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Homework
- Learn camping skills and strategies
- Find great campgrounds
- Take short trips before attempting long ones
- Plan long trips
- Find suitable camping gear
- Use pre-trip checklists
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| My first motorcycle camping trip (1998) was to Parksville Lake in the Cherokee NF (Ocoee, Tennessee) |
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Shelter
- Tent models
- Tent specifications
- Tent features
- Tent prices
- Tent care
- Tent packing
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Sleeping
- Sleeping bag specifications
- Sleeping bag care
- Sleeping pads
- Clothing
- Other sleep-related gear
- Securing your campsite
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Essential Gear
- Rain gear
- First aid kit
- Personal items
- Shower supplies
- Camp tools
- Kitchen items
- Lights
- Tarp
- Stuff sacks
- Miscellaneous items
- Coffee supplies
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| Our first two-up trip was to Piney Campground in the Land Between the Lakes NRA (Tennessee) |
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Meals
- Restaurants and grocery stores
- Utensils
- Dinnerware
- Supplies
- Aluminum foil cooking
- Cookware
- Backpacker stoves
- Baking
- Food hygiene
- Cleanup
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| Steaks, potatoes and onions, and a garden salad make a great meal |
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Optional Gear
- High priority items (camera, tarp, tarp support poles, tablecloth, hammock, bike cover)
- Second priority items (small TV, extra pair of shoes, chair)
- Low priority items (snake bite kit, bear canister, stove repair kit, candles, pistol)
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| I feel like I am back home when I get to the Wisconsin state line |
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Clothing
- Desirable qualities
- Fabrics and their properties
- Garments needed
- Weather consciousness
- Assemble your wardrobe
- Packing
- Washing
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Packing
- Packed weight
- Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)
- MSF principles for carrying loads
- Additional packing tips
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Chores and Activities
- Setting up camp
- Maintaining camp
- Enjoying leisure time
- Breaking camp
- Cleaning gear and repacking
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| On one trip to Land Between the Lakes NRA, we had to camp in a private campground |
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Problems
- Overall risks
- Intoxicated neighbors
- Cold weather
- Thunderstorms
- Injuries
- Plants
- Insects
- Arachnids
- Reptiles
- Other animals
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| This sign was posted in the Great Smoky Mountains NP in 2009 |
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Ethics
- The American conservation movement
- Leave no trace program
- Park rules and regulations
- Ethical principles for lightweight camping
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Closing Comments
- Intangible benefits of camping
- Highway safety
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