Keeping a tight camp

What you say? Coming to Bridger for twenty to thirty years is no excuse to get lazy with our camp, clothes, accouterments, or set-up.
“How come he does not have to follow the rules?” It’s a good question…. and we all know the answer…. there is no excuse!

Wouldn’t we all rather have participants who do all they can to improve the event rather than people who are constantly looking for ways around the rules and forcing exceptions?

So just what is a tight camp? It’s a lot of work to go to a pre-1840’s rendezvous, to relive history, only to bring a whole bunch of gear to camp, most of which never gets used. Let’s see, you set up the one pole tent slightly larger than the Taj-Mahal, bring your own fire barrel, haul 50 lbs. of iron ware for the fire, lug the five plunder boxes of clothes and dishes and cooking/eating utensils and the three or four coolers of beer, pop, fruit salad, cheese balls, salad dressing, and a kitchen cupboard, bed frame etc. all of which are packed into a trailer which you had to purchase and license just to carry all that gear so you could go relive history for two or three nights… yah hoo!
That is a whole lot of work to go through just to get it wrong. So ask yourself, “Why go to all that work if my camp and its depiction is not even close to an historical interpretation?”

In this scenario it is no wonder we are going through growing pains. Did you know or do you remember reading that you have 30 feet square for your camp? The stake is the center of your camp. This space should include fly ropes, shower, porta john tent etc. Come on! Shower? But its wrapped in canvas… you don’t say? So can I wrap my motor home in canvas… come on!!

I hope you have some thoughts on what I am talking about when we mention “tight camp”. This year we will be enforcing the 30-foot rule. What that means is this “No more than one inhabitable structure per camp” No more “I’ll just throw in with you”.
If you have a zipper or screen in your canvas please don’t set it up. You will be asked to take it down.

Let all work together to give a correct historical interpretation.

A challenge met is a reward earned.
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