camping for the inexperienced NW outdoorsman

Nov 2012
27
0
Aloha, OR
So ive been getting into a lot of preparedness items lately, mostly because of a road trip i had planned but got fowled later and i would like to put a bit of it to use.

im not a hunter (done it, enjoy it but not really much for killing an animal when i dont need it for food; or other immediate needs; still could be a bit of fun with small game) but i would like to get out for maybe a weekend, where my cell doesn't reach (other than downtown portland of course:hmmmm2:) and put a bit of that research and materials to use. i do plan to get my hands on a .22 AR-7 survival rifle to take along with me with some other essential and some luxuries.

i said in the title inexperienced but i do have some camping and outdoor experience but im from florida and the wilderness is like a different planet. does anyone know of any areas that would be good for me in NW oregon/SW washington? any tips for staying warm; wool blankets, type of inexpensive shelter, other...? likely a 2 person trip
 
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Jan 2009
1,684
0
s. greenlake *****
head up to Mt St Helens.
Hike around the ape caves.. they're cool.



Get a MAP of the local area with hiking trails marked!
Figure out a route with markers
Plan how far you want to hike/walk a day

Grab a knife/hatchet
Get a simple 2-4 man tent from wallmart
Get a mummy bag
Get a flashlight or head lamp
Get a camping cup
Grab some packable food stuffs (MRE's, fried chicken, whatever)
Grab a book
Get some fire building material/starters

Grab a pack of some sort that all that **** will fit in

Head out (and let people know your leaving and when you'll be back)
 
Jan 2009
870
0
Lynnwood, WA
the best thing to do before you go camping is to camp in the back yard. even if it's just conceptual.

no. really. dry run of everything.

how do you cook? eat? sleep? poop? stay warm?

fire starting is hard. learn to do this. cheater mode is cotton balls with vaseline in it. (fluff it just before you light it) and I cheat like a mofo.


I'm a glamper, not a camper. I do not rough it. While I do sleep on a tent, on the ground, it's a properly sized tent, and a nice sleeping setup. I take GOOD food, and cooking utensils to cook it right.
 
Jan 2013
22
0
Northwet coast, Wa
The coast is nice this time of year. No snow and very few people. You can usually have your pick of any site in a campground.

If you want to be dry, get one of those 10x10 canopies and put your tent up underneath it. I was over at Salt Creek recently and the camp host came over and asked me if it was a Yurt. It poured all night and we (my 2 girls and I) stayed absolutely dry. We also were right next to the restrooms and showers so it wasnt roughing it too hard.

Ar-7's are jam-o-matics. I got one. Save your money and get a take down 10-22 or similiar.
 
Jan 2009
1,684
0
s. greenlake *****
how do you cook? eat? sleep? poop? stay warm?
.

OH yeah... T.P. In a zip lock bag.


I ride dirt bikes.. and camp a LOT!!!!!

It's not that complicated. You can bring a lot of extra stuff you don't really need to enjoy yourself. Start simple. Camp with friends.
 
Nov 2012
27
0
Aloha, OR
well by all means i believe the dry run is a damn good idea but i life on concrete and asphalt. on the other hand i have spent a good amount of time camping, in florida though. i got the point of bringing a small shovel, extra cloths, i dont have a bag of cotton balls and Vaseline though, i do have some at home; a quick thing i can set up. i was thinking of getting a simple a frame tent canvas and making a paracord hammock then using a wool blanket on the bottom of the hammock and covering with another. still though, i dont know what it takes to keep myself from making the fatal mistakes that people make every year in this region.

i grew up in a small hick town so fun time was playing in the woods with fire, weenies and MREs but not the cold and dry climates that the NW throws at you.

another thing is wildlife safety, i grew up learning about discerning which snakes to leave alone, what to do when youre in the water with an alligator, what to do when cornered by a venomous snake,how to get clean water and food from palms and palmetto plants. how to catch catfish with a pocket knife. if im not mistaken the predators arent afraid of you, in fact may see you as the next meal. i dont own a high power rifle so if i ran into one, i would have to be the guy playing dead. also i wouldnt know what sort of food sources i can tap if i loose or taint my food; in the case that i got lost. (hence learning the trail signs and having a map, as advised before of course.

i see a learning curve i will need to cross still. thinking about it more makes me think it may very well be a bad idea for me to make the trip like that lol
 
Jan 2009
1,684
0
s. greenlake *****
well....


here is some inspiration from the last 3-4 years.. granted we don't always have the RV's!!! They're cheating.

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Nov 2012
27
0
Aloha, OR
certainly looks like you guys planned for a lot more things than i had in mind, looks like you had a lot of fun too. i always liked camping a bit more simple with a bit of fishing, hunting was only ever a small part and i stuck to small game while camping too. dont know the laws for hunting here just yet but i have done a bit of fishing at hagg lake and a couple creeks near there. hunting was something i only really enjoyed with rabbits and tree rats, oh i mean squirrels. other than my only deer ive ever killed but i think i would still prefer to stay away from big game anymore, a lot of hard work involved and i feel like it takes a bit of the sporting out of it when they are much easier to acquire (when you can actually find one) and hit because they are much bigger.

i dont suppose there would be anyone willing to act as a bit of a guide for a weekend trip provided i supplied some essentials and funds for costs? keeping a budget still though.

my cousin has shown interest in it in the past but i havnt said anything to him at this point. just thought i would ask if he was up for it and head out. just dont want to be one of the fools you hear about on the news. not to offend anyone who may know one of the unfortunate people who has made the mistakes i want to avoid of course and im sorry if i have.
 
Jan 2013
293
0
Amboy, WA
the best thing to do before you go camping is to camp in the back yard. even if it's just conceptual.

no. really. dry run of everything.

how do you cook? eat? sleep? poop? stay warm?

fire starting is hard. learn to do this. cheater mode is cotton balls with vaseline in it. (fluff it just before you light it) and I cheat like a mofo.


I'm a glamper, not a camper. I do not rough it. While I do sleep on a tent, on the ground, it's a properly sized tent, and a nice sleeping setup. I take GOOD food, and cooking utensils to cook it right.

Steel wool. Seriously. Even better than cotton with vaseline. **** burns HOT! I cheat too. :redface:
 
Nov 2012
27
0
Aloha, OR
well yea but if i took steel wool i would light it with a 9v battery. i dont have any steel wool but i do have some cotton balls and vaseline. i havnt put it in my road kit but i will add it to my lighter, matches and magnesium/flint fire starter too. i have yet to get a sturdy heavy use knife though, i have grabbed a quality multi-tool though.

i guess listing my kit may help you guys help me too. remember this is a roadside bag with a couple extras.

for fire/light:
magnesium/flint fire starter
matches-simple box strike
lighter
soon to add cotton balls and vaseline
2 cans of sterno
small flash light with extra set of batteries
3 flameless t lights (meant for roadside light in my car)

sustenance:
2 cans of chicken noodle soup
3 bottles of water
soon to add 2 MREs
small simple Al cookware, no pots yet, fork and spoon

hygiene:
toilet paper
toothbrush
razors
bodywash
wash rag
extra set of clothes

safety:
leather utility gloves
store bought first aid kit with added cipro (oral antibiotics) and Vicodin both obtained legally
9mm EAA witness-p
shoulder holster
gold dot hollow points 40 rounds total
handgun cleaning kit

extras:
high strength fishing line
a bit of simple tackle
multi-tool

will be adding:
cotton balls and vaseline tender (may be good to add such to the first aid kit too)
para-cord(thinking about 2-300 ft because its so easy to take alot of it)
3 MREs
small pot for the purposes of the road bag i may also get a steel sports bottle too.
hand shovel

its a bit of a tight fit though, i think i will be moving the water and food to another bag for that reason. likely the extra set of clothes would go with the food and water too.

also looking for an ar-7 survival rifle because it would fit so nicely in there and offer a few more options. may even reduce my need to carry the handgun and would be cheaper to shoot too.
 
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Jan 2009
870
0
Lynnwood, WA
as for the dry run, I guess I was assuming you were new to camping, not new to the area.

if you've camped, and you're looking just to know how to stay warm in this area.....think wetness prevention.


biggest thing I had to learn when I went from Idaho to western Washington, is that I learned to not wear cotton.

if I'm going outside and it might be wet, I wear purpose built clothes, every single layer. and lots of layers. wicking, breathing, too.

goretex, fleece, polyester. cotton will ruin your day.
 
Jan 2013
293
0
Amboy, WA
Don't need a battery to light steel wool. Just fluff it a bit and use your regular matches, magnesium or lighter.
 
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Nov 2012
27
0
Aloha, OR
okay, cotton happens to be 99% of what i have. ill have to add that to my list of items, goretex, fleece and polyester clothing for cold weather here. would wool be a bad idea? i had planned to get a couple wool blankets for the same reason, plus for the trunk emergency kit.

oh at i know you dont need a battery for lighting steel wool but its easier and doesnt require shaving you flint and you can do it a thousand times with the single battery, instant ignition.
 
Jan 2013
293
0
Amboy, WA
okay, cotton happens to be 99% of what i have. ill have to add that to my list of items, goretex, fleece and polyester clothing for cold weather here. would wool be a bad idea? i had planned to get a couple wool blankets for the same reason, plus for the trunk emergency kit.

oh at i know you dont need a battery for lighting steel wool but its easier and doesnt require shaving you flint and you can do it a thousand times with the single battery, instant ignition.

Gotcha.
 

mjn

Jan 2009
394
1
Tri-Cities, Wa
I know what you mean by liking to hunt, but not unless you need the meat.. also, for me it is a time thing.
My daughter and I do one "tent" campout every year out near Elk City, Idaho. While we do sleep in a tent, we don't rough it at all.. I've got an inexpensive Coleman 3 man tent, where a king sized air mattress fits nicely.. We park our rigs right where we camp, so lots of our stuff is in the truck.

Some of the stuff we bring;
-3 coolers with all the good **** to eat/drink
-my Weber Q grille (kickass)
-tarps... one under tent, and one for over just in case..
-chainsaw
-far more firearms than are needed
-far more ammo for above firearms than are needed... we'll burn thru 2500 rounds of .22's in 4-5 days
-ATV's/dirtbikes We ride.... a lot. Not uncommon to average 70 miles/day
-with ATV's comes gas. We cheat also... always start the fire the "boy scout" way... a dixie cup of premium..

The key is, have fun.

Couple-o-pics;

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Cousins little boy.. he rode almost 25 miles on that Z50 this day..
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Jan 2009
870
0
Lynnwood, WA
okay, cotton happens to be 99% of what i have. ill have to add that to my list of items, goretex, fleece and polyester clothing for cold weather here. would wool be a bad idea? i had planned to get a couple wool blankets for the same reason, plus for the trunk emergency kit.

oh at i know you dont need a battery for lighting steel wool but its easier and doesnt require shaving you flint and you can do it a thousand times with the single battery, instant ignition.

wool is awesome!

wool is about the only natural fiber (that you'll wear) that has the benefits of insulating while wet.
 
Jan 2009
1,318
1
Kirkland, WA
You know, when you say go out to place where your cell phone won't work, I think of some state parks with nice camping plots.

I'm now getting the idea you want to backpack out into the woods and experience an episode of Survivor Man (love that show). If that's the case, I'd probably err on the side of some state grounds first. They're plenty remote, have fire pits and a few other niceties.

Camping with friends is awesome. We typically go out once a year with the family and some friends -- lots of fun.

Good luck!
 
Nov 2012
27
0
Aloha, OR
I'm now getting the idea you want to backpack out into the woods and experience an episode of Survivor Man (love that show). If that's the case, I'd probably err on the side of some state grounds first. They're plenty remote, have fire pits and a few other niceties.

Good luck!

well not quite Survivor Man but youre damn close. im thinking tent, blankets, plenty of food and fire.

like i was saying earlier im not much for hunting but a bit of small game wouldn't be a bad thing i suppose. all the same i would like to squeeze some shots off for a bit of fun and practice with my handgun, without being a place where people may be on the other side of the trees im shooting into.

you know of a good place specifically that i can do that.
 
Jan 2009
1,318
1
Kirkland, WA
well not quite Survivor Man but youre damn close. im thinking tent, blankets, plenty of food and fire.

like i was saying earlier im not much for hunting but a bit of small game wouldn't be a bad thing i suppose. all the same i would like to squeeze some shots off for a bit of fun and practice with my handgun, without being a place where people may be on the other side of the trees im shooting into.

you know of a good place specifically that i can do that.
Josh, where in the heck was that place we went? Shooting was no problem and he could easily trek out further if he wanted. Oh, and clearly you can't get a cell signal... :(
 
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