People of any age can enjoy the fun and excitement of camping. The easiest way to ensure that you have a great trip is to read up on the best tips and tricks that experienced campers use when they go. Your day(s) out camping will be all the better if you take the advice from this article.
When it comes to children, don’t hesitate to over-pack. Camping can be a sloppy time. Kids are seriously attracted to the dirt. So, you are likely to be dealing with grimy kids all day long. It is almost impossible to prevent, but luckily, you will not need to worry if you have extra clothes on hand. Remember, always be prepared!
Select a sleeping bag which is right for the season. Bringing a winter bag camping in summer can cause you to roast all night. Alternatively, taking a light bag in the winter can lead to great discomfort. You may even risk hypothermia.
Be sure your tent is big enough. This will ensure you are able to comfortably move around without disturbing people you are sharing your tent with.
You may feel that when you get to your campsite you will have enough wood to make a fire. This is not always the case because green and wet wood will not burn easily. As an added precaution, bring along wood from around your yard or logs from a home store, and keep them where they will stay dry.
A bandanna or handkerchief should be brought along with you. Not only can it keep the hair out of your eyes, it can also be a sack to carry things, a towel to dry your hands or a potholder to grab your coffee pot from the fire. Take a few with you anytime you go camping.
Let all the members of your family have a hand in picking your campsite. Discuss things like the state you would like to see, particular parks that interest you and what type of camping experience you are looking for. There are many different places, so it can be hard to choose. You can select a few places to have the family vote on to make it easier.
No matter if you are going camping alone, or with a huge group, you need to always bring along an emergency kit. Always keep the bare basics with you in the kit, and make sure that you have water purification tablets in it as well. Be sure to do your research and bring along any location-specific items you will need.
Try out your tent before going camping by testing it out at home. This will ensure that your tent is not missing pieces and that you understand how to set up your tent correctly. You will find your frustration level diminishes greatly as well.
Are you a novice at camping, having just bought your tent? Before you go out and start on your trip, practice setting up your tent. Doing this will make you properly prepared when you get to camp. This will help you quickly pitch a tent before darkness falls at your campsite.
Be sure your tent is big enough. With enough room, getting up during the night will not disturb others in the tent, and you can all be comfortable while sleeping.
Find the softest, flattest ground possible to set up your tent. Pitching your tent on bumpy, rocky ground or on a slope won’t make for a very comfortable night’s sleep. Always lay a tarp down first to prevent water from entering or damaging the tent.
If you are camping deep in the woods, take extra care with your food. Take safety precautions, such as wrapping your items in many layers for protection. This can prevent an attack.
Be sure to avoid draining your flashlight’s batteries on your camping trip. You can easily turn on the flashlight while searching through bags and equipment. To prevent this, put flashlight batteries in backwards. You will be able to keep your battery life this way.
The supplies for your next camping excursion should include a couple rolls of duct tape. There are multiple uses to put it to when camping, just like at home. You may need to patch up a punctured air mattress. It be used to seal tears in tarps, tents, and even sleeping bags. If someone’s shoe falls apart while out and about, it can hold shoes together quite nicely. Applied to the foot itself can prevent blisters. You can even use it to hold on a makeshift bandage.
Pack extra flashlights and plenty of batteries for your camping trip. There are going to be moments when you must clearly see certain items when it gets dark. Sufficient light can help you avoid falling or bumping into to animals. If you are bringing children on your trip, it’s a good idea to provide each of them with their own light.
Generally when you camp, you want to live with as little as possible but still be prepared for anything. Bring extra blankets along with your sleeping bag. That helps you if the night gets really cold, and you are able to use them as padding, as well.
Take some time to find the right sleeping bag for the climate conditions at your campsite. Sleeping bags made of lightweight material are optimal for warmer climates. By contrast, you should invest in a heavy sleeping bag if you plan to camp in a cold area. Make sure that your sleeping bag hugs your body. You want to be able to retain body heat.
Write down a list of all the materials you need before you go camping. For trips that take a while to arrive at the destination, this is crucial. Pack several days before you leave, and check things off as you go.
A tasty orange provides a peel that can help repel nasty mosquitoes. Don’t worry if you forgot mosquito repellant. Just rub the inside of the peel over any exposed body parts. The mosquitoes should stay away from you for hours.
Sleeping Bags
Bring along a photo of any children that will be camping with you. While it is a worst case scenario, a child can easily be separated from the rest of the party, and a picture will make it easier to locate them. Be sure to have a photo for an emergency, even more so if you’re camping far away from your home.
Take along a sleeping bag that matches the climate where you’re going. When the weather is warm, light sleeping bags work best; heavier sleeping bags are also available for colder weather. A good sleeping bag will cling to the human body and help it to retain as much body heat as possible.
Make sure to carry a utility knife with you when you are camping. These pieces of equipment are quite versitile and can get you out of a lot of bad situations.
Take some time to think about the appropriate camping clothing ahead of time. Clean clothes are important, as you will not want to feel dirty while out in the wilderness. Also, check the weather so that you can dress accordingly. Closed toe shoes and hiking boots are generally needed for camping.
Have a first aid pack on hand, as well as a well stocked survival kit. These items can help save a life or help keep a harmful situation from going from bad to worse. Carrying these items can help a situation stay safe, rather than turning very harmful or even fatal.
It is important that you have first aid and survival kits on hand when you go camping. These can be useful for any situation and can extend your trip. This allows you to help someone should they become injured.
Though camping can be the best relaxation you can have, things can go south easily. How your camping experience turns out is down to one key factor: preparation. If you are properly prepared for many different situations, then you will be more likely to enjoy your trip.
Pack your things with care. Keep a checklist of the things you need and check them off as you collect and pack them. This is something you should strive to do if you are camping in a secluded spot, away from first-aid or emergency amenities.
Clean out your campsite before you leave to go back home. Pack trash bags to help the clean up efforts go smoothly. Do not leave any left over food behind. The main rule when you’re leaving a campsite is that you should only leave your footprints behind.
A common mistake with newer campers is to set their site up near bathrooms. Although this seems like a logical choice for them, soon they discover otherwise. Bathrooms provide constant light, and people are always going to and from them. So, they may not have the comfort and convenience that they hoped for.
Don’t make the rookie mistake of pitching camp too close to bathroom facilities. Although the location is convenient, there are many downfalls to this location. Bathrooms get a lot of traffic, and they keep the lights on all night. This can lead to difficulty sleeping and other discomforts that you want to avoid.
How are you going to cook when you go camping? It is essential to plan for cooking before you leave, so that you can have the tools on hand to do so successfully. Without the right items, preparing food over the open flame can be difficult.
Plan a variety of activities for your camping trip to keep it exciting the entire time. There is more to camping than roasting marshmallows over a campfire. Try to be creative and do some activities that every family member can have fun with. You should plan activities that both the older campers and younger campers alike will enjoy.
Plan to dress in layers. Outdoor weather can change quickly. It may be very cold in the morning, but the afternoon can be blistering hot. This type of cycle can continue with a cold night. Dressing in layers will allow you to easily change your clothes as the weather changes.
If you are thinking of taking a camping trip, first make sure that you will like it. Set up your tent in your backyard and camp out for a night. Don’t allow yourself to go into the house for anything. If you find that you have fun, there’s a good chance that camping in the mountains or woods will be even more of a blast for you.
Camping is something many people enjoy, young and old. To guarantee a successful camping trip, a foundation of knowledge is necessary. Hopefully the information shared here will help.
Use a shower curtain as a tarp to put underneath your tent. You could also use it as a floor for your washing or cooking area, allowing you to control the run-off. Rather than getting rid of a shower curtain, wash it with your laundry and use it the next time you go camping.
