The following is a list of items and suggestions for a trip into the ‘Deep Woods’, which is basically more than one night in the middle of nowhere. We will start off with some of the animals that you may encounter and then cover some of the equipment you will need. Keep in mind that every trip will vary and special equipment may be necessary or recommended.

While out in the woods of Northern New Hampshire and Maine, there is a variety of animals that you may encounter. While all of these animals are fun to observe in their natural environment, precautions must be taken in order to be safe and also to not disturb the animals. It is important to remember that no animal is out to get you. This notion is a byproduct of too many movies.

There are a few ‘Nevers’ to follow when it comes to wild animals:

1. Never attempt to pet a wild animal.
2. Never attempt to feed a wild animal.

Wild animals, no matter how cute or tame they seem, are still wild. Your attempt to pet them may provoke a bad response, such as a bite, scratch, or even an attack. It goes without saying that you also do not attempt to catch a wild animal. They have spent all their lives defending themselves from predators’ attacks. The fact that they are still alive says they are good at it.

Many animals will come around the campsite looking for food. Feeding them may place you in an unsafe situation, and it definitely does not help the animal. You may get scratched or bitten inadvertently while feeding the animal. Also, the animal begins to associate people with food. When the hikers are all gone and the snow sets in, the animal will be at a disadvantage. This will push the animal to go where the people are, thus raiding trash and what ever it can get. An animal belongs in the wilderness, not the local restaurant dumpster.

Always keep a safe distance from any wild animal. During the spring months many animals have young which they will defend. Most animals will avoid you and you will never see them and their young. But if you do happen across them, your curiosity could be taken the wrong way.

Bears are particularly protective of their young. If you encounter a bear or its young, slowly turn around and walk away. Once out of site, you may want to put some distance between you and the area. Do NOT run, as this may provoke the bear, especially if there are young around. Playing dead is also not an advisable tactic.

Moose are also protective of their young. Moose are not the most intelligent of animals and may unpredictably react to any situation. If they feel threatened, they may rush you. Always keep a good distance from moose. In the event that something does happen, try to keep something big in between you and the moose, like a tree.

With all the small creatures out there, just watch them from a distance. Skunks and Porcupines have obvious reasons to stay away from. Most animals have sharp teeth and claws. Snakes, while rare, do live in the northern woods of New Hampshire and southern Maine. They do their best to avoid people so usually you never know they are around. There are two poisonous kinds that I am aware of in this region. If you are really close to the snake, fast movements may provoke a strike, so move slowly away. If you see one, slowly back away and give the animal a wide berth. A snake bite kit is not an unheard of item in the first aide kit.

In general, try not to disturb the wild life, and you’ll usually not have a problem. If you notice that the animal is aware of you, then you are close enough. Enjoy them in their environment. Don’t be afraid to watch them, they’re not out there to get you. Replace fear with knowledge. Understand them in their environment and you will have great experiences.

There are some basic elements of equipment that everyone should have for a stay in the deep woods. Usually weight of items is a big factor since you’re hauling them over many miles. Below is a list of things I bring along for most hikes.

There is one main idea you should keep in mind when selecting and preparing a campsite, Minimal Impact. Ideally you should not be able to tell you camped in an area after you are gone. There are some basic characteristics of a good campsite. It should be on ground a little higher than the surrounding area, it should be as flat as possible, there should be some form of cover around, like trees, and your camp fire site should not be close to the tent area. Another thing that can improve a campsite is running water near by.

Set up your tent at one end of the camp area, and build a small fire pit at the other. It is usually best to have your tent near some trees. This will help if it gets windy or if a moose chooses to wander through the site (don’t laugh, it happens). The fire pit should be as small as possible. You should never build a blazing bon fire. The pit should provide warmth if necessary, and enough heat to cook. Make a ring of rocks and/or dirt around the fire to help contain the embers. Cooking is best done with embers, not flames. Get the fire going and let it create a bed of hot embers. Place a few large rocks in the embers and place your cooking items so they balance on the rocks. I usually use a triangle formation of rocks with the hottest embers in the middle. Gather dead wood from the surrounding area, do not cut down trees. Also, don’t break off branches from trees that are alive. Usually there is plenty of dead wood around, you just have to search for it. Make sure the fire is completely out when you leave the fire pit. Use lots of water and cover it with dirt.

When cooking food that is greasy, cook it as early as possible so that the fire will have time to burn it off. No matter what you do, animals will smell your cooking. Place every item that comes in contact with food in a bag and seal it. Wash your hands before you enter the tent. Hang as much equipment in the trees as possible. A good hanging spot is 15’ up and 7’ out from the tree. When the animals come, and they will come, this will prevent them from tearing your packs apart. Hang the trash bag as far away as possible. Keep no food in your tent. No matter how well you seal it, the animals will smell it. Since it is usually people that have the problem with animals, keeping all these items away from the tent will help prevent a close encounter.

Camping out in the sticks can be very exciting, but it can also pose some dangers if you are not prepared. Make sure you understand the environment you are going into. Replace your fear with knowledge, knowledge of how to survive in the woods, knowledge of what the animals are like and how to co-exist with them, knowledge of how to be a responsible hiker, and knowledge of how to be a responsible camper.