Whether you’re new to camping or simply come across the occasional camping phrase you’ve never heard, here are some of the basic terms every camper should know.
A-frame – An older-style tent featuring a mid-support that runs the length of the structure.
Backcountry – The isolated and uninhabited sections of national park, public land or forest
Backpacking – Traveling with all of your belongings, including tents and sleeping bags, carried in a backpack
Bearing – The reading of your compass in the direction you’re heading
Bivouac – A tent designed to accommodate only one person.
Chickee – An elevated, sheltered wooden platform built along interior rivers and bays where no dry land exists.
Citronella candles – Popular and natural insect repellent that keeps away mosquitos
Dehydration – Excessive loss of body fluid that could result in headaches, fainting and more severe symptoms
Dome tent – A wind-resistant tent, shaped like a geodesic dome and supported by a system of crisscrossing support poles.
Draft tube – The tube running the length of the zipper in a sleeping bag that blocks the transfer of cold air through the zipper into the sleeping bag.
Free-standing tent – A type of tent that doesn’t require ropes or stakes to keep the tent standing
Frostbite – A medical condition caused by extreme cold that could eventually result in amputation
Gray water – Wastewater that’s created from bathing, cooking, laundry and other activities
Heat stroke – When your body temperatures rises significantly from being exposed to the sun
Kindling – Pieces of wood and twigs used to start fires
Lyme Disease – An infectious disease usually spread through ticks
Low-impact camping – An ethic that treats nature with respect by leaving as little trace as possible
Poison Oak/Ivy – A poisonous shrub or plant that causes itchiness and rash when touched
Primitive campground – A place to camp without amenities, including bathrooms, showers and electricity
Private campground – An area to camp that’s owned by a business
S’more – Common camping treat made by sandwiching a marshmallow and chocolate bar between two graham crackers
Space blanket – A waterproof emergency blanket that is made with Mylar. Space blankets are waterproof and conserve warmth by reflecting body heat back to the person it covers.
Water-resistant – Hinders the ability of water of enter
