Thanks to the Recreation Act , our class took a short walk from campus to Jegersberg for an overnight field trip. The recreation act states that “tents must not be pitched so closed to an inhabited house that it disturbs the occupants, and in any case no closer than 150 meters”. We walked far enough into Jegersberg to not have to worry about disturbing any one in their homes, which satisfied  the regulations in

the recreation act. Where we stayed in Jegersberg there was an open field for use of playing games, hills to set up camp on to avoid the rain, and a lake nearby for entertainment.

When setting up camp we had to keep  a few things in mind, we wanted to have enough open area to play games during the day and we also wanted to keep our tents dry from the rain. It worked out perfectly having the tents on top of the small hills around the trees to protect our things from getting soaked throughout the trip. I learned while setting up camp you do not want your tent on a flat surface because the rain will have no place to flow and could seep through the tent lining.  In the middle of everyone’s tents there was a group shelter built which consisted of only a tarp tied to a couple of tree s with a thick branch for support. With our things at the top of the hills,  there was plenty of space in the open field below the camp area for activities.

To stay warm, we played all sorts of crazy games that involved people running around, on their hands and knees or even on another person’s back. Having extra clothes in a dry bag in the tent is helpful to keep warm as well,  especially in the winter time. Of course, everyone knows a campfire will help keep you warm . Keeping your wood dry, making sure you have enough wood and building the right type of fire is important in the winter camping season. During this time of year, the Lincoln log style is the best way to go because  it is easier to cook on, it can also avoid any wood falling over onto someone. If I could go back to this night I would have gotten  a hot stone from the fire or a warm bottle of water and slept with it for some extra heat over night. I would have also eaten right before going to bed, I stayed up in my tent talking to others and by the time I tried to go to bed my tummy had digested my food that was keeping my body heat up.

When dinner time came along we all gathered under our group shelter. There wasn’t a huge variety of ingredients to pick from but in the end each group of four made something completely different from the others. Each dish included the nutrition needed such as protein, veggies, and carbs. If you are hiking with a group of people it can be easy to make a warm luxury meal, by having each person bring an ingredient you can make a variety of meals. There are a few different options when cooking in the wilderness, one being over the fire and the other is with a storm kitchen. When you have a storm kitchen there is more weight to carry in your pack. You must make the decision of red spirit versus  gas. Gas might freeze in the winter seasons if not properly insolated, but it is good to have on windy days. Red spirit  can be used to help start a fire but if it is windy or spilt the fire can easily lose control.

Citations:

Recreation Act 1957. Available at https://www.regjeringen.no/en/dokumenter/outdoor-recreation-act/id172932/ (Accessed: 13 February 2018)