Is there a camping trip in your future? Are you prepared for even the most simple aspects of camping? While most things that come with camping are pretty basic, it’s always important to take a moment ahead of time to brief yourself. Keep reading to learn some great advice.
While you may count on Mother Nature to have plenty of wood to stoke your campfire, you may encounter only wet wood that won’t burn. It’s a great idea to carry your own wood with you and to keep it secure in a dry area.
When you’re camping, always look for shelter prior to dark. Once blackness falls out there in the woods, it can be extremely difficult to pitch a tent, find good firewood and prepare food. This is even more true if you’re accustomed to city life, and your eyes haven’t adjusted to the darkness of the woods. Don’t let this happen to you, and have a shelter set up before dark.
Over-packing is better than under-packing when it comes to children. Camping can be dirty! Kids love to play in dirt. Children will get dirtier as the day goes on. While you can’t do much to prevent that, you can at least provide clean clothing, so long as you brought extra. Keep yourself ready at all times.
Sleeping Bag
If you’re camping with kids, try a “jungle breakfast”. You can tie small food and drink boxes into the trees. When your kids get up, have them hunt down their breakfast. It adds some fun to camping.
Buy a sleeping bag which will suit the weather you will be in. Don’t take a heavy sleeping bag out in the summer, it could make you sweat and be uncomfortable all night long. The opposite is true as well, a summer bag won’t keep you warm in the winter. You may even get hypothermia.
Oranges will not only fill you up, but they’ll keep mosquitoes away. Once you finish your orange, save the peel. Rub it easily on all your exposed skin for a chemical-free bug repellent.
You might think you can find enough wood for your fire in the woods, but the wood you find might be wet and not want to burn. Bringing some extra wood in a watertight wrapping is a smart idea for camping success.
It’s imperative that you locate a safe place to camp and pitch your tent before the sun goes down. If you driving an RV, you should locate a safe parking spot. Find a flat, dry piece of ground if you’re pitching a tent. Choosing a site before night falls gives you an opportunity to get used to your surroundings. By setting up camp during the daylight, you can avoid the frustration associated with setting up camp.
Choose a tent large enough for everyone that is going to sleep in it. This will allow you to sleep more comfortably and get up easier during the night when you need to use the bathroom.
Always become familiar with the potential dangers of a campsite before you enter it. Figure out if there are any poisonous insects, what the land looks like and how the weather will be. There are natural hazards associated with every camping area.
First aid classes are important to take when you are planning a camping trip with friends or family. Accidents happen, and taking the right precautions will ensure you know how to better a poor situation. Be sure to do some research as well. Knowing about the native species in your camp area, such as snakes or other dangerous animals, is essential.
Plan your first camping trip close to home. You could run into problems with your gear, or you may decide you simply don’t like camping that much. You may come to realize that you should have packed different clothing, or need more food. All sorts of things can happy the first time you go camping. It’s better for mishaps to occur close to home.
Prior to heading out, be sure you are aware of the forecast for your destination. This can give you an idea of what you will be experiencing on your trip. When you know what the weather will be like, you can bring the proper gear and clothes.
Duct tape is a handy tool that will prove useful on any camping trip. This item has many uses and can help you save a lot of time and money. You could seal an air leak in your mattress. You can close up rips and tears, and bundle things together. Putting some on your feet before hiking can prevent blisters. It may also be used as emergency bandaging.
If you’re camping with kids, try a “jungle breakfast”. Use serving sized boxes of cereal, pieces of fruit and juice boxes and tie them to trees near your campsite. Let younger children wake up and hunt for their breakfast. It adds some fun to camping.
It is important to be prepared while camping. A sleeping bag is a must, and extra blankets should also be considered. They can be used as padding or for warmth.
Inform your children of possible dangers before taking them camping. The information contains pictures of poisonous plants that they can use as a guide of what to avoid.
Create a list of items you need for your camping trip. This is especially crucial if the campgrounds are in a remote location. Get all your things together a few days before your trip and mark them off on your list.
If you are camping in a location with dangerous wildlife, take safety precautions with your food. Keep all food items wrapped tightly and securely away from your tent. Some kinds of foods should be avoided altogether. Doing so is going to decrease the likeliness of a random attack.
Pay attention to the surrounding area of your campsite. Always avoid camping near a bee’s nest or insect breeding grounds. Make sure that everyone wears long sleeved clothing if you camp near abundant vegetation, to minimize poison and insect issues. You might also want to carry bug repellent too.
The whole point behind camping is to be one with nature, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared for it. Blankets are essential, in addition to a sleeping bag, to maximize comfort. If the temperature drops at night, you can use the blankets for warmth, or as padding, too.
Always make sure that you have a sharp knife with you when you go camping. Utility knives are the most diverse tools you can carry, so be sure to carry an additional one just in case it gets lost.
Bring along a photo of any children that will be camping with you. In the unfortunate event of an accident, this will help you have some form of identification for seeking assistance. You should bring another photo to keep in case of emergencies.
First aid and survival kits are essential to bring while camping. These are things that can make a big difference when things go wrong so you don’t have to abort your trip early. Being prepared also keeps minor emergencies from becoming major emergencies.
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. As an added benefit these snacks have a long shelf life, so if you do not eat them while camping you can enjoy them for months to come.
Pack strategically. Write down everything you will need, and cross them off as they are packed. A checklist is especially crucial if your campsite is located remotely, making it less likely that you will have access to first-aid items or other emergency supplies.
It is important that you have first aid and survival kits on hand when you go camping. These kits can assure you have everything you need in any unexpected situation. You can also prevent serious situations from becoming dire, and allow you to get an injured person to help safely.
Figure out how to use a compass and read a map in advance. Even if you’ve already been to your future campsite, getting lost once there is still a possibility since many areas of the site will look the same. This skill can potentially save your life.
Bring waterproof matches to make sure you can start a fire while camping. Use airtight container to hold the matches. Regular matches can be dipped in nail polish or paraffin to make them waterproof. You can store these matches in something like a medicine bottle or empty film container.
Bring waterproof matches as part of your survival kit. The container should be airtight. You can take ordinary matches and make them waterproof when you dip them into nail polish or paraffin. You can store them in a prescription bottle or film canister.
Seal all your tent’s seams. If tent sealer was not provided with the tent, you can purchase some at a sporting goods store. By doing this, you will prevent wayward animals or rain from making it inside.
Keep safety at the front of your mind. This means you should give wide berth to large woodland critters, and even some small ones. That cute little squirrel may not be the friendly cute companion that it seems to be. And, unless you’re in Jellystone Park, don’t feed any bears!
Now that you have read this article, you should understand that are some things you need to think about for your camping trip. Camping represents a no-frills vacation, and it is important to be ready for the unexpected to occur. Utilize the information you have learned in this article to ensure a fun, safe camping trip.
If you are thinking about going camping for the first time, you may want to try it out the easy way first. Pitch your tent right up in the sanctuary of your very own backyard, and sleep there for the entire night. Forbid yourself from entering the house. If you like this, you’ll like camping!
