August Aquatic Boat Camp Fishing: Part Two of Two: Gear & Grub

SHORE CAMPING GEAR Weekend overnights don't require a lot of gear. We use little more than we would backpack unless we stay out for three or four days. Too much "stuff" and you spend your time gearing up and down rather than enjoying the outdoors.

Every person in the party needs a sleeping bag or, in summer, a couple of blankets pinned into an envelope. This can go on top of a foam pad or, for optimists, an air mattress. Don't try to sleep on the sand! Even with a hip hole it's hard. In hot weather you might want to sleep off the ground on a cot. When it's cold, a closed foam pad on the ground is warmer. Tents are not a must! They do keep bugs and rain off. But you can use bug spray to handle the former and, if you camp in summer, you will rarely find rain a problem. So we usually tote a tarp and leave our tent home unless the weather is changeable. Bring some cord to help pitch tarps and such too.

Cooking gear need not be complex either. We tote a Coleman Peak 1 single burner white gas stove on overnights IF there is no fire danger. Pick a camp lantern that uses the same fuel as your stove and tote some extra fuel. Don't forget spare mantles for the lamp either! Stash extra matches with the lamp, the stove, your cooking gear and in your cooler. During fire season we carry a small shovel -- it's also handy for burying body wastes well away from shore in the rare case we don't have toilet handy. Such is rarely the case. If fire is a hazard, we bring cold chicken and the like. Otherwise, a double burner stove works well on longer trips. A set of backpacker's pots, cooking utensils and other gear slides into a storage box that contains spices, salt and pepper and the stove. We set the stove on the box top where there is not a table available. Add a plastic cup and plate and a knife, fork and spoon for each member of the party and you are all set. Remember to keep it simple! A cooler and water containers are absolute requirements these days when you can't safely drink water anywhere. You can buy all sorts of filters, boil water, use chemicals or simply suffer the beaver two step from guardia. We bring water to drink and boil up cooking and tea water. Don't use ice cubes in coolers. Use block ice or freeze water in plastic jugs in the cooler and, as they melt your water supply increases. Coolers keep food cool and away from bugs. They alsotote fish home.

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