Camping on the prairie?

[wisconsinteacher]

Any tips for camping on the prairie? I plan on going mid August to hunt and camp. I have a small Coleman tent, small grill, camp stove, coolers with blocks of ice covered in blankets, a lawn chair, and a sleeping bag. What else is needed for a comfortable night on the prairie?

[**DONOTDELETE**]

water

[Mike Vines]

Originally posted by mysticguido:
water

and LOTS of it

[knobby]

Instead of all blocks of ice, freeze gallon jugs of good quality water. That way, as they thaw, you use it to suppliment your drinking water supply.

[OkKeith]

You're gonna need an excellent tolerance for the constant, always blowing, eternal, ever present wind.

When you find a place to buy that, let me know, I need two.

All kidding aside, all your stuff will need to be buttoned down pretty good. Anything that flaps will be worn to a nub or broken smooth-off after two days. We do some hunting and a lot of fishing near Laramie, WY and this is a true lesson to learn. Use every stake and tie-down on the tent, fold all the camp chairs up and stow them away when not in use and put buckle straps or bungies on any tubs/containers without locking lids.

Oh... and take lots of water.

OkKeith

[ksbowman]

Have you had your tent in windy conditions? Sometimes it gets pretty breezy and every now and then a thunderstorm can move thru when antelope hunting. A fold up latrine stool is nice, we usually dig a pit and cover it when we leave, but all the openness doesn't allow for much privacy.LOL  Ben

[Doug in MN]

Lots of water as mentioned above and wind repelent.

[OkKeith]

Oo oo  oo! Where can I buy wind repelent? Does Cabela's sell that, or maybe there are pads to go in the Therema cell?

That's a good one Doug.

OkKeith

[Paul/KS]

If it's the prairie here in Kansas some kind of chigger repellent .
And water... I use the freeze water in a jug trick and it's pretty handy.

[Jake Fr]

lots of big bug repelant and water

[wisconsinteacher]

On a six day hunt, how many gallons of water should I guy have?  I plan on freezing drinking water in jugs.  I understand there is wind out there. lol.  I guess this is why I am a little nervous about the trip.  I have never hunted or camped outside of WI.

[highPlains]

I love camping on the prairie. The nights are beautiful. I like a tent that I can look at the stars with but keeps the bugs away. Be prepared for sudden rains though.
 

Be sure to keep your tent zipped up, all sorts of bugs and other things can get inside.
 

It is hard to beat wide open spaces. It's a lot different than WI but you might just love it. I do!
 

[OkKeith]

Matthew,

Six days, I would plan for at least 2 gallons per day for drinking and cooking. Might add another gallon for washing (yourself and the dishes).

I have 2 big blue water jugs with spigots that go everywhere with me. They are each as compact as 5 gallons can get. They are square and pack well. I picked them up at Wal-Mart or someplace like that. They are cheap and work well.

I personally don't care for the collapseable type. They wobble all over the place unless they are completely full and you can't pack/stack anything on top of them.

10 gallons for 6 days would not be over kill by any means. I would take 15 if possible. That way you would have plenty to drink, wash with and keep the dishes clean. Unless you are a strict bottled water kinda guy, all the expense you might be out is the jugs and they can be used for years.

OkKeith

[Whip]

I use the blue jugs like OkKeith - I think I had 5 of them with us last year.  That covered 2 people for 10 days for showers, cooking, etc. Plus we bought about 10 gallon jugs of drinking water at the grocery store.  The gallon jugs are a lot cheaper than bottled water by the case - just use them to fill a camelback type bladder.

I used to do the frozen jug thing, but they don't seem to keep things as cold as an exposed block of ice will for some reason.  So now I just freeze big pans of water to make block ice and take extra jugs for drinking.

I've been following along with your planning for this trip from the start.  I think you are going about it the right way, doing all your research and asking all the right questions.  

I can feel the excitement you have for your first out of state hunt.  I'm betting you are going to have a heck of a great time!  You know of course we'll be waiting for a full report!

[bowslinger]

Just a couple suggestions.  Sunscreen, odorless if you can find it.

If you don't wear contacts, you may not think to bring eye drops, but it can be a big help to rinse the dust from your eyes.

Bring sturdy tent stakes that don't pull out too easy; can be a big help in the wind, including enough stakes for the tent(s) and blind(s).

Lots of parachute cord to tie or stake down anything you don't want to blow away.

Be sure to bring a small wisk broom to sweep the dust out of your tent.  I have camped out in a couple of dust storms where I thought I was going to choke to death.  A small, fine-bristle whisk broom is a big help sweeping the dust out.

While it may not be much of an issue where you are planning on hunting or camping, if there is a possibility of rattle snakes, make sure you know in advance where the nearest hospital with antivenin (antidote for snake venom) is located.  A GPS can be a big help in providing coordinates to medical emergency personnel.  Plus, you may not have cell phone coverage and may need to drive some distance before you can reach 911.  It helps to drive in the right direction and not away from the hospital or medical clinic.

If you have not spent much time in a prairie setting, if you drive off road, don't pull off a track and park in tall grass without letting your catalytic converter cool off first.  I watched somebody's truck burn two years ago because they stopped and parked on tall grass and started a grass fire.  Most ranchers I have spoken with prefer you park on a track/trail/prairie road period.  If someone needs to drive around you, they will.  A vehicle parked on dry grass is more likely to start a fire than one driving over at 5 to 10 miles per hour.

Also, I suggest bringing a tripod to photograph sunrises, sunsets, and the stars at night.  Brush up on low light or night photography if you are not familiar with doing so.  You can end up with some amazing photos, including distant or not so distant lightning storms at night.

[Whip]

Great suggestions bowslinger.  One other one I would add is lip balm.  The wind and sun can really dry out your lips to the point of cracking.

Here is my prairie camp one year.

 

[hunt it]

You might want to reconsider the Coleman tent. These are family camping tents at best. They are not good in high wind. The fiberglass poles snap under any good stress. Consider a higher quality tent with aluminum poles - much better.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

That was a great thread Whip and nice set up too.    

Whips's right chap stick and sunscreen. I recommend a extra tarp for some kind of shade or wind block if you can't find any.

What state will you be hunting in??

Tracy

[wisconsinteacher]

I am taking notes guys.  I hope to be in WY if not, then SD.  I will know today.  I have a tripod, will get eye drops, and plan on getting some coolers from my dad with lots of ice and water.  I will also look for the water jugs.  Keep it coming, I need it.

[centaur]

Prairie rattlers are thick in parts of Wyoming. In August, they will be active. They make nice bow backings!
Yes, the wind will be incessant, and thunderstorms are likely. The smell of sage on the prairie is like perfume, at least to me. The prairie country is wonderful; you should have an enjoyable time if you are prepared.