Ticket for Two: Calaguas: For Noob Campers

We knew Calaguas was paradise. We had pictured it in our minds, crystal clear azure waters, and pristine beach with powdery white sand. But what we failed to consider was we needed to camp out to fully enjoy this place. Living in Los Banos during our college years does not necessarily equate to knowing how to survive the wilderness, in this case an island off the coast of Camarines Norte. Although we occasionally hiked Flat Rocks, Mudspring, and Peak2 in elbi, we have never camped out nor joined any camping trips.

Photo from bayshorespringfest.webs.com

Don’t get me wrong, we can rough it out in the wild, cowboy kung cowboy.. but.. I don’t even know how to cook rice with a rice cooker, more so in an open fire! The only survival skill we know was the art of opening canned goods using a knife. This skill acquired from years of not having a can opener, and eating canned goods kapag wala pang padalang allowance. So if you are organizing a camping trip, but have never been a girl/boy scouts, take heed of these advices:

Come prepared

In retrospect, we should have brought the following gear that could have made our life a little easier.

Ideal Camping Gear:

Bed: tent; sleeping mat; pillows; blankets

Light source: personal flash light; butane lantern or petromax

Kitchen gear: portable butane stove, pots and pans; knife; ladle; disposable plates, cups, spoon, fork; dishwashing paste with sponge; grill; seasonings and condiments

Miscellaneous: trash bag (for trash or to protect your bag during boat travel); water jug

Photo from www.123rf.com

Use your charm and ask the caretaker to start the fire

Starting a fire is not an easy feat. Save yourself the trouble and bring a portable butane stove. But if you don’t have one, make sure to bring charcoal and a lot of paper. I also learned that you need an enclosed space if you will use coals for cooking.

Learn to cook rice over open fire

We were stuck eating soggy improperly cooked rice because we were too dependent on rice cookers. So I googled how to cook rice when we came back and this is what i learned:

- Ratio of rice to water is 1:2

- Once the rice starts boiling, minimize the flame by removing some of the coal

- Let stand in the fire until upper portion is cooked

You can’t go wrong with canned goods

Need I say more?

Have fun

I’m lucky to have crazy friends who are willing to put up with anything. We have been dorm mates turned roommates turned housemates turned forever friends (so cheesy..haha).