My family used to camp when I was a teenager and I hated it and avoided it as a young adult. When I married a scoutmaster, I knew it was time to give it a second chance. It's amazing what you can learn from an Eagle scout. If you ever have a chance to camp with one, I highly recommend it! To see my 7 habits read on after the jump.
7 Habits of a Comfortable Aging Scouter
- Roll your bedding when you get up in the morning to avoid climbing into a clammy bag.
- Never Ever sleep in the clothes you wore all day. They are full of sweat (even in the winter) and will keep you cold.
- To stay warm at night, keep your head and feet covered. I like to wear a hoodie sweatshirt so I can find the hood when it slips off in the night.
- Avoid cotton clothing. They will hold moisture and make you uncomfortable.
- Always bring rain gear no matter what the weather report says.
- Bring a change of shoes for your tired feet at the end of the day. I love Crocs!
- Always bring an emergency roll of TP, even if camping in the most commercial campground.
Out here in the west, and most places, really, it is most humid at night and drier during the day. We air out our sleeping bags during the day to get rid of the sweat condensation from sleeping overnight. That keeps the sleeping bag dry and warm for the next night.
ReplyDeleteCrocs are light, but no camp shoes are even lighter. I stopped carrying those about twenty years ago when I started hiking the mountains in comfortable shoes -- trail runners.
There is a reason why they call toilet paper "trail money", nothing quite does the same job. You can justify the extra as emergency firestarter. Just rub in some Chapstick, which is mostly petroleum jelly. Try it.