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Field Notes
Practical guides for people who would rather get it right the first time than learn it at 2am in the rain.
first time
Solo Camping for the First Time: Safety and Gear
Solo camping is a different experience than group camping in almost every way — more quiet, more internal, and more demanding. You make every...
environment
Leave No Trace: The Complete Field Guide
Leave No Trace isn't a set of rules about what you can't do. It's a framework for making decisions when the right answer isn't...
forecast
How to Read a Weather Forecast Before You Head Out
The forecast you read at home on Monday looks nothing like what the mountain weather briefing says on Thursday. The further in advance you...
gear comparison
Hammock vs. Tent: Which Is Right for Your Trip?
Both hammocks and tents will keep you off the ground for the night — but only one of them works if there are no...
beginner
10 Things First-Time Campers Wish They Knew
The first overnight outside a house is memorable. Sometimes memorably bad. Most of what makes it go wrong is predictable — and easily fixed...
camp food
The Perfect Camp Kitchen for Any Group Size
Whether you're cooking for one or feeding eight hungry people after a long day of hiking, the setup that works is the same idea...
gear
How to Stay Dry When the Forecast Lies
Every experienced camper has a story about the forecast that said 20% chance of rain — and delivered a downpour at 2 a.m. The...
Shelter
What Size Tent Do You Actually Need?
Every tent on the market is rated for more people than it comfortably holds. Here is how the numbers actually work, how to pick...
Skills
How to Pick a Campsite (And Set It Up in the Right Order)
Which pitch to choose once you arrive, the five things to check before you unpack anything, and the setup order that keeps a first...
Weather
Camping in the Rain Without Hating It
Rain does not ruin a trip. Wet bedding, no dry place to stand and nothing to do ruin a trip. Here is how to...
Skills
How to Build a Campfire That Actually Lights
The three-material rule, two builds worth knowing, why your fire keeps going out, and how to put one out properly.
Camp kitchen
Twelve Camp Meals You Can Actually Cook Outdoors
Patterns rather than recipes — meals that survive a cooler, cook in one pot, and can be made in fading light by somebody who...
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