Marnie, Off the top of my head here are some thoughts from my 6 week camping trip 3 years ago...
Rechargeable flashlights and other accessories *seem* like a good idea, but they don't seem to last as long as when they're powered by "regular" batteries. They also don't seem to give much warning befor they go out. They just GO. Plus, remembering to recharge can be a nuisance, and the last thing you want to happen is that you run out of light when you need it, for example. If you're going to be in one place for a good amount of time, then get whatever size tent you want. However, if you will be on the move (i.e., taking the tent up and down every other day or more) then get a smaller tent thats fast an easy to pitch and break down. I personally had a HUGE tent, which was great when I was in it, and someplace for a long period of time... but as the trip stretched on and I stayed on the move, taking it up and down became a burden and I wished for a smaller tent to pitch. Invest in a good sleeping bag. Mine was rated for 0 degrees (F) if I'm not mistaken... but when the temperature dropped below freezing, I was still cold at times. I ended up lining the bag with a cheap fleece sleeping back from Wal-Mart. Worked out nicely. Also invest in a good mattress. Some opt for the foam / rubber pads which are okay... but I was gone for so long that I opted for an air mattress (my tent was that big). It was comfortable, but the extreme changes in temperature a few nights made it deflate some while I was asleep. So on a few occassions (not many), I had to wake up and pump it back up in the middle of the night. If you go this route, by the way, be SURE to get a battery operated pump for inflation. Most hiking trails are well mapped out and well blazed, so the need for a GPS is usually minimal (or none) unless your going off-trail (which I rarely did on purpose). But I did get turned around twice, which is kinda scary... but I eventually figured it out. I packed plenty of snacks to avoid having to cook every single time I got hungry. However, be careful in your selection. I did not realize until after the fact the extent to which most of my snacks (granola bars, muffins, etc) were high in fiber. Need I say more? Bring a Latern!!!!! This is huge. Flashlights are good for when you're walking or looking for something. But for area lighting in and out of the tent at night, some sort of latern (gas or battery operated) will be awesome to have. I changed clothes several times some days due to temperature drops caused by the elevation changes. Depending on where you'll be going, keep that in mind. Layers are good. Always have sufficient gas in the tank when approaching any national park. (1) you'll be surprised how much driving you'll do inside, going from trail to trail, and (2) they usually have stations nearby but they'll murder you on the prices. Be sure to do your research on park closings, etc. Given the time of year you'll be going. I remeber @ Glacier National Park, by early September it seemed like 80% of the campsites and facilities had already closed for the season. I also have to disagree with someone elses suggestion of staying close to the bathrooms since this is the most popular place @ the campsite. In my experience, the pedestrian traffic to the bathrooms, plus squeaky doors, etc tended to bug me @ night and became pretty annoying when trying to get some sleep. So I guess there are some pros and cons to being close. Photography-wise, I can say that I did NOT do a good job of making the proverbial lemonade out of lemons on my trip. When the weather / crowds / animals weren't cooperating, I sulked and put my camera away rather than trying to be creative, or better yet, just enjoying the atmosphere and the fact that I was there. It was fun being a photographer, but I didn't do a great job of also being a tourist while I was there, and so in hindsight I can say that I missed out. I hope that, in this respect, you manage better than I did. Thats all I can think of right now. If I think of more, I'll let you know. Here's the website from my trip, by the way. Yes, it's been three years... but I'm still working on it. I've still got about 1/2 the trip photos to upload. http://www.exposedfilm.net/journal/seattle/index.htm Happy Camping! - Jerome -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
