Best Camping Stoves and How to Choose Them
I have been camping for years. I started in my back yard with some friends. We would roast marshmallows over an old camping stove (camp fires were not allowed in the city) and we would look at the star for hours. We would setup the old canvas camping tent. It was very heavy and could sleep 2, maybe 3 people. If it rained you would probably be wet in the morning because you didn't see a camping tent with a rain fly back then. As a teen, we would go fishing and camp by a stream on the first day of trout. We were unprepared for almost everything. We had our fishing gear and a 4 man tent with no rain fly and we were missing 2 stakes. We had no firewood, saws, axe, or even an extra coat with us. We planned to eat the trout we caught, so we brought no food with us. We couldn't have been told anything to help us then, because we were teenagers and already knew it all. Boy have I learned a lot since then. The memories were all good because all we needed was good friendship and somewhere to pitch our camping tent. I do remember coming home cold and hungry (what fish we catch could not be prepared due to the lack of firewood). As they say "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger". It was a yearly event for a while and we became pretty good at planning a camping trip. As an adult, I have been a Boy Scout Leader for 13 years now. I have gone camping every month for years even in below freezing temperatures but I will leave that for another story. I started with a large family tent and a van full of all kinds of gear. I now go camping with an internal frame backpack and everything I need for my weekend trip is either in, or strapped on my backpack including my 2 man tent, food, clothing, first aid kit, and other essentials. I am currently considering going to a solo tent to try to bring my pack weight down by a pound or two. It is a big decision because I still like the extra space I have in my 2 man tent but I have sure come a long way from my days with the van full of gear. Here is a list of gear to get you started for you base camp. Camping Tent with Poles, Stakes and Lines, Rain Fly Folding Table Chairs or Camp Stools Folding Saw Axe Lantern Hot Water Pot (bring water if none available where you are camping) Fire Gloves Group Size First Aid Kit Sewing Kit Toilet Paper