Best Tent Camping: Oregon. Becky Ohlsen
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ring or grill is unsightly.
HAPPY CAMPING
With a little planning, it’s easy to have a great camping trip. To assist with making your outing a happy one, here are some pointers:
• RESERVE YOUR SITE IN ADVANCE, especially if it’s a weekend or a holiday, or if the campground is wildly popular. Many prime campgrounds require at least a six-month lead time on reservations. Check before you go.
• PICK YOUR CAMPING BUDDIES WISELY. A family trip is pretty straightforward, but you may want to reconsider including grumpy Uncle Fred, who doesn’t like bugs, sunshine, or marshmallows. After you know who’s going, make sure that everyone is on the same page regarding expectations of difficulty (amenities or the lack thereof, physical exertion, and so on), sleeping arrangements, and food requirements.
• DON’T DUPLICATE EQUIPMENT, such as cooking pots and lanterns, among campers in your party. Carry what you need to have a good time, but don’t turn the trip into a cross-country moving experience.
• DRESS FOR THE SEASON. Educate yourself on the temperature highs and lows of the specific part of the state you plan to visit. It may be warm at night in the summer in your backyard, but up in the mountains it can be quite chilly. In the shoulder season, be sure to check road conditions and forecasts before you set out.
• PITCH YOUR TENT ON A LEVEL SURFACE, preferably one covered with leaves, pine straw, or grass. Use a tarp or specially designed footprint to thwart ground moisture and to protect the tent floor. Do a little site maintenance, such as picking up the small rocks and sticks that can damage your tent floor and make sleep uncomfortable. If you have a separate tent rainfly but don’t think you’ll need it, keep it rolled up at the base of the tent in case it starts raining at midnight.
• CONSIDER TAKING A SLEEPING PAD if the ground makes you uncomfortable. Choose a pad that is full-length and thicker than you think you might need. This will not only keep your hips from aching on hard ground but will also help keep you warm. A wide range of thin, light, and inflatable pads is available at camping stores, and these are a much better choice than home air mattresses, which conduct heat away from the body and tend to deflate during the night.
• IF YOU ARE NOT HIKING IN TO A PRIMITIVE CAMPSITE, THERE IS NO REAL NEED TO SKIMP ON FOOD DUE TO WEIGHT. Plan tasty meals and bring every-thing you will need to prepare, cook, eat, and clean up. And don’t forget to bring plenty of your beverage of choice, and more water than you think you’ll need.
• IF YOU TEND TO USE THE BATHROOM MULTIPLE TIMES AT NIGHT, YOU SHOULD PLAN AHEAD. Leaving a warm sleeping bag and stumbling around in the dark to find the restroom, whether it be a pit toilet, a fully plumbed comfort station, or just the woods, is not fun. Keep a flashlight or headlamp and any other accoutrements you may need by the tent door, and know exactly where to head in the dark.
• STANDING DEAD TREES AND STORM-DAMAGED LIVING TREES CAN POSE A REAL HAZARD TO TENT CAMPERS. These trees may have loose or broken limbs that could fall at any time. When choosing a campsite or even just a spot to rest during a hike, look up.
A WORD ABOUT BACKCOUNTRY CAMPING
Following these guidelines will increase your chances for a pleasant, safe, and low-impact experience with nature.
Adhere to the adages “Pack it in, pack it out” and “Take only pictures, leave only footprints.” Practice Leave No Trace camping ethics (lnt.org) while in the backcountry.
Every year in Oregon, wildfires cause significant damage, and regional fire bans are common. Before you consider lighting a campfire, check to make sure the forest service hasn’t issued a ban. Never light campfires in the backcountry. Backpacking stoves are strongly encouraged.
Hang food away from bears and other animals to prevent them from becoming introduced to (and dependent on) human food. Wildlife quickly learns to associate backpacks and backpackers with easy food sources, thereby influencing their behavior.
Bury solid human waste in a hole at least 3 inches deep and at least 200 feet away from trails and water sources; a trowel is basic backpacking equipment. In some areas, the practice of burying human waste has been banned. Using a portable latrine (which comes in various incarnations, basically a glorified plastic bag, given out by park rangers) may seem unthinkable at first, but it’s really no big deal. Just bring an extralarge zip-top bag for additional insurance against structural failures.
VENTURING AWAY FROM THE CAMPGROUND
If you go for a hike, bike ride, or other excursion into the wilderness—and you should!—here are some precautions to keep in mind:
• ALWAYS CARRY FOOD AND WATER, WHETHER YOU ARE PLANNING TO GO OVERNIGHT OR NOT. Food will give you energy, help keep you warm, and sustain you in an emergency until help arrives. Bring potable water, or treat water by boiling or filtering before drinking from a lake or stream.
• STAY ON DESIGNATED TRAILS. Most hikers who get lost do so because they leave the trail. Even on the most clearly marked trails, there is usually a point where you have to stop and consider which direction to head. If you become disoriented, don’t panic. As soon as you think you may be off-track, stop, assess your current direction, and then retrace your steps back to the point where you went awry. If you have absolutely no idea how to continue, return to the trailhead the way you came in. Should you become completely lost and have no idea of how to return to the trailhead, remaining in place along the trail and waiting for help is most often the best option for adults and always the best option for children.
• BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL WHEN CROSSING STREAMS. Whether you are fording the stream or crossing on a log, make every step count. If you have any doubt about maintaining your balance on a log, go ahead and ford the stream instead. When fording a stream, use a trekking pole or stout stick for balance and face upstream as you cross. If a stream seems too deep to ford, turn back. Whatever is on the other side is not worth risking your life.
• BE CAREFUL AT OVERLOOKS. Though these areas may provide spectacular views, they are potentially hazardous. Stay back from the edge of outcrops and be absolutely sure of your footing: a misstep can mean a nasty and possibly fatal fall.
• KNOW THE SYMPTOMS OF HYPOTHERMIA. Shivering and forgetfulness are the two most common indicators of this insidious killer. Hypothermia can occur at any elevation, even in the summer. Wearing cotton clothing puts you especially at risk, because cotton, when wet, draws heat away from the body. To prevent hypothermia, dress in layers using synthetic clothing for insulation, use a cap and gloves to reduce heat loss, and protect yourself with waterproof, breathable outerwear. If symptoms arise, get the victim to shelter, a fire, hot liquids, and dry clothes or a dry sleeping bag.
• BRING YOUR BRAIN. A cool, calculating mind is the single most important piece of equipment you’ll ever need on the trail. Think before you act. Watch your step. Plan ahead. Avoiding accidents before they happen is the best recipe for a rewarding and relaxing hike.
CHANGES
While campgrounds are less prone to change than big-time tourist attractions, they are nevertheless subject to agency budgets, upgrades and dilapidation, and even natural disasters. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to call ahead for the most updated report on the campground you’ve selected. We appreciate being told about any notable changes that you come across while using this book and welcome all reader input, including suggestions for potential entries for future editions. Send them to Menasha Ridge Press at the address provided on the copyright page, in care of Becky Ohlsen.
NORTHERN COAST
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