Many people think that camping means insect bites, food rations and sitting around with nothing to do. That is not way it has to be. You can enjoy yourself, have great meals, and avoid insects if you do a little planning. Read this article to ensure your trip goes smoothly.
It’s imperative that you pitch your tent before the sun goes down. It can be hard to set up camp when it’s dark outside. This is particularly true for those city-dwellers that are not used to pitch-black darkness. Don’t let this happen to you. Look for adequate shelter before it gets this dark.
Keep in mind that you, your family, and everything you take with you is probably going to be dirty. If you’re ready for this, it will bother you less when it happens. Just have fun. Relax, and enjoy your time in the great outdoors. You can go back to normal when you go home.
Don’t worry about over-packing for your kids. Camping can be a sloppy time. Kids are always attracted to dirt. This means you should prepare to have dirty children. While there is nothing you can do about that, you can have some extra clothing just in case. It’s best to be prepared.
Make sure your survival kit is available on a constant basis. You should have a bandanna (to use as a sling or tourniquet), wound coverings, something to use for sprains, matches, a knife, tablets to purify water and a compass in your kit. If you are injured or lose your way, this will give you a greater chance of survival. If you don’t take it with you on excursions it will serve you no good.
When camping with children, create special themed breakfasts. Take juice boxes, mini cereal boxes and fruit and tie the food to trees. Let younger children wake up and hunt for their breakfast. It adds some fun to camping.
Preparation is key to enjoying your camping trip. Be sure you don’t go camping until you are fully prepared with all the supplies you need. If you are camping in a new location, research the local wildlife, geography and the climate before leaving home.
Always have an emergency kit on hand when camping with family, or even staying alone. Though your location can contribute to necessities in the kit, the basics will remain the same. Don’t forget to pack the extra for your location, too, such as antivenom for snake bites.
Make your kids a “jungle breakfast”. Tie fruit, juice boxes, and small boxes of cereal to trees. The kids can go on a treasure hunt for their breakfast when they wake up. This activity adds a bit more fun to camping.
If you are going to tough it out, you can still bring along a little bit of luxury item to add comfort to your camping trip. Bring along something lightweight and easy to carry, like a little bit of cream for your coffee or a candy bar. These small luxuries can really brighten your spirits!
Try to fit swimming into your schedule in some way. Many people miss a nice warm shower while camping. By taking a dip in a pool, lake or river, you will have fun and feel clean and refreshed at the same time!
Inform your children of possible dangers before taking them camping. Show them pictures of plants that are poisonous so they know not to touch them.
You can use dryer lint as a kindling to start a campfire with. Collect some lint from your clothes dryer to bring with you. Have a bag next to the dryer so you don’t forget to collect it. Using this for your kindling will save you time looking for it, and it will work even better than any kindling that you do find.
Make sure you have everything you need for a camping trip. Even just a handful of things missing can really affect your camping experience. Creating a checklist of all the things you need can help you. Good items to bring include a sleeping bag, water, food, hygiene supplies and things that can help you get a fire started.
It’s not totally necessary to rough it during your entire trip. You can bring along something comforting from home for your trip. Make it something easy to transport like your favorite coffee sweetener or candy. Just one small thing can feel luxurious if you start to miss the comforts of home.
Be sure that you have a good amount of lighting devices with you, as well as means of keeping them running. It is important to see clearly at night, especially if you are venturing away from your site. Having the ability to light up an area well can prevent injuries and potentially dangerous encounters with wildlife. When camping with children, give each child a flashlight.
Camping Trip
Camping can be one of the most relaxing weekends of your life, or it can quickly turn into the trip from hell. How you prepare for your camping trip will make or break your weekend. You will probably enjoy your trip more if you’re prepared for all sorts of situations that may arise.
Bring everything that you will need before starting out on your camping trip. You certainly don’t want to forget something important like your sleeping bag or tent. Make a comprehensive checklist of all of the items you will need on your camping trip and double check items in your bags and car against the list to ensure that you do not forget anything.
People will often forget to build their shelter before sunset. Pitching a tent can be difficult enough in the daylight, let alone in the dark of night. You will need to make a fire or have flashlight to do this. The process is far easier during daylight hours, and you will be relieved to be finished before darkness hits.
Children love camping, but be sure that you provide them with activities. Many of today’s children are not used to downtime away from the hustle and bustle of city life, and the quiet outdoors can cause boredom for them. They may not have any experience with things such as fishing or setting up a tent. Take the time to teach them these skills before the trip, especially if they don’t spend a great deal of time outdoors.
If you are tenting, it is important that you seal any of the seams in your tent. You can buy a tube at most sporting goods stores if your tent did not come with any. This will keep any critters and/or rainwater from getting inside your tent.
Pack plenty of food and make sure it’s the right type. Depending upon how long your trip will last, you should have plenty of food that won’t spoil over the course of your trip. Food poisoning can put a miserable end to an otherwise lovely trip. Always prepare food the right way and take extra precautions.
Clean your campsite at the end of your stay. You should have trash bags on hand for this purpose. Look around for any excess food, don’t leave it behind. A good rule of thumb is to only leave your footprints behind.
By now you can see that camping can be quite entertaining. Apply what you’ve learned here to your next camping trip. It will help your experience to be a positive one.
When choosing a sleeping bag, make sure that you pick one that is meant for the season and climate in which you plan to camp. For example, if you are going camping during the summer months, you will probably want a lightweight sleeping bag, so that your body does not overheat during the night. However, if it is winter, a thicker sleeping bag will be needed so you won’t freeze during the night.