Camping top tips

Stop the edges of my tent sagging/stop the draft coming in beneath the walls?

Move the guy rope pegs away/towards the tent, this will lift/ drop the edge of the tent as required.

You want to get them set so the walls hang vertical with the canvas just brushing the grass

Light the stove without burning my fingers?

Light from beneath

Use two hands, light the match close to the stove before you turn the gas on (ensure the bottle is turned on though)

Wash up all the items from dinner with only one kettle of water?

Properly scrape as much food off as possible out of all the pans/off plates into the bin before washing up

If you first rinse all items in cold water, this will remove the big bits of food

The hot water is then removing the germs and grease

Wash the clean things first, mugs, cutlery then get dirtier; bowls > plates > cooking utensils > pans

Put the kettle back on once you have poured water into the bowl, that way you will have some more when the first lot goes cold and yucky..

Stop the cooker going out when it is windy?

Move the windshield to the most appropriate end of the stove.

Move the cooker to the other end of the tent, you should keep the cooker at one of the ends but if need be turn it around 90 or 180 degrees (make sure it isn’t lit or hot when you do this)

Stop my sleeping tent smelling?

Firstly make sure there is no wet kit anywhere in the tent; put it on the washing line :) or in the boating kit tents.

Also during the day fold the groundsheet up as best you can to get air to the ground. Preferably change the location you more the groundsheet to each day

If the weather is nice and dry and you are on site all day get the tent brailed. Even if it is only during lunch/or whilst you are making dinner.

Firstly loop braille - especially if the canvas is wet, or if you are only doing it for a short amount of time

Then you can roll braille if you are leaving it all day

Get gadget points?

Make some gadgets! Think about what you can make with sticks and string that will make your life easier in the patrol

• Do you have somewhere to put your plates, cutlery etc,

• Do you have somewhere to hang your wet boating kit

• Do you have somewhere to hang your dishcloth and tea towels

• What about shoes and uniform.

If you make them at the beginning of camp the points will just keep adding up.

But remember just putting the stick in the ground won’t be considered a gadget

Stop the matches getting damp?

Store the matches in the tin that your patrol box leg bolts came in

What to wear on camp activities

Staying warm and dry on camp

The following advice is invaluable for keeping warm and dry on camp by limiting the amount of kit that is wet at any one time.

● Take off wet kit as soon as you can.

● Hang wet kit to dry as soon as you take them off. – Spread them out to allow them to dry.

● Do not put your wet kit in with your dry kit

● Do not get changed out of wet kit in your sleeping tent or near anyone’s dry kit.

● Reuse wet kit when you know you are going to get wet again i.e anytime you are going boating.

● Waterproofs - Make sure you have a good quality waterproof to wear on camp, showerproof jackets are NOT suitable. Consider reproofing your waterproof with specialist proofing agent. If it can be washed and tumble dried, then do this in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

● We have a rule of no trainers/boots or trousers (including anything below the knees) before morning colours (this includes walking round in pyjama trousers or onesies). The reason for this is often the morning grass is wet and these items find their way back into sleeping/kit tents, in the case of trainers they will stay wet for a long time making them unpleasant to wear for the rest of the time.

● Cotton is colder than bare skin when wet; man made materials are much better for boating etc