Any kind–drive-up camping, backpacking, RV camping, in the woods, at the beach, in a shelter, let’s hear it all.
Psychedelics and people you trust
I used to love LSD at festivals but coming down in a tent while people were still partying outside is the worst.
I couldn’t ever manage around groups of people like that or being in public for too long. The most exposed I’d be willing is likely just like floating down a river or something, plenty of people, no real reason to interact outside of a quick hello
I don’t do it much any more but one of my favourite pass times used to be taking a load of acid and then going to a very public place or somewhere that you are forced to be around lots of people and have many interactions.
Busy shopping centres, a zoo, busy pubs, an ex girlfriends family wedding where I knew no one. I guess it was kind of masochistic in a way but I just really enjoyed putting myself into challenging situations whilst tripping. The challenge was always to try take the highest dose possible and still be able to actually keep my shit together. I’m sure plenty of people I interacted with at those times thought “this guy is blasted out of his mind, Jesus” but who gives a fuck, I’m never seeing these people again and it actually made me want to speak to people in the first place.
These days I prefer to just lay down, listen to music and drift off into the stratosphere.
When I was younger, I really wanted to drop and skydive, but the older I get, the more I lean towards lay down and music.
That would be pretty intense and fucking awesome but yeh these days I dunno if I could be bothered.
Put your shoes in your tent at night so slugs don’t crawl in them. Camping in a national Forest is often free. Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints.
Try not to leave even footprints please. People go trailblazing way too often when there’s perfectly good trails already.
In the U.S. of A - in Germany do not camp in the wild if you’re fond of your money. Although we have a milder variant of the Allemannsretten, ours excludes camping in the wild
This depends on the state.
For instance in Brandenburg and Schleswig-Holstein you can camp “in the wild”*
*there is limits in natural preserves, and what is defined as camping can vary. e.g. tarp vs tent, obv. no RVs…
Nope. You can’t.
Brandenburg only has extended and codified the “taking an interruption of your travel” (Rast) into their nature laws - and you must leave after one day. You are only allowed to use it minimally and e.g. make no fire,etc. And even then you need permission from the owner - which the state doesn’t usually grant for their woods/grounds.
In Schleswig Holstein it’s totally forbidden besides the “wild camping spots” - but these are just more “wild” campgrounds, similar to what you find in US national parks. And cost money,btw.
About 2-3 cheap string-lights that run off USB battery packs (EDITed out this:
run off the 2x AA-battery-packs). Mulitple light angles is better than a single light source. Cheery and festive. Get a multicolored string, if camping with kids or you are a fun camper.Also OSMand mapping software, configured with offline maps of your camp area. Install the hillshades and height maps for extra detail. Enable and add an overlay-layer of Satellite data. Then scan your camp area and surrounds while online, so that it will cache the satellite map tiles needed when you are off-grid.
I just want to add that I got a cheap string of LED red lights that just power off a USB power bank. Red light lets you see in the dark while not ruining your night vision! I create a huge circle around me because somehow that makes me feel safe when I’m sitting at a fire.
Nice, I’ll check for the USB ones.
A large red circle… summoned anything yet? :^P
Thanks for sharing the OSMand recommendation and configuration.
I’ve got a hike coming up, so I just installed it - wow, it’s fantastic. It captures the elevation change and distance. I thought I’d need to limp along with Google maps, but OSMand is sooo much better (and open source).
edit: a word
You’re welcome. OSMand is a fun powerhouse.
You can test which offline-map tiles you have by switching to airplane-mode.
There is a 3D map view also, but it may still be in testing status.
As always, for all people heading out remote, it’s good practice to have a secondary map available, such as a laminated paper map.
bring extra food for the first timers. they wont bring enough.
Know where to pitch a tent.
If you are close to a stream, pitch the tent a few meters above the water. If it rains you don’t know how quickly it can rise.
In the same wake, if you are pitching on a plain, pitch your tent on a relative rise. If you pitch in a relative depression rain will drench you.
If you pitch on a slope, and there will usually be slight slopes, pitch your tent so, that your head is facing upwards when sleeping.
If a storm is expected you might be inclined to pitch under a tree, but be careful. If a branch breaks off and hits you, that can be very bad.
If you pitch your tent in the open and it is a hot summer, the inside will get very hot very quickly. Make sure to get up and out early, don’t get wasted at night and bring reflective covering. People died at festivals when they stayed in their tents when getting wasted and then getting roasted in their tents.
Being able to read a campsite is a skill to find the best one and where to place everything. Tent placement is key.
Ear plugs. Because that rustling of leaves is just a raccoon and most definitely not a serial killer. I like wax earplugs for sleeping versus foam.
Maintain hygiene regimens to greatest degree possible. Don’t skimp on washing face or brushing teeth that you would typically do at home.
Food makes or breaks a trip for me. The weather could be awful, plans could go awry, but as long as everyone is well fed, there’s potential.
I’m not a no-tech purist while camping but do try to use trips as a time to reset tech habits. Can you go for 24 hours without an Internet connected device? Kinda similar to the occasional dry week or break from coffee/caffeine: check in and see how you’re interacting with tech.
Have a first aid kit and know how to use the stuff in it.
I’d say earplugs because your fellow camp ground people might not be so thoughtful.
Somehow the idea of a raccoon is scarier to me and always causes me to wake up and start growling like some prehistoric dingus
Hammock tent. All the advantages of a tent and a hammock.
Don’t have to worry about your tent getting flooded, no need for an air mattress or sleeping pad.
I have a bug net that came with mine, so no bugs either. Now I just need to find two trees…
Hammock camping is great for bikepacking too!
They can can get uncomfortably cold really fast at night though.
If it gets colder than 60 at night you’re going to need an underquilt. That plus a rain tarp and you’re golden.
Headtorch.
Instructions unclear. Applied fire directly to forehead.
HEADTORCH APPLY DIRECTLY TO FOREHEAD! HEADTORCH APPLY DIRECTLY TO FOREHEAD!
some have red light functions, which wont blind people youre looking at
Highly recommended if you camp socially often. Blinding people with your headlamp is a social faux pas among experienced outdoors people.
If you are cheap like me, you can use a normal head torch and hold it in your almost-closed fist, that reduces the blinding a lot and you can control how much light you want
Honestly good in general if you live in a place that’s sometimes night.
If you’re out bike touring, KOAs almost always have spots set aside for cyclists to camp. Both KOAs and state parks are really useful for showers and clothes washing. Was genuinely surprised how many state parks had both when I toured across the U.S.
If you’re in Washington state, the state parks are legally required to find room for you to camp if you rolll up on a bike and they’re otherwise full.
That’s great info about KOA and Washington State!
Love staying at state parks on bikepacking trips, the warm showers are always a lifesaver.
Lay a layer of logs on the ground before making your camp fire on top of it. Ideally larger ones. They’ll lift the fire off the damp ground, improve air flow and act as fuel once the fire gets going.
Tarps are your friends. Obviously get the footprint sized ones for your tent but bring extras. I like to have one in front of my tent for shoes and things to keep it cleaning going in and out. Or I like to use it to change on if my tent is too small. Great to throw over or wrap things to avoid the dew in the morning. Got to bring a tarp
Plus you don’t have to even buy the manufacturer’s special ground tarp for your tent. I picked up a huuuge tarp at a yard sale for like $5. And cut a footprint-size piece for my tent and had oceans of tarp left over for other camping and household uses.
Good point. I got to do that. I have one that’s a little too long for my footprint. I’ll have to cut it to make it exact
For the newbies, you don’t want your footprint tarp sticking out from under your tent if you can help it. It will wick water under your tent (rain, dew). Even waterproof fabric can fail given too much water exposure.
Exactly. Nothing sticking out
- Tiny pop-up tent, easier to carry if you can fit inside
- Headlamps
- Sleeping pad or something to separate you from the cold ass ground
- Don’t interact with the cute little bear cubs
Pack a book. Everything from hammock backpacking to week-long glamping festivals, I’ve never regretted bringing one along.
Bring as many as you can. Even on Philmont I had two.
When cooking with a skillet, let the fire die down, gather as many hot coals as possible and set your skillet firm on top your coal pile.
When cooking with a pot, hang it above a low fire, in most cases you wanna make sure the flames aren’t licking your pot.
This pic is from my last camping trip, if you wanna know how to build the tripod, there are pleanty of youtube videos on the topic.
If you’re in bear country, you want to hang your food high from a tree branch. Not right next to the trunk, bears can climb like squirrels. It’s really amazing how fast they can climb a tree.
Also hang toiletries; don’t keep toothpaste or anything scented in the tent with you.
That will work in some regions. In others you may need to rent a bear canister. Talk to your local rangers to find out what’s appropriate, it depends on the local bears.
Also for bear country, don’t cook where you sleep
If you catch site of a bear, spread out your arms and legs (and use any jackets like frills) to make yourself as big as possible, and make as much noise as you can.
Do Not Run Bears can run at like 40 mph
