Whether you’re camping in your yard or going to the mountains, being prepared is essential for everyone to enjoy the trip, the stars, and all of nature’s offerings. Read the following tips to learn more about preparing to go camping. The information will be appreciated when you learn that you need it later.
Always find your shelter before it gets dark when you go camping. When night falls, making food, finding wood, and pitching your tent can be very difficult. This is particularly true for anyone accustomed to city living and unfamiliar with pitch dark woods. Avoid this by setting up your shelter ahead of time.
Make sure to find your shelter before it gets dark. Once it gets dark outside, figuring out how to set up a tent, finding wood and making food may become impossible. Some people cannot see very well at night, and this makes setting up camp at night next to impossible. Try to avoid setting up after the sun sets.
Select your sleeping bag with the weather, season and location of your trip in mind. If you bring sub-zero sleeping bags with you in the dead of summer, you will probably sweat all night. Alternatively, taking a light bag in the winter can lead to great discomfort. You could even develop hypothermia or frostbite if it’s very cold.
Sleeping Bag
When choosing a tent, pick one that has plenty of room for you and all of your camping companions. This will ensure comfort while inside the tent.
Make sure that your sleeping bag is right for the season and climate where you are camping. If you’re camping in the heat of summer, a sub-zero bag just isn’t comfortable or appropriate. Conversely, if you bring a light-weight sleeping bag to a winter camping trip, you can be extremely uncomfortable the entire time. In the worst case, you could be putting yourself at risk of getting frostbite or even worse.
A first aid session, especially if you have children, is essential. If an accident occurs, you’ll need to know what you need to better the situation until you can receive medical attention. You should also research the area you plan on camping in. Know if there are any poisonous snakes in the area, what type of wild animals call those woods their home, etc.
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. Bring some wood and store it in an area that is not moist when you camp.
Review your health insurance policy. Some policies will not cover you outside your own state. This is even more of a factor if you travel to another country to go camping, like Canada. Be sure you’re prepared to be on the safe side!
Include the family in the selection of the campsite. This will make everyone feel invested. Since the are so many great options to choose from across the U.S., it might be hard to select only one! Throw out your ideas to see if they stick with members of your family.
The lint from your dryer’s lint filter will help you start a campfire. Several weeks prior to your trip, start gathering up everything that collects in your lint trap. Place the lint you normally throw in the trash in a plastic bag to take with you. As such, you’ll have kindling ready whenever you are.
Prior to leaving on your camping adventure, look at the weather forecast in the location your are going to be camping. There are a number of sites that can provide detailed information regarding what to expect weather-wise during your trip. When you have accurate weather information, the right clothing and equipment can be included in your supplies.
Always have an emergency kit on hand when camping with family, or even staying alone. There are certain things you’ll need to include at certain locations (i.e. a snake bite kit.) However, there some basics you should always have with you. Take into consideration all the possibilities that nature has to offer, and take precautions for them.
Emergency kits are one of the most important things to bring on a camping trip. Your kit’s contents will change depending upon the season and location of your trip, but you should always bring the basics. Species specific antivenom should be packed to protect against animal bites.
Take oranges with you as a way to snack in a healthy, convenient way–and as a mosquito repellent that is organic. Save all the orange peels. Before mosquitoes attack, rub them on exposed skin.
Do not forget to pack duct tape for your camping trip so that it can solve neraly any problem! You can patch holes in tents, shoes and inflatables as well as using it to secure your tent or seal your mosquito netting.
Before the sun goes down, make sure that you have your camp completely set up. Quickly locate a good parking place if you’ve brought along an RV. Pitch your tent on land that is flat and dry. If you do that before it gets dark, you can get a good look at your immediate surroundings. It will also save some time and frustration since you will be able to see better.
Educate yourself about the area that you are camping in, and know what hazards you could encounter. You should know if there are deadly spiders found there, or if sheer cliffs or flash floods occur there. Every campsite can have its own dangers.
Duct tape is important to pack because it can be used for a good bit of things. You can use to help seal leaks and rips and hold together important things that break. It can hold your shoes together if they fall apart, and you can even use it in case of emergencies for a temporary bandage or sling.
If you bring a dog with you to go camping, keep it leashed up and keep an eye on it. Many folks are scared of dogs. You must consider them when you are camping, too. Also, dogs can damage your campsite or another person’s campsite if they’re not watched carefully.
Take along a specialized pillow or two for camping. If you take along a regular bedroom pillow, it can get hot and sticky when it is humid outside. Mildew can grow in it when they absorb the moisture from the air. Camping pillows are covered with a special coating that keeps moisture at bay.
As you’ve read, camping can be something that you all enjoy. By applying the tips here, you can prepare a camping trip that is fun even for those who claim they would not enjoy it. Take the initiative and bask in the glories of the natural world.
If you are camping in uncharted territory, make sure that you understand potential dangers lurking there. You should know if there are deadly spiders found there, or if sheer cliffs or flash floods occur there. Many camping areas pose some dangers.
