Active Camping Posts

How To: Keep Mosquitoes & Other Annoying Bugs Away from Your Campfire or Backyard Fire Pit

I'll be honest—I've never been a huge fan of camping. It's not that I have anything against nature, I'm just partial to showering and sleeping in my own bed. In fact, the only part of camping I've ever really enjoyed is sitting around a campfire. Outdoor fires are perfect for socializing and cooking hot dogs, but they're also great at helping remove one of camping's biggest annoyances.

How To: Build a shelter in the wild

In this tutorial, we learn how to build a shelter in the wild. You can use trees with a branch as the top to cover yourself from rain. You can also use tree branches and sticks to keep the shelter up. A shelter is great to store things in, or to sleep in. You can keep the fire close to the shelter so the heat goes into your shelter, but not too close so you don't set a fire. If you work quickly, it should only take a few hours to build this shelter. Also, place a tarp over the branches and le...

How To: Make an All-Night Campfire with Just One Log

The next time you're out camping, whether it's outdoors in the wilderness or right outside in your own backyard, try this hack out for an effortless campfire all night long. While there is definitely some prep work involved, it's well worth it if you don't need a huge bonfire, and more so if you plan on cooking meals over the flames.

How To: Setup Your Tent While Camping

Check out this how-to video to use essential tent setup tips for camping. Camping without a tent is like living without a house! Check out these easy tips for buying and taking care of your tent, and you'll be able to camp with it for a lifetime. Buy and Maintain a Camping Tent - Proper Camping Tent Use Video.

How To: Build a Campfire with Paper and Kindling

Check out this how-to video to learn tips on building a camp fire. One of the most enjoyable things in the world is a long-burning campfire in the great outdoors. Check out these tips for getting a campfire going without harming the environment... or yourself. How To Build a Campfire - Safely Build a Campfire Video.

How To: Set up a tent when camping outdoors

In order to set up a tent, for a camping trip, you'll need to lay out all of the parts of the tent. Place the poles at the end of the tent. Work on opposite sides. Inserting the pole on both sides. It may be easier with two people. Once you insert the pole, then you'll need to snap it, fastening all the snaps. After you have completed this step, lay the fly over the tent. Snap it in place, in all four corners. Make sure that sides are below the mesh. Now, you can stake the tent. Staking the t...

How To: Make a Survival Light Source

This is just a simple survival light source. You can use a cheap outdoor solar yard light like the one in the video from walmart. There only about 3 to 5 bucks but you can use them not only as a light source but a way to recharge AA rechargeable batteries.

How To: Pack camping food

Dr. Cook discusses the best ways to pack your food for a camping trip. When it comes to packing food for your camping trip, the best way is simply to pack everything into Tupperware. Everything will be held neatly in one place, and certain items can even be organized in Ziploc bags, and then put into the Tupperware. These bags are also great for keeping the food dry, and can also be used to pack individual meals. Removing the food from its original packaging and placing it in a Ziploc bag als...

How To: Make a survival belt out of paracord using the cobra knot

All you need is a single long piece (at least fifteen meters) of sturdy paracord, as well as a clasp for either end. You can also use this technique to make a rifle sling or something else for which you will need a long length of woven paracord. The knot itself is not difficult - just watch carefully and make sure you've given yourself enough time to finish this project. A great project to make for yourself, or the survivalist in your life.

How To: Pitch a pop-up tent the easy way

Pop-up tents are much more convenient to pitch than the tents of old, but doing it for the first time is still tricky. Watch this video to learn how to set up both types of pop-up tent: the umbrella style and the coiled-spring style.

How To: Tie a Knute hitch

In this video, we learn how to tie a Knute hitch. The purpose for this is to make an easy dummy cord on something with a hold for it. To start, tie a simple overhand knot in one end and then make a bite in the knot. With this bite, insert this into the hole in your item. Once it's through, take the end with the knot and put it through the loop. Then, pull the end of the string until it's tight over the item with the hole. Then you can use this as a handle so you don't lose your item!

How To: Make A Whistle From A Sycamore Twig

I will show you how to make a loud whistle from a twig from a sycamore tree. In fact they are so loud that they could be used in an emergency situation to attract attention from potential rescuers. The international distress signal is 6 whistle blasts in quick succession.

How To: Make and cook with camp fires

This video demonstrates the tripod method of setting up a campfire for cooking in the wilderness. In order to set up the tripod, you will need three large branches of hazel, some copper wire, and a hooked branch to be used to hang a pot from the tripod. The copper wire will be used to attach the hooked branch to the tripod setup and cord or rope may be substituted. Another method of cooking which is demonstrated is to cook food in a pot over some embers. A hole is dug in the ground and a fire...

How To: Properly put on a heavy mountaineering backpack

In this video, we learn how to properly put on a heavy mountaineering backpack. It's very important to do this properly, or else you can severely injure your back. To put this on, grab the strap with both of your hands, then lift it up onto your knees, then slide it and kick it up onto your back. Next tie it around your waist and pull it so it's nice and tight. After this, use a chest strap so it's tight, but not enough so that you cannot breathe and it takes weight off your shoulders. Next, ...

How To: Splice a loop into the end of a three strand rope

Sometimes when you're camping it's necessary to pitch a little something called a tent after a long trek hiking and exploring the great outdoors. And when you're ready to call it a day, make sure you can do so peacefully without the fear that your tent contraption will fall down on you during the middle of the night.

How To: Lash a bamboo tripod

In this tutorial, we learn how to lash a bamboo tripod. First, you will tie a clove hitch by taking one piece of bamboo and wrapping the rope around it, then crossing the two sides of the string together to make a hitch. Next, you will secure the clove hitch around the third piece of bamboo. Now, you will rap all the pieces of bamboo together with the rope. Continue to do this until all the pieces feel secure together. Wrap the rope several times around each of the pieces, then wrap it in the...

How To: Harvest seed for flour in the wilderness

In this video, we learn how to harvest seed for flour in the wilderness. First, gather up some seeds from your yard inside the different plants. After this, let the air dry your seeds so there is no more moisture left inside of them. After this is done, you can take the seeds and grind them up into a fine powder that you can use as flour when you are baking. This is a great way to eat more healthy and use what you have in your garden instead of going out to purchase flour from the store. You ...

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