Post Your Camping/Backpacking Traditions

B

bkrosco

Joined
Mar 15, 2008
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384
I am looking for a list/pictures of things you ALWAYS/MUST bring with you and/or DO while camping.

I will go first. I always make a spoon out of wood the first day of camping and use it throughout the trip. I am not very good at it so as long as I make it through the trip without getting a sliver inside of my mouth it was a good one. Occasionally, if it is a longer trip I will make another one as the first one tends to get nasty but I try to use the same one for as long as possible. :) Hey, I do wash it at least!

Also, I have 4 kids (youngest is two) so we all whittle our own stick for roasting marshmallows (well, the two year old gets a pass at least until next year).

For me, camping is about family fun outdoors. So, let me see/hear about some of your traditions as well as equipment that you MUST bring with you each outing.
 
With my young ones I always brought a rock hammer with glasses so that we could break "pretty "rocks to see what is inside of them.This was never done in any park.Kids would drag in whatever and I would break it.Also brought along a net that doubled for small fish and butterflies and a minnow trap to be set somewhere along a waters edge to see what we could catch.Always kept them busy me too.
My children were taught the way to handle a knife and axe.They used them properly every trip much to Moms horror (and never an incident I might add)
They all had their own canoe paddles tied with a rope for easy retrieval when dropped

Dan'l
 
Only real tradition we have is to grab some local brews when we come out.

We do sort of have informal contests as to who can catch the smallest trout also.
 
I always bring a tin of sardines and eat them on crackers on the first night. The oily fishy smell often annoys the hell out of my friends and most likely attracts every carnivore within thirty miles but it's a tradition so I have to do it.

The other tradition I have is to go right from the trail at the end of my trip and eat out at a nice restaurant. No matter how dirty and stink laden we are, my hiking partners and I revel in mixing it up with the locals at dinner.
 
My tradition? LOL. The first thing I do when I get to a campsite (canoe or car camping - don't backpack anymore) is make a 'shitter'. Dig a trench, throw up a tarp, and leave a lantern and any other necessities there.

The reason I do this is because I can't count the number of times I've had to get up in the middle of the night, when it's raining and answer nature's call. It probably has something to do with being in an environment different than my day-to-day.

This 'ritual' gives me comfort, knowing that if necessary, I'm ready! :D

One of the reasons I'm posting this is in case there's anybody else here that's afflicted the same way, they might find this is just the ticket. And for those of you, whose significant other also find this to be problematic, this is your chance to score brownie (no pun intended) points, big time.

Doc
 
JRB said:
I always bring a tin of sardines and eat them on crackers on the first night. The oily fishy smell often annoys the hell out of my friends and most likely attracts every carnivore within thirty miles but it's a tradition so I have to do it.

The other tradition I have is to go right from the trail at the end of my trip and eat out at a nice restaurant. No matter how dirty and stink laden we are, my hiking partners and I revel in mixing it up with the locals at dinner.
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Hey JRB,

I don't know where you camp, but if you're in bear country, you might want to rethink this tradition. Many years back, 2 or 3 young boys/men were killed by a bear in Algonquin Park, here in Ontario. IIRC, the attack was attributed to the bear being attracted to fish guts on their clothing (they had been fishing).

Just my 2 cents and intended as constructive.

Doc
 
Well, there are the basics, of course: orient, double check compass and directions, go through gear, etc. I trust we all do that.

But the traditions we usually go through involve the kids.

1. Kids need to find, make, and refine a walking stick. Find some non-rotten deadwood on the ground, pick off the twigs and scrap, and put it to use. They can change out their sticks anytime they find a better one, but sticks never leave the site. When we return to go home, the sticks are respectfully placed back among the trees off the trail.

2. Nominate your point. This is the kid who gets to walk first along the trail and "lead the way" for everyone else. After a while, switch him out with another kid. Even very little kids get a thrill from being first in line and gets a bit of leadership experience. Dad tends to lead coincidentally whenever the terrain gets tricky or there's a slip or a dropoff nearby.

3. First one to spot bona fide animal tracks gets to ID the animal and tell a story about what it was doing.

4. Going through snowy woods, one thing you always do when everyone is staring ahead? Grab a branch and shake the snow down onto their heads.

5. One bit I do for myself--don't know who here also does it but I never call attention to it--is at some point I touch a leaf on a tree with finger and thumb just to say hello. Don't know when I started doing this--it had to be in the late 80s--but it connects me a little bit with everything around me. The type of tree doesn't matter too much. And it isn't greeting just that tree, but all of them, everywhere. In deserts, I'll often pinch a bit of soil or sand and let the wind blow it away. Same reason.
 
Hey Watchful, I've heard of tree huggers, in fact I are one, but you are the first leaf pincher, I ever heard of. :thumbup:

Doc

And not to get into another argument, but I differentiate between tree huggers (which refers to people who love trees and nature in general) and anti-hunting types, who are against hunting. They are not one in the same. I went off on a rant about this one time before here, so it doesn't need to be repeated. Just wanted to clarify.
 
DOC-CANADA said:
And not to get into another argument, but I differentiate between tree huggers (which refers to people who love trees and nature in general) and anti-hunting types, who are against hunting. They are not one in the same. I went off on a rant about this one time before here, so it doesn't need to be repeated. Just wanted to clarify.
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I am, without any shadow of doubt, a tree hugger, but I have to eat. :D

Don't really have any hard and fast traditions other than maybe a dram of good sippin whiskey when the sun goes down and the work is done for the day. Chris
 
1. Must have a fire.
2. Must cut a f***stick to maneuver and fiddle & F*** around with fire which is how this particular stick gets its name. :D
3. Must have Dinty Moore Beef Stew on at least one night over the fire. Right out of the can with a USGI Spoon which is more like a ladle.
 
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;)
 
I do many things by ritual..

One of them is I write down the days events--what happened(good and bad) as well as what I needed more of--or what I forgot.

This information is a great way to re-live former trips and to make a great check list of things not to forget to bring.

And one of the things I used to do with my son when he was younger was bring a "Jiffy Pop" popcorn tray.I can still remember how big his eyes got as the popping started in the camp fire..

Good memories
 
Don Rearic said:
1. Must have a fire.
2. Must cut a f***stick to maneuver and fiddle & F*** around with fire which is how this particular stick gets its name. :D
3. Must have Dinty Moore Beef Stew on at least one night over the fire. Right out of the can with a USGI Spoon which is more like a ladle.
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2.Different name for the stick, but no idea how to spell it so it make sense to anyone not from Mississippi.:D
3. Home made pound cake. It's just not a camping trip without a slice(or 10) of pound cake and a cup of coffee!!
 
Unless we are going for a hike that day the first thing we do is crack open some beers to drink while we are setting up the tents.....

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Shortly after that I might do one or more of the following:

Tear off my shirt and beat my chest while roaring loudly !
Urinate all round the area to ward off bears !
Stick all my knives in the nearest bit of wood and take a pic so I can post it here when I get home !
 
My wife has a tradition. They're called Smore's, and she has to carry them.
But I have to admit, they are darn good.
 
DOC-CANADA said:
Hey JRB,

I don't know where you camp, but if you're in bear country, you might want to rethink this tradition. Many years back, 2 or 3 young boys/men were killed by a bear in Algonquin Park, here in Ontario. IIRC, the attack was attributed to the bear being attracted to fish guts on their clothing (they had been fishing).

Just my 2 cents and intended as constructive.

Doc
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I have and do only hike in black bear country and use a hanging bear bag for my gear. I also make extra effort not to get fish on my clothing. I've never had a problem with a bear attack yet. The closest I've come was a night in the Adirondacks when I watched a bear walk within 50 feet of my tent. It was nerve racking but otherwise uneventful.
 
Great idea for a thread. My wife brought smores the last time we camped and I wouldn't mind if she made that a tradition. My usual tradition is more along the lines of hung-solo's.
 
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