THE BRANDON SUN • Lake Life • SPRING 2026
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“Down sleeping bags are a little more expensive, but they’re packable and lightweight, giving you the best warmth-to-weight ratio,” says English. “I suggest getting a bag that’s rated colder than what you’re going to expect. You can always open your sleeping bag if you’re hot, but it’s really tricky if you get caught out and you need more warmth.” For the Manitoba camper, a -3 C to -7 C rating can keep you warm in cooler weather before moving up to a full-on winter bag. The ground is hard, uncomfortable and cold. You need another layer. “Self-inflating pads compact quite small and are easy to carry. They have foam inside and when you open the valve, the foam expands for extra padding. They’re quite nice,” English says. “We generally do a two-and-a-half- or three-inch pad, firm enough so you’re not going to feel the ground at all.” A pad is more reliable because even with a hole, they don’t deflate like a mattress. “With a cheap air mattress, if you have a hole in it, you might be on the ground by morning. I’ve certainly had that experience,” he says. Campers need a place to rest their heads. English rec- ommends an inflatable pillow. ‘We do a compact camping pillow, smaller than a com- puter mouse when packed. With my family, even though we car camp, we just chuck them in our camping box and we always have them,” he says. A stove is an absolute must for cooking, but most espe- cially for boiling water for drinking, even when provided at a campsite. A single burner is the bare minimum. “You can just cook on the fire pit, but if there’s inclem- ent weather where firewood won’t catch, you need a backup,” English says. “We do a single burner pocket stove that folds up about the size of a mouse. You just need an isobutane canister for fuel. “I’ve been camping where we didn’t have a stove and we relied on firewood, and it didn’t turn out great.” Cutlery, cups, plates and bowls, a pot and a frying pan should be in your kit. Collapsible pots, kettles and even a col- lapsible kitchen sink are useful. English recommends carrying at least one packet of freeze-dried food for emergencies.
If you plan to take a chair out to the camp site, make sure you take the time to try it out in the store before you buy it. (Submitted )
“The more complex a tent is to put up, the better they hold up in the wind.”
Ethan English
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