Basketball And K-Ville Are Here!!

With Duke Basketball already experiencing another fantastic season and with a thought ahead to the tenting events next semester, Duke Student Government’s (DSG’s) Line Monitors and Duke Student Health have teamed up to provide you with information on how to tent safely.

Keep in mind that, every year, we see hundreds of warm students tenting and making good memories, while some unprepared dozens freeze and remain miserable, even at an event as fun as tenting for a Duke game. We want your experience to be great, and have developed these guidelines to keep you warm while you have a great time leading up to tip-off. Be sure to pick these items up (or ask for them for the holidays!) while you’re home over break.

The Tent:

The most basic thing you’ll need is a good tent. Make sure it’s actually large enough for all of you to fit comfortably (you’ll be spending a lot of time there), and that it’s in good repair. Small holes allow for a lot of heat seepage. Make sure you have a tarp or rain guard—these are essential for keeping tents dry. Every good tent should have a rain-guard over the top of it; f not, a tarp should be used to keep rain from leaking through the fabric. Tarps should be placed under the tent as well, to keep moisture from coming up through the bottom of the tent.

The Clothes:

Successful K-Ville residents know that the clothes you wear make the difference. A good pair of long underwear (preferably polypropylene, capilene, or Thermax) is best, along with layered clothing for the upper body (fleece or wool), warm pants, fleece or wool socks, and a good ski-type jacket. Bring raingear as well—January and February are rainy months in the Carolinas. And keep in mind, cotton keeps you warm only if it’s dry; wet cotton will make you lose heat.

The Sleeping Arrangements:

We’re talking about what to sleep on, and that means a sleeping pad to allow an extra layer between you and the ground, a good sleeping bag (designed for at least 30 degrees, preferably lower). Mummy-type bags are best; the one you got when you were nine probably won’t cut it.

The Essentials:

It sounds odd, but go to the bathroom as often as you can. Cameron’s lobby will be open until 2 am nightly for this. Avoid alcohol use, especially drinking to keep you warm. Alcohol produces a warmth effect, but while doing so actually makes you much more susceptible to hypothermia and dehydrates you quickly. Take advantage of warm drinks such as cocoa or nonalcoholic cider when it’s offered (Student Health is sponsoring a couple of these tables over the tenting period). And if you’re thinking about hooking up--go back to your room. It’s not only more polite, but you’ll both freeze less and will have a better chance to do it safely. (Free condoms are available at the Healthy Devil office in Kilgo Quad should you need them.)

What Not To Bring:

These should go without saying…but we’ll say them anyway. No fires of any kind are allowed in K-Ville. Neither are space heaters or oil or gas lamps. In fact, if it’s electric, leave it at home, since no electric appliances are allowed. It’s tenting, after all.

Where To Go For Questions:

Steve Rawson Head Line Monitor sgr5@duke.edu http://dsg.duke.edu/kville.html

http://healthydevil.studentaffairs.duke.edu