Having spent the past several years camping with family and friends I have learned a lot about how the right tools make all the difference. While my wife and I were dating we would head out with more wine than equipment and rely on our more advanced camping friend to always come through with the right equipment.  Don’t get me wrong — we had our backpacks, tent and sleeping bags but not much else past that.  Over the next few years thanks to a few birthdays (mostly mine) and a few pit stops at Campmor, we acquired a solid base of the basics, along with a few camping luxuries.

When our daughter was born, camping took a back seat to parenting, but time moves quickly and it wasn’t long before we were itching to get back into the wild.  We have since been able to share our love of the outdoors with our daughter and now camp with another family who also love camping as much as we do several times a season, between early spring and as late as the weather permits.

As hurricane Sandy approached NYC I was scheduled to leave on a business trip.  My wife and I discussed if canceling the trip was the right thing to do. I ultimately made a convincing argument that NY has been threatened with storms before and they have never amounted to much impact for us urbanites. Clearly I could not have been more wrong this time.

Let me preface this by saying: there are hundreds of families who suffered from the effects of this storm and we were exceptionally fortunate that we were spared the worst. That said, as I talked to my wife who was staying at a friend’s apartment above the 39th Street blackout zone, who said, “Camping really trained us on how to deal with not having the things we get used to,” I realized something. It was that statement that inspired me to start this blog.  As campers we have a few basic tools that made my wife’s life on the 17th floor of a building with no power with a 9 year old manageable.  The following is a list of what made a difference and what you too should consider, just in case.

Sturdy hiking boots: A pair of waterproof, insulated boots with strong support for your ankles ensures that carrying weight on your back after a long walk either up or over distance will keep you dry and secure.

Headlamp flashlights: You have hands but they are better at holding someone else’s hand to comfort them or for holding onto the railing as you reach the 11th floor and need to hold onto something. Your head knows where you’re going, why not just strap 90 candle watts to it. It makes seeing a whole lot easier.

Backpack:  Most people give up their backpack after college, but if you’re honest there was no better way to haul your stuff around. Today packs are designed to balance a load on your back and allow you to move gracefully though the woods or across town without having to worry about throwing out your shoulder or wheeling a bag through puddles.

Fleece:  Yeah, say what you will.  These workhorses of the sweater world have come a long way both insulation wise and aesthetically.  No matter, few things you own will dry faster and keep you warmer, accept maybe cashmere, which is great if you have one you don’t mind sweating in.

Lastly: A water bottle, and not that nasty plastic squeeze thing you take to the gym.  I mean a solid bottle that holds more than 16oz and has an open mouth so you can wash it well and refill it easily.

So there you go. I am no expert, I will not be appearing on the Discovery network anytime soon, but I am a practical camper who grew up in NYC so, I don’t mess around.

This site is designed to be a resource for those who might want to head into the woods and need a tip or two, or for the folks that are ready to take it to the next level.  Hell you may just want to car camp in style. Either way, this may be more for me that you anyway.

I will tell you about the name Black Smudge another time.