

I'm getting back into camping and backpacking (White Mountains style) on a regular basis after something of a hiatus. I'm having an absolute ton of fun (it helps finally living close to some good backcountry) and one of the things that is the most fun to me is working on what I think of as my "camping skills," i.e. the little bag of tricks that help to make trips go more smoothly and pleasantly. I'm talking about the word-of-mouth stuff that generally gets passed from parent to child, Scout Leader to Scout, or between camping buddies, the stuff you won't always find in a manual or handbook.



I'd like to up my game and have some fun by trying out some new tricks, so I'm asking you to share some of your favorites with me. I'll provide some examples to help give a more concrete idea of what I'm asking about. For instance, when I'm hiking and I'm getting close to my campsite, I like to gather a little bit of firewood as I walk along so that I don't have to do as much wood-gathering once I get there. Or for a different kind of example, I always bring a few cotton bandanas in my pack; they're cheap, they weigh next to nothing, and they're endlessly useful. A final example would be that if it's cold out you can stick tomorrow's clothes inside your sleeping bag with you at night so that they'll be warm when you put them on in the morning.



That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about: stuff that is simple, costs little or nothing, and which makes things easier by saving weight, time, or labor or which solves a problem in a clever way. Help make my camping and backpacking trips more fun and pleasant by sharing your wisdom.

I'm looking to up my backpacking game. What tricks, strategies, and indispensable-but-overlooked items do you take with you into the backcountry? I'm looking for little things that cost little or nothing in terms of weight or money, but which make life easier in camp or on the trail. What are some of your most clever solutions?