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Saturday, May 31st, 2008
6. Rent or borrow high quality sleeping
bags for everyone, and thick sleeping
mats. Even in July a camper will be
cold at night if he sleeps directly on the
ground. A thick sleeping mat will shield
him from the cold, hard, lumpy ground.
7. Rent or borrow a good tent, not a cheap
$79 four-person model that will blow
down in a slight breeze. Eureka makes
excellent models. Oh… also know how
to put it up – not just in theory. Set your
tent up in the backyard before leaving
home. A small hammer or hatchet will
make pounding in tent pegs easy.
8. Plan lots of different activities
(e.g. hiking, adventure reading, star-
gazing) even if you’re going all alone to
“get away from it all.” Mini binoculars
are easy to pack.
9. Bring warm clothes including a raincoat,
even if showers aren’t expected. Fleece
sweaters provide warmth even when
damp. On cold nights you might want
to wear socks and a toque to bed.
10. Use a checklist to make sure you leave
home with all the essentials. Years ago
I went on a long weekend Algonquin
Park hiking trip with a friend. Fantastic,
except for the fact that I forgot my
tent fly in the garage. It poured rain all
weekend. Luckily, I had a big tarpauline.
I’ve also forgotten my stove.
Allen Macartney is the Managing Editor of
Ottawa Outdoors Magazine. Usually, he
anticipates problems before they bite him on
outdoor trips.
www.OttawaOutdoors.ca OTTAWA >> SPRING/SUMMER 2008 9
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