Tips & Tricks
What to bring
Something to sleep in or under
Roll mat / airbed / mattress
Sleeping Bag & pillow
A torch
Waterproof clothing / jacket
Comfy shoes that you don’t mind getting a bit muddy
Rain boots
Warm clothes
A drinking bottle for your water
Swimming gear
Cash for drinks in the bar or goodies in our shop
Bring your instrument and Jam!
What not to bring
Big trolleys. You will have to walk a short distance to get to the camp site, so bring a bag that is easy to carry
Ghetto blasters
Generators
Dogs are allowed but need to stay on the leash
Tips from Past Speaker Stef Roberts
Tips from Esther Brokke
It took a while before I enjoyed camping. I've always had a preference for comfort, and comfort wasn’t what sprang to mind when I thought of camping.
But one day, I was persuaded by Selfa (the founder of Campfire Stories) to make a long trek through the wilderness of Sweden. In terms of comfort, it was a hell of a journey! My shoes were too tight, and my toes protested at every step. My muscles were overloaded by my 18 kilo-backpack and the big boulders on the paths. As a result of these physical tests, I had convulsions in my muscles all night. My body needed all the rest it could get, but in the night, there was a wet cold that enveloped everything. I felt freezing cold! And when I finally fell asleep, I woke up too early from the light, just above the polar circle.
Why does a person do this to themselves? I can also be brief about this: It was one of the best experiences of my life! The beautiful untouched mountains that we travelled through. The crazy skies with the play of clouds and sun rays. The surprises that the valleys had in store for us. The polar marmots and moose who came curiously to check who entered their territory. The soothing warmth of the wood-fired sauna huts and the ice-cold river water that we jumped into. The company of fellow hikers. It was a huge adventure. And all nighttime inconveniences were found to resolve during later expeditions.
These days I prefer to sleep in my little tent on my air mattress than a hotel bed. (I have now even started sleeping in my hammock after Stef Robert’s talk (2018) – but that’s a whole other story. The fresh air. The rustling of the wind in the branches, and when it rains, the drops tick nicely on the tent cloth.
Here I want to share a few tips that help me get through the night comfortably, warmly and dry:
1. Get yourself a good quality air mattress
Trust me, it is worth the money! I use the XL Exped mattress, which I love! To keep the cold air from the ground out, put a thin mat underneath your mattress or use a sheep skin, sheet or blanket. Every extra layer helps! But there is more you can do.
Sometimes when I am cold I roll up clothes and put them underneath the edges of the mattress. This prevents you from rolling off your mat, and it takes the mat off the cold ground. Even a pair of rolled up socks can do the trick!
Another important note, don’t inflate your mattress too hard. Your bum and hips should be just off the ground.
2. Wear a hat
You can lose up to 30% of your body heat through your head. This is why I always wear a hat throughout the night when the temperatures drop below 15 degrees. I also use it to cover my eyes from the light. A light scarf is a great alternative.
3. Bring a good sleeping bag
You don’t want to be too cold, and if it is warm you can always open it up, so when you buy a new sleeping bag make sure you get a winter sleeping bag. Don’t trust the temperature on the bag – add an extra 5 degrees to the minimum noted on the package.
4. Warm up before you go into your tent
Make sure you always go into your tent warm – run a few rounds around the field, do push ups or whatever you like, but make sure your muscles are warm so your body will generate more heat once in the sleeping bag. I know this might sound extreme, but when I was on a 3-day snowshoe hike in Sweden, I would wash myself at night with some snow, and the little walk to some fresh snow and back to the tent always made my body feel warm and ready for bed.
5. Always go for a pee!
If you wake up in the night, feel cold and need to pee, GO! No matter how hard it may seem to get out of your sleeping bag, trust me, you will feel warmer afterwards. Your body can’t focus on too many things, and going for a pee will relieve your body, and afterwards it can fully focus on keeping you warm.
6. Don’t wear too many layers inside your sleeping bag
Why? Because your body heat will warm the air within your sleeping bag. So first of all, always close your sleeping bag as much as possible when camping in the cold. this way the warm air cannot escape. I would advice that you only wear 1 layer of clothes, preferably wool. Wool is wonderful because it is able to react to fluctuations in your body temperature due to tiny pockets of air within the fibres that circulate heat. This means that wool will keep you warm when your body is cold and cool when it’s hot. When it is cold, I wear woollen tights, a long sleeve shirt and woollen socks. It is great!
7. Fill up your water bottle with hot water before you go to bed
Leave it at the foot of your sleeping bag when you are getting ready for bed and you get into a comfy warm sleeping bag. When you are going to sleep, move it up to your belly and groin – this is where most of your bloodstreams come together so this will warm your whole body fastest, yes, even your feet ;-)
8. When the weather is moist and wet, don’t leave your sleeping gear widespread on your mat
Roll it up to a bundle and cover it with a towel or something else until you go to bed. When the weather is warm and sunny, you can of course leave it spread out so it can air out.
9. Do not use ground sheets
I don't like those puddles of water that stay on the groundsheet when it rains. Use two layers of carrot cloth instead. That is also lightweight. The water does not stop and you can clean the place if you want.
10. Layers!
To make sure you are comfortable throughout the day as well, wear layers! If it is cold, wear a minimum of 3 layers. No cotton as it absorbs your sweat and dries slowly and therefore will cool you down quickly. Again, wool is a great first layer, and it also prevents the smell of sweat ;-) Your 2nd layer can be a vest, preferably with a zipper so you can open and close it depending on how warm you feel. As a top layer you can wear something warm like down, and/or something water- and wind-proof. I always finish off with my anorak that can stand the fire sparks, a bit of rain and just feels super comfortable.
I admit, I love gadgets and outdoor gear. My advice is invest in durable and good quality gear or buy it second hand and enjoy the great outdoors!