narnialuver.

If ever there was a human activity that should be manditory, it should be camping. If nothing more than getting away from all the hustle, and bustle of our modern world. Too many people let themselves be distracted with "things", and don't take the time to just sit, and listen.

there are many campers on this site that I have talked to, and I'm sure that they all would be willing to help with any questions you may have.
I would start out with suggesting that you not bring any electronics, save for a digital camera. It's much easier to notice what's around you when you are not listening to a machine.

Thank you and I would never dream of bringing electronics (other than my camera)

I would respectfully disagree and suggest you bring a phone as well...but urge you to keep it off except in case of emergency - especially if you're camping alone.

Sure, it's unlikely you'd ever need it, but if your car doesn't start 200 miles from home, or you twist your leg in the backcountry, it could make the difference between an inconvenience and a real problem.

Disclaimers: In many backcountry areas there may not be cell service. And to enjoy the natural experience Puddleglum refers to, it'd be necessary to resist the temptation to use all those other applications on phones these days.

oh ya I live in the woods so I would go camping there but I'l still bring a phone. cell service is a big prob. and my phone is a cheap one so I don't have apps.

stargazer.

I stand humbly corrected.

I must agree with a cell being needed for emergencies, only. I do carry one myself for that purpose. turning it on at specific times should a parent need to contact me.

My objection comes from seeing too many scouts, and parents who are busy yakking on the things to pay attention to people with them. Not to mention their total oblivion to God's creation around them.

No worries, Puddleglum, I completely understand. I was almost hesitant to suggest a phone, since it's so easy to pay all our attention to it rather than to the people or beauty around us while camping.

I'm probably going to pack away the tent now (I'm a wimp at winter camping, I guess ) and start looking forward to next spring's possibilities. (Our camping reservations for Memorial Day are at Whitewater State Park, which has the distinction of being the first place where I camped, way back in 1972. Ah, memories).

Now that you mention it I have to start my plans for winter camping with the troop. A hefty dose of winter survival skill training is on the agenda for one of the meetings soon.

My Boy Scout Troop will be hosting a winter camp for the local Cub Scouts in a couple weeks. I know we have discussed this among a few of us, but I was wondering if anyone else has had the experience?

I hope you have some winter in which to camp, Puddleglum! This year it's hard to tell.

This mild weather has awakened my desire to camp, which, alas, often hibernates this time of year (though snow and cold doesn't always deter me from other favorite outdoor activities like hiking, cooking food over a fire, or stargazing from state parks).

In late autumn I like to venture out to take advantage of the early sunsets to look at the sky (and enjoy a fire) for long hours without the inconvenience of summer heat, humidity, and bugs. Sometimes these are day trips; other times they're overnight camping trips.

My experience with winter camping is limited to those times when it gets cold during one of these overnight trips - most notably, perhaps, about a dozen years ago when it got down to 18F/-7C by morning, complete with a very thick but pretty layer of frost on everything, including the tent. But as for going out on subzero nights in piles of snow, 'fraid I'm too soft for that in my old age.

I've been winter camping before. The best parts are the hot meals, but cross country skiing and playing in the snow are fun too!

I love camping, but I've never been winter camping before. I value warmth a little too much. The closest I've ever come to winter camping was back in college when a big group of friends and I went out to watch meteor showers in the middle of winter. We'd all be laying side by side in sleeping bags on the frozen ground near a bunch of coals that used to be a bonfire. It was fun, but I'm too much of a wimp to want to do that for a whole night.

Last fall was the first time I'd been camping in YEARS. I finally convinced my husband to go and then my brother-in-law found out we were going so he and his wife tagged along too. The four of us had a great time. But I'm curious about one thing, does anyone have any good campfire recipes they wouldn't mind sharing? Including fire tips cause cooking over an open fire has never been my strong suit.

Stargazer
I am afraid that this maybe my last chance at getting the Zero Hero patch as I am also feeling the toll age is taking. But I am determined to give it a go.

Movie Aristotle
I gave skiing a try years back. Must say the snow shoes are more my speed. The hot meals are a must. I am hoping to show the boys some good old fashoned meals on the fire this summer.

fantasia_kitty
I would suggest starting simple. A common errore is making the wrong fire. You do not need a raging flame, though you could start that way. the key is to have a good bed of coals. You need the heat, but hight flame tends to burn before actually cooking. try something like breakfast. If you have a small iron skillit, start some breakfast sausage, I use three.
Before I forget. I suggest a solid grate to put the skillit on. something that holds it about six inches over the fire. Folding ones are easy to come by. Don't waste money on the tri-pods that suspend the food over the fire. You have to hold it steady, and I have lost food in the fire.
Back to the sausage. After you brown them, add an egg, or two. If you are not adverse to it use the grease from the sausage. You can move them to the side, or cut them up into the egg for an omlet.
Are you at all familiar with dutch ovens?

Puddleglum has some excellent points. Big flames are not good for cooking - but if you have the time and resources, a long leisurely fire can leave you with a glorious bed of coals on which to cook.

Cooking with fire may not be as easy as using charcoal or a gas grill - at least at first - but experience helps a lot. I'll never turn down items cooked on charcoal or a gas grill, but there's something tasty about using fire.

2 essentials tools I use all the time:

This "pie iron" is easy to find in big box retailers, home improvement stores like Menard's, and camping stores like REI. The downside is that you can only make one item at a time (there are double-sized ones, but they might too heavy for convenient use).

There's some debate between choosing aluminum non-stick ones or cast iron ones (which have to be seasoned in a rather lengthy process). The argument is that the cast iron ones last longer - but the aluminum non-stick one I have now I've used literally hundreds of times over the years and it's just fine.

These are surprisingly versatile - easy choices might be things like grilled cheese or meat sandwiches, and pies for dessert (put your favorite flavor of pie filling between 2 slices of bread - butter side facing each side of the iron - and grill until toasted. Yum!

You can also make pizza sandwiches and lots of other things too.

Another useful item for meat is a hamburger basket:

The model I have (from Menard's) is thicker, allowing not only burgers but thicker cuts of meat like steak or pork chops, or brats or hot dogs (easier than using a roasting stick, and they don't fall off!)

Other easy recipes include:

Camping tacos: start with snack size bags of Doritos. Before opening, crush the chips. Then add browned hamburger, cheese, and your choice of taco fillings, mix, and eat right out of the bag. (or use a plate if you prefer to not crush the chips and make a taco salad).

Omelets in a bag: In my experience this works better with a campstove. Use Ziploc bags, though you may want to try the heavier-duty freezer-type bags. Crack 2 or 3 eggs into a bag, add milk and other omelet ingredients like cheese, diced meat, peppers, etc, season to taste. Be sure to seal the bag completely, then put it in a pot of boiling water. Cooking times vary slightly by stove and omelet size, but after some practice you can tell when it's done. We've found it works best to use tongs to hold the bag as flat as possible in the water, so the ingredients are spread out rather than gathered at the bottom of the bag. Be sure to minimize contact between the bag and any part of the pot above the water line, as it may melt the bag (using the thicker bags helps).

There are others, but I'm getting hungry just typing this!

I probably should have mentioned that I have some basic understanding of cooking over an open flame. It's the execution where I run into trouble.

Things I have cooked successfully....
~Bacon and eggs
~Hot dogs
~Marshmellows

Things I have cooked unsuccessfully....
~Pretty much everything else, including more bacon and eggs.

I tend to be a burner, though not because I have a roaring flame, but rather because I think I keep the skillet too close to the coals. Or I just can't seem to things hot enough to cook. Finding the right temperature is a challenge.

I suggest a solid grate to put the skillit on. something that holds it about six inches over the fire.

I will keep an eye open for one of these next time I go shopping for camping gear. Do you have a link of one you'd suggest?

Omelets in a bag

I love it. I'm definitely going to have to experiment with this one at home.

Thankfully my dad and husband are much more proficient than I am and a family favorite is foil dinners. Just wrap up meat and veggies along with salt and pepper and two layers of foil and heat 'em up. They're quite tasty.

Another of my dad's creations... Melt some butter in a skillet. Take a piece of bread and cut a hole in it and put it in the pan. Crack an egg into the hole in the bread. Put three slices of bacon on top of the egg. As the egg cooks it glues the bacon on. Flip it over and cook the bacon. Eat and enjoy. It's a rather heart attack inducing breakfast which we try to walk off later by going on hikes.

how could I forget hogies? Or better knowen as foil meals. My mind must be slipping.
For those who are un-familiar with this staple of campfire cooking, here is a simple explanation.
Take two pieces of foil, about a foot square.
In the centre of one add your ingredients.
Usually some sort of meat, ground beef, sliced chicken, or ham. Whatever you would have in a single serving.
Veggies depending on your taste. I enjoy potatos, cubed, with baby carrots. Some add onions, squash, etc. Though you must cut the peices into cubes about an inch thick. Onions can usually be halved, or quartered.
Then add whatever seasoning, pepper, basil, etc. Be sure to sprinkle this over all the ingredients.
Now fold the foil over the middle of the meal, be sure to double fold the seam. Then double fold one end. In the other add about two, to three teaspoons of water, depending on how big the meal is. don't add butter as this may burn. then fold this end.
Place this upside-down on the other foil, and repeat the folding.
when you have a good bed of coals place this on for about fifteen minutes, then turn over for at least ten more. If using pork I would advise at least fifteen more. Be sure to check the meat before eating. It may take a few tries before perfecting how much, and how long, or what seasoning you like, but once figured out you should be able to enjoy these simple meals.

fantasia_kitty. Looks like you posted just before me.
Unfortunatly you will not be able to find the same grate as I have in any store as I purchased mine from a rendezvouse friend who makes them. But I have no doubt that you should find something sturdy at some camping outlet as stargazer suggested. Unless you know someone who does blacksmithing that is.