Many people have a negative idea of camping that involves being bored, having little food and getting bitten by bugs. It doesn’t need to be like that. By planning a bit in advance, your camping trip can be bug-free and deliciously enjoyable. Keep reading for some great ideas to make your trip a pleasurable one.
If you have bought a brand new tent in preparation for your camping trip, set it up at home first before you use it for camping. This will allow you to get the experience needed for erecting your tent. This also makes setting up your tent at the campsite a much smoother process.
Remember, wet wood won’t burn right, so nature may not always provide the wood you need. Bringing your own small supply of wood and keeping it dry is a wise decision.
Build yourself a survival kit; keep it with you anywhere you go while camping. Your survival kit needs to have water-purifying tablets, a type of survival knife, a first-aid kit, a flare gun, and waterproof matches. This kit can save your life if you get into a dangerous situation. Keep it with you at all times when you leave your campsite for any reason.
Keep in mind that everything and everyone that goes camping is going to get quite dirty. If you’re prepared beforehand, it won’t stress you out when it occurs. Take this as an opportunity to enjoy the freedom, let your hair down, and get a little dirtier than usual. You can always take a bath back at the house.
Be certain that your tent has enough space for both yourself and whoever else comes with you. That makes it easier for everyone to have a comfy time while they’re asleep and moving around when they have to get up in the dead of night.
Let those you are camping with help pick the site. Discuss which state you wish to visit. The United States offers so many choices that choosing one can be hard! If it makes things simpler, list your personal preferences and then have the family choose from them.
The way you prepare will determine whether your camping trip will be fun or if it will be dangerous. When you are prepared, you avoid many of the common mistakes that are made on camping trips. Especially if you are camping in a new location, take the time to research the wildlife, plants, geography, and climate of the area.
Check the weather updates for the camping site that you choose to go to. There are numerous websites that can provide you with this information. Armed with the proper facts, you will know that to expect and what to pack.
Combine your camping trip with some swimming. Showering is one of the comforts of home you will have to do without while camping. The water helps you feel refreshed and a bit cleaner so that you don’t miss showering quite as much.
Dryer Lint
A bandanna or a handkerchief can be beneficial to bring on your trip. These things can help you out of a bind and assist you in doing a variety of things. Take a few with you anytime you go camping.
Dryer lint makes wonderful kindling to start your campfires with. In order to have enough lint to start a fire, begin collecting it a month prior to your trip. Keep a simple plastic or ziplock bag near your dryer to make collecting easier. Just grab your bag of dryer lint and go on camping day.
Duct tape is the cure-all for many mishaps in camping. It is good for patching holes in tents, shoes, and inflatables. It is also good for securing tents and sealing up mosquito nets.
Even if you’re roughing it, you can better your camping experience by bring a small luxury. Try bringing something portable and lightweight, like a candy bar or some cream for your coffee. These items can make your trip as pleasurable as possible.
Children love camping, but be sure that you provide them with activities. If you’re out in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do, boredom will set in. They may not know how to fish or pitch tents. Expose them to these activities prior to embarking on your trip.
Camp needs to be set up before night begins. If you are in a vehicle, this means find a secure spot to park the vehicle. Locate a flat area of dry ground if you plan to pitch a tent. This should be done before nightfall as is it much more difficult to navigate when it is dark. You will have an easier time seeing the task a hand, preventing frustration from setting in.
Make sure you have activities to do while camping. Pack such things as cards, fishing poles or even plan for a scavenger hunt. This is especially important if children are going to be camping.
Bring sufficient amounts of the right kinds of foods. If you are going to be camping for a considerable duration, you need to ensure that you have food than will not go bad. Just a little food poisoning can turn a camping trip upside down. Take all precautions to make sure your food is packed and prepared properly.
It’s imperative that you take along the things you need when you’re going camping. If you forget a few things, your trip may just get ruined. Make sure to write a list down and cross things off as they are packed. Some useful items are items to create a fire, your tent, tarp, a sleeping bag, water (and lots of it), soap, food that is already prepared, and a utility knife.
The whole point behind camping is to be one with nature, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared for it. Packing a sleeping bag is pretty obvious, but take the extra precaution of including extra blankets too. If the temperature drops at night, you can use the blankets for warmth, or as padding, too.
Pack extra flashlights and plenty of batteries for your camping trip. There will be times when you will need to see clearly after the sun goes down. You can use light to make sure you’re not going to fall over due to the terrain, or run into a wild animal. If you have kids with you on your camping trip, hand each of them a flashlight.
Think carefully on your next trip to prevent the drainage of your flashlight batteries. It’s possible to accidentally hit the “on” button on your flashlight. Keep your flashlight in a secure place to avoid accidentally turning them on. Doing this will prevent batteries from being wasted so that you can be confident they will be ready when the time comes to use them.
When camping with kids, have a photo of them at hand. This can help you locate your children quickly if they are lost during the trip. Be certain you take a picture in case of an emergency, particularly if you are far away from your home.
Keep one eye on your children at all times. There is quite a bit of traffic at campsites, and young kids can wander around in the woods, often getting lost. It takes just a second and something can happen; therefore be certain you always give kids the proper supervision.
Keep an eye out on your camping area. Try to steer clear of wasp nests or other pest havens. If you are by plants or flowers, bring pants to block insects. Don’t forget to bring along the bug spray.
Cell Phone
Duct tape is a great fix-all for camping trips. Tents can be quite durable, but they aren’t invincible. If you have duct tape, you can fix tears and sleep safely and dryly even if your tent suffers damage during an unexpectedly exciting day.
It makes sense to keep a totally charged cell phone on hand. You should also seriously consider bringing a spare battery for your cell phone in case the main battery dies. A cell phone is a great emergency device; make certain it will keep working.
Figure out how to use a compass and read a map in advance. Although you may be familiar with the area where you are camping, you can still get lost when you arrive because many areas can look similar. Your skill using a compass and a map can be a lifesaver one day.
Always bring a survival kit and a full first aid kit with you. This will help you take care of anything that happens so you do not need to cut your trip short. This can help keep issues from escalating, and let you secure help for an injured camper.
Make sure that you take into consideration all safety precautions while camping. That means to steer clear of large wildlife, and even some of the smaller creatures. You may be surprised at just how dangerous little critters can be. It should go without saying, but do not feed any bears if you see them.
One simple tip that many people overlook is creating your shelter before dark. It is extremely difficult to pitch a tent whenever it is dark. A flashlight or a fire will be essential. It is much simpler to set up your campsite before sunset.
One essential supply to take camping is a solid first aid kit. This kit should include items that are necessary in the event of an accident. Pain killers, bandages, snake bite supplies, and gauze should all be included in the kit. Accidents will happen on every trip, so it is important to take precautions in advance.
As you can see, camping can actually be a lot of fun. Plan your next adventure in the great outdoors with the help of these tips. They will help you avoid the negatives and enjoy all of the positives that camping has to offer.
On camping trips of longer duration, bring some entertaining activities along. Books, board games, a guitar or some music are all great options to bring along.