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- Build Fires only in fire rings, stoves or fireplaces.
- Use only dead wood lying on the ground.
- Collect firewood far away from your site so the area will not appear unnatural.
- Start the fire by building an inverted cone of dry sticks or twigs and igniting it with a match.
- As the fire gets going, place larger pieces of wood, but pieces no larger than an adult wrist.
- Extinguish all fires by pouring water on them, stirring the ashes and pouring more water. Ashes should be cool
to the touch before you leave the site.
- Pack out any trash that is not reduced to white ash that you have in your fire pit.
- When cooking at your campsite, make your meal menu simple and filling.
- Write down the menu for all meals for your trip. This will help you pack all the ingredients you will need
without forgetting a key ingredient.
- Measure and combine dry ingredients into Ziploc bags prior to packing. Make sure you label the bag for the
appropriate meal.
- Do not assume that every campsite still has their grill or that it will suit your cooking needs. Plan to bring
a grate to put over the fire.
- Purchase a separate set of camping dishes and silverware, dishpan, washrag, towels, and soap. Store them in a
plastic container that can be pulled out and ready to go for each camping trip.
- Purchase a quality camp stove.
- Meals that can be cooked ahead of time at home and travel well in a cooler will save a lot of time especially
on the first night of your trip.
- Bring small amounts of cooking supplies instead of large quantities. It will save quite a bit of packing space.
- DO NOT FORGET aluminum foil and marshmallows.
- Plan to arrive at the campsite early in the day. This way you can have dinner, clean up and relax before it get
dark.
- Try and avoid setting up camp next to stagnant water, which is home to biting insects.
- Pack items that have multiple functions.
- Save your camera containers. They are great to keep moisture out of your matches.
- Wear comfortable shoes and clothes.
- Dress in layers.
- Pack your clothes in garbage bags. It will keep your clothes dry if a sudden storm blows up and it can serve as
laundry basket at the end of your trip.
- Sort and pack each day of your children’s clothes in individual small plastic grocery bags in his/her
suitcase. This way your child can grab a bag in the morning and have a full set of clothes for the day and at night
he/she can stuff the dirty ones back in the bag thus not mixing up the rest of the suitcase.
- Bring along a small amount of firewood that was cut in Iowa. Firewood from outside of Iowa is prohibited due
to the possibility of Emerald Ash Borer. The understory might already be picked clean of wood from earlier campers.
Be prepared.
- MAKE SURE YOU CLEAN UP YOUR CAMPSITE WHEN YOU LEAVE. MAKE SURE THE SITE IS AS CLEAN AS YOU WOULD WANT IT IF YOU
WERE DRIVING UP THAT DAY TO CAMP.
- To waterproof your wooden matches, dip them in melted paraffin wax and let them dry or line up your match heads
on cellophane tape and sandwich them between another strip of tape.
- More is always better
- For ice to keep your food cold for a long period of time, fill either a gallon milk jug or a 2 liter pop container
half full with water and freeze. Make sure you do not put the lid on the container when in the freezer.
- To make the best fire starters ever…take rolled up and twisted newspapers and stuff them into either empty
paper towel or toilet paper rolls.
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