Table Of Content

A An A to Z Lexicon Camping’s FALCON 25 of Camping’s Top Secrets Revealed! th F GUIDE® A Top Secrets Anniversary L C Edition O N G U A LEXICON OF EXPERT CAMPING TIPS I D E S ® C a Camping’s Top Secrets goes beyond the scope of traditional camping books, revealing E m hundreds of fi eld-tested tips to enhance your next outdoor adventure. With clear s s e descriptions organized alphabetically for quick reference and even more handy tricks, p n t this fully updated edition by veteran camping consultant Cliff Jacobson divulges the i ia best-kept secrets based on a lifetime of knowledge and fi rsthand experience. Th is is an n l g essential reference for anyone who enjoys the outdoors—from the fi rst time camper g e to the experienced outdoorsman. ’ a s r f T o r Get insider tips on: o e p v • Forecasting the weather • Cooking and cookware e r • Rigging a canoe or boat • Treating common ailments S y a • Treating drinking water • Using maps and GPS units e d • U sing tents and other types • Camping with kids c v e of shelters • C hoosing camping clothes, boots, r n e t • D ealing with animal and insect sleeping bags, and gear ur encounters • And more! ts e : O u Cliff Jacobson is one of North America’s most respected outdoors writers and t fi wilderness canoe guides. He is a canoeing consultant and the author of more than a FALCON t Y dozen top-selling books on camping and canoeing. He lives in River Falls, Wisconsin. o GUIDES® 25TH u r Front cover photo licensed by Shutterstock.com falcon.com A M Back cover photos © Cliff Jacobson $19.95 / Canadian $21.95 NN i IV n E R d S A ® R Y FalconGuides ® E is an imprint of DIT CLIFF JACOBSON Globe Pequot Press IO N Camping’s Top Secrets i Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 1 1/11/13 2:43 PM Camping’s Top Secrets Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 2 1/11/13 2:43 PM 25 th Anniversary Edition Camping’s Top Secrets A Lexicon of Expert Camping Tips Cliff JaCobson Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 3 1/11/13 2:43 PM FALCONGGUUIIDDEESS® Copyright © 1998, 2006, 2013 Morris Book Publishing, LLC Published in 1987 by Cliff Jacobson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437. FalconGuides is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press. Falcon, FalconGuides, and Outfit Your Mind are registered trademarks of Morris Book Publishing, LLC. All photos by Cliff Jacobson unless otherwise credited. Illustrations: Robert Prince, Cliff Moen, Mary Ballachino Text design: Sheryl P. Kober Layout: Justin Marciano and Maggie Peterson Project editor: Julie Marsh Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Jacobson, Cliff. Camping’s top secrets : a lexicon of expert camping tips / Cliff Jacobson. — 25th anniversary edition. pages cm Includes index. ISBN 978-0-7627-8185-0 1. Camping. 2. Hiking. I. Title. GV191.7.J33 2013 796.54—dc23 2012048427 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The author and Globe Pequot Press assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book. The health information expressed in this book is based solely on the personal experience of the author and is not intended as a medical manual. The information should not be used for diagnosis or treatment, or as a substitute for professional medical care. Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 4 1/11/13 2:43 PM Contents Diapers and Diaper Pins .................67 Duct Tape / Repair Tape ..................67 E Acknowledgments ......................vii What! Another Camping Book? .......... viii Ethics in the Wilderness .................68 A F Alum ...................................1 Fabric Softener .........................71 Anchor .................................1 Fire Making ............................71 Animals—Bears and Other Beasts ..........2 First-Aid Kit and Procedures, by Ax ....................................10 William Forgey, MD ...................76 First-Aid Tips for Common Problems ......82 B Flashlights and Camp Lighting Devices ....84 Baking ................................15 Forest Fires ............................85 Bannock (Camp Bread) ..................17 Frisbee ................................86 Binoculars .............................20 G Boots .................................20 Bottles and Food Tubes ..................26 GPS (Global Positioning System) ..........87 Bugs—Mosquitoes, Flies, No-see-ums, H and Ticks ............................27 Hammocks for Camping .................89 Bush Living, by Sharron Chatterton .......33 Hand Cream and Lip Balm ...............89 C Honey and Sugar—Good Medicine Camera ................................35 for Wounds ..........................89 Canoe- and Boat-Rigging Tips ............35 Hypothermia ...........................90 Canteen ...............................39 K Cartop Carriers (Canoe Racks) ............40 Knives .................................91 Children (Tips for Camping with Kids) .....43 Knots, Hitches, and Lashings .............98 Clothing ...............................44 Compass ...............................49 L Contact Cement ........................51 Lightning .............................102 Cooking and Food Ideas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Lyme Disease ..........................104 Cord and Cord Locks ....................61 M Cozies .................................61 Maps and Map Tricks ...................106 D Monofilament Fishing Line ..............112 Dental Floss ............................64 N Dental Tool ............................64 Nalgene Bottle Trick ...................113 Desert Camping ........................64 Netted Bags ...........................113 Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 5 1/11/13 2:43 PM Contents P T Packs and Packing Methods .............114 Tablecloth ............................150 Pillow ................................117 Tarps (Rain Flies) ......................150 Tents .................................158 R Tents: Classics You Can Make ............173 Rain Gear .............................118 Tent Site: How to Cope with a Bad One ...177 Ropes and Rope Tricks ..................121 Tools .................................179 S Towels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179 Saw (Folding) .........................124 U Shovel ................................125 Ultraviolet Protection ..................180 Shower ...............................125 V Signal Gear ...........................125 Skis (Cross-Country) ...................127 Vapor-Barrier Liners (VBLs) ............181 Sleeping Bags .........................127 W Sleeping Pads, Air Mattresses, and Wanigans .............................182 Sleeping Systems ....................131 Waterproof Bags and Boxes .............183 Snow Glasses ..........................134 Water Treatment ......................184 Snow Shelters .........................134 Weather Forecasting ...................187 Snowshoes ............................140 Soaps ................................141 Y Solar Charger ..........................141 Yard Goods and Repair Materials .........190 Sponge ...............................141 Stool (Camp) ..........................141 Appendix A: Recommended Reading ......195 Stoves ................................142 Appendix B: Sources for. Stuff Sacks ............................146 Recommended Products ..............197 Survival ..............................146 Glossary of Common Camping Terms .....200 Index .................................207 About the Author ......................213 vi Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 6 1/11/13 2:43 PM Acknowledgments In my book Expedition Canoeing: A Guide to encouragement and use of their photos: my Canoeing Wild Rivers in North America, I wrote, friend Dr. Bill Forgey, for his practical tips “Canoeing the wild rivers of the far north on wilderness medicine; Alv Elvestad (www makes one understand why primitive man felt .pakboats.com); Gabriel Branby; Sharron so close to God.” I am not a religious man, but Chatterton; Dan Cooke; Bob Dannert; Darrell I have brushed with death often enough in Foss; Bill Friedlander; Toni and Ria Harting; the bush to appreciate the caring spirits who Rod Johnson; Rob Kesselring; Paul Kirtley; Tim guide my actions. I have spent nearly a lifetime Lynch and Mark Matheny; UDAP Industries canoeing remote rivers in northern Canada and (www.bearspray.com); Derek Moore (SPOT LLC neither I nor anyone in my charge has ever suf- and Globalstar); Jim Mandle; Heather Novaday fered a serious illness or injury. I believe that Maier (HMS Wilderness Experience); Dick I owe much of my good luck to a kindly spirit Person; Steve Piragis; Scott Power; Mike Rapatz; who watches my back and helps me make wise Thomas Rapatz; Larry Rice; Larry Ricker (www decisions. I often feel the presence of my “river .lhrimages.com); Tom Schwinghamer; Paul angel,” and I wish to say thanks. Swanstrom; Tony Way; Alan Wenker; David I also wish to credit and say thanks to Wescott, author of Camping in the Old Style; the following people for their support and Wes Rusk; and my patient wife, Sue Harings. vii Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 7 1/11/13 2:43 PM What! Another Camping Book? Camping out has changed considerably since changed at all is knowledge of the sport. The the good old days of pine-bough beds, bonfires, wise old scoutmaster who could sniff a coming and fresh-cut trail shelters. No longer is it ethi- storm and rig a tight camp in a driving rain has cal to shape the land to suit our whims. There all but been replaced by the well-meaning leader are just too few wild places and too many of us! who atones the night in his pickup camper . . . As a result, a whole new style of camping or more likely, doesn’t camp at all. Everyone, it has evolved, one geared to the high-tech, light- seems, has plenty of gear to cope with the ele- weight equipment of today. Forty-pound can- ments, but precious few know how to use it. vas tents have been thoughtfully replaced by If misery loves company, you’ll find plenty of equally spacious nylon models of one-fourth it in the backcountry. Just watch the campers the weight. Camp stoves have taken over roll home (or to the nearest motel) at the first where fires once ruled, and a deluge of new sign of rain. The notion that bad weather spells fabrics—polypropylene, polyester pile, Orlon bad times afield is so firmly entrenched in the acrylics, and Gore-Tex—have challenged tradi- minds of contemporary campers that it is prob- tional fibers. Packsacks, hiking boots, rain gear: ably pointless for me to argue the truth in the Everything has become lighter, more compact, pages of this book. Nonetheless, I shall try. and reliable. Surprisingly good outdoor gear This book is not intended to take the place can now be purchased at big-city discount of a sport-specific text on backpacking, canoe- stores—testimony to the growing interest in ing, family camping, or the like. Rather, it details camping out. Regrettably, even new technology hundreds of ideas and procedures that are never has brought disappointments. Outdoor cloth- found in traditional camping texts—ideas that ing and footwear have become more stylish and will make your next campout safer and more less adapted for use in the wild outdoors. Tents enjoyable. Main topics have been alphabetized, have become exotic, difficult to pitch, and less everything is indexed for your convenience, and rainproof than old designs. And today’s thick- space-consuming anecdotes have been elimi- bladed, serrated knives are better adapted to nated to make room for the obscure but impor- cutting through metal doors than slicing salami tant things you really need to know. and pine. Have we forsaken old ways that work Some of you may recognize procedures from for fashionable new styles that don’t? my books Expedition Canoeing and Canoeing and Amidst the generally welcomed improve- Camping: Beyond the Basics. These procedures are ments in gear, the one thing that has not repeated here for the benefit of those who don’t viii Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 8 1/11/13 2:43 PM IntroduCtIon canoe. After all, the rules of backcountry com- What’s New in the Fourth Edition? fort are the same whether you travel by foot, ski, In a word, plenty! What was intended as a light canoe, or truck camper. Foul weather can make revision morphed into a substantial rewrite you just as miserable in a state park campground with additional color photos. Why so many revi- as on a remote canoe trail. sions when the basic tenets of camping haven’t I encourage everyone who loves camp- changed in years? The answer is that if you take ing to read Camping and Woodcraft, by Horace camping as seriously as I do, you are always on Kephart, which was published in 1917; and the prowl for better ways and better stuff. Woodcraft and Camping, by “Nessmuk” (George For more than thirty years, I outfitted and Washington Sears), which appeared in 1920. guided canoe trips on remote rivers in north- Fortunately, reprint editions of these old clas- ern Canada, where having one’s act together sics are now available. The theme in both is is a tenet of survival and a prerequisite to hav- that the old-timers were not bungling idiots ing a good time. Each new adventure tested who slashed and trashed the backcountry. They old methods and encouraged me to think out- knew it took a long time to build a bough bed side the box. When I discovered a better way, or a snug shelter, so they devised surprisingly I adopted it immediately and threw past prac- good (and ecological) alternatives. For exam- tice to the wind. Recently, I have diverted my ple, Kephart carried a one-pound mattress tick; attention from Canada to the desert rivers of Cal Rutstrum—author of The New Way of the the American West. Camping in sand where the Wilderness (a must read!)—had a down-filled air available drinking water is soaked with silt and mattress and a “convertible A-tent.” And every the critters scratch and bite has posed new chal- woodsman felt that a light tarp was essential lenges. I am pleased to share what I’ve learned for rain—something modern voyagers are just in a new section entitled Desert Camping. beginning to admit. If you asked a turn-of-the- Finally, those of you who have read earlier century woodsman for advice, he’d have been editions of this book have surely noticed that more apt to tell you about the method than some of my recommendations have changed. the gear. Now, as every modern camper knows, Good! That’s the price one pays for continued the emphasis is on “things” not “skills.” At one learning. of my seminars, a man wryly suggested that Here’s wishing you warm winds, fair my camping ideas were old hat. “You’ve just weather, bug-free days, and enough good camp- taken the good ideas of Nessmuk, Kephart, and ing skills to cope with the worst of times on the Rutstrum and updated them with new technol- best of terms. ogy,” he said. “Shhh,” I replied. “Promise me you won’t tell a soul!” ix Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 9 1/11/13 2:43 PM