| Basic Camping Tips By Laura Vonk |
Always bring your own firewood AND kindling. There is never any dry and dead wood or
kindling available close to the campgrounds or campsites any longer. They have long ago
been used by all the other campers that came before you. Unless you want to saddle up and
ride a fair piece to collect firewood, it’s a whole lot easier to just bring it with you. Please
do not chop down the live, close-by trees to use for firewood, or strip bark off of the
standing trees for kindling. Live wood and kindling does not burn well. It’s wet and all you’ll
get is a whole lot of smoke choking you for your effort. I have seen where people have
done this at Cedar Creek Trail, in Boone and Callaway
County, MO. If you do not know how to start a campfire easily, there are many books that
can teach you how to do so. You can find a lot of them at the library, including boy scout
handbooks. If you don‘t like to read, find a boy scout. They usually know, are quite good at
it, and are normally happy to share their knowledge with you. You do not need to bring
gasoline, kerosene, or use bar-b-que pit lighter fluid. Starting a campfire is easy if you use
the right kind of wood and set it up the right way. These same books can also show you
how to make fire starters out of different materials such as dryer lint or sawdust, egg
cartons, and wax. These are great for starting a campfire when the wood is slightly damp
from rain.
Different campgrounds have or allow different ways for you to bed your horse down for
the night. A few have open stall like enclosures to keep your horse in, but most have
someplace where you can highline or picket line your horse. A few others have the room to
set up electric fence enclosures or panel enclosures. If you have to, or choose to, highline or
picket line your horse, know how to do so correctly and safely. Make sure you tie your line
in such a way that you can tighten it when needed, that you know how to make a quick
release knot that will keep your horse safely and securely tied to it, and keep your horses
separated by a “horse length” so that they cannot easily turn butt to butt and start kicking
each other. Train your horses, at home, how to stand quietly at a highline or picket line.
Then practice it a lot if they need it, before you try it out at the campground. The more
practice they get, the better they will be at standing quietly without pawing, digging, or trying
to aggravate their equine neighbor out of boredom.
Like many other people, Hank and I enjoy a couple of relaxing drinks around the campfire
in the evening. We usually like wine coolers or maybe a simple mixed drink. If you enjoy
drinking while you’re are camping, that’s great, but please refrain from getting “wasted”.
Not only can you make a fool out of yourself if you’re plastered, it’s a safety issue. I was at
a campground one time when two horses got tangled up with each other, their lead ropes,
and the poorly made highline, and their owner was too drunk to notice it, let alone do
anything to help them. Luckily neighboring campers saw the wreck in progress and went
over to take care of the situation, but it should have been noticed and handled by the owner.
In other instances we‘ve seen too much alcohol make people belligerent, looking for a fight,
or abusive to their horse, doing things I’m sure they wouldn’t have done if they hadn’t had
too much to drink. I’m not writing about this because I’m a prude or because I have a
religious or moral stance against drinking, like I said, we enjoy a couple ourselves
once in a while. This is a SAFETY issue.
Keep an eye on the weather if you are camping near a stream that can suffer from flash
floods. There are several places here in Missouri that do that. One in particular I know of is
at Swan Creek Trail. The stream there can rise fast and has been known to flood and catch
campers unaware while they sleep. Also, many of the trails, especially in the Ozark areas of
the state, can have the roads that lead to them flood during the spring rainy season. Anytime
you plan on a trip, camping or not, if it’s spring and it’s been raining at all lately, call the
management area that you are going to and inquire about if the roads in the area are
passable. Remember, even if it hasn’t been raining where you are, it can be raining hard
enough to flood in other parts of the state. And of course, do not try to ride through a
stream, creek or river if it’s high. The current can be much stronger that you can imagine.
A few other things you can bring, that I must confess, I have often forgotten in the past too:
Shovel and rake to keep horse area clean, a broom, insect repellent, duct tape, wasp spray
(can be used if there is a small nest in the outhouse. Please use with caution and common
sense. Do NOT try to spray a huge hornet‘s nest or yellow jacket nest), more ice than you
think you need, and a pocketknife (I know that seems obvious, but I’m surprised how many
people don’t carry one, especially women).
Lastly, if you have not been on an equestrian camping trip before, even if you’ve done a lot
of camping in the past without your horses, set up a whole campsite at home and actually
camp in it for a day or two, and if you have friends who are experienced equestrian
campers, go with them your first time if possible. Camping with your horse is a whole lot
different than camping without them. Just like camping without kids is a whole lot different
than camping without them.
There are so many other different things I could write about, but these few things are the
things I see people experiencing or talking about the most, as well as stuff I have personally
encountered or had to learn the hard way myself, over the years.
kindling available close to the campgrounds or campsites any longer. They have long ago
been used by all the other campers that came before you. Unless you want to saddle up and
ride a fair piece to collect firewood, it’s a whole lot easier to just bring it with you. Please
do not chop down the live, close-by trees to use for firewood, or strip bark off of the
standing trees for kindling. Live wood and kindling does not burn well. It’s wet and all you’ll
get is a whole lot of smoke choking you for your effort. I have seen where people have
done this at Cedar Creek Trail, in Boone and Callaway
County, MO. If you do not know how to start a campfire easily, there are many books that
can teach you how to do so. You can find a lot of them at the library, including boy scout
handbooks. If you don‘t like to read, find a boy scout. They usually know, are quite good at
it, and are normally happy to share their knowledge with you. You do not need to bring
gasoline, kerosene, or use bar-b-que pit lighter fluid. Starting a campfire is easy if you use
the right kind of wood and set it up the right way. These same books can also show you
how to make fire starters out of different materials such as dryer lint or sawdust, egg
cartons, and wax. These are great for starting a campfire when the wood is slightly damp
from rain.
Different campgrounds have or allow different ways for you to bed your horse down for
the night. A few have open stall like enclosures to keep your horse in, but most have
someplace where you can highline or picket line your horse. A few others have the room to
set up electric fence enclosures or panel enclosures. If you have to, or choose to, highline or
picket line your horse, know how to do so correctly and safely. Make sure you tie your line
in such a way that you can tighten it when needed, that you know how to make a quick
release knot that will keep your horse safely and securely tied to it, and keep your horses
separated by a “horse length” so that they cannot easily turn butt to butt and start kicking
each other. Train your horses, at home, how to stand quietly at a highline or picket line.
Then practice it a lot if they need it, before you try it out at the campground. The more
practice they get, the better they will be at standing quietly without pawing, digging, or trying
to aggravate their equine neighbor out of boredom.
Like many other people, Hank and I enjoy a couple of relaxing drinks around the campfire
in the evening. We usually like wine coolers or maybe a simple mixed drink. If you enjoy
drinking while you’re are camping, that’s great, but please refrain from getting “wasted”.
Not only can you make a fool out of yourself if you’re plastered, it’s a safety issue. I was at
a campground one time when two horses got tangled up with each other, their lead ropes,
and the poorly made highline, and their owner was too drunk to notice it, let alone do
anything to help them. Luckily neighboring campers saw the wreck in progress and went
over to take care of the situation, but it should have been noticed and handled by the owner.
In other instances we‘ve seen too much alcohol make people belligerent, looking for a fight,
or abusive to their horse, doing things I’m sure they wouldn’t have done if they hadn’t had
too much to drink. I’m not writing about this because I’m a prude or because I have a
religious or moral stance against drinking, like I said, we enjoy a couple ourselves
once in a while. This is a SAFETY issue.
Keep an eye on the weather if you are camping near a stream that can suffer from flash
floods. There are several places here in Missouri that do that. One in particular I know of is
at Swan Creek Trail. The stream there can rise fast and has been known to flood and catch
campers unaware while they sleep. Also, many of the trails, especially in the Ozark areas of
the state, can have the roads that lead to them flood during the spring rainy season. Anytime
you plan on a trip, camping or not, if it’s spring and it’s been raining at all lately, call the
management area that you are going to and inquire about if the roads in the area are
passable. Remember, even if it hasn’t been raining where you are, it can be raining hard
enough to flood in other parts of the state. And of course, do not try to ride through a
stream, creek or river if it’s high. The current can be much stronger that you can imagine.
A few other things you can bring, that I must confess, I have often forgotten in the past too:
Shovel and rake to keep horse area clean, a broom, insect repellent, duct tape, wasp spray
(can be used if there is a small nest in the outhouse. Please use with caution and common
sense. Do NOT try to spray a huge hornet‘s nest or yellow jacket nest), more ice than you
think you need, and a pocketknife (I know that seems obvious, but I’m surprised how many
people don’t carry one, especially women).
Lastly, if you have not been on an equestrian camping trip before, even if you’ve done a lot
of camping in the past without your horses, set up a whole campsite at home and actually
camp in it for a day or two, and if you have friends who are experienced equestrian
campers, go with them your first time if possible. Camping with your horse is a whole lot
different than camping without them. Just like camping without kids is a whole lot different
than camping without them.
There are so many other different things I could write about, but these few things are the
things I see people experiencing or talking about the most, as well as stuff I have personally
encountered or had to learn the hard way myself, over the years.
| Copyright 2006 Missouri Trailblazing.com. All Rights Reserved |
Equestrian camping is a very personal thing that varies widely from person to person
depending on the equipment they can afford to own, their own level of comfort, their abilities,
and their interests, so these tips are going to be a few “more generic” tips that I hope will be
helpful and informative to all, whether you camp with a huge gooseneck horse trailer with fully
customized living quarters or a two horse trailer and a tent. Some things are just always the
same no matter what circumstances you camp in.
depending on the equipment they can afford to own, their own level of comfort, their abilities,
and their interests, so these tips are going to be a few “more generic” tips that I hope will be
helpful and informative to all, whether you camp with a huge gooseneck horse trailer with fully
customized living quarters or a two horse trailer and a tent. Some things are just always the
same no matter what circumstances you camp in.
What’s a camping experience without a
campfire? Except maybe in the dog days of
summer when the temperatures reach over 100
degrees, everyone likes to enjoy a good campfire
in the evening after it gets dark, to gaze into.
Obviously you should always follow the rules
governing campfires in whichever management
agency you are camping at, also mind the fire
hazard that extreme heat and drought conditions
can create. The Mark Twain National Forest
posts what level the fire hazard is, on a daily
basis, and you can often find it on signs along
the road going into their areas or by checking it
out on their website at:
www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/marktwain/fire
campfire? Except maybe in the dog days of
summer when the temperatures reach over 100
degrees, everyone likes to enjoy a good campfire
in the evening after it gets dark, to gaze into.
Obviously you should always follow the rules
governing campfires in whichever management
agency you are camping at, also mind the fire
hazard that extreme heat and drought conditions
can create. The Mark Twain National Forest
posts what level the fire hazard is, on a daily
basis, and you can often find it on signs along
the road going into their areas or by checking it
out on their website at:
www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/marktwain/fire
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