thing. Sounds awkward.
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I have mostly been a tenter, but have enjoyed hammock camping very much over the last few years. A tent is probably easier and more convenient for starters, as you can pitch it just about anywhere. The hammock thing does take a little getting used to, and one will either love it or hate it. If you're unsure about the hammock thing, I suggest investing in an affordable hammock, something like a Grand Trunk (formerly Travel Hammock) Ultralight model, and trying it out (http://www.thetravelhammock.com/products/ultralight.htm). That is how I got started. The UL hammock can usually be found for $20-$25 with a hanging kit. My initial hammock camping setup was as follows:

Ultralight travel hammock
Z-Rest (now Z-Lite) sleeping pad
Sleeping bag
Cheap ripstop poncho for overhead and wind protection
A chunk of Coghlan's mosquito netting - enough to cover my face and chest

RI06009.jpg


minus the sleeping bag, the hammock, a Z-lite pad, a 'GI Style' ripstop poncho, and netting will run you less than $ 90, and weigh maybe about 4 lbs. If you're not too concerned about weight, I'll recommend a larger coated nylon tarp. If money is a factor, you can buy some heavy plastic sheeting, and make your own multi-purpose tarp by adding some duct tape and grommets.

Getting in and out of your sleeping bag in a hammock usually isn't a big deal. I usually unzip my bag at least 2/3 of the way for entry and exit. Once you enter and exit the hammock/bag a few times, it'll become second nature.

I'll also mention that the Z-Rest pad has served me well on the ground prior to seeing duty in a hammock. But, my slef-inflating Therm-a-Rest pad is definitely more comfy on the ground.


Tenting is nice, too. When guying out a tent, I try to place larger light colored rocks on the stakes that anchor the guy lines. In the dark of night, I can usually pick up the lighter colored rocks against the darker ground without the aid of a light. If rocks aren't available, well, I just tried to remember where my guylines are. I usually have set paths in and out of the tent, and usually pitch it so that I don't have to walk around it much. Oh, hanging clothes or towels from guylines also aids in locating them at night.


You'll find lots of good help and advice here. Again, congrats on getting started!
 
MrCoffee said:
If you'd like some suggestions of places to hit in the New England area, drop me a note, I will get you set up with some good spots. You might also look for someone in your area to hike and camp with, simply because there is safety and knowledge in groups (unless it is a group of goverment officals).

MrC
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I've got a buddy who's been camping a couple times who will go with me, and he has some experienced friends I might be able to tag along with sometimes.

I could certainly use some reccomendations, thanks.
 
right on Joben.... glad yo hear you're getting out there man... we sleep in our yard regularly during the summer....
 
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