Campers Info Source

When preparing for a camping trip, I have a checklist of things to bring as cookware and you should too.  One item of cookware I recently added to my list is a food tent.  I always made sure I’ve got bug spray to keep bugs away and no holes in the screens of my camping tent windows and doors.  And I always pack long sleeve shirts and pants to wear in the evening to keep mosquitoes from bugging me.  These camping supplies have always served me well.  But beyond packing my food in a good cooler and storing the food in my tent, I’ve never really packed any cookware or camping supplies to protect my food from insects prior to and after cooking and eating it.   If you are like me, you don’t want any pesky, flying critters landing on you fresh steaks, burgers or buns just before it is cooked.  And leftovers are a perfect feast for flies, knats and mosquitoes after dinner.  So why not protect your food with a screen tent?   

Now Paha Que offers the ideal solution – The Food Tent. Perfectly sized to fit on the end of a picnic table, the food tent sets on the end of any picnic table and provides a screen cover for all your camping food, utencils, plates, forks, knives and containers like ketchup, mustard etc.  The food tent uses convenient hanging doors for quick one-handed access to your serving platters.  It straps allow the food tent to be secured to any picnic table, keeping it in place during the highest winds.   Check out the Paha Que Food Tent in the picture and add one to your cookware before your next camping trip.

Whether you are a novice or experienced camper, most people know they need to bring a cooler, a camping grill and some cooking utensils with them as part of their camping supplies.  Packing these, transporting them and then unpacking these camping supplies can sometimes be a bit of an inconvenience.  I normally pack my Coleman camping stove in a large plastic bin along with the cooking utensils wrapped in a dry towel.  This keeps them neatly stored and clean for the next time I go camping. 

But imagine a portable package on wheels that contains not only a camping grill and the cooking utensils but a cooler all on one.  The Vulcan Case Pack 2 has a cooler that conveniently nests inside the compartment that houses the portable propane BBQ.  The tote can carry the BBQ grill and a fully-loaded cooler at the same time!  It has a large insulated and fully-removable, water-resistant cooler that measures 16 x 8 x 7″ and holds up to 24 12-oz soda cans.   You simply unzip the cooler from the main tote to access the portable propane barbecue grill that’s included. 

The tote also includes three stainless steel tools with aluminum handles and non-slip thumb grips: 1 large spatula featuring a built-in bottle opener, grill scraper, and serrated edge for cutting, 1 pair of tongs, and 1 BBQ fork.  It’s a little pricy but extremely convenient. If you are new to camping and don’t have your own cooler or grill yet, or your current cooler and grill are getting old, consider adding the Vulcan Case Pack 2 to your camping supplies and enjoy the convenience it provides.

At home, help is nearby.  But in the wilderness, help is a long way away.  A fish hook in your finger or a fall on slippery rocks while carrying a canoe or heavy pack can be a trip-ending event — or worse.  Remember, you can’t depend on cell phone coverage.  This is where Tip # 8 comes in.

Tip # 8 – Be careful out there and bring a First Aid Kit

Pack a good first-aid kit with your camping supplies in your backpack and know how to use it.  Also, wear your life jacket.   These may seem like common sense things to bring but many eople often do not bring them and regret it later.  Coleman has been in the camping business for many years and they have a n excellent first aid kit that contains all of the things you need in a handy package

Chinook Explorer First Aid Kit

called “Coleman Base Camp First Aid Kit”.

Another excellent first aid kit is one available from Adventure called “Adventure Medical Light and Fast Adventurer First Aid Kit”. These are both light enough for a day hike, comprehensive enough for a multiple days of  backpacking trips, are super organized, easy to use, and contain a long list of camping supplies to ease the pain of back country ailments and injuries.  Both of these safety kits provide sterile gauze sponges and adhesive bandages (band aids) which are essential camping supplies.

Also consider bringing an insect repellent.  If you bring a safety kit and some insect repellent on your next camping trip, you can be rest assured that when something unexpected happens, you’ll be ready.  Remember, the Joy is in the Journey so make your trip a joyful one and remember to take a safety kit and insect repellent with you on your next trip.

Flying insects such as mosquitoes, gnats, no-see-ums, flies and moths can be real pesky if you don’t prepare for them.  The volume of these insects varies depending on where you camp.  For example, the North Midwestern states have lots of these insects while the southern states have other critters such as snakes, scorpions, fire ants and roaches to worry about.  If you are trying to stay protected from flying insects, consider getting yourself one or more bug zappers to hang our post around your campsite.

Three popular bug zappers are the Solar Light Bug Zapper, Eureka! 12v Bug Zapper, and the Stinger Flat Panel Bug Zapper.  You can pretty much reset assured each of these will keep the pests away while you enjoy sitting around the campfire with a beer, wine cooler, can of pop/soda or an iced tea.

Next time you go camping, consider adding a bug zapper or two to your camping supplies.

Many people refer to tent camping as roughing it.  Why?  because most the the things you have at home are taken for granted and are not always available and certainly not as conveniently accessible at your camp site.   For example, at your camp site you don’t usually have running water or electricity and no restroom or shower conveniently available.  When camping I have often wished I had a Shower Room, Changing Room and Potty easily accessible to prevent long walks to the shared amenities at your campground.

The Sneaky Pete is a shelter that has several camping equipment uses; you can use it as a shower or toilet enclosure or as a portable changing room.  A self draining floor allows water to run off and a mesh ceiling provides maximum air flow.  A rain fly on top keeps the inside protected and provides privacy. A large hook is sewn to the top to hang up to a 2.5 gallon shower.  It isn’t the same as being at home but having The Sneaky Pete as part of the camping equipment you take with you to your camping site makes things a lot more convenient, accessible and enjoyable for all; especially the women and young teenagers seeking some privacy.

The last thing you want to do when camping is store your food in your tent.  The outdoors is where animals such as bears, skunks and raccoon live.  These animals have all learned that wherever humans are, food can be found nearby and they are often not afraid of humans.  They don’t want to eat humans but they can be very disruptive when looking for food and you have it in your tent or spread throughout the campsite.

The safest place to keep your camping food is in your car because animals can’t smell the food as well and certainly won’t be able to get in the car.  But what if you don’t want to store you food in the car or you’ve got some left over food that’s garbage and you plan to throw it away in a dumpster later.  You should consider adding large garbage bags to your list of camping supplies.  You can store the fresh food in one bag and the garbage food in another then hang both high up in a tree by tying the bags to one end of a rope then throwing the bag over a branch and tying off the other end of the rope to a nail in the tree.  Don’t forget to bring some nails, a 25 foot rope and a small hammer.  Note that raccoon and bears can climb trees and possibly tear the bags but more often than not, hanging them high is a deterrent and the scent of the food up high is not as easily detected as when it’s on a table or on the ground in a bag.

Other camping supplies you might consider bringing is a fishing net.  Why?  Instead of using a garbage bag you can put your food in a large fishing net and hang it high in a tree by tying one end of a rope to the end of the fishing net handle, throwing the net over a tree branch and tying off the other end of a rope to a nail in the tree or another branch.  It’s a lot harder for bears and raccoon to reach the net because of the net’s long handle and it’s also harder to tear a net than it is to tear a garbage bag. 

Lastly, always remember to hang the food far away from your tent and your car.  Following the above tips and brining the right camping supples will help you avoid the critters that love your food as much as you do and these tips will help keep you safe.