Based partially on personal experience and partially on feedback from seasoned campers we wish to give the following camping tips.

Camping tips 

• If your backpack or sleeping bag smells musty or damp, place a wrapped cake of soap inside to get rid of the smell.
• Fluff you sleeping bag to create the maximum loft thus offering maximum warmth.
• Don't overdress when using a sleeping bag, or you'll sweat, and moisture greatly diminishes the effetiveness of the bag. 
• Use a compression stuff sac to reduce the pack size of your sleeping bag by up to fifty percent.
• Place newspaper under your sleeping bag to provide extra insulation. 
• Always stuff your sleeping bag back into the stuff sac feet first. 
• If your water bottle smells musty, add four teaspoons of baking soda, shake well and allow to stand for about an hour, then rinse.
• If you are using butane gas and the air temperature drops below 1ºC  the butane will not gas. To get it to do so, shake the cylinder. A better idea is to use propane all year round
• Lining your fishing tackle box with foil helps to prevent rust damage to hooks and other equipment.
•  Use as many disposable products as possible (plates, cups, utensils, etc.) and clean-up will be quick and easy.
• Dip your matches in nail polish to waterproof them. 
• Pack your toilet paper in a used  tin then snap on the lid to keep it dry. 
• Cut a hole in the bottom of a black bag to  get your head through, it makes for a good emergency poncho. 
• Don't walk across another camper's site - walk around it. 
• Block ice works well for the food cooler - it will last longer. Crushed/cubed ice is good for the drink cooler.
• Empty out the water from your cooler at least daily to help preserve ice and for sanitation reasons as blood from meats can be carried by the water, contaminating other foods.
  

Erecting your freestanding tent

• Choose a flat, even surface on which to erect your tent and ensure there is nothing overhanging where your tent will be erected that could fall and cause bodily injury to you or damage to your tent.
• Clear the area of all debris, sticks and stones, as sharp objects may damage the floor of your tent.
• Use a groundsheet, this prolongs the life of your tent and prevents the floor from feeling damp.
• Remove tent from the bag and spread out the floor of the inner tent. Ensure the front of the tent is facing in the required direction.
• Ventilation--It's better to face the tail of your tent into prevailing winds. This will maximize air flow.
• Make sure that all the door and window zips are closed and then peg down the corners, making sure the floor sits flat and square.
• Assemble all marked poles and arrange in an orderly fashion. Ensure all sections are firmly fitted all the way into the steel ferules or damage may be caused to the poles or the tent fabric.
• Feed pins into ends of the poles and connect clips on either side of the tent to these main poles starting from the top down and ensure there is no undue pressure on any clips.
• Adjust corner pegs to ensure the tent has the correct shape. Pull flysheet over the inner tent. Attach all pole ties located on the underside of the flysheet from the top down.
• Peg down remaining ground loops around the perimeter of the floor.
• Peg in and adjust all the guy ropes from the flysheet and inner tent. Be sure to place the guy rope peg as far as possible from the tent to provide maximum stability.

Building a campfire

If you're making fire for a  braai or simply for the ambience, a campfire is half the fun of camping,but always make safety your top priority when lighting a fire. Never use hazardous materials to start the fire and make sure that it is properly extinguished before you leave.

Here's how to build a good fire:

• Collect dry wood (not green or wet).  Sticks and twigs make good kindling while bits of bark and grass make good tinder.
• Now construct a 'fire circle' of stones, placing the bits of tinder inside the centre.
• Ignite a match and light the tinder - if it is very windy stand with your back to the wind.
• As the fire starts to burn hotter, start adding more kindling.
• When the fire is burning strong, add larger pieces of dry wood. 
• Remember fire wood in 'Nature reserves' needs to be purchased and cant be collected from the bush.

Choosing a tent

Consider your needs carefully, don't be too hasty with your decision and go for the cheapest brand.  Small two-man tents are fine for a few days at the beach, but for extended trips your family will be more comfortable in a larger frame tent in which a person can stand  up in.

If you're going backpacking you won't want a large, heavy tent  but rather a compact light weight tent  so carefully consider the tent material. Canvas is durable and longer lasting but bulky and heavy while polyester is compact and light weight. Always inspect the pitched tent in-store before you buy. Check zips, doors, windows, flooring  and frame for quality and strength.

For most campers, a built-in ground sheet offers more protection from outside dirt and water but you can purchase a separate ground sheet if you need to. 

Choosing a sleeping bag

1.       For what activity will the bag be used?

Backpacking for example requires a bag that is light weight, compact and fast packing while general camping in colder climates require a warmer bag where weight and pack size doesn’t matter.

2.       In what weather conditions will the bag be used?

Check the temperature rating of the bag; remember though that the ratings are only a guide not absolute temperature parameters. A bag that is comfortable to one person might not be comfortable to another. A bag used under the stars may have its ratings blown of the chart by a strong wind with a chill factor.

3.       Who will be using the bag?

When it comes to choosing a sleeping bag, one size does not fit all. Various size bags are available for the larger male, more petite lady and smaller child.

4.       Also consider  the following

·         Bag shape: An envelope shape bag is the most common and tends to weigh the least while a bag with a cowl offers extra warmth while still allowing the user to move in the bag. A mummy style bag offers the maximum warmth but the user is forced to move with the bag rather than in the bag and this can take some getting used to.

·         Insulation: It’s a known fact that air is a poor conductor of heat, trapped air within the insulation acts like a thermal barrier between you and the cold air outside the bag by not letting the heat generated by your body escape. The more insulation, the more air can be trapped the warmer you will be.

·         Construction: If the outer lining material is stitched through the insulation to the inner lining material cold air can easily penetrate the bag through the stitch holes, this design does not work as efficiently as if the outer lining is quilted to the insulation and the stitch holes are offset.

How to stuff a sleeping bag.

Fold the bag in half and roll tightly from the foot of the bag forcing all the air out the top of the bag then unroll the bag again

Grasp the open end of the stuff sac with your thumb on the inside, while keeping your heel on one corner of the stuff sac thus preventing the sac from moving while you’re stuffing the bag.

With your free hand, grab the foot of the bag and stuff it right to the bottom of the sack. Grasp the next section of the bag a little higher up and repeat the process. When the entire bag is in the sac, pull the drawstring closed.

Should you have a compression stuff sac, pull the webbing over the top of the sac, rest your knee on the top of the sac and pull down on the webbing straps in an even manner making sure not to pull down to hard on one strap thus putting all the stress on only one strap rather than distributing the stress evenly on all four straps.