Camping Gear

In dry weather, ground tarps protect your tent from scratches, thus extending the life of your tent.

In rain, ground tarp is meant to prevent puddles inside your tent.

When rain is on the way, fold in the edges of the ground tarp to be under the tent. If the ground tarp sticks out, rain will seep underneath your tent and create condensation inside your tent floor.

A footprint is a ground tarp that is fitted to the exact size of your tent, so you don't have to fold in the edges.

Here's a video about what we mean by "fold in the edges"

A rainfly is only effective if it's taut (but not too much that it tears the fabric). Here a video of a few common knots to use to tighten a rainfly to the ideal tautness:

Use the bowline knot as your anchor, then the taut-line hitch for the rest.

What's your favorite camping knot?

Splitting zippers may result from dusty conditions. Clean the zippers instead of forcing them. Avoid breaking the zippers or tearing the fabric around them by the technique in this video:

Have you had a problem with you tent or sleeping bag zippers?

Squirrels, ringtails, and other rodents in the southwest have learned that humans come with food. Without proper protection for your food, these pesky creatures will easily rip a hole through your backpack or tent and your food will disappear forever.

Ursack and Bear boxes are expensive, and you don't need them in non-bear areas. A ratsack will do the trick. It's made of cheap metal mesh with a velcro closure, making it quite light and therefore ideal for backpacking.

Best practices for using a ratsack:

1) Place all your smelly items (food, toothpaste, etc) in an odor-proof opaque (non-see-through) ziplock bag.

2) Place that in the ratsack and suspend it for a tree limb.

Have you tried using a ratsack? What are your impressions?