Thursday, May 14, 2009

Lewis And Clark

Talk about knowing of sleeping in tents and camping out!

http://the-snow-leopard.blogspot.com/2009/05/lewis-and-clark.html

On this date in history in 1803, the Corps of Discovery departed St Louis in an attempt to find the mostly-water route from St Louis to the Pacific Ocean. Too bad about those silly Rocky Mountains getting in the way!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Effective Tent Parts Distribution: It Can Be Done

When backpacking with more than one or more other people and sharing a tent, make certain that each person has enough of the tent to make a shelter if separated from the other people in the party. This is important for being able to find cover if night should fall before reuniting. Perhaps one person could carry the ground cloth, one carry the tent canopy (a.k.a. the body), and one carry the fly. Everyone should be carrying string/rope/twine that can be used as guy line, and there are usually sticks and/or small trees available.

Of course, sticking together works too. We all try to plan on that, but it's always good to prepare for difficulties.

Car Parts as Camping Equipment

I don't know where the idea originally came from but for years we've been using the floor mats from our truck as a door mat for our tent when we car-camp. Whether it's in the regular campground or on the side of a backcountry road, those mats have always been along, not something that needed to be on the "remember to pack" list.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Bad Timing on my part!

If only I'd started this site earlier...

Well, just to let you know, REI's 'famous' anniversary sale ends tomorrow. Members can enjoy 20% off a single regularly priced item, and if you've pulled out your tent for the year and found mold or holes or missing pieces (or you just plain ol' want a new tent), that 20% off is a real boon.

Not that REI is the cheapest, but you can't beat their customer service. Whether you want to have someone show you how a variety of tents look or if you want to try them all out for size yourself, the staff is ready to help in either capacity. Cool store.

Friday, May 8, 2009

It's A Very Bad Pun, I Know!

Hello! Welcome to How inTents!

This site is intended as an idea exchange for tent camping enthusiasts who either backpack or car camp using tents (i.e. how in tents. See? I told you it was a bad pun!). My husband and I have done a lot of this over the last twenty years and as we've gotten older, we've gotten wiser about how to make it just a little bit more civilized. You don't always need the latest gear from REI or Mountain Equipment Co-op (although it's always fun looking!) and sometimes it's cool to outsmart all the 'big' outfitters by coming up with equipment and techniques that don't part you from as much of your money.

To start, the articles will be about tent camping specifically, but I'm hopeful people will contribute information about everything from backpacking food to the contents of the 'food box' or 'kitchen box' to what kind of stove you prefer. There may even be articles about lesser known camping areas and photography/photo gear advice. I'll try to toss in a recipe for camp food (beyond open this can and put it in this pot, heat, eat), and I encourage others to do the same!

Tent camping is a blast, so let's get started!