Camping Out: Some tips on getting it right

Some folks cannot fathom what camping is all about, but it is not a complicated matter, and camping need not be associated with hateful discomfort. I don't understand those people who refuse to camp, invariably wrinkling their noses at the concept of "sleeping on the ground."

Camping was how my Marine Corps comrades and I lived 90 percent of the time during our seven-month combat deployment in Iraq, and it was not done by choice or for recreation. Camping, strictly speaking, is simply living outdoors away from all but the most basic dwellings, and most of the time, away from running water and electricity as well. For some people this sounds like hell, but I think of camping as a way to hit the re-set button and clear the mind.

Camp life is tending to the "business of life," so to speak. There are meals to cook, a few basic chores to attend to, and there is time for leisure and recreation. Camping is a very practical exercise when one undertakes a lengthy fishing trip up the beach, or a weekend deer hunt out in the brush country. During a South Texas fall or winter, when the weather turns beautiful, it is worth going camping for its own sake. Except for the true rugged (read miserable) outdoors enthusiast, camping when the weather is fair is the best policy.

Having camped extensively, from the deserts of Iraq to the rainforest of Central America, the mountains of Norway and Colorado, and the brush country of South Texas, I find balance is the key to being comfortable and keeping the bulk down. Do not encumber yourself with gadgetry and stuff. Think basic, and think balance: sleep well at night, maintain hygiene, eat well, and stay entertained, and you'll come out of the field refreshed by the experience.

Camping as a family is extremely rewarding when done right and extremely punishing when done wrong. Family camping excursions can become logistical nightmares in a hurry, so they are best approached from an individual standpoint. The only thing that should differ from personal camping or two-person camping to a family like mine with five children, is the stove and the tent situation. Children should have their own gear as the adults do, and should be as personally responsible for that gear as possible.

My primary pack item has always been a small, fluffy camp pillow with its own toggled stuff sack. Camp pillows are not as comfortable as one's full-size pillow at home, but they are a good example of the balance I speak of. A comfortable sleeping bag and a closed-cell foam pad should round out the basic camper's bed.

Tents with a one-piece "bathtub" floor are best, and the rain fly should always be put up to keep moisture out; moisture comes in the form of dew and condensation, not just rain. Domes are the most efficiently shaped tents on the market, not too small, and not excessively large and bulky. A medium-sized dome tent will sleep a family of five just fine. Bigger families like mine would do well to buy a couple of medium-sized dome tents instead of that 100-pound nylon rip-stop palace.

I also think rather than lugging a bulky family camp stove into the field, two personal backpackers' single-burner stoves and an individual mess kit and stainless steel mug with a wire handle for every family member would best round out the deal. In Iraq I used the Coleman Exponent dual-fuel stove (around $65), and the JetBoil ($95) is supposed to be great.

Specialty camping meals like those made by Mountain House come in packages that serve two and are worthwhile, because the focus while camping should be on water more than on bulky grocery items. Military Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs) can be had, but they're not as tasteful and more expensive than civilian rations. One gallon of drinking water per person per day is the minimum requirement, and water is the main limiting factor for getting way out into the backcountry, solo or otherwise.