Are you going camping? Are you prepared for even the most simple aspects of camping? Though plenty of what you need to know is basic, you must take the time to educate yourself. Keep reading to learn some great advice.
Find your shelter before it gets dark. After night falls, it becomes harder to prepare your camp ground and set up the tent. This is really important for people who live in the city. Do not get yourself into this situation, and find your shelter during daylight hours.
Sleeping Bag
While you think nature will provide enough wood for your fire to continue burning, it may be wet, which will not burn. It’s always prudent to bring wood that you have gathered beforehand, and to store it in a location where it will stay dry.
Pick out your sleeping bag according to what season it is. If you bring sub-zero sleeping bags with you in the dead of summer, you will probably sweat all night. And if you taking a sleeping bag that is light-weight, you are going to freeze. You could even experience hypothermia.
Expect that camping is not typically a time you can stay clean easily. If you prepare yourself for this ahead of time, it won’t stress you out as much when it happens. Enjoy the outdoors and get down and dirty. You can always clean up, and be “normal” when you return home.
Although you might assume the woods will offer you plenty of firewood for your camping needs, nature may surprise you with rain-soaked logs or wood that will not easily ignite. It’s always a good idea to take along some wood of your own and keep it in a dry place.
Do not hesitate to pack too much for your kids. Camping can be a messy affair. Kids simply love to get dirty. This means that your kids will get dirty during the day. While this cannot usually be prevented, be sure to pack some extra clothing. Stay ahead of the game!
When you buy a new tent, always set it up at home once before taking it camping. This will let you know that you’re not missing pieces from your tent and that you know how to pitch your tent in the right way. It also helps with the frustration of putting a tent up.
Check the weather updates for the camping site that you choose to go to. You can find the average weather during a season for almost any location online. When you know what the weather is going to be like ahead of time, you can pack the appropriate clothing and equipment.
Over-packing is better than under-packing when it comes to children. Camping can be a bit messy. Children seem to be magnetically attracted to dirt. Children will get dirtier as the day goes on. It is almost impossible to prevent, but luckily, you will not need to worry if you have extra clothes on hand. Be sure you’re prepared!
Camping can be incredibly fun or incredibly dangerous depending on just one factor: preparation. Try to be as prepared as possible when you go out camping; don’t just take off on a whim. Do your research and understand the local conditions and wildlife, as well as climate concerns. This is the best way to keep yourself safe and enjoy your trip.
Try combining a swimming experience with your camping experience. When camping, home showers can seem like a luxury. The water helps you feel refreshed and a bit cleaner so that you don’t miss showering quite as much.
Make sure you have what you might need in case of any event. Make sure you have put a little thought into things in case the unexpected does occur. Anything can change without warning, such as the weather, your environment, or your physical condition. It’s important that you take care of everything, don’t take risks that you don’t need to, and think things through before doing them.
Oranges can be used as a food source and a way to repel mosquitoes while you camp. Don’t throw away the peels when you are finished with them and rub them on yourself. Apply to any skin that’s exposed to keep insects away with no chemicals. It’s a lot cheaper than spending your money on bug spray!
Make sure you have charged flashlights for the trip. It can be really easy to inadvertently press the “on” switch on your flashlight when jostling through a bag of camping equipment. Keep the batteries for the flashlight in backwards. This will allow you to keep them stored without accidentally turning them on and wasting the batteries.
If you bring along a canine companion on your trip, keep your pet leashed and watch him or her closely. Some people are afraid of dogs. This will maximize the respect that you have for others while camping. Also, because it is a new territory, dogs can get into trouble and cause damage to the site if not supervised.
Pack extra flashlights and extra batteries when you go camping. This will ensure everyone remains safe. Having ample light sources can prevent falls or surprise encounters with local wildlife. When you go camping and your kids come along, it is smart to let them each have their own flashlight.
Anytime you are camping in a location that features hazardous animals, you must take extra care in terms of food storage. So, you will need to keep things wrapped well, keep them far removed from the tent, and you may need to steer clear of certain foods entirely. That will reduce the chance of a critter attack.
Choose an appropriate sleeping bag for the conditions in which you will be camping. When the weather is warm, light sleeping bags work best; heavier sleeping bags are also available for colder weather. If you plan to pitch a tent, make sure your sleeping bag stays snug against your body, as this prevents your body heat from escaping.
The supplies for your next camping excursion should include a couple rolls of duct tape. It has a myriad of uses for campers, just as it does for homeowners. You can use it to repair a hole in an air mattress. It can repair a rip in a sleeping bag, tarp or tent. Tape also does wonders for blisters by offering an additional layer of protection. Injuries can even be bandaged with it.
Keep pictures of your children handy if they are camping with you. Should you lose track of your children at some point during your camping trip, having a picture handy could make a world of difference. A picture should be carried anytime you are away from home, but even more importantly when camping in the woods.
Make sure you have what you might need in case of any event. While it is vital to come up with a plan, sometimes things happen that were not in your plans. The weather is something that can change suddenly, and that can make the environment become more dangerous. Never take unnecessary risks or be careless, and always think before you act.
Be mindful of your camp location choice. You don’t want to overlook something like a snake hole, take a little precaution. If you are near lots of trees and leaves, wear long pants and sleeves so you aren’t upset by insects. You also might want to have bug repellant nearby.
Sleeping Bags Tend
You can have the relaxing camping trip of your dreams, or you can have the disastrous camping trip of your nightmares. The difference between these two comes down to one thing – preparation. If you know how to prepare for everything that may pop up, you’ll be able to better enjoy your trip.
When you are camping, be sure you choose the right sleeping bag for the site conditions. Lightweight sleeping bags tend to work better in warmer weather and heavyweight sleeping bags tend to work better in colder weather. If you are spending the night in a tent in cold weather, a bag that hugs your body and traps your body heat is essential.
Pack your things with care. Prepare a list of supplies, and use this to check off items as they are packed. This is very important if you’re camping in some remote region without quick access to first-aid items or any other emergency supplies.
If you are going on a camping trip, you want to be sure that you have a knife or two on hand. Utility knives are the most diverse tools you can carry, so be sure to carry an additional one just in case it gets lost.
So many people suffer from food poisoning because food is not stored and prepared correctly. If your food isn’t canned, vacuum-sealed or preserved, you can get food poisoning because your food spoils. Pack numerous ice packs to keep perishable foods chilled and do not forget to pull your cooler’s drain plug so that food products do not get soaked.
Don’t forget waterproof matches in a camping survival kit. Keep them in a container that is airtight. You can take ordinary matches and make them waterproof when you dip them into nail polish or paraffin. You can easily find something to hold them, perhaps a film canister or a medication bottle.
As silly as it may seem, be sure to pack toilet paper with you on your camping trip. If you don’t happen to have toilets at your site, your only option will be to go in the woods. Leaves may have poison on them, as you will want to use toilet paper to wipe.
Even if it seems silly, bring toilet paper. If there are no restrooms in your area, you will need to go out in nature. You do not want to use leaves to wipe yourself, as they may contain poison ivy, so take your toilet paper with you.
While camping, do everything you can to be safe and cautious. It is usually best to avoid the wild animals, big and small, that you may encounter. Even the smallest creature can be surprisingly dangerous. It should go without saying, but do not feed any bears if you see them.
What will you do about cooking food while camping? Knowing how you will prepare your food is essential for a smooth camping trip. Cooking over an open fire requires different supplies than cooking on a grill. Know what cooking method you will use so you can be prepared to fix meals over the fire if you so desire.
Be sure to pack plenty of water, drinks and food in the camping supplies. If you’re camping anywhere that has bears, be sure to store any food far from where you’re sleeping. Dispose of any garbage by burning it so the smell does not attract bears to your camp.
Always put safety first during camping. This means you need to avoid large and small wildlife. Squirrels, raccoons and the like can be quite dangerous, even though they are small. Everyone should know, but some are unaware, that you should never feed any bears or other wildlife when camping.
It is important to build your shelter during daylight hours. When the sun is setting, you may not have enough time to finish your shelter before dark. If you are without a tent, it is even more important to create a shelter in the daytime.
Shower Curtain
Bring some activities with you that can be done indoors. Bad weather may show up when you’re out camping. Rain or heavy winds can force you indoors for some time. It can save your trip from being a disaster. Bring lots of activities that will keep you busy inside your tent, RV or cabin.
You don’t have to purchase a tarp to put under your tent; use a cheap or old shower curtain instead. You can also put it underneath a washing or cooking area to control any run-off or spillage. Rather than throwing out your next shower curtain, throw it in the laundry and save it for camping.
Fire safety is very important to know when you go out camping. Know how to make a proper fire pit. Have buckets nearby that are full of water in the event that the fire gets too big. Act fast to get it under control and never leave it burning when you are not at the site.
After reading this article, know there are some things to consider for your next camping trip. While going camping can be nicely simplistic, you need to be aware of a few things that could happen while away. Take this advice with you and enjoy the campy road ahead.
When roaming around the campsite, always carry a map. You could easily make a wrong turn and become lost very quickly. With a map, you can find your way again while it is still light outside.
