WAYNEDALE OUTDOORS Q & A

(A column, whereas, you the reader may ask questions about camping, cooking, hunting, fishing, and living in our Great Waynedale Outdoors.)

Q – Where can I buy camping equipment?

A – Personally I buy my gear at garage sales, the Salvation Army, Goodwill, and etc.  Sometimes I will find bargains in the markdown at Meijers, Wal-Mart, or Target. A lot of the camping gear on the market is stuff that you already have around the house; it’s just packaged to make you think you have to have it in order to camp. You can go camping without all that ‘camping’ stuff that’s advertised. Use your head; you don’t use a lot of that stuff at home, why take it camping?

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Q – What size tent do you recommend buying?

A – Tents are miss-marked in my opinion. A 2-man tent has room for one person and his/her duffel (pack). A 4-man tent has room for 2 persons and their gear, and likewise a 10-person tent is just big enough inside to accommodate 5 people and their equipment comfortably. I would buy accordingly.

Q – What kind of tent do you recommend that I buy?

A – Picking out a tent for someone else is like trying to buy them underwear – it’s a personal matter therefore I will tell you what I like. I like a dome tent with an outside (bungee corded) frame that snaps into place. I want it big enough to stand up in and I want it to be as large as I can get unless I’m canoe camping and then I want a smaller one due to weight restrictions and the amount of space available in my canoe.

Q – What kind of axe should I buy for camping?

A – Why do you want an axe if you’re usually just camping over a weekend or even a week for that matter? My dad told me once that if you can’t break the wood over your knee it’s too big. Besides most state campgrounds will have seasoned wood for sale and all you have to do is pour a little bacon or hamburger grease on some paper, put it under the wood, and light a match. No grease? Buy the compressed fireplace logs made from paraffin and sawdust; you can break off chunks and use that for fire starters.

Q – Where can I go to shoot my gun?

A – There is a very nice shooting range near the Huntington Dam. It’s under cover and you’re out of the weather when shooting. It’s manned by NRA qualified instructors/range masters. There is a fee for using the range and you can bring your own targets or buy them there. They also have other shooting accessories for sale like shooting glasses/goggles, earplugs, and etc. The rangemaster is there to assist you if you need help sighting in your firearm or have questions about shooting. Read and follow the rules and you’ll be alright.

We suggest that everyone get a copy of Indiana’s hunting and fishing regulations from most any place that sells hunting/fishing license for more detailed rules and regulations. Please e-mail all questions reguarding Waynedale outdoors to: News@waynedalenews.com.