And, although i liked the other article on choosing a gun for home defense, i prefer semiauto handguns. Sure, you need to learn how to clear a jam; but the smoother action than a revolver (especially when adding a laser sight) makes it much more accurate.

And, now just seeing your first post, I think people camped before guns as well.

@ AcmeNews

Would you go on a boat with a captain who claimed to be so skilled he didn’t need a radio? You use the technology that’s available to you. A manly man returns safely home to his family, even if it means putting his one ounce cellphone on mute and hiding it in a piece of bark. I can guarantee you Magellan would have had a Magellan if it was available.

In some cases: dust goggles, dust mask, helmet and BB gun.

That’s all.

I’m also a(n) (former?) eagle scout, become an adventure backpacker when i’m not “car camping” with the kids. anywhoo…

No one else seems to have addressed the knife comment, so, skip the bowie knife and carry a “pocket knife” just like in the BSA, the swiss-army style, with the can opener and corkscrew. Axes/hatchets are helpful in base camps, as are saws. I have a “wire saw” in my hiking emergency / first aid kit (along with 200 yds of 250 pound test monofiliment).

As to tarps, you can use them inside or out, there are times of done both, or even over my tent. I carry two types, (three if we include the big blue or green ones when car camping). There are very usable nylon re-enforced tarps (sheets?) that weigh a few ounces and can be used under/inside/over “true” tents, for all the arguments given above; or as the tent itself with a walking pole. Personally, i don’t like to be inside a zipped tent, especially in bear country. (bugs can be dealt with by assorted netting and deet. The second “tarp” i bring are what we called “space blankets” — or “emergency” blankets. You know the flimsy mylar sheets that they hand out at marathons? There are various sizes, thicknesses, and some are reinforced. All weigh a couple of ounces, but can save a life, or just be darned useful. and, there are hiking mats, which blow up quickly and are comfy, but also keep body heat from the ground.

Sunscreen is an essential. Clearly UV and sunburn are more common than when we were kids; and doubly true when backpacking in the snow.

In terms of clothes… i think it’s wholly irresponsible to go on even a day hike without an extra set of thermal clothes. The number one cause of death in the woods is exposure, and that because the hiker became lost on a day hike. So, wear and pack clothes in layers, and use synthetic fibers or wool, (read: no cotton). And, pack an extra set of clothes in case the weather is wet and the temp is half what you expect. (and boy wouldn’t one of those light nylon tarps be useful in that case?)

Cooking over an open fire? Is this 1918? Propane or butane stoves are very technological and so even more manly than burning down the forest. And, it’s just easier to manage cooking a gourmet meal over gas versus rocks, wood and grills. Heck, i love a campfire for a good story and a baked potato, but really the mainstay of your camp cooking should be done on gas. “Take nothing but pictures, leaving nothing but foot prints”. Or, were you going to hike out those ashes? Even burying them disturbs the environment, and most people don’t properly put out a fire nor carefully dispell the fire ring. (Scratch my hautiness, if there’s an approved metal fire-ring.) If you’re care-camping, take a real AB fire extinguisher or two with you, and set it near your campfire, just in case.

Most hardcore backpacking food nowadays is cooked from dehydrated remains. You can buy stuff pre-made for you, or make your own in freezer ziplock backs, with “just add water” recipes. So, you boil water in the pot that comes with your jet boil or MSR stove, pour a cupful into the ziplock and a cup into your neoprene bottle and presto, dinner and coffee. Foil cooking is also an art form — from hamburger to poached fresh caught fish.

Night lights — reading by a tea light lantern? Sounds like another massive fire hazard. No open flames unless you’ve put out at least one forest fire should be a rule. You can buy a dozen “micro lights” — you know the ones that they sell for key chains? Plenty of light for a landing strip or a distress signal. Environmentaly friendly and the better ones “lock” on and have a clip, making illumination of an entire tent easy.

Latrines. Digging and maintaining a latrine in a wilderness area, sounds manly; but isn’t conservation minded nor sanitary. As a special forces pal of mine says, “go apache” — ie, you bring it in, you pack it out. Ziplock or dog-park bags work fine. Or, get the biodegradable plastic ones. And, please pack a full roll of biodegradable TP in a zip bag, along with a small bottle of purell. dysentary in the wilderness isn’t fun and can kill you.

Please wash my dishes, too. If you’re boiling some water for dinner, set some aside to sterilze your dishes. Just like washing your hands, it takes a 20 second rinse, that’s it. You don’t even need soap. If you’re eating from a ziplock all you’re washing is your spork. If not, and you do the old BSA trick of rubbing the dishes down with sand, pine needles or whatever, expect bear and raccoon (skunks after 2 days) WILL visit in 24 hours, unless you bag and tree the remains until you can pack out.

First aid kit shouldn’t be an after thought, nor should map, compass, and hike plan or report filed with friends and a ranger. Triple-antibiotic ointment can be a life or limb saver, too.

Cell phone. Do NOT leave it in your car. Sure, absolutely, turn it off and store it in a small water-tight bag. Carry this as part of your hiking first aid kit which is supplemental to your “base” first aid kit. If you’re lost, you may get lucky and have cell reception, especially if you’re “up”. People die all the time lost, 3 miles away, on the “wrong” side of a mountain.

Enough water (or the kits to “make” water and hands-on experience using them) to have enough water for twice the time you plan on being out. Starvation, 3 weeks. Dehydration, less than 3 days.

Cameras are supplemental, but come small enough that it’s hard not taking them. Consider getting a subscription to REI’s and EMS’s catalogues.

just my thoughts.

I loved all of the feedback on the tarp. I should’ve pointed out the importance of keeping it folded within the edges of the tent (fully under the tent.) I had honestly never heard of the alternative of putting it in the tent instead, but another reason I like to put mine under the tent is to help protect the tent floor.

@Nolan – True… SO true… on having plenty of socks.

@Rob – True also on leaving no trace. Thanks for that addition.

One of my old scout leaders emailed me after reading this and pointed out that I only forgot one thing: a woman’s hose to use as a coffee filter. He obviously doesn’t like grounds in his coffee as much as I do.

@Adam – Good catch on the bear bag. Where I am, though, the concern isn’t even bears – it’s simple raccoons. A lot of animals will be more than happy to get to your food if you allow them to.

@Nick – I loved the idea about the duct tape on a pencil. Takes no space, and two great tools in one. I’m wrapping duct tape around a pencil right now to toss into my bag.

Thanks, guys. It’s been awesome to track through the comments… agree, disagree, and learn some along the way.

I have a great story that happened about a month ago. My oldest son is part of the Cub Scouts and they had a camping event going on over that weekend. Now heres the fun part, it rained. When I say it rained I mean it RAINED. It poured two and a half inches the first night and over three and a half for the weekend. Luckily I packed for the event, although my sleeping bag was render useless. The great part is that my son had an awesome time. He and his friends played hard all weekend. The built dams, climbed rocks, and just ran around wet. No video games, no fast food, no sun and they had not just the best camping trip they’d ever had, but one of the best weekends they’d ever had.

Guys support your Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Its a dwindling organization that really needs an injection of manliness because the downside to this story is that most of the kids only got to stay one night. I going to assume its because of their parents. Most of these people cant go on a simple two night camping trip without half a dozen giants bins of stuff. Heaters, generators, CPAP machines, and five changes of clothing for a two night camping trip. Sad.

If they only knew how to take comfort in a moment that has no comforts.

Consider the environment you are going to be camping in, when planning your trip. If camping down a river (i.e. on a multi-day canoe trek down a river or through a lake system; which I recommend to all men before they die) make sure to pack your things tightly in several layers of bagging; a good method is to pack individual day’s worth of clothing (with extra socks and underwear!) into gallon sized zip-top baggies. This keeps moisture out of each day’s clothing, and saves a lot of packing and un-packing as you trek. Another tip for canoeing is to get your hands on a shipping pallet to put in the middle of your canoe, which you then can lash your gear on top of. This keeps your gear up and out of the inevitable small amount of water that will accumulate in the bottom of your canoe as you get in and out with wet feet from the edges of the river.

If you are going to be camping in one spot for a long time, with or without other campers around (my personal experiences with this have been such things as the Pennsic Wars, every August in western PA, thrown by the SCA) changing your tactics on food preparedness can be considered. I’ve heard of people who do all their shopping/foraging on site, and others who make individual meals that are easily frozen (such as stews and chilis) which then keep better in a good cooler over a longer period of time, and can be readily heated up for mealtimes over a gas cookstove, or even a pot hung over a fire.

A final tip, from personal experiences, regarding a tent’s groundsheet. Taking and utilizing a groundsheet under the floor of your tent is important. But most people do not realize that for a groundsheet to do its intended job properly (i.e. keeping moisture from seeping up into the floor of your tent) the groundsheet *must* be of a smaller size than the floor of your tent. Ideally, it should be 1-2 inches *smaller* in each direction than your tent’s floorplan. This prevents moisture (usually rain) from landing on TOP of the groundsheet and puddling between the groundsheet and the tent floor, thus defeating the entire purpose of a groundsheet!

In closing, NOTHING makes you feel more alive than getting out into nature and enjoying the great outdoors. I pray that mankind recognizes the beauty and value of maintaining and sustaining our world’s wilderness areas for future generations to enjoy the benefits of reconnecting with their Mother Earth.