4 replies to this topic

[Hilmi]

Not sure if this belongs in this section or in the off-topic section, but to me I feel this is specific to camping style star parties, so I decided to post it here.

 

Our club in Oman been conducting regular star parties in remote camping locations, sometimes in cold mountain tops (above freezing temperatures) and sometimes in desert sand dunes. We sometimes have large groups, with the last one I attended having more than 20 cars. I have been doing some research and wanted to know what do you guys pack for such trips other than your telescope and telescope equipment?. Please note that in Oman camping is what many in the USA might call off-the grid camping or overlanding style camping. So RV's and such are not practical driving up a steep shelf road up-to 2300 meters. So what do you guys pack for such astronomy specific camping trips?

 

Example:

• Laptop tent for image processing so you can see the screen in the daytime or not disturb other astronomers in the nighttime.
• Recliner chair for comfortable viewing of meteorites and binocular astronomy
• Easy setup and pack away camp kitchen so I don't have to eat canned food, but don't feel lazy about cooking
• Observatory tents to keep setup shielded from the wind and to isolate personal setup away from public viewing instruments
• I keep having trouble with goats eating cables and equipment cardboard boxes, so I have found the best most human way of keeping them away is a noisy RC car, it puts the fear of God into them and after chasing them around a few times with an RC car they would keep away from your equipment
• I like to keep retroreflectors around tripping hazards so the public does not risk tripping over the equipment

 

I would like to hear your thoughts on this topic

[impreza276]

Here are two recent threads that cover the topic

 

https://www.cloudyni...ying-warm-cool/

 

https://www.cloudyni...prepare-for-it/

[PhilHoyle]

Hilmi:

It seems to me from your post that your star parties are so much different than anything in the US, that any advice you got from someone in the US would be totally worthless.
For example, I think bears in the US would be a bigger problem than wild goats, though I've only heard of one instance where a bear was a problem.

[jerobe]

Hilmi, this is an interesting topic.    The star parties you describe are a blend of wilderness camping and star gazing.  In my younger days I enjoyed hiking/camping and now I enjoy star parties but I haven't actually combined them.

 

Anyway, here are a few things I've learned from past outings:

 

1 - There's always a possibility for a medical emergency.  Someone (preferably more than one person) in the group should have first aid skills.

2 - Do you have any communication options if you are beyond the range of cell phones?

3 - Carry long sticks, hoes or shovels to use in the event of a poisonous snake or wild animal encounter at your site.

4 - Cleaning the cooking pots, pans, plates, etc. is always a problem as lots of water is required and food wastes attract pests and scavengers.  Plan meals and food needs to avoid waste and cleanup as much as possible.

 

Enjoy your outings under the dark sky!

[Alex McConahay]

Google”duck blinds”.

They are small tents with no floors.

Set your equipment up next to one of them. Run the cables into the blind, and you can sit inside, no light gets out from computer screen, etc.

Alex