Re: Minimal Camping List

See comments below:

Puppet_Sock wrote:
Mungo Says Bah wrote:
Here is my minnimal camping list for a 4 day canoe-in, short portage
trip into the backcountry in Ontario, Canada - from
http://mungobah.blogspot.com:

Personally, if I can get something out of my pack it means less
stuff to hump around, pack and unpack, and worry about
accidentally leaving in the woods. Leaving stuff in the woods is
not just a loss of the thing, it messes up the woods.

On the other hand, leaving stuff out that will be useful is a pain.

Kitchen Equipment

___ Tiny Bottle Detergent (use hotel shampoo bottle)
___ Cooking pot & lid
___ Frying pan
___ Can opener
___ Nalgene bottle
___ Mug
___ Zip lock bags
___ Spoon
___ Sponge

Instead of a spoon, make it a spork.

Good idea!


One cooking pot with a lid instead of a pot and a pan.

I like having a frying pan - for fish or bacon or pancakes...


Food

___ Evaporated milk or creamer
___ Lemon Drink Crystals
___ Margarine
___ Tinned meat
___ Pasta side-dishes
___ Eggs
___ Pancake batter
___ Salt
___ Pepper
___ Tea
___ Sugar
___ Coca Cola
___ Chocolate

You have a large variety of flavour-drink thingies here. Drink
crystals,
tea, cola. Skip all that in favour of ordinary water treatment stuff,
either a filter or chemicals depending on taste. Or just have one
beverage for your caffeine fix if you need it.
I like my tea, and I find the water tastes a bit bland by itself - I
like having the juice crystals, but certainly the cola is a huge
luxury. I'll wait for a can of pop for when I canoe back into
civilization. Good point.

Instead of tins, get foil pouches that you can rip open. They are
usually lighter than cans and you can dispense with the opener.
And it's probably less trash to hump out. Easily crushed to fit
in small space.


Where to get these? I think I can get tuna in a foil pouch, but where
to get something like Spam? I used to work as a butcher at a South
African style shop and Biltong was a great thing for camping. Maybe
that...

For 4 days you may want some more roughage in your diet.
Otherwise, you are quite likely to still have everthing you ate
during the entire trip. If you know what I mean. Something
like some raisins or other dried fruit to keep things moving.
4 days of only tinned meat and pasta and I'd need drano.
Or a bushel basket of prunes.

Excellent point. Raisons and beans perhaps.


Clothes/Quarters

___ Mattress & repair kit
___ Sleeping Bag
___ Tent
___ Blanket for Dog
___ 2 Pillow cases
___ Jacket, Jeans, Cap
___ Socks
___ Undies
___ Shirt, Fleece
___ Towel

Pillow cases?

Yes, I can use a pillow case for my clothes stuff bag (within my
backpack) and then wrap up my clothes etc... with the pillow case for
sleep time. Light luxury.


Blanket for dog? Ok.

It is a light fleece, folds up really small. Plus I like to spoil him
and during the day he ignores it so I can use it for other things.


Toiletries/Kit Bag

___ Aspirin
___ Band-Aids
___ Iodine
___ Toilet paper
___ Soap
___ Toothpaste
___ Tooth-brush
___ Alka-Seltzer
___ Mirror

There are soaps that work fine on both you and your cookware.
Camp suds is one name. Comes in a convenient sized bottle
for a one week trip. Tastes yucky though so include the
toothpaste.

Probably will try Campsuds, I hate how regular dish detergent seems to
hang around the water by the site.


I can't be bothered with band-aids and iodine and aspirin on
hikes.
I need my aspirin/naproxen, band-aids maybe not, but good for blisters.
And iodine, well, we'll see.

Alka-seltzer? Heh. Goes with 4 days of tinned meat
and pasta I guess.
Precisely! ;-)

Gear

___ Book
___ Compass
___ Fire starter
___ Fishing gear & License
___ Garbage Bags
___ Hatchet & sharpener
___ Headlamp and batteries
___ Lantern & Mantle
___ Nylon Rope
___ Stove
___ Knife
___ Fuel

See more camping posts at http://mungobah.blogspot.com

If you are taking stove and fuel, what for is the hatchet? If you
are going to be making a campfire (not to my taste, but
whatever) why the stove and fuel?
Good point. Something to think about.

Headlamp and batteries and lantern and mantle gets to be
a big hassle. I take my little 3-LED flashlight that is good
for a solid week on one set of batteries. Good enough for
middle-of-night trips to pee.
I love my new camping headlight - contains LED green, white and a
halogen bulb. Way better than my flashlight, plus great for reading in
the tent. I'm a convert.

Is the knife suitable for cleaning fish? Will you be eating
the fish or releasing? Might make the frying pan worth carrying.

Eating the fish, don't like to catch and release. 5" Buck Vanguard
rose-handle drop-point sheath knife.
I don't see anything like a food bag or bear cannister to keep
your food away from critters. Depending on where in Ontario,
you may see black bears. Almost certainly got racoons.
Possibly several other critters that will eat your food.

I use a stuff bag, and haul it way up a tree away from the site.

I don't see a map in your list. If you've been to this place
multiple times in the past, a map may not be required.
But I take a map of where I'm going no matter how many
times I've been there. Every time.

Interesting point. Yes, actually I've used google satellite maps plus a
topographic one but I'm thinking perhaps to bring a Garmin GPS handheld
unit if I go really deep in. Otherwise I just use my compass and a map.


I don't see bug repellent. Depending on when you go you
may seriously regret not having some DEET.
I never seem to need it. I have a smoky fire and that seems to do it
for me. But I guess if I get into marshes and swampy areas it might
help.
Socks
http://mungobah.blogspot.com

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