Camping Tips

for your North Coast adventure

GETTING LOST--CHANCES ARE--YOU COULD!

Author: Donald Vanderlugt

Camping and outdoors activities are a really great way to get in touch with mother nature and to spend some "quality" time with yourself and even your loved ones; BUT; getting lost is a scenario you should always allow for in your mindset and basic preparedness.This note is not meant to scare anybody, just to inform and possibly make a difference.

Whether hunting,climbing,hiking,rescueing or just camping , in a remote wilderness area , both your family members and friends could get separated and ultimately lost; either individually or in groups; so everybody needs to be prepared and be aware of the do's and don't's in the wilderness and general common sense survival techniques.

Before you go off on your journey , tell somebody where you are going , how many are going, and the length of time you will be away so there is an outside person who can sound the alarm bells if you don't arrive back.

Never think it will not happen to you ! Getting lost is a milestone event that even the most experienced bushmen can relate to and rememder the time 'they' got lost; these folks know the roller coaster of emotions you will experience from terror, to panic, to hopelessness , to desperation , ad infinitum; I will always remember the time I got lost and the chain of events that helped me get "out of there".

Always carry the basics for your outdoors experience, if you use a g.p.s.; these are a fantastic piece of technology; maps,compass,matches/lighter,knife , and then add on from there...tent,sleeping bag,water,first aid ; but the basic compass and map and some matches/lighter should always be carried.

Don't panic, stay calm and show this to yourself and everybody else around you as well ; just be ready to work it out when the time comes.

A simple and handy idea especially with kids is to carry a whistle, either in a safe pocket where it will not get lost or fall out or on a lanyard around the neck although this is not my preferred .

Although kids are always taught about 'stranger danger', this is a different position and that strangers could be rescuers [some children have been recorded as having hidden from 'would be' rescuers ]

Once a person realizes that they are lost; STOP AND WAIT !

Settle down and think things out, stay calm. Orientation methods are local to every location; such as ; the sun comes up in the west/east ; finding the north star and so on. My favourite is to follow the streams/creeks downstream; since if you keep following the streams downstream , you will usually find 'civilisation' and have drinking water along the way.

If nightfall approaches- get ready for a night alone [ except for the creatures ] - both mentally and physically - you will hear every little sound in the darkness and this could get freaky. You may decide to find a campfire spot uphill from the creek away from the mosquitoes and where rescuers could see you come daylight; organize enough fire wood to keep it smoldering all night; a good fire is a warm comfort at this time ; but don't forget the saying 'the bigger the fire, the bigger the fool'.

Next morning; get the fire going steadily without starting a bush fire and but on some green leaves to make enough smoke so the rescuers can find you ; this is a long job but necessary.If you hear any noises just shoot your gun, blow that whistle or yell.

So don't worry--it happens--just stop/wait and be calm.

This way you can enjoy the great outdoors knowing fullwell that you can get yourself out of there!

These are just some of my thoughts on this matter and there would be plenty other great bush survival techniques 'out there'

Author: Donald Vanderlugt

A little forethought and organization will payoff in a great memorable adventure for that next outdoors excursion you may have planned.

*Depending upon your adventure [hiking/ canoeing/ car camping] don't take along every thing including the kitchen sink, that's why you go camping in the first place; to get away from it all!....... but always allow for the worst thing that could happen because sometimes it will; freezing cold, sick kids,pouring rain,insect pests,strong winds can all spoil a great time if you are not prepared for the worst and always take along the sunscreen/hat and mozzie repellent.

*If you need to travel light you may be better off carrying food types that don't need to be cooked; the midday meal should be quick and easy for everybody especially with canoeing activities etc and keep the cooking for around the campfire or portable stove at night; try to minimize the eco impact and keep to the established cooking areas.[ be aware of fire bans ]

* Make sure you have all the requisites for a good nights sleep like a mosquito net,mosquito coils and a quick fill air mattress or pad, nothing worse than a bad nights sleep.

*Be eco friendly and take your rubbish away with you unless there are rubbish facilities available and when going to the toilet if you need to dig a hole, make it nice and deep and away from the beaten track; think of your fellow campers.

*Always be considerate of fellow campers, don't smoke out your neighbours with your camp fire or camp too close and keep the noise down to a minimum as we all enjoy a quiet nights sleep and a little privacy , if you must use a generator for electricity be mindful of the eco impact of both noise and spillage of fuels and oils.

*At packup time your camp site should look as if you were never there;make sure your gear is packed correctly , nice and dry, otherwise you will need to dry it out when you get home, because any damp material gear will get smelly and mouldy and possibly rot away .

*Obviously these notes are only a very broad outline....but you have to start somewhere........

Author: Michael Savio

Everybody wants to build a fire when they are camping. Sitting around the campfire talking is one of the most enjoyable parts of camping. But before we lite our fire we need to be sure we are safe and ready. The most important aspect of starting a fire is the preparation. This can't be understated.

For safety, before you light the match you must be sure that:

1. the fire site is properly prepared

2. you have enough tinder, kindling, and wood for the fire

3. you have cleared away all flammable debris, down to bare earth.

4. you must have a means of containing the fire. All of these steps are extremely important because a fire can get out of control if you are not prepared.

You need to make sure the fire is contained and will not spread. You want to be certain that you have enough wood because you don't want to leave a fire unattended while you are out looking for more. It is also very important to check above the fire site for low hanging tree branches, and below it for exposed tree roots.

Once you have the fire site prepared, you can turn your focus to the fire. Depending on weather conditions, this may or may not be difficult. You never know when you may need to start a fire, like in an emergency, or a downpour or the middle of winter. I always carry some matches in a waterproof container on any journey into the woods. You never know what will happen so it is best to be prepared.

Since you have gathered everything you need for a fire now you can begin to build the fire. Be sure you have everything ready before hand, the fire may not light on the first match but you want it to work the first time. The first thing to build a fire is tinder, small, dry twigs. Frequently, tinder on the ground it too wet to use.

Another method is to break of tinder off of small dead branches. Another excellent source is birch bark.

Birch bark will burn even if it is wet. It lights fast and burns hot.

Once you the tinder is lit, you can add the kindling. Kindling is larger sticks that will burn for a longer duration than tinder. These pieces are between 1/4 and 1/2 inches in diameter but lots of kindling around the small side works great. Once you have built up the fire and there is sufficient heat and burning embers, you can begin to add larger and larger pieces of wood to the fire. This is the fuel of the fire. If the fire is going and all you have is wet wood, you can dry out the wood by placing it next to the burning fire.

Another good thing to bring with you is fire starters. Fire starters will light and burn no matter what the conditions are. Trioxane bars have been used by the military for this purpose. They don't weigh much and always work well. It is important to be prepared.

It is important to know how to make a fire and to have practiced it. I can't stress this enough. Every time you are out camping try to light the fire with just one or two matches. When you really do need to get a fire started in an emergency, you will be able to do so. You don't want to find out that you can't do it when you really need it.

Camping and Trekking in the National Parks-Your Heritage

Author: Donald Vanderlugt

National parks and reserves, although blessed with all the beauty and exciting locations for great memorable adventures, can be very rugged places as well ,with no consideration for man kind. Conditions may change from good to bad in a short time If you intend to visit these locations it is important to be prepared and also to act in a responsible manner to sustain this great ecosystem for your own well being and generations to come.

Some ideas would be; · have an experienced person/guide as part of the party and possibly no less than three people so one can stay and one can go for help if one of the party gets into trouble.

-Don't plan activities beyond the physical capacity of the "weakest link" with activities such as hiking/mountain biking/,canoeing/climbing etc · if available ,contact the park office regarding the condition of tracks and roads, the levels of the rivers,fire bans,landslides etc [if there is a fire ban you may need to take a small gas stove or carry pre cooked foods]

- allow sufficient time to do every thing you set out to do so you can get back before nightfall; [some days are longer than others at different times of the year]

- before departure , make sure somebody not going with you knows where / when , you plan to return and where you are going in case things go wrong ; and don't forget to tell them all is good upon your safe return.

-Carry extra food / water in case the excursion takes longer than expected.

- Carry at least; torches plenty lightweight food plastic bags for rubbish water plus warmweather for the worst weather possible rain coats/ poncho's first aid / insect repellent / sunscreen space blanket compass/ map / gps matches /lighter

The weather may change dramatically in a short time especially in the alpine areas, so carry warm clothes even if it is nice and sunny when you start off.

Should you choose to carry your mobile check to see if your provider has coverage in the area otherwise this would be a waste of time.

Supervise children closely for loose rocks,cliffs,dangerous animals/plants,slippery rocks etc

Any fires should be completely extinguished to prevent a fire outbreak that you or anybody else may not outrun......severe penalties apply .

-Keep to established tracks and respect fences and handrails.

-Don't encourage the local wildlife especially the bears;- in case they make a late night gourmet rendezvous through your tent; don't bury the food scraps as they will only dig them up again.

If you decide to go swimming , never dive straight in , and check for submerged rocks and logs and keep an eye out for broken glass because if somebody cuts their foot open that will be the end of your adventure