The first time a tent pole broke on me, I was 14 years old and on an overnight hike with my dad in the Cascades.听We were camped well above tree line on a vast snowfield. One of us, stumbling around at dusk after dinner, managed to step on the point where one of the crappy fiberglass poles met the pin that attached it to the floor of the tent, snapping off the end of the pole.听
Our shelter sagged as the light wind became a stiff breeze. We tried a few fixes鈥攆irst attempting to tie the pole to the tent floor, which failed听utterly鈥攂efore we hit upon the best solution: Gutting the inside of a container of lip balm, fitting the hollow balm tube over the end of the pin, putting the pole inside the other end, and fastening it all together with duct tape. That听saved the day.听
It proved to me at a very young age that a little MacGyvering is often necessary in听the camping experience. Have I broken tent poles since? You bet. But I鈥檝e never failed to make a decent field repair鈥攁nd听because I learned what essentials to pack,听I鈥檒l never have to destroy another lip balm. Throw this stuff into your pack and you鈥檒l be ready for anything.
Lighter: Matches, smatches! Yes, there are times when matches are handy (lighters break), but a cheap gas station Bic is a superb tool for emergencies听(need fire for warmth!)听and nonemergencies听(need fire for s鈥檓ores!).
Cordelette: This isn鈥檛 string.听Cordelette听is听nylon line that is considerably stronger. You can buy it in lengths at REI, a good climb shop, and some better hardware stores. It comes in handy for splinting broken tent poles; the above lip-balm fix can be emulated with a sturdy stick or an extra tent stake tied around the busted pole end. Cordelette has myriad other uses, from guying out a tarp between trees when you鈥檙e car camping and it decides to thunder on your site听to something as simple as hanging a lantern high enough to bathe the entire plot in light.
Headlamp: This isn鈥檛 an emergency item, but it鈥檚 an emergency (or nearly one) if you forget to pack it. Also,听check the batteries before you leave, and just in case, pack a brand-new spare set.
Benadryl: From bee stings to spider bites to a tent mate who snores听and snores听and snores, an antihistamine is a must-pack. Friendly tip:听Don鈥檛 give the snorer the drugs鈥攖ake a dose yourself to konk out through the din.
Aspirin: QED.
Pill bottle wrapped with nonstick gauze: This should be a plus-size pill bottle from the drugstore. Inside, stuff some bandages, self-sealed antiseptic wipes, and sterile pads. The nonstick gauze on the outside should be long enough to wrap a sprained ankle. Put a couple wide rubber bands around it to secure the gauze in place.
Duct tape: It mends holes in tents and听jackets, and even blisters in your tired feet that aren鈥檛 quite used to that new pair of boots you didn鈥檛 break in.
Three gallon-size Ziplocs: The plastic bag becomes an improvised water bottle, a cold compress, a dry bag for your puffy when the afternoon desert shower decides to squat overhead for 18 hours,听and a leftover food storage satchel. Ziplocs weigh听nothing and听take no space, and if you have them, they鈥檒l always go to good use.
A folding knife with extras: A multitool is fine, but it typically leads to handling imbalances (too much weight in the grip makes for an unwieldy knife). We like folding blades like SOG鈥檚 鈥攖he handle incorporates a line cutter for slicing through cordelette, the blade locks full and firmly, and it鈥檚 partially serrated, so you can use it to both cut and saw.
Compass: When the batteries die in your mobile or GPS, a compass keeps working. And, yes, that means you should know how to use it.
Emergency blanket: A 听is like a giant foil wrapper that packs to the size of a sandwich bag and听is very light鈥攁nd it can save your life. These bounce back a ton of heat: If you鈥檝e underpacked for a campout, when spread over two sleeping bags in a tent, they鈥檒l add 10听to听15 degrees of overnight warmth.
Mini playing cards: You never know when you might have to kill an afternoon waiting out the weather. A junior-sized deck of cards won鈥檛 save your life, but it will help lighten the mood.