Don’t keep food in your tent
It may seem like a good melodic theme to keep a ration of goldfish and rosé in your tent just in vitrine the craving strikes , but critters hump a commodious repast just as much as you do , so those snacks might as well be an open invitation to the rest of the animal kingdom . Keep your food in a separate country from your sleeping area whether it ’s in your car or , if you ’re in a particularly badass mood , in bear cans suspended from a tree .
Unclip your backpack over water
If you ’re wearing anything bigger than a day mob while head over a eubstance of water , ensure to unhitch any shank or shoulder snip before you take your first stair . You do n’t want to be that guy wire or gal who went whitewater body raft because they could n’t stand to misplace their lucky underclothes .
Wool is your friend, cotton your enemy
Whether you ’re heading into the mellow Sierras in the dead of wintertime or a southerly reaching of the Appalachian Trail in August , woolen is what you want on your back . Finer wool like merino sheep will keep you cool on savagely hot days through drying up , while thick weave will keep you insulated against the chill . Cotton , on the other handwriting , is a pestilent fabric spun from the fields of Hades itself : it dry out slow , which can be downright dangerous if you get caught in the rain and the quicksilver starts to fall , and will stink to high-pitched heaven if you ’re out there for more than a few days .
Drink LOTS of water
There ’s a disgusting albeit salient axiom to keep in mind on those long hikes on hot days : “ Mine ’s clear and copious . ” So , yeah . ensure you ’re make water a lot and ensure it does n’t resemble a sport drink .
Avoid pyrotechnics
This is blend in to vocalize like it ’s derive from Smokey the Bear but building , maintaining , and extinguishing fires by rights and safely is exceptionally important . The U.S. Forest Service has a great , step - by - step guide tobuilding a safe campfire website ; the most important points to take down are how to dig a proper fire pit with a filth buffer surround it , never leaving the fervidness neglected , and making sure that the fire is completely dead before you knock out for the night . These rules are specially important when camp out in dry sphere where a shoddily - made campfire can do a band of damage .
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Scare the bear away with theBose Soundlink Mini II , powerful enough to rock the campsite and portable for those weekend getaway .
Cover your dome
Even if you ’re blessed with a head teacher of luscious locks , your scalp is still a major burn risk and you easily believe sleeping with a sunburn on top of your head is virginal excruciation . cross up whenever the sun is shining and there ’s not a ton of tincture . For all you closet bandana lovers : now is your meter to shine !
Make peace with stank
Animals can sense deodorant and cologne from a mile off and will need to figure out where that mysteriously alluring aroma is coming from , just in showcase , you screw , there ’s a bunch of food ( or people ) there to eat . Bottom rail line : do n’t bring that can of deodorant with you because a bear will wipe out you .
Get bigger than the bear, back away from the cats
If there ’s a curious bear sniffing around your campsite and you ’re unlucky enough to be enamor alfresco , your best bet is to make yourself as big as potential and trick the furred interloper into recollect you ’re a terrific beast . Mountain lions or their feline like are another wight you may receive in the wild ; the better root to avoid hassle with these cats is to ensure you ’re pair up with someone much slower than you .
Pack out what you pack in
If you need to impress the rugged guy or gallon who invited on this risky venture you could score major crunchy bonus point by leave no – absolutely zero – trace of your presence as you break camp . We ’re just going to go out this one up to your mental imagery .
Get acquainted with the map
bribe a compass and learn how to expend it . This sounds like something you doomsday prepper uncle Brent told you to do at Thanksgiving but it ’s one of those analog skills that can really come in handy when thing go pear tree - shaped .
Hope for the best, plan for the worst
This is your koan . This is the pearl of wisdom you chant softly to yourself as you ’re falling departed under your nylon roof for the first fourth dimension . This is the difference between a great weekend excursion and a miserable slog through the wilderness . Keep it in mind when you ’re thinking about leave behind that first aid kit at home because you want to get sandals or something .
Dan Evans/Thrillist
Dan Evans/Thrillist
Courtesy of Bose
Dan Evans/Thrillist