EXACTLY what I do FIRST at CAMP (and how to find a site)

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How to find camp while backpacking. what do I do at camp. how to set up camp for camping and backpacking. how to set up a tent? How to hang a food bag? what do I do with my food while backpacking? what do I do with my food at camp. How to stop animals from eating my food at camp? Where to set up a tent. Best place to camp in the woods.

[@MHancock537]

Video request: There are tons and tons of videos about gear, getting ready to go, going, being there, etc.... What do you do with all of your gear when you get home? Always clean everything? Air out your gear? Replenish? Do you run a checklist of consumables? What is your end of camping routines? Great videos and look forward to the next one. Mike

[@blackibex]

Throw it all away, buy all new stuff. 😁

[@MHancock537]

@@blackibex It's a plan!

[@singledad1313]

I know that was directed at Dan, but here was my "got home routine". I unpacked EVERYTHING, even the ditty bag and first aid kit. If it can go in a dishwasher or washing machine, in it goes, even if it wasn't used or cleaned in the field. Once everything is clean, it gets put away in drawers, totes, or closets. Ditty bag and first aid kit are refilled if necessary, repacked, and stored with my gear. Tent, even if it was dry when I packed it up to go home, gets unpacked cleaned, and either set up or hung up in the garage for a couple days. I wipe down my pack and bags.

[@kimkremer8915]

My list is similar to @Singledad. I hang my quilt & underquilt for a few days to let them air out.

[@klutz8019]

Dan, can you do a video on planning your trip? Like how to plan water filling points, camp sites, using AllTrails or any other resources to help figure out the details? Thanks for the content!

[@alexweigelhikes]

Dan! I'm leaving for my first backpacking trip tomorrow morning. I'm going solo for 3 days on a 40 miles section of the Ozark Trail. I am super excited! Hopefully, I don't die. Thank you for all the great advice!

[@DanBecker]

Wow! So cool! Have a blast Alex. I’d love to hear how it went when you’re back. Be safe!!

[@kajunblades9772]

@Alex , I will be on the Eagle Rock loop in two weeks. Be safe Alex.

[@swtsoph]

Alex, I go solo, too - it can be very zen. You'll be fine and I predict you'll love it!

[@ItsAdventureTime1]

That's pretty intense for your first trip...You will learn a lot. Don't let the bad parts frustrate you, learn from them. It will take several trips to zero in on what you like and what works for you. This is the reason why channels like Dan Becker do so well. He has all this different gear to review because he/we are always trying to enhance the experience.

[@DetraDearmas]

Luv it and leave it better than you received it!!!

[@kellycarlen9605]

Ate some coffee? You like it strong! 😂😂😂

[@douggibson9084]

Dan meant to say I ate my coffee..... Crisp. Haha

[@apocsurvival916]

Ate some coffee! 🤣 lmao... Dan you kill me

[@DanBecker]

Who needs water with their coffee??!! Not me!!!

[@RyanSchell]

It's an Ultralight hack! Less water to carry in. 😄

[@brianmotter8150]

BTW, I lived in the UP for 8 years and it is a backpacker's paradise. Pictured Rocks, Porkie's, Tahquamenon Falls, Sylvania and McCormick Wilderness... The NCT literally went through my backyard! I was so blessed to learn my craft there. Thanks for sharing!

[@brewsnale6315]

Nope. It's terrible. Nothing to see up here. Poison ivy and satanists everywhere. You're better off in south dekota or kentucky. Michigan sucks

[@bphardy1123]

If the ground has a slight slope, make sure your head is above your feet. If not, there’s a good chance you will wake up with a headache.

[@GMiller75]

Also sleep sideways rather than top to bottom as you are less likely to slip down.

[@TabethaAurochs]

Yes, both of these. Even if the ground is level, there's almost always going to be an opportunity to do these things and they may seem little but they are mighty!

[@rangerdoc1029]

Or heartburn

[@oxxnarrdflame8865]

One thing I do is scout out a good spot and dig my cat hole that way in the morning, for me, I’m not scrambling around looking for a spot.

[@johntucker8016]

Legit tip👍

[@rangerdoc1029]

Nothing worse than trying to dig your hole while prarie-dogging a deuce.

[@oxxnarrdflame8865]

@@rangerdoc1029 or an emergency call at 2:00am scurrying around in freezing temperatures with a flashlight looking for a spot. 😊

[@mysterylovescompany2657]

I just imagined the rudest thing ever; going to your little pre-dug latrine in the morning, all psyched for your first BM of the day, half-asleep still, all warm + cosy from your sleeping bag, you get there and... ...Someone else has used it, before you. I would be so mad, lol. 🤬

[@karenyoung9996]

Don’t forget to sleep with the 3 F’s - phone, filter and flashlight next to you so your battery doesn’t die in the cold, your water filter doesn’t freeze and crack the inside chamber unknowingly and the flashlight so you can see what you’re doing if you need to go potty at 3am

[@KyleM_from_the_Ozarks]

Yep! I’ve killed a water filter not doing that 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@alexander_feather]

More on the planning side, but important if you want to backpack in mountains, make sure you know your altitude and how it will affect you. Camping too high too fast is an easy path to a bad experience. Usually it's not a problem below 6 to 8 thousand ft (1800 to 2400m), but I cannot stress enough the importance of proper altitude acclimation, especially if you live closer to sea level.

[@gotomt]

I always pitch my tent with the morning sun in mind. I want the dew to be drying off as soon as possible. Not to mention the sun always feels warm!!!

[@DanBecker]

Great tip! I might steal that idea 🙌

[@marycarter6186]

Great vid, Dan!! I have a length of cord cut to the size of my footpad that I use to measure potential tent sites quickly. Then I use it as a clothesline.

[@singledad1313]

Very clever. I'm going to steal this idea.

[@marycarter6186]

@@singledad1313 Please do! I've learned so many great backpacking tips from other KZbin commenters as well! Hey Dan--there's a video idea. Compile all the best tips from your subscribers maybe in short video format.

[@mysterylovescompany2657]

Anyone else obsessed with just how _perfectly_ Dan's shirt matches the tent in the background?

[@blackibex]

When it's really cold I have a "pee bottle" inside the tent or hammock, so I don't need to stand up and have all the warmth disappear out of the sleeping bag or quilt. Sounds weird, but makes a LOT of sense. :-)

[@bdlsmoran]

Pee bottle is life changing!

[@JustinOutdoors]

Pee bottle is the only way to go in the cold!

[@nathanaelkolb4024]

Pee bottle is a must!!

[@DanBecker]

Unless you’re a woman 👩 (my wife is telling me) 👍🏼😂

[@nathanaelkolb4024]

I had a dream that there was a bear outside my tent and when I woke up I had to go really bad but I was afraid to go outside my tent I end up using one of my water bottles

[@2laughandlaugh]

They are more expensive but I like to use the scent blocking zip lock bags for my trash bag. All those loose bits of food trash really bring in the mice.

[@XxSpecOpsxX]

pretty much the same routine, ill start looking for the best tent spot before my buddies find it, set my pack down or hang it on a branch, and get to work setting up my tent and sleep system, and fill the tent w what i need in there, then ill throw my chair down around the fire pit and start figuring out where im gonna set up my stove and cookware, and also start looking around for a good bear bag tree while i have food on my mind. if the state im in allows, ill start gathering some firewood before i start to cook dinner.

[@swtsoph]

Shug recommends unzipping all your zippers & opening all the openings on your backpack when you're at camp so curious critters don't chew through your pack to get in. Makes sense. I hammock camp so I just hang my pack from my suspension.

[@utopia.exploring]

So, a safety tip when looking for a tent site Make sure you're not setting up next to a dead tree. Or, make sure the trees around you don't have dead branches. The last thing you need is a wind storm in the night of the night causing a tree to fall on you... Try to avoid death 😂

[@TabethaAurochs]

If the ground is uneven - especially when it's cold - I'll use evergreen boughs underneath my tent. Using downed fir/spruce with green needles (hemlock, cedar, Balsam, spruce work best). Don't go for the big branches (good luck!) Press the bough stem btwn thumb and bent index knuckle to snap off a bough. Repeat. Find a forked stick & shove one forked branch thru clumps of boughs to carry them. Get 3-6X as many as you think you'll need. They'll fit on your stick. Lay them under your ground cloth btwn two ground cloths or over a ground cloth and under your tent. Tapered ends towards your head, bottom side up, layering/shingling until you've got a few inches of springy, soft, warm insulation. It will compensate for uneven ground, help to shed any water, etc. It's 20-60 mins of work but it's SO worth it. A second bed near the fire for my dog and for me if I can't find a decent log to sit on (because I am 5'2", 116 lbs, 42 yrs old, & backpack solo - I don't have the luxury of bringing my backpacking couch, Dan Becker, no matter how 'ultra' it may well be!)

[@annsolce572]

I use my Z seat to clear the ground, works great.

[@danielflaherty1661]

My first suggestion after looking at the lay of the land is to lay down. If there are rocks or twigs that are going to be under the tent you will immediately know about it and the ground won’t get any better when you spread a tent over the area. After you lay down look up. Look for tree limbs “widow makers” the last thing you need if for a tree limb to fall on you. The rest of the presentation was excellent, but you didn’t talk about the Bearmuda triangle 150’ from cooking, 150’ from waste area and 150’ from your bear bag.

[@dcpowered]

This is awesome! Please do more about different types of camp sites!! What about sandy areas? Slopes on a hill? Thick forests? Open areas? Snow? Rocky areas?

[@johneason6540]

Yeah, this time of year. Water filter, water as you mentioned and electronic go into my foot box area. Freeze protection. Thanks DB.

[@26parma]

I think that food pole is more for small critters, because a bear would just push that pole over...and then take your food.

[@DetraDearmas]

When I was a teen in Michigan we found a bear cage the rangers set up taller than I was! So yeah, that's a little short.

[@nk6197]

If a bear wants your smellables it will eventually get them. The goal is to make it harder to deter the bear.

[@dhession64]

A couple of great camping trip tips: If the hotel doesn't have beds, lay the ground cloth out on the floor before you unroll your sleeping bag. God only knows what's on the carpet. Call room service and have them bring up some hot water for your Mountain House meal. Assemble your camp chair and set it in front of the TV so you don't strain your neck looking to one side while you watch The Mandalorian on Disney+. If you use a tarp, make sure it doesn't block your view of the TV. Enjoy!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@dhession64]

Also, if you pitch the tent, make sure the front of the tent faces the bathroom 👍👍😁😆

[@petergilbert72]

Some great tips thank you. For me I keep things I’ll need first accessible: secateurs to snip thorny brambles to clear the site for the tent/groundsheet and prevent puncture of my bicycle tyres, a head torch to see what I’m doing in the winter gloom, midge repellent and head net in summer, . .and of course the tent for going up in rain to provide shelter asap. Because of cool condensation in winter I try to pitch in a location that will get morning sun to warm and dry the tent. Like you, as soon as tent is up I layout out the sleeping pad, sleeping bag and pillow. Night falls quickly and it’s much easier to do all this in daylight before getting distracted by eating!

[@matthewishunting]

i never knew about those designated bear poles at certain spots. very cool thanks for showing the etiquette

[@douglasdoucette7352]

Thanks for the video! In addition to scanning the ground for a tent or hammock space, ensure to look up for any tree limbs overhead that could come down & ruin your night or worse. Check also for dead trees or those with weak trunks that could reach your campsite if blown over. Safety first!

[@Jarhead56]

Happy 245th Birthday to the Marine Corps!! Marines like to camp!

[@Cooper1]

If you get smoke in your tent all night long after you go to bed, you haven’t put out your fire properly. I don’t know about in the Midwest, but here in the west, this could be devastating.

[@mysterylovescompany2657]

Here in Australia, that's a punchable offence.

[@ItsAdventureTime1]

The 5 W's to site selection - Be near a Water source, Wood for fire, Wind blockage, and be away from Widow makers ( falling trees) and Wigglies (snakes, bugs, etc...)

[@AlpacaMade]

Hey thanks so much for featuring the Porcupine Mountains in Michigan on the North Country Trail! This set-up video was a really good overview for new camper/hikers. The rodent discussion was hilarious but so true. We grow some brave foragers here.😁👍

[@jenniferbrown4459]

Great ideas Dan. I'll definitely remember these tips when I go camping.

[@micahcoomer490]

find two trees that're 16' apart and i'm done. hammock camping lol

[@rockymountboy]

1. Set up sleep system 2. Collect firewood for the night and morning and then some more 3. Relax, cool down 4. Change socks, put on camp shoes & windbreaker, eat a snack 5. Start fire 6. Start cooking

[@michaelmiers4852]

Dan just saw in older video you mention buying some drums while on missions trip to Africa, do you have a video where you discuss a little more about that? Would love to hear more.

[@cairnscrow8713]

Maybe could have mentioned check above tent for dodgy trees or branches in a wooded area👍🏼 i know you know, great vid

[@johndawson2340]

nice video. I saw your tent and recognized its lines. I have the earlier (non-dyneema) model. Mine is a pound heavier but I got it on special for $80. It is a great design and roomy for the solo stuff I do. Cheers

[@brianmotter8150]

Pack, In or out of the tent? I say out! Others say in! What's Dan Becker say?

[@DanBecker]

If it’s clean. Inside. Or hang it off a tree or under the vestibule

[@inoutsoccer11]

Great video! Thank you so much. Planning my first backpacking trip up there! If there are any specific trails or camp sites I should check out, please share!

[@davidson_oldbull_sectionhiker]

I generally sit down have a snack and survey the immediate area to determine tent placement than set up camp before eating.

[@tomnoyb8301]

First is "what if it pours down rain?" Will it puddle in any way shape or form under tent? Will it turn to mud under or near the tent? Tent/tarp is 40ish sqft of runoff to the edges; will all that extra water then move away or form a mud bog one has to walk through to get to the tent? A place to sit? A rock or log. Morning sun to dry and warm-up? Drinking water close, but not too close. Bugs. Vermin. Prior humans means pests. Trees for tarp, but no deadfalls? Prevailing wind? All assessed before someone else grabs your ideal spot?

[@sha6mm]

You need to hike with a Mouse trap. Funny thing is about 3 months ago I talked to a section hiker who was telling me he carry's a mouse trap and he caught over 10 mice in one shelter on the AT.

[@SingleTrackMined]

Why would anyone do that? You are making a zero percent difference in the mouse population in the long run and you are killing things for no reason. Killing is disgusting.

[@hakankillberg6043]

Great video a lot of helpful tips. Thanks👍👏

[@JesseAdams]

It's back cold and snowing now so you must have been up here last weekend it sounds like.

[@lewandm1]

Awesome tips, thanks Dan!

[@jonathansemar3585]

One thing I personally would not do is pitch my tent in the middle of the trail to the toilet area . Seemed obvious that “dead end” trail ends there 🤔...?? Lol 🤣

[@titanpreparedness]

First thing i like to do is to find a water source and set up a tarp. It never fails when i set my hammock up first it always rains

[@kimkremer8915]

Yep - the tarp is ALWAYS first unless I'm completely confident it's not going to rain.

[@Marooncords]

Best videos man. So informative.

[@erict5878]

Don't forget the pee bottle man! I hate to get out of my very warm down bag and tent at night!

[@MasterZealot09]

I wouldn't camp so far away from my hiking buddies, but that's just me.

[@woodchip2782]

One of the trees near your tent seemed to not be well rooted and leaning towards it...?

[@jimperry4420]

Generally have the opening of your tent facing east.

[@pdr0603]

Check for some widow makers above your tent

[@sarahcrandall6290]

The sound is a little off from the picture fyi. But! That definitely doesn't stop any of us from watching! Love your vids!

[@DanBecker]

Hmm.. I wonder if the issue may be on your end somehow? It’s synced up on mine! :-) Thanks a ton for watching either way LOL!

[@sarahcrandall6290]

@@DanBecker yeah it probably is my side now that I'm watching other videos 😂

[@douggibson9084]

Great video. Dan meant to say I ate my coffee..... Crisp. Haha

[@cashcash6445]

Dan out here eating coffe

[@texashikeaholicsadventures5651]

Nope....my grandma used alluminum foil.....lol....thanks for sharing!

[@stevendenman9744]

When going pee outside, pee downhill so you don't piss on your shoes. Free tip

[@theoff-gridchurch8272]

What’s the best way to find parking for an overnight camp/hike away from your vehicle? Worries about my vehicle getting towed, or robbed while I’m on a 2-3 day hike. Thanks.

[@adventureswithbecketandxena]

Great tips Dan 👍

[@kajunblades9772]

Great vid Dan 👍🏻

[@kfay250]

I like to eat my coffee too

[@DanBecker]

Who needs water for coffee?? Not me!! 😂

[@ericgounant4051]

What about pitching your tent on leaves ?

[@Medickep]

Similar process for me, but add a glass of wine!

[@paulf6321]

hey dan, just curious, why did you choose white for your backpack color?

[@AccidentalHiker1]

Dan: 60 = warm Me in LA: 60 = grab a coat. Brrrrr

[@DanBecker]

🤣

[@alexander_feather]

We got snow in the sierra last weekend. I took out my winter jacket because it was 40

[@AccidentalHiker1]

@@alexander_feather one day I'm going up for a snow day and come back down to LA to warm up.😜

[@alexander_feather]

@@AccidentalHiker1 welcome to LA, where you can ski through the sunrise, and surf out the sunset.

[@nicksam5518]

Willamette valley( where Portland and Eugene are) had a cold snap down to 31 for a few days. so...shockingly....cold. it 'warmed up' to 45 in the day...but a shocked none the less.

[@bird.1980]

How do you use a bidet?

[@davidshirley6850]

Which sleeping bag did you have , I clicked on link and looked very different just curious not complaining

[@kellyohara806]

Dan, where do you put your backpack when you go into your tent for the night?

[@DanBecker]

Vestibule of my tent or I hang it on a tree if possible

[@rdkuless]

you don't have to run faster than the bear... you just have to run faster than your friends..

[@bottling.hobo.]

Oh yeah, you ate some coffee? Interesting. Lol Hey, in all seriousness, good con'tent' as always!

[@TheTrevor39]

I couldn't tell, but are you pitching your tent with head higher than feet? It almost looks like your feet are higher than your head in the video.

[@DanBecker]

Not in this video no. Must just be the camera angle making it look like that. But in general, if that’s all I could do, I would make my head higher than my feet to stay comfortable.

[@TheTrailDancer]

Have you ever had bears, ML in your camp? It seems here in the west I’m always dealing with predators. Like I’m a magnet or something 😢😢. Do you like your scout? Have you had it in wind/rain?

[@DanBecker]

Never had a bear show up yet. Yes I love the scout but it is extremely delicate. It’s meant for the experienced tent person. You’ll need to be much more careful with it when you set it up and while you are inside of it so you don’t put holes through it LOL. But you get delicate because it is so light weight being only 1 pound. The only thing I wish it had that it does not have is a vestibule. I have not yet had it in rain but I’m not worried about that because it is waterproof. I have had it in wind and it did just fine.

[@TheTrailDancer]

@@DanBecker Nice... it would be great with a vestibule for sure. I can't have a tent without one. :(

[@nodcarpenter1612]

Good video

[@Minetoday14]

mini bears are the worst....LOL

[@dalekormazis179]

Dan, how long did it take you not to worry about everything that makes noise at night. Pitch black, hear what might be a bear, probably was just a raccoon.

[@DanBecker]

Lol I sleep with a ‘white noise’ app on all night on my phone!!

[@Njennings42]

that's one of the best parts is the sounds of camping

[@kennethstarr5545]

I don’t get out of my tent in the night without a headlight.

[@adamgrant6936]

Review new dji mini drone for hikes pls

[@kajunblades9772]

Do you still hammock camp?

[@DanBecker]

Sometimes.. mainly tenting now

[@dagnolia6004]

ate some coffee lol

[@Crystalphoenix9]

That camp site is screaming to be hammock camped

[@kimkremer8915]

Who you callin' "grandma," sonny? ;-)

[@BackpackDad]

Mice in the food bag whilst setting up tent = 😢

[@andredeketeleastutecomplex]

I like to drink pizza 👀

[@archmezzey9657]

You look like a white George Floyd