These tips will be useful especially for the participants of the International Cadet Camp 2008 as you are required to bring your own tents.
If you have a tent with you, it is possible to camp under quite extreme conditions. By building wind breakers out of rocks, logs, or banks of earth and using these to help anchor the tent, you can withstand high winds.
Even heavy rains should not be a real problem provided that you dig channels next to the tent to drain the site.
Materials of Tents
Some tents are made of a single breathable material. This material is usually only used in lightweight, high-altitude; extreme mountaineering tents and is very expensive.
Most often quality tents usually have an inner, breathable nylon layer, with a waterproof outer section suspended a small distance above it to allow air to circulate freely and facilitate the removal of body generated condensation.
Ensure your tent has a built in ground sheet of a good quality to prevent any water seeping up from the ground.
There are 3 Basic TYPES of Tents: GEODESIC, A-FRAME and TUNNEL
Geodesic
This mathematically designed shape is extremely wind-resistant, and thus highly suited for use in mountains where high winds. It is also suitable for rain use. They have the highest strength-to-weight ratio of the tent shapes. Those with 3 or preferably 4 poles are more stable than those with only 2.
A-Frame
This traditional tent shape is also known as a RIDGE TENT. A-Frame tents have plenty of headroom and are often less expensive then geodesic tents. However they are not as stable in windy and rainy condition.
Tunnel
The tents are fairly stable and are generally lighter for their size than geodesic types. Tunnel tents are not as good in heavy rain but they are a good choice in wind.
Point to remember before pitching your tent
Ideally you should pitch your tent away from a steep slope, but not in a basin where you may encounter flooding.
If there is a river in the vicinity, check the river flow and be sure not to camp below any possible flood levels.
Take note of wind patterns and try to shelter the tent by placing it in lee of bushes, rocks or trees. When camping near hills, be alert to the possibilities of land slides if possible site your tent well away from any potential land slide zone.
The sturdy, inexpensive ridge-style tent is still very popular and used on many expeditions.
Other equipments:
Sleeping Bag
A very warm sleeping bag is a must. Down-filled types are warmer and light, but they compact into useless balls when wet. Synthetic fill is bulkier, but dries out relatively fast and retains it’s special insulating properties even after getting wet.
Foam Insulating Mat
A useful base to place under the sleeping bag.
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