Tent Camping Resources
Camping under the stars in your own tent is a fantastic way to experience the great outdoors.
Tent Camping Tips from the KOA

Tent camping can be fun and relaxing, with a little bit of planning and preparation. Whether you are a first time tent camper, or you have been doing it for years, you will find some useful advice below:

Arrive at your campsite early in the day. This will give you a chance to get your tent and the rest of your camp set up early in the day, so you can relax and enjoy a nice dinner before dark. The kids can explore the campground, and still settle in for the evening. Plan ahead and pack light. When possible, pack items that have multiple uses. Pack only the amount of ingredients that you will need for each meal - two cups of pancake mix takes up a lot less room than ten pounds. Insulated to-go cups with lids are a must! Make sure you have one for everyone in your group. They keep hot things hot, cold things cold, and insects out of everything.For a comfortable night's sleep, you will want to partially unzip the upper window in your tent. This will help remove unwanted moisture. On nights that are especially humid, also unzip a lower window to draw cooler air through and create a chimney effect.Pack your non-perishable food items in sealed containers, and organize by meal. This will simplify your work when it is time to cook. Pack your cooking supplies with your cleaning supplies, so they can all be put away together once clean up is complete. Bring extra tent poles along, just in case a pole breaks on your trip. You should make sure you always stake your tent down completely to avoid wind damage to your tent.
Bring along a tarp or ground cloth to cover the ground where you will put your tent. This will save on the wear and tear to your tent. Choose one that is slightly smaller than the tent so you can avoid problems if it rains. If you have a new tent, try setting it up at home. This will help you avoid frustration at the campground.
Bring a throw rug or a piece of outdoor carpet to place in front of
your tent to reduce the amount of dirt tracked in.Keep a small broom and dust pan handy. It is inevitable that you will track something into your tent. Cleaning it up right away will help extend the life of your tent. Don't forget to pack some type of pad for underneath your sleeping bag. Your back will thank you in the morning.
Put your rainflap on your tent BEFORE it rains. Keep things on the inside from touching the sides of the tent, when you set up your tent. This will help keep the inside of your tent dry if it rains. Dress in layers. As the temperature rises during the day, you will be able to make yourself comfortable by removing some layers. Your extra clothes will then be readily available as the temperature dips when the sun goes down. Wear comfortable shoes, that are already broken in, if you are planning
on some camping activities during your stay. A short hike can turn into an endless journey with a blister on your heel. Choose a light for your tent. There are many options, and a flashlight isn't always the best one. Relax and have fun - after all you are CAMPING!

How To Keep Your Tent Forever
by Kirby Kinkead, President of OpenTrees.com

A tent is your home away from home, your second skin. The right care will
keep it reliable, and keep you protected. First, clean your tent Usually you can just shake your tent, but occasionally it will need cleaning. Never put your tent in the washing machine or dryer! Here is what I do: First, I shake my tent (inside out) to get rid of large debris. Then I wipe the outside of the tent floor with a damp cloth to remove ground in dirt, and vacuum the zippers with the brush attachment. Second, I pitch my tent and clean the tent walls, inside and out, with Down Soap (in any good sporting goods store). I sponge-rinse the tent TWICE to ensure all soap is gone. I never submerge it in water or rub waterproof coatings (like inside the tent floor and the underside of the rain fly). Third, To remove sap from the tent, I scrape it with a non-serrated butter knife being careful not to cut the fabric. Do NOT use solvent. For gooey sap I use tissue and carefully pinch off the sap (don't rub or it will smear).
A small spot is ok. Eventually it will collect dust and won't be sticky. If I need to pack the tent right away I stick tissue to the sap and remove it later. To remove the sap completely, I mix glycerin and water in equal parts and apply it to the sap, then let it sit. The sap should rub off the tent fabric easily. (If not, let it sit longer).
Fourth, A musty odor, and/or small cross-shaped spots on tent fabric indicate
mildew formation. To get rid of mildew I mix 1-cup salt, 1-cup lemon juice (concentrated), and 1-gallon hot water. I rub the solution into all visible mildew. Then I pitch the tent with affected areas facing the sun and allow the tent to dry.

Second, maintain your tent:
Zipper sliders, the moving part of a zipper, wear from grit or sand, which causes
failure over time. I use McNett's Zip Care to lubricate my tent zipper to reduce wear.
You can also use paraffin wax or a bar of soap if you're in a pinch. Do not use petroleum based lubericants. If the sliders on my tent zippers start to fail, I squeeze the slider head (from front to back) firmly but gently with a pair of pliers.
Tent seams are not always waterproof. I seam seal them if I know I will be out in the heavy rain. Third, store your tent properly
I never put my tent away damp. Damp tents will mildew, smell, and eventually deteriorate. If you can't pitch your tent outside to dry then use a guest room or a basement, just as long as the tent is dry before you pack it.
I pack my tent poles in old pillowcases or a canvas bag to prevent accidental punctures to tent fabric. I pack my tent loosely. An oversized bag or cardboard box gives it breathing room. I don't store my tent in a plastic bag or airtight container.
Proper care of your tent will make it last forever. I clean mine once a year after the
camp season before long-term storage. You will be glad you did.

Camping Cooking Tips
from the KOA

Cooking over an open campfire, or on a cookstove can be lots of fun. Use our handy
camping cooking tips on your next camping trip and save yourself both time and frustration. We also have some tips for cooking with a Dutch Oven.
Preparing soups, stews or chili ahead of time will help you to save time and effort while camping. Freeze them at home and reheat them for a quick and easy dinner.
Cut up vegetables such as onions and peppers before leaving home. You can pack them in zip lock bags and save time at the campsite. Freeze any meat you plan to take along. It will help keep other cooler items cold. This also works well with water or juice. Fill milk jugs or 2 liter bottles and freeze. They keep the cooler cold and you have cold beverages to drink. Use block ice in your cooler rather than cubed ice, it will last longer. To help with cleanup, put a pan of water on the fire while you eat. It will be nice and hot by the time you're done. Be sure to bring along heavy duty aluminum foil. It doesn't take up much space and works great for easy cooking and clean-up. Remember to add a few ice cubes to aluminum foil dinners.
This prevents them from burning and keeps them moist. Don't forget to cover your food while it's cooking. It will get done quicker and saves on fuel.
Snack foods such as trail mix, granola bars and dried fruit help to keep your energy up in between meals.
Squeezable margarine makes a great alternative to stick or tub brands; it's much easier and cleaner. Also if it gets cold just place the squeeze bottle in a pot of warm water for a few minutes. Rather than worrying about squishing the bread, take along pita bread pockets.They are easy to fill and stay in better shape.
Coals, either charcoal or wood, provide steady, even heat for cooking without a lot of smoke to deal with while standing around the fire. If you plan on barbecuing chicken, grill the chicken without the sauce first. When the chicken is halfway cooked, brush on the BBQ sauce. This prevents the sauce from burning onto the chicken.
For breakfast the last day, use leftover meats and vegetables to make omelets. Then you don't have to haul leftover food home with you.
When it's time to clean up make doing the dishes easy by adding just a little dish soap and water to cover the bottom of a pan and bring to a boil. A crumpled up ball of tin foil also makes a great scouring pad. Plastic totes make great camping boxes. They keep all of your equipment together and are lightweight and water proof.

Be Nice to Your Sleeping Bag
by Kirby Kinkead, President of OpenTrees.com

I enjoy camping more when I've had a good night's sleep. I'm less grumpy, less prone to injury, and ready to participate in camping activities. One of my secrets is to keep a clean sleeping bag so it performs well every time.
An ounce of prevention
First of all, don't over clean your sleeping bag. You'll be amazed how well your sleeping bag will "air out" if you can just let it hang outside in the shade and let Mother Nature's breeze work it's magic.
Second, don't get it dirty. I keep my tent as clean a possible inside. When I don't use a tent I
always use a waterproof ground cloth. I never lay my sleeping bag down in the dirt.
To minimize exposure of my sleeping bag's lining to dirty skin oils (especially dirty when camping) I wear PJs, or sleep in a silk liner; depending on the kind of camping I'm doing. My first choice is to use a silk liner. When I want to cut down on pack weight I wear a clean tee shirt, underpants and sox. In colder weather I sleep in long underwear and sox. When it's time to wash your sleeping bag
Depending on what the sleeping bag is made of I either machine or hand wash. NEVER DRY-CLEAN SLEEPING BAGS.
The harsh chemicals can damage the insulation. Machine Wash: Hearty, square, heavy-duty, inexpensive sleeping bags. Never use a top-loading machine,
especially if it has an agitator. I use the biggest commercial frontloading washer and dryer in the Laundromat with specialty soap (you can find them for down or synthetic materials in camping stores) in cold water. I dry my sleeping bag at the lowest setting until completely dry lots of quarters. A damp sleeping bag can mildew, yuck!
Hand Wash: Delicate, lightweight, high-end, expensive sleeping bags. I fill the bathtub with warm water and add specialty soap. I keep the sleeping bag in its stuff sack and put the whole thing underwater. That way air has already been forced out and I don't have to fight air pockets floating to the surface.
I carefully pull the sleeping bag from its stuff sack and gently knead the soapy water through it. I drain the tub and gently push the water out of the sleeping bag. I rinse it at least three times. Do not wring or lift the sleeping bag when wet or it will stretch the stitches. I gently roll the sleeping bag and put it in a laundry basket and take it to the largest Laundromat dryer. Tip: If you are drying a down sleeping bag, feel it for clumps. Even tiny clumps mean it is not dry. Don't "drip-dry" a sleeping bag. The process is too slow and it can mildew easily. Store your sleeping bag properly
I store my sleeping bag in an oversized sack, the size of a king-sized pillowcase. I stuff it rather than roll it. Stuffing is actually easier on the shell of the sleeping bag.
Don't store a sleeping bag tightly rolled or in a compression sack because with time this can over compress the insulation and reduce its effectiveness.
Another method I recommend (if you have the space) is to hang the sleeping bag -not over a coat hanger or bar- or lay it flat.
Tip: Don't leave a bag tightly rolled or stuffed in a hot car or trunk too long. Synthetic insulation can bind together if the temperature is high enough, which will reduce it's effectiveness.A sleeping bag is one of the most delicate items in your pack and must be handled with care. Keeping it clean and fluffy will keep you happy when you camp. You'll be glad you did.