Hot Camping Posts

How To: Car camp

Whether you're at a concert or on a road trip, sometimes you need to camp out. Check out this video if you are planning a car trip where you will be camping along the way. Car camping requires plenty of preplanning and patience but will be totally worth it in the end when you have one sweet road trip!

How To: Build an upside down fire

If you ever find yourself in the woods after a long day of hunting or fishing, you're going to need a fire. So in this two part video tutorial you'll find out how to build an upside down fire and make it last longer than the traditional method of making a fire. Enjoy!

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 fire with chapstick and cottonballs

This is a survival video which shows how to make a fire out of chap stick and cotton balls. This is called the wicks/wax principle. For the wick, cotton balls are used. For the wax, any petroleum based product is good. In this case chap stick is used. Take a big chunk of chap stick out of the tube, about 1 inch. Smear the chap stick into the cotton ball. This will evenly distribute the chap stick throughout the cotton ball. Spread out the chap stick filled cotton ball so that it creates a big...

How To: Assemble a wilderness survival kit

This is a video showing how to assemble a wilderness survival kit. To do this there are some basic things in every kit. One of the things is water, food, or ways to make food, and shelter, or ways to make shelter. There is one prepared kit with pieces of equipment necessary to survive. To prepare your own, a sturdy knife or a multi-tool is important. Ways to start fire, either lighters or matches are important. Something like a first aid kit, or at least bandages and antibiotic ointment are i...

How To: Make fire in multiple ways

In this Outdoor Recreation video tutorial you will learn how to make fire in multiple ways. For this you will need either cigarette lighters or matches. There are also a variety of fire making kits available with fancy strikers to produce sparks and chemically coated paper strips or ropes that catch fire easily. Another method is a fire piston. Put the ‘O’ ring on the plunger and some charcoal powder on the tip of the plunger and bang it in. when you pull out the plunger, the charcoal will be...

How To: Carry your camping gear for cheap

Are you struggling to buy a high priced backpack for your wilderness trip? Fear not for there is this video out in the world looking to help you! In this video, learn how to carry your camping gear for cheap, without shelling out too many bones for an expensive camping backpack.

How To: Erect a tipi for shelter

This video is a tutorial explaining how to erect a tipi shelter. You must make sure all poles are 11' by 10' to have the correct height tipi. The instructor then aligns three marks and ties a clove hitch around all three poles. The next step is to raise the pole by using the rope to keep the structure stable. The next step involves putting the covering onto the lead pole and the bring the covering around 360 to complete. The last step involves securing the covering with rope by tying a knot a...

How To: Choose a camping tent

The first advice in this video on how to choose a camping tent is to consider the size of your family. You may want one tent for the whole family or one for the kids and one for the adults. Take time to choose a good camping tent that will last. You may need to spend some money to get a good investment in a tent, one that will last. Do you need the tent for car camping or carry camping? For carry camping you need lightweight materials that will be easy to carry. Large tents may have several r...

How To: Survive in the wilderness

In this how-to video, you will learn how to survive in the wilderness. First, practice all of these skills before you go out on a trip of some sort. Skill and common sense preparation is important. Make sure you have duct tape, a flash light, and fishing line and hook. Foil is very light and can be used for things including signaling, boiling water, and cooking food. A cord of some sort will allow you to hang things, set traps, and build shelter. You can learn how to build cord as well. Denta...

How To: Make a wilderness survival shelter

In this how-to video, you will learn how to build a wilderness survival shelter. One thing you can do is use a rain poncho, blanket, or piece of plastic and make a water impermeable shelter with a rope like material. These materials could include anything like a cord or dental floss. You can build a debris hut by using a large stick leaning against a tree. Stack many other sticks around this large stick, and then pile up debris such as dirt or leaves to build up walls. Once the structure is b...

How To: Identify the parts of a compass

The parts of the compass are a base plate with different measurements for calculating mileage and distance. The magnifying glass is used to magnify things on your map. The arrow at the top of the compass is called the direction of travel arrow. To find the degrees on your compass, use the rotating bezel ring, with North being "0", East being "90", South being "180", and west being "270". The magnetic needle inside has a red magnetic north end, which is used to locate "North", and the black en...

How To: Make fire-starters out of dryer lint

The warmth of a fire is great while camping or on a cold winter’s night but it can be difficult to get those log roaring. Use materials you have at home to create some easy, fool-proof fire starters that you can use the next time you need to get some logs burning.

How To: Start a fire without kindling

You don't need a stock pile of kindling to hold the flame and really get your fire started. There are a variety of creative yet effective substitutes. Leftover chips from lunch, an extra toilet paper roll, these are only a few ideas on how to start your next fire.

How To: Set up a sleeping bags in a tent

Here Charlie will show you how to quickly set up a sleeping bad in a tent. To set up a sleeping bag in a tent, do the following: Decide on which direction you want to sleep in the tent. Remove the sleeping bag from the stuff sack. Lay it out and make sure it doesn't touch the edges of the tent. This may cause moisture that has seeped through, to dampen your sleeping bag.

How To: Sharpen a swiss army knife

Learning how to maintain and sharpen your Swiss army knife is an important skill for campers and backpackers. You will need to have a sharpening stone that can be dry or wet. To use a wet stone simply add a little bit of water or homing oil. Keep the blade at an angle of 5 to 7 degrees from the surface of the stone and move the blade back and forth or in a circular motion.

How To: Use a pocket knife

Scott Cook gives you some very easy tips to use your pocket knife carefully. Some of the tips to use your pocket knife carefully are: Always choose a knife with a lock so that it does fold accidentally and a firm handle comfortable to use. Always use your knife away from you while carving. Hold it firmly to carve easily and make sure nobody is around you while using your knife. You can also dig using it and to drill hold it firmly straight and rotate the knife.

How To: Make a good walking stick

This video will show you how to make a good walking stick. Having a 'third leg' can sometimes mean the difference between disaster and safety. To make the perfect walking stick, do the following: Find a nice straight stick, strong enough to support your weight. Cut it at a length you will be comfortable with. Consider wrapping a piece of leather around the top part, where you grab onto the stick. This creates a comfortable handle. Be creative with your stick by decorating it or writing your n...

How To: Cook breakfast while camping

Learn how to cook nutritious breakfast while camping in simple steps. While camping you either go for a cold breakfast or hot breakfast. Few options for the cold breakfast are white bread with cheese, honey or whatever you brought along with you. You can even have some cookies, energy bars if you are starting early. To make a hot breakfast, you may boil some water to make coffee or you can even try oat meal. You can even use powdered milk which would be very helpful.

How To: Construct a camp chair

When you are camping, having a place to sit down other than the ground is always a plus. If you don't have the strength or space to carry a chair with you as you hike, check out this video and learn to make one out of materials you find in the forest. This way, not only will you have a place to sit, but you will be able to leave it once you leave and lighten your load. Enjoy this very cool tutorial, and learn exactly how to make yourself a comfy seat in an otherwise empty forest.

How To: Sharpen a pocket knife

This is video is a tutorial on how to sharpen a pocket knife. It is filmed as a man sits at a dining room table discussing points and demonstrating how to properly sharpen the knife. He makes several points about different ways on how to sharpen knives. He is careful to explain why you sharpen the knife during each step in the process. This video would be great for people who have never sharpened a knife before because he discusses a lot of information. However, if you're just looking for a n...

How To: Tie a marlin spike hitch

Pull the line towards yourself, applying tension. Form a bite. having the working end towards the standing part. Fold the line away from the direction of pull, weave the marlin spike through the hole and then pull the line tight.

How To: Make char cloth to start your fire

In this weekend project, MAKE and KipKay show you how to make a char cloth to start a campfire in a hurry. Char cloth is cheap and effective stuff. You need a metal container, an old t-shirt, and a can of Sterno, and then you're pretty much good to go.

How To: Tie a chain sinnet

A chain sinnet is a useful rope technique to know for climbing, camping or disaster prep. It's a bit tricky for beginners, but you should pick it up before long. In this tutorial, the guys at ITS Tactical show us how to make a chain sinnet using some flaked rope.

How To: Protect food from animals while camping

Getting back to nature can be an incredibly rewarding experience – unless critters come along and ruin it! Here's how to keep your food from being plundered. To keep your food protected while camping out in the great outdoors, try bringing along a cooler, a cloth or nylon sack, a sock, some rope, and sealable, waterproof plastic bags. Keeping your provisions safe will decrease the risk of animal attack, and make your journey out into nature a fun experience.

How To: Build your own sleeping bag

Learn how to make your own sleeping bag out of roll insulation. This is a redneck or ghetto way of keeping warm without spending hundreds at REI. The industrial insulation will work better than down. This idea has been employed by homeless people and survivalists alike. Enjoy some snowy camping with this uber cheap sleeping bag.

How To: Tie the tautline hitch knot for camping

Watch this instructional video to learn how to tie the tautline hitch knot for camping. The tautline hitch knot is a favorite among campers. This knot is useful for adjusting the tension of tent guy lines and laundry lines, among other uses. The tautline hitch knot can be slipped to tighten or loosen a line, then holds fast under load. Tie the tautline hitch knot for camping.

How To: Hang a bear bag

Backpacker editors demonstrate how to (and how not to) hang a bear bag to protect your food in bruin country. Check out this instructional camping video to ensure you have a safe and fun trip outdoors while camping in serious bear habitats. Learn the various methods of hanging a bear bag with this backpacking tutorial video.

How To: Prepare for a camping trip

Knowing how to prepare for a camping trip can be the difference between an enjoyable and safe experience and an experience that no one wants to repeat. Learn how to prepare for a camping trip in this free outdoors video series.