How to dry out a tent

Setting up camp is full of expectations and excitement, the days ahead show promise of adventure and freedom. 

When it's time to strike camp - thoughts of unpacking your gear once you arrive home fills your head with thoughts which are not conducive to making you smile. 

A wet tent is a problem because you can't leave it packed. Mold and mildew will ruin the shelter and stink up your camp closet. You must set the tent up upon arriving home and wait until it dries out. 

A simple way to preclude this extra step is to dry the tent out at camp before packing it away. If the campsite has bushes, simply place the tent on top of the them and let the air dry the shelter out. 

It's fast, efficient and beautifully simple. The entire tent will be ready to bag and put away until your next adventure. 

P.S. 

Make sure the bushes are the gentle type and not full of thorns.  Of course, this method doesn't work if it is raining. 😉

Happy camping!   

How to tame campfire smoke

 Once the tents are set and the gear is organized, Campers gravitate to the fire pit and spend hours contemplating life while staring into the flames. It is a beautiful sight. 

The smoke eventually finds you, targets you, and the game is on. You and your friends end up running around the fire pit trying to get away from the smoke. So much for the tranquility.   

If you make a few simple changes to the pit, the fire will burn efficiently and smoke will take a back seat to your ringside seat. 

This is my go-to technique for creating an efficient and safe wood burning fire pit. 

R.G.W. 

  

How to create an incinerating barrel

When you live in a relatively remote place, it is important to dispose of your refuse properly. Bears and other wild ones will be drawn to your house if the garbage is stored close by. 

I burn my garbage in the contraption shown in the video. It is a simple barrel modified for air flow. The heat of the fire pulls fresh air in through the opening at the bottom and a tornado effect ensues. 

This setup will incinerate everything you put in it.

To cut the hole, I used a cordless grinder with a cutoff disk. It took me about twenty minutes to make and I have used the same barrel for about 5 years.

The bottom has rotted off of it and the sides are wearing thin, but it still does the job. 

Since employing this method, garbage altercations between me and the wild ones have completely vanished.