A great camping experience is in a league of its own. Nothing can match hanging out in nature, breathing clean air and living using your survival skills. The following article contains helpful tips you can use when you are ready for a great camping trip.
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. If you are going to bring a light bag in the winter, you may end up freezing and having a miserable time. Using a lighter sleeping bag in the winter could actually lead to you developing hypothermia.
Remember that everything you bring will get dirty on your trip. If you are prepared for that before you go, it will cause less stress when it happens. Take this as an opportunity to enjoy the freedom, let your hair down, and get a little dirtier than usual. You can reclaim the normalcy in your life when you arrive back home.
Review your health insurance policy. You may need additional coverage in case you have an accident in a different state. This is especially true if you are traveling out of the country. Semper paratus doesn’t just apply to the military! Be prepared!
A bandanna or a handkerchief can be beneficial to bring on your trip. These can be used for several things, like drying your hands or holding a hot pot. You will find that you can use these in a lot of versatile ways, so bring one along when you’re camping.
Always remember to bring a roll of duct tape with you when you go camping as it can be used for all manner of things. It is good for patching holes in tents, shoes, and inflatables. It is also good for securing tents and sealing up mosquito nets.
Try using dryer lint to help you start your campfire. Several weeks prior to your trip, start gathering up everything that collects in your lint trap. Have a bag next to the dryer so you don’t forget to collect it. This allows you to just get your kindling and leave when you’re ready.
Know what dangers await you at your camping destination. This includes knowing the area’s deadly spiders, what the terrain is like, and whether flash flooding is possible or not. Any place you go has its own unique challenges.
Pack a first aid kit. You want to bring a kit for any situation that might arise during your camping trip. You may want to pack bear repellent or antivenom.
Pack enough of the right kinds of food. Take a decent amount of food that won’t spoil when you go camping. Food poisoning can put a miserable end to an otherwise lovely trip. Prepare all of the food you will take with your properly and find out what sort of precautions you should take.
Don’t forget the duct tape when you pack for a camping trip, to solve just about any dilemma! You can patch holes in your tent, your mattress or your shoes, or secure your tent poles, seal mosquito netting and much, much more.
Make sure you have activities to do while camping. You can entertain yourself and your family by fishing, playing card games or setting up a scavenger hunt. If you brought kids along, you might want to pack a lot of things for entertainment.
Bring along some interesting activities when planning a camping trip with kids. Being in the woods can be boring for them as time goes on. Make sure that they get acquainted with different camping activities such as fishing and pitching the tent. If you don’t normally spend time outside, show them before you go camping.
Make sure to prepare in advance before you engage in a camping trip. Though a sleeping bag is great, extra blankets can also be useful. This is useful for nights where the temperature gets too cold or as extra padding when sleeping on hard ground.
Bring sufficient amounts of the right kinds of foods. Depending on the length of time of your outing, you need to have plenty of non-perishable food. Just a little food poisoning can turn a camping trip upside down. Use proper food preparation techniques and make sure you are well-read regarding the precautions you should take.
Stand ready for all possibilities when you camp. Remember that things don’t always go the way you expect them to. Also, be aware that the weather can be very unpredictable. You mustn’t take any reckless risks, be careless, and you need to think before acting.

Take a few things with you to entertain yourself while you’re camping. Playing cards, board games and fishing poles can make for lots of fun. If you are taking children camping, you might want to bring more activities than you think you are going to need.
Start setting up camp well before dark. When it is daytime, it is a much easier setting for pitching a tent. You will need a flashlight or you’ll have to build a fire. Doing it during sunlight hours makes it easier and more prepared for the dark.
Orange peels may protect you from mosquitoes. Don’t worry if you forgot mosquito repellant. Experts say to rub your exposed body parts with a inside layer of a ripe orange peel. This should effectively repel mosquitoes for hours.
Make sure that you never go camping without duct tape. Tents may be durable, but eventually they can rip. A piece of duct tape is sure to fix any damage on your tent and can ensure a safe, dry night in the woods.
If you are going on a camping trip, you want to be sure that you have a knife or two on hand. An utility knife is the most versatile tool you’ll have as a camper, and bring another one if you should lose the other.
Matches that are waterproof are a key component of any survival kit. Store them inside an airtight container. You can make regular matches waterproof by dipping them into either paraffin or nail polish. Make a match holder out of a plastic medicine bottle or a 35mm film container.
Always bring both a first-aid kit as well as a survival kit. Without such kits, you may have to end your camping trip early if an unfortunate incident occurs. This is a great way to avoid a situation getting out of control.
When setting up a tent, ensure that the seams are all sealed. You can purchase sealant at shops that sell sporting goods, but some tents come with a tube. By doing this, you will prevent wayward animals or rain from making it inside.
Duct Tape
It might silly, but remember to take toilet paper along when you go camping. If your campsite lacks toilet facilities, you will need to use the woods. Without toilet paper, your only option is to use a few leaves to wipe. This is not pleasant and might even contain poison ivy or poison oak.
Duct tape is handy to bring along on your camping trip. Although modern tents are more durable than older ones, you still may tear your tent. The right strip of duct tape can mean sleeping dry at night after your tent has suffered damage during a day that was more exciting that you wanted.
Are you wondering how you will cook while you are camping? Think about the meals you want to make before you head out, and plan your trip around that. Cooking over a fire sounds romantic but may not be practical, especially if you don’t have the right equipment.
Learn how to read a map or use a compass ahead of time. Even if you’ve been to your campsite before, getting lost one time can still happen since many areas will looks the same. You will be able to avoid possible tragedy when you learn how to use both of these life saving items.
Dressing in layers helps when you are camping. Outdoor weather can change without much warning. Your day may start out with a chill and then warm up to a hot humid afternoon. The night can again turn back to cold. You’ll need to be sure your clothes are layered so it’s easy to adjust what you’re wearing throughout your day.
The bottom line is that camping really can offer unsurpassed enjoyment. You will never forget the beauty, the fragrances and the natural sounds you experience while camping. Using the tips from this article, you can be on your way to a nice, relaxing camping trip at the destination of your choice.
Plan a variety of activities for your camping trip to keep it exciting the entire time. Campfire songs and roasting marshmallows aren’t the only fun things to do while camping. Use your imagination to come up with ideas that each family member will enjoy. You should plan activities that both the older campers and younger campers alike will enjoy.
