TexasKayakFisherman.com

I probably carry to much stuff,,, extra batteries, extra lantern, radios, 50 foot ropes, (depening on where the camp/trip is), extra toilet paper, you name it,,,, As long as I can paddle safely with it, or hump it, if I have to..

Those that have been with me, know that I also carry rolls of that survey tape,, to mark the return trip in some areas,,,

For me , I make a check off list about 2 days out, and before I leave the house I go down the list again. Using a list works best for my,,,,,, mind.....


I don't have one piece of gear that I would hesitate to dump over board or leave behind if it was a crisis, be it injury, M.O.B., severe weather, evac, All that junk can be replaced...

If I am camping out of the trailer,,,, well ,,,that is another story.....

Good stuff here

Like Capt Jack does with his tents, I do with my Thermarest sleeping pad--I store it fully inflated and lay it on top of my kayak. Same with the compressible pillows. They have more loft if stored un-compressed.

I wash my tent if it gets wet and muddy and air dry

Wash my life jackets now and then too--extends the life

Alcohol hand gel is a great in a pinch fire starter

Coffee can holding toilet paper soaked in 80-90% rubbing alcohol nice quick fire starter--and coffee can be used for other purposes.

If using MRE's I take them out of main package and they pack a lot smaller that way.

If you burn something that sticks to bottom of a pan, river sand and rock can SCRUB some dishes.

Prefreeze what drinks you can in the summer

If you have space, what I did with my sleeping bags is hang them off their loop vertically in my garage off a ceiling hook---like bags are displayed at stores

Bandanas have thousands of applications

That's all I can think off the top of my head for now

Want campfire bisquits? Get one of those styrofoam tortilla warmers from Walmart, first fry your bacon, put a couple of paper towles in the warmer and put your bacon in to keep them warm. Open your bisquits, split in half so you have two thin ones, put in bacon grease over med. heat, cook and flip til both sides are a nice toasty brown, put in warmer. Cook your eggs in what little bacon grease is left and there you have it, hot bacon, bisquits, and eggs. Your bisquits will fluff up when fried.

I like to take a leaf rake to the beach to clear beach off tar balls...

Liquid Soap. Having to deal with bar soap while camping is pain. Even the little yellow plastic boxes still get messy.

TURKEY ROASTER PUT ANYTHING IN IT AND FORGRT ABOUT IT(CORN , CHICKEN , ROAST,VEGEES).LIFESAVER!!!! PROVIDING YOU HAVE ELECTRICITY

PROVIDING YOU HAVE ELECTRICITY

That's not camping.

Sand Trout wrote:

PROVIDING YOU HAVE ELECTRICITY

That's not camping.

Camping is whatever you want to make it. Anything from backpacking to driving in an RV. It's getting away from the routine and enjoying nature. Who really cares if you're using electricity? If you don't want like electricity while camping, then have at it! Personally, I'll be using an electric blanket in the camper this winter......and I'll sleep better than you!

Oh.....and I use an electric frying pan to cook a lot of meals while camping. You can cook a variety of meals with it and easy clean up.

Paddlefoot - I'm with you on the electricity.
If we're car camping, I would just as well have a site with electricity, even with our big car tent.
fan in the summer - small heater in the winter - and other electrical niceties
I can do without it, but, the wife is a whole lot happier with it

Paddlefoot wrote:
Camping is whatever you want to make it. Anything from backpacking to driving in an RV. It's getting away from the routine and enjoying nature.

And I agree with this also ...... I enjoy all types of camping.

When my daughter was young we spent a month (July) on the S. Llano in a tent and were very comfortable and she loved it. Now a month in the summer in a tent would have cost quite a bit just for ice so we bought an apartment size frig. and a 9K btu a/c for the tent kept us nice and comfortable. You can say what you want but we were camping and had a great time on the river.

td- that is style buddy. You forgot to mention the persian rug! lol

-Definately agree with and always bring a packable tarp and extra chord or rope. i have chord and rope stashed everywhere in my truck and gear. I have had dry as a bone camping during unexpected rains with tarps strung from trees.
-in my storage container/camp kitchen i keep extra hemostats, extra pocket knives, a reflective mylar thermal blanket or 2, duct tape, and a cheap compact pancho in case someone forgets or rips their shell.
-for fire brewed coffee wax the bottom of your coffee percolator with bar soap for easy removal of soot.
-as i camp in winter and without a cot, i try to always bring a wool horse blanket to line the tent floor for warmth.
-**dont expect a new tent to be waterproof. always use seam sealer before using tent for first time.

Toothpaste, your flavor of choice, will take the fish smell off your hands after fishing. Really don't even have to have water.

Most fast food reataruants buy their pickles in five gallon plastic buckets. These have water tight and air tight sealing lids. I ask the manager for a pickle bucket and he knows exactly what I mean. Simply wash them out with a bit of soap and water till the smell is gone...and viola!! A floatable watertight container that fits rather nicely in a canoe or (probably) a kayak.

It will protect a sleeping bag, clothing, food, and with a bit of foam padding most electronics small enough to fit inside. Costs only a few minuets of time and doubles as camp chair when embelished with a pillow.

Still have the one I carried with me on my first canoe trip down the Brazos back in "78."

M.saxatilis

CaptJack wrote:one of the tricks of sleeping on the ground is to shape out a hollow in the dirt for your hip/butt

always take at least a small shovel on trips to the beach
and any other time you can afford the space & weight

Sand Trout wrote:Carve out a trench around the perimeter of the tent to pull the rain water away. There's nothing worse that a soaked tent.

You guys never heard of Leave No Trace ethic, I take it.

http://www.lnt.org/programs/principles_4.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My favorite camping accessory is my "custom-modified combo trailer-hitch cargo-carrier & transport cart".
Used it in Colorado a few years ago to haul the family's "stuff" from our vehicle to a so-called "primative" camp-site (up & down 400+ yds of cleared walkway). Improvised a rope-halter on the front of the cart so my son to pull while I pushed from the rear.
It helped me haul everything "we needed" from home (note wife-unit in below pics); and once on-site, saved multiple trips to the vehicle - and probably prevented a strained back for me.

I deleted a couple post,play nice guys and read the number one rule of this forum
Thanks
Ron

bowgarguide wrote:I deleted a couple post,play nice guys and read the number one rule of this forum
Thanks
Ron

Good call. Thanks, Ron. This has been a great thread with lots of good info.

Thanks BGG. I was feeling cornered...

Barnacle Bill wrote:I thought it would be cool to start a helpful hints thread after reading about filling plastic bags with sand to anchor tents when the wind picks up... .

Never heard of using sand bags to anchor a tent but the 1st thing I do after buying a tent is get some of those big aftermarket tent stakes to anchor it down with, those cheap ones that come with tents nowadays aint worth a flip! Although I've never camped on the beach in a tent on the sand, the sand bags there might come in handy in that environment. I also buy some of that water proofing tent seal in the spray cans and spray my tents every time before I go camping to insure they don't leak in case it comes a big rain.

When taking ladies on a trip involving primitive kayak camping, go to the extra effort to take along a portable pot and a modesty screen. They will appreciate your effort.

Academy has a "shower" tent that hangs from a tree for about $25. If you are going to areas where the trees are not tall enough to hang anything, Bass Pro has a self standing "shower" tent for about $50. The Bass Pro "shower" tent folds into a circle about 25" in diameter and 2" thick.

Lollipop

bbop wrote:Ok--A small kanundrum here---
I'm looking at getting an ax.
I see Wal Marts Ax for around 7 dollars.
I go to Lowes and see the 20 dollar ones and they don't seem any better/sharper.
I know that you usually get what you pay for--But---
Can anyone tell me the difference?

Best hatchet and axe you can buy are Estwing.

Check it:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... jsp.form23" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bassbug wrote:

bbop wrote:Ok--A small kanundrum here---
I'm looking at getting an ax.
I see Wal Marts Ax for around 7 dollars.
I go to Lowes and see the 20 dollar ones and they don't seem any better/sharper.
I know that you usually get what you pay for--But---
Can anyone tell me the difference?

Best hatchet and axe you can buy are Estwing.

Check it:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... jsp.form23" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Better site for estwing
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... id=0006581" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I like to take 3 or 4 of the cloth grocery sacks. They are great for wet shoes and towels.
Use them for coats and rain suites that you want to protect but keep at hand. They stuff into
cracks between other stuff. If you have an empty, you can always fill it with groceries.

A couple of things I bring other than the obvious:

Headlamp - wouldn't leave home without it

Footprint for the tent

Just picked up a buff for the sun/wind

Crystal light or Gatorade propel individual packs for filtered river water.

Mesh bag for trash and floating beverages in the river.

Water filter and nalgene bottles

bbop wrote: I'm looking at getting an ax.

Axes while camping scare me. I grew up using one and have never had an accident with one, but when someone does have an accident with an ax, you need care beyond what most of us are trained to handle. A bow saw will do most things an ax will do, only better and safer.

Lollipop