Camping is a great activity that allows you to get away. Your trip can be an unmitigated disaster, however, if proper plans are not made. The piece that follows offers great ideas for making your camping experience a great one.
Don’t assume you can find wood at or near your camp site. Bringing your own wood never hurts, especially when things are a little wet and you know a fire will be needed.
Sleeping Bag
When camping, there is a good chance that your items will get dirty. If you prepare yourself for this ahead of time, it won’t stress you out as much when it happens. Enjoy your time in the woods by letting yourself relax and get dirty. You can always clean up, and be “normal” when you return home.
Bring along a sleeping bag appropriate for the season. You are going to roast all night long in a sleeping bag designed for cold weather that you camp with during summer. The reverse is also true. Using a light, cool sleeping bag in the middle of winter will keep you very cold. Extremely cold weather can bring about frostbite.
Dryer lint makes surprisingly good kindling for starting campfires. Collect your dryer lint about a month before you go camping. An easy way to remember to save up your lint is to keep a plastic bag near your dryer as a reminder. This is a good way to have kindling ready when it is time to go.
Let all of your family members have a chance to contribute to picking a campsite. Talk over what your destination state should be. There are so many options around the U.S. that it can actually be difficult to pick one! It may be easier to choose a few front runners and have family members vote.
Take oranges with you as a way to snack in a healthy, convenient way–and as a mosquito repellent that is organic. Rubbing orange peels on your body will function as a perfect insect repellent.
Attend a class in first aid; this is a really good idea if you are camping with children. Should an emergency arise, your knowledge of first aid can prevent further issues until help arrives. Be sure to do thorough research too. Know the types of wild animals that inhabit the woods and gain understanding of any poisonous snakes or plants nearby.
Take along a specialized pillow or two for camping. Regular bed pillows can become damp if the weather is wet or humid. The tend to absorb ambient moisture and grow mildew as well. Pillows made specifically for camping have a protective layer that keeps these things from happening.
Do a “jungle breakfast” if you are bringing kids. Portable foods, such as boxed cereal, juice, and fruit, can be tied to trees. When the children awake, tell them that they have to “hunt” to get breakfast. This makes an interesting diversion for them during the trip.
Try to schedule activities for your children such as board games or card games. 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 probably aren’t used to fishing or campfires. This a great way for them to experience the great outdoors.
When first getting involved with camping, start out close to home. Things may go wrong and you may have to abort your trip early if things don’t go your way. You may run out of supplies early. People that are camping for the first time may have a lot of problems, so being close to home is recommended.
Plan your first camping trip close to home. You may encounter problems with your equipment, or you may decide to come home early. You may come to realize that you should have packed different clothing, or need more food. First-time camping is a learning experience and anything can happen, so find a campground near your home.
Think carefully on your next trip to prevent the drainage of your flashlight batteries. You can easily bump the power button on the flashlight while digging for things in a bag. An easy way to prevent this is to switch your batteries around when the flashlight isn’t being used. This prevents the flashlight from coming on and will ensure it is ready for use when needed.
Take steps to prevent dead flashlight batteries while camping. You don’t want to waste your flashlight battery and not be able to see. To prevent this, load batteries into the flashlight backwards. That way, the flashlight cannot possibly drain the batteries if the ON button is bumped.
Bring along a sleeping bag made for the current weather. Use a lightweight sleeping bag for hot weather and a heavy sleeping bag for cold 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.
Use an orange to help prevent bug bites. Don’t worry if you forgot your bug spray. Rubbing your exposed skin with the inside of the orange peel is something recommended by many camping experts. This can last a few hours and make your trip a more comfortable one.
When camping with children, bring along a picture of each child. If your children get lost during your trip, a picture of them can be very helpful. Keep pictures of your children on you when ever you are far from home.
Bring along a photo of any children that will be camping with you. In the case that a child goes missing, having their photo at hand could be of great use. Be certain you take a picture in case of an emergency, particularly if you are far away from your home.
It is recommended you bring lots of beef jerky and/or trail mix when you go camping. After a long and tiresome day, you may want to eat these nutritious snacks instead of cooking. They stay fresh for a while, so you do not have to worry about them going bad if you do not use them up right away.
It is always a good idea to bring plenty of trail mix and/or beef jerky when you are planning a camping trip. At the end of the day, you might feel too tired to cook so having these nutrient-filled snacks on hand can be very useful. They stay fresh for a while, so you do not have to worry about them going bad if you do not use them up right away.
Cell Phone
Bring along a survival kit and a first-aid kit. These two items can be the deciding factor in whether you have to end a trip early or care for situations as they arise. This can help keep issues from escalating, and let you secure help for an injured camper.
It’s a great idea to go to your main camp when you have a cell phone that you’ve fully charged. If that’s not an option, bring an extra battery. A cell phone is valuable in case of emergency, so verify that it is usable.
Camping can either be an extremely relaxing or an extremely torturous experience. The difference between a good and a bad trip is all affected by how well you prepare. If you are properly prepared for many different situations, then you will be more likely to enjoy your trip.
First aid and survival kits are essential to bring while camping. If you do this, you can easily take care of problems that may occur without having to cut your trip short. This is a great way to avoid a situation getting out of control.
As you leave for home, clean up your space. Be sure to pack large plastic bags for clearing away trash. Take any leftover food with you. The rule of thumb when breaking down a campsite is to only leave footprints behind.
Make sure your shelter is ready before dark. It is very hard to set up a tent when it’s dark. You will need to build a fire or have a sufficient number of flashlights. It is so much easier to set up your shelter before dark.
Food poisoning happens for campers when food is not packed properly. Any food that is not canned, preserved, or vacuum sealed is at risk of spoiling or causing food poisoning. Bring a lot of ice in order to keep perishables fresh. Keep the drain open so your food does not end up in a pool of water.
Master a map and a compass before heading out for your trip. Even if you know what your campsite is like, you may still get lost because a lot of areas look similar around where you are. You can avoid things going wrong if you know how to operate these great lifesaving tools.
Plan to dress in layers. You may find that the weather conditions can change rapidly. It may be chilly one moment and sweltering the next. It can turn chilly again in the evenings. If you wear clothing in layers, you can add more or peel off layers easily as the temperature changes.
If you are tenting, it is important that you seal any of the seams in your tent. You can purchase a tube of tent seam sealer at all good sporting goods stores. Sealing the seams of your tent will prevent any insects or water from getting inside.
If you want to go camping but haven’t ever done that, there is something you can do quickly to get an idea of whether you will like it. Set up your tent in your back yard and sleep there overnight. Stay out of the house. If you enjoy your experience, you might have fun camping!
Camping can be a fun pastime as it offers something for the whole family. However, if you fail to make proper preparations, your camping trip could very easily turn into a complete disaster. The great thing is that if you use the information above fully, you will almost surely have a wonderful time. Most of all, have a great time!
Keep old shower curtains around to use as disposable tarps for under your tent. It can also be placed under cooking and washing stations so you can better handle the mess when those areas are used. Instead of getting rid of an old shower curtain, use it for your next camping trip.