Camping Glossary

A-frame An older-style tent featuring a mid-support that runs the length of the tent.

Anorak A one-piece outer shell that slips over the head and has no front zipper from which body heat can escape.

Backcountry Where no man has gone before—or at least it seems that way.

Backpack Cargo-carrier that attaches to your back with shoulder straps.

Bait Something—worms, small fish, etc.—used to lure prey.

Bearing A direction taken by reading a compass.

Bivouac A type of tent that accommodates only one person. Sometimes referred to as “body bags” or “bivvys.”

BLM Bureau of Land Management.

BLM map Official map published by the BLM.

Bowline knot A knot used to form a loop that neither slips nor jams.

Breathable/Waterproof fabric A special fabric that allows body moisture to escape while keeping rain or other external moisture from getting in. Gore-Tex is one such fabric.

Cambrelle A quick-drying synthetic lining often used in hiking boots.

Camp stove An absolute necessity for camping. Choose from models that burn white gas, kerosene, and propane/butane. Multi-fuel models burn a range of fuels.

Canoe An open-hulled boat that is paddled.

Car camping A method of camping where the vehicle is parked in an established campsite and camper use the vehicle to carry and hold supplies.

Chickee An elevated, sheltered wooden platform built along interior rivers and bays where no dry land exists.

Cirrus clouds A cloud formation that is typified by looking wispy and having arched “tails.”

Citronella candles Candles made with citronella that when lighted repel insects.

Compass A direction-finding device that is used with a map to plot a hiking route.

Contour lines The lines on a map indicating the elevation of terrain.

Cumulus clouds Large, puffy white clouds seen high in the sky in good weather.

Declination The measurement describing the difference between true north and magnetic north.

DEET The chemical diethyl-meta-tolamide in insect repellents.

Dome tent A wind-resistant tent, shaped like a geodesic dome and supported by a system of crisscrossing support poles.

Down Insulation made from either goose or duck feathers (goose feathers are considered superior). Down is considered better than any synthetic choices available.

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.

Duluth pack A large bag used by canoeists to hold supplies and equipment.

Exposure The direction something—your tent or campsite—is facing.

External-frame backpack A backpack where the framing members are exposed.

F-stop The aperture size of a camera lens. The higher the number, the smaller the lens opening.

Film speed A measurement of photographic film's light sensitivity. The higher the number (ranging from 60 to 400 in most cases), the more light sensitive the film.

Fly The water-resistant “roof” of tents. They are often secured to the tent's framing members and staked out, away from the tent.

Fly fishing A method of fishing using small, fake flying insects to snare fish.

Foam sleeping mat A backcountry mattress made from either closed-cell or open-cell foam.

Forest Service A public land management agency that is part of the Department of Agriculture.

Forest Service map Maps created and provided by the U.S. National Forest Service.

Giardia The organism found in untreated water, responsible for causing giardiasis.

Gore-Tex A breathable, waterproof fabric favored by outdoorspeople.

Groundsheet A 10-mil thick polyester sheet that is laid under a tent to protect the floor.

Heat exposure A condition resulting from a combination of too much sun, physical exertion, and heat.

Heavyweight hiking boots Hiking boots that weigh in at more than four pounds—for experts only!

Hip belt A belt on a backpack that straps around the body close to the hips and makes carrying a backpack easier.

Hollofil II A synthetic fill commonly used in sleeping bags and made by Dupont. Hollofil II fibers are hollow, and therefore offer more warmth for equivalent weights than fills made from solid-filament fibers.

Hoop tent A lightweight tent design incorporating one or two.

Hypothermia A life-threatening condition in which body temperature drops to dangerously low levels.

Internal-frame backpack The most popular kind of backpack. The frames of the backpack are concealed.

Kayak A portable boat with a single hole in its deck for its passenger, who propels the boat using a two-bladed paddle.

Kindling Small, dry pieces of wood that are the basis for building a good fire.

Layering A principle that applies to “dressing for success” in the outdoors: Dressing in at least three layers of clothes permits travelers to add a layer when it gets cold and remove a layer when it gets hot.

License (for backcountry camping) Official permission to hike and camp on backcountry trails usually attached to some nominal fee.

Lightweight hiking boot Hiking boots that weigh under three pounds.

Line (fishing) Rated according to how much weight it can withstand before breaking. Ultralight line is rated as four-pound test and under.

Lite Loft A synthetic sleeping bag fill made by 3M and designed for backpackers who insist on cutting weight down at almost any cost.

Loft The thickness of insulation when it is uncompressed in a sleeping bag.

Low-impact backpacking and camping A camping ethic that treats nature with respect.

Lures (fishing) Colored tackle placed on the end of a fishing line to attract and snare fish.

Lyme disease A potentially fatal disease spread by ticks, usually in eastern woodlands.

Magnetic north Maps are based on true north readings, as opposed to magnetic north readings, which are approximately 1,300 miles from true north. See True north.

Midweight hiking boots Hiking boots that weigh 2-3/4 to 4 pounds a pair.

Moleskin A special bandage applied over a blister to reduce the friction between a hiking boot and skin.

National Park Service The U.S. land management agency responsible for national parks and a variety of other public recreational offerings.

National Park Service map A map describing the various features of a National Park or other area.

North Star Also known as Stella Polaris is a good direction finding indicator because it is never more than two degrees from true north.

Nubuk A brushed-top leather with a suede-like appearance; very durable and waterproof.

Orienteering A competitive sport where you find your way across country using a map and compass.

Pack out Part of the low-impact camping ethic “pack-in, pack out.”

Panniers The “saddlebags” that fit over a bicycle carrier to hold equipment and supplies for a trip.

Pile A soft polyester material that is a substitute for wool in cold conditions.

Poison ivy, oak, and sumac Plants that produce an oil that acts as an irritant to skin, causing an intensely itching rash.

Polarguard HV A hollow-fiber synthetic fill that is an upgrade of its predecessor, Polarguard.

Polartec Polyester fleece fabrics that are available in different weights.

Poncho A one-piece covering that protects wearers from rain. It should be big enough to cover a person wearing a backpack.

PVC Polyvinyl chloride. A rigid, durable plastic.

Reels The part of the fishing rod that holds the line.

Rip-stop nylon A nylon fabric that features heavy, crisscrossing threads that make it tear-resistant.

Rods Part of the fishing apparatus to which the reel is attached.

Seam sealer A coating applied to the rain fly and seams of a tent for waterproofing.

Shell The top layer, a rain-and wind-resistant garment that covers the other layers of clothing.

Sleeping bags An insulated sleeping sack for use outdoors.

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.

Square knot A basic knot used to join two pieces of line together.

Stratus clouds Cloud formations that appear layered.

Stuff sack The Nylon bags where equipment and clothing are placed inside a backpack.

Taut-line hitch A knot that enables you to tighten its hitch.

Thinsulate A good insulation made by 3M that is commonly used in outerwear.

Tinder Fine combustible material used to start fire.

Topographical map A map that reveals the contour of the terrain with contour lines.

Travel pack A backpack that converts into a suitcase (or vice versa) for multiple use.

True north The point used by mapmakers in indicating direction. See Magnetic north.

Upper The top part of a hiking boot, made of leather, split suede, or a combination of leather and synthetics.

Vestibule An add-on to the front of a tent that affords covered storage space.

Water filter A portable device for removing contaminants—particularly giardia—from drinking water. Filters are most effective when their screen mesh measures between 0.2 and 1.0 microns.

Fatal error: Call to a member function get_field() on a non-object in /var/www/globals/articles/article1.php on line 67