Most backpackers prefer to camp near water sources out of comfort, however there are actual advantages to dry tenting in locations that aren’t near them. If you happen to’re prepared to haul the water you’ll want for the evening and the following morning, you possibly can camp out at a extra scenic location whereas having fun with the additional privateness and in lots of instances, the additional safety that comes from tenting other than different individuals.
An important abilities required for dry tenting are navigation, hydration, and campsite choice.
Navigation
Navigation comes into play since you’ll need to choose an space to search for campsite, notably in the event you’ve by no means been there earlier than. You probably have a tent, you’ll need to discover an space that has sufficient degree floor to sleep on, or you probably have a hammock, a forested space that has the requisite tree cowl. There are many GPS Apps, together with Gaia GPS, which have topographic maps and satellite tv for pc imagery that can assist you make an informed guess about what the circumstances might be like at your supposed vacation spot. And if issues don’t pan out, the place you’ll need to go subsequent to discover a good campsite.
Lastly, in the event you do enterprise off-trail to dry camp, you additionally want to have the ability to resume your supposed route and never get hopelessly misplaced. Meaning you should be on prime of your navigation sport.
Hydration (Water Administration)
You’ll want to determine the space you should journey out of your final water supply, how a lot water you’ll want for the evening the following morning, and till you possibly can purchase water the following day. That is fairly straightforward in a temperate local weather that has quite a few water sources, however it might get trickier in arid terrain, the place there are fewer water sources and a few of them could also be dry. A part of your planning course of might want to contemplate the chance of operating out of water and whether or not you should carry further to offset it.
One of the simplest ways to hold further water for dry tenting is to make use of a multi-liter tender bottle that could be very light-weight and rolls up compactly when it’s not wanted. These can be found in 2L, 3L, and 4L sizes, together with:
For instance, I normally dry camp with 4L or 5L of water: 2L for dinner and the evening, 2L for tea and breakfast the following morning, and 1L to get me to the following water supply.
Campsite Choice
The opposite purpose that backpackers prefer to camp close to water sources is that there are normally pre-existing campsites that they will use to camp. They’re not essentially good campsites, however most backpackers really feel “safer” figuring out they’re tenting the place somebody has camped earlier than. That’s a fallacy in fact, notably in the event you’re tenting someplace with a bear downside or your campsite is en path to the native water supply that the native animal inhabitants frequents.
When dry tenting, you’re most likely going to camp in a spot the place nobody has camped earlier than. Because it’s not close to a water supply, you’re much less prone to have animals tromping via at evening except you make the error of organising on a sport path and subsequent to a bear cave.
You need to keep away from widow-makers – timber that may fall on you and injure you at evening or when the wind will get up and to select a website that received’t get flooded out if it rains.
My choice when dry tenting is to camp out of sight of the closest path if one is shut and to exert the bottom attainable affect on the location I select. This implies I’m not going to construct a fireplace ring or have a fireplace at evening or dig a trench round my tent, I’m not going to maneuver rocks or chop down timber, and I’m going to pitch my tent or hammock instantly above fragile flowers. Whereas my presence will depart some affect, my objective is to go away issues as little modified as attainable.
Wrap Up
Dry tenting is sweet when all of it comes collectively, but it surely takes some upfront planning and adaptableness if issues don’t work out to drag it off. It’s additionally one thing you don’t need to do in the dead of night, so construct some further time into your schedule to discover a good campsite earlier than the lights exit.
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