Are you ready to go camping? Don’t let your fears prevent you from having fun. You just need some confidence in yourself along with some useful knowledge. You are at the right place for that. In the article below, you will find the information you need to plan properly for your camping trip.
Always find your shelter before it gets dark when you go camping. Once things go dark, you will find it very hard to erect a tent, locate wood and cook a meal. Someone who isn’t very familiar with the outdoors can come to harm by placing their tent in an unsafe area due to being unable to see. To ensure you get your campsite operational arrive several hours before sunset.
Choose a tent large enough for everyone that will be expected to use it. This will give you the room necessary for a comfortable camping trip.
Take along a survival kit and carry it at all times. In addition to your first aid kit, you need waterproof matches, a flare gun, water-purifying tablets and a knife. Your survival kit can be the difference between you making it out of the woods on a stretcher or your own two feet. Be sure to bring it with you whenever you leave your campsite.
Check weather reports in the area you plan to camp in. Some websites will tell you what the weather is usually like during the time you’ll be going. Having a good idea of what the weather will be like will ensure that you pack accordingly for your trip.
When camping with children, create special themed breakfasts. Tie fruit, juice boxes, and small boxes of cereal to trees. When they wake up, they’ll have to search the “jungle” for breakfast. It adds some fun to camping.
Check the terms of your health insurance before leaving. If you go camping out of state, you may need to have coverage where you go. If you are going to a foreign country, this is especially critical. Better to be prepared and safe than sorry later.
Combine your camping trip with some swimming. A hot shower can be sorely missed. Swimming can help you feel a little cleaner.
During a camping trip, try to go swimming at some point. You are probably going to miss the shower you have at home while camping. The cool water helps you to feel fresher, and you may just miss your shower a bit less.
Take along a bandanna or a small towel. In a pinch, that single piece of fabric can serve as a potholder, carrying bag, blotter, hand towel and paper towel. It has a multitude of uses and should be an essential part of your camping gear.
Your camp should be set up before the sun goes down. Find a safe place to park if you’re in an RV. If your camping with a tent, make sure to find a dry area that is also flat so you can pitch your tent with ease. Doing this when you still have daylight lets you get familiar with the area. This can help to reduce the stress that you have during your trip.
Keep a kerchief or bandanna close at hand. These things can help you out of a bind and assist you in doing a variety of things. Make this multi-use item a standard addition to your camping supplies.
Duct tape is a must-have when you go camping as it can be used for a variety of things. It can fix so many different things, holes, leaks and just about anything else that arises.
Camping Pillows
You can easily start a campfire with lint from the dryer. Start collecting lint from the filter in your tumble dryer several weeks before your camping adventure. Keep a plastic bag right next to the dryer and put the lint in there. When you are ready to leave on your trip, just pack your bag of lint for kindling.
Buy special camping pillows instead of using your standard ones. Regular bed pillows will feel hot and sticky during humid weather. The will also pull moisture from the air and mildew will form quickly. Camping pillows do not have these problems.
Research the area you are planning to camp in and familiarize yourself with its particular dangers. Figure out if there are any poisonous insects, what the land looks like and how the weather will be. Every camping area has different dangers that you should be aware of.
Duct tape is a valuable item to carry for many different situations. You can patch holes in your tent, your mattress or your shoes, or secure your tent poles, seal mosquito netting and much, much more.
Camping is a very kid-friendly activity, but you should keep kids busy by planning activities. If you are just sitting in the woods, they will end up bored. Children may not be familiar with activities like pitching a tent or fishing. Teach them the basics of these activities before leaving for your trip, especially if they don’t have lots of outdoor experience.
Food is one of the most important items to bring while camping. Take a decent amount of food that won’t spoil when you go camping. Food poisoning will put a damper on your trip and force you to end it quickly. Therefore, it is imperative to maintain the highest level of preparation with your food.
Buy yourself some camping pillows for your trip. The typical pillows will become sticky in hot and humid climates. The will also pull moisture from the air and mildew will form quickly. A good pillow intended for camping, however, will keep the moisture out, which will prevent any of the above problems.
It is important to take even greater care storing food if you are planning to travel to an area with active and dangerous wildlife. This means you must warp things up tightly, keep them away from the tent, and avoid some food types while camping. Doing so will lessen your chances for an attack.
Take some preventative steps in order to avoid inadvertently draining the batteries in your flashlights during your next camping adventure. Your flashlight’s power switch can be easily turned on by mistake while you search through your bag. To ensure that this does not happen to you, you can put the batteries in facing the wrong direction until you reach your destination. It will keep the power from draining from the batteries and have them easily installed when you need it.
Always understand what dangers are associated with a new place. This includes things like which spiders are deadly, whether or not there are sheer drops, and if flash floods are common. Each camp is individual, so scope out the one you are planning to enter before every trip.
Now that you are armed with the information above, camping should be something you view with great anticipation. Regardless of whether or not you are just pitching a tent in your backyard or camping far far away, be mindful of all that you have learned here. You are sure to want to repeat your camping experience.