Camping is a fun way to forget about your responsibilities. However, if you are not properly prepared, your adventure might turn into one that is anything but fun and exciting. The following advice will help you make sure your camping experience a great one.
Buy a sleeping bag which will suit the weather you will be in. If you bring a sub-zero sleeping bag to go camping in mid-summer, you might find that you are sweating all night long. Alternatively, taking a light bag in the winter can lead to great discomfort. You may even risk hypothermia.
While you may count on Mother Nature to have plenty of wood to stoke your campfire, it could quite possibly be wet wood that doesn’t really want to burn. It’s smart to bring your own wood and keep it where it won’t get wet.
Let everyone help choose the perfect campsite for your family. Talk about where you want to camp. There are various options throughout the United States that it may make it hard to pick only one. It may be easier to choose a few front runners and have family members vote.
Juice Boxes
Bring a survival kit with you and be sure to always have it on you. You should have a bandanna (to use as a sling or tourniquet), wound coverings, something to use for sprains, matches, a knife, tablets to purify water and a compass in your kit. Your survival kit can be the difference between you making it out of the woods on a stretcher or your own two feet. It is important that you carry your survival kit with you at all times.
A jungle breakfest is a great activity for the kids. Take little juice boxes, juice boxes and fruit out into the woods, and tie them to the trees. This adds a fun game for the kids and excitement to any camping experience more interesting.
Be sure that you have a big enough tent for everyone that’s going to need it for shelter at night. This will ensure you are able to comfortably move around without disturbing people you are sharing your tent with.
A bandana or handkerchief can be a great item to bring on your trip. These can be used for several things, towel or even something to carry an item in.
Camping can be very dangerous or fun depending on whether you’re prepared or not. Only go camping once you are fully prepared. Do some research on the climate and wildlife if you are unfamiliar with the area.
Duct tape is a handy tool to carry for many different situations. It works quickly in a pinch for tent holes, tent holes, shoes with worn soles, securing the tent to its pole, securing tent poles, many more things.
A cute way to add fun to meals is to make what is known as a “jungle meal”. Take mini-boxes of cereal, juice boxes and fruit out into the woods, and tie them to the trees. Then when your kids get up, let them search for their food. This is a great alternative way to keep your kids happy while camping.
If a pet accompanies you to the campground, keep your pet leashed and watch him or her closely. There are campers who have a fear of dogs. Respect for other campers is an important when camping.Also, because it is a new territory, or another person’s if they aren’t being watched.
You can go swimming at the same time that you camp! A hot shower can be sorely missed. Spending some time in cool water can help you stay clean and refresh your spirits, so a little swimming can soothe the part of your heart longing for a bath.
Though camping is meant to emphasize minimalism, being prepared is a necessity. While a sleeping bag is obvious, you should bring additional blankets. This will keep you stay warm if it cools down at night and/or you can use them for additional padding.
A hankerchief is a great item to bring on your trip. In a pinch, that single piece of fabric can serve as a potholder, carrying bag, blotter, hand towel and paper towel. You can use them to pick up hot pans, or to clean up a tiny spill; therefore, you should always have one with you.
When you find your site, seek out the softest, softest ground you can find. Choosing a sloped or rocky site will make your stay quite uncomfortable. Always lay down some tarp first to prevent any water from getting into your tent.
Pack the duct tape. Duct tape is good for so many things. You can patch holes in tents, shoes and inflatables as well as using it to secure your tent or seal your mosquito netting.
Make sure you have charged flashlights for your trip. It is all too easy to accidentally switch and turn your flashlight on when you are digging through your bag. Keep your flashlight in backwards.This will allow you need them.
If you bring a dog with you to go camping, keep it leashed up and keep an eye on it. Many people are fearful of pets – especially large dogs. You must always respect the needs of others when camping. Also, because it is a new territory, dogs can get into trouble and cause damage to the site if not supervised.
Write down a list of all the materials you need before embarking on your trip. This will really be handy if the campgrounds are in a remote location.
Take along some things to entertain yourself and your family. For instance, card games, fishing poles and footballs will help to ensure that you have a fun time in the woods. If your camping group includes children, consider bringing extra entertainment options.
Choose an appropriate sleeping bag for your camping conditions. If you are camping in a colder climate, use a heavy-weight bag and use a light-weight one in the summer.You must have a body hugging one as it helps you retain your body heat.
Beef jerky and trail mix are two camping staples you should always bring with you. 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.
Keep an eye on your children at all times. Cars abound at campgrounds, and kids can quickly lose their way in the woods. It takes just a minute for something unexpected to happen.
Be sure to create your shelter before it gets dark. It’s hard and frustrating to set up a tent in the dark. It is possible to do by firelight or by flashlight, but it will more than likely be frustrating and can be downright impossible in areas where there are hazards nearby. It is much simpler to set up your campsite before sunset.
An orange peel may just be the natural answer to repelling mosquitoes when you’re on your camping trip. This is an especially useful tip to remember if you forgot your insect repellant. This can keep mosquitoes away for long periods of time.
Even if it seems silly, bring toilet paper. If there are no restrooms in your camp area, you must go in the woods. Wiping yourself with leaves is an uncomfortable task, especially in areas where poison ivy is common, so toilet paper is a must-have item.
You should leave your car or basecamp with a fully-charged cell phone.You might want to bring an extra batteries in case one runs out. Your phone could be the most important equipment you have in an emergency arise.
Make sure the sleeping bag you choose is the correct one. For instance, if it is summer, you are going to want a lighter bag so that you stay as cool as possible. Conversely, during the winter you need to choose a heavy bag.
A simple and obvious piece of advice is that you should create your shelter before it gets dark. It is really hard to set up a tent when it is dark. You will have to have a flashlight or make a fire. It will obviously be much easier to pitch your campsite before sunset.
Make sure that all food brought along on a camping trip is preserved and prepared properly. Use the correct containers to pack and store food in. Use a cooler that is insulated properly and filled with ice if need be. Keep food contamination low by separating raw and cooked foods. And always wash your hands before touching food. Make sure your food is thoroughly cooked, and keep perishable foods cold.
While it may seem silly, don’t forget to pack the toilet paper when you head out for a camping trip. If there are no toilets at your campsite, toilet paper is imperative to have. Leaves may have poison on them, so don’t forget it.
Make sure you pack some basic first aid supplies into your camping equipment. You need to be able to deal with any accidents that may occur while away. Your personal first aid kit needs to contain pain reliever, bandages, splinting materials, snake bite treatments and wound dressings. Accidents can occur, so safety is utterly important.
Sleeping Bag
Do not forget to bring a lot of sunscreen. Sun protection is vital wherever you are. Be sure the sunscreen gives your skin enough protection. If possible, you may wish to purchase a sunscreen which provides additional protection against biting bugs. It’s not desirable to have a lot of chemicals on your skin as you camp.
Choose an appropriate sleeping bag for the time of year you will be camping. In the summer months, cool bag. When it’s wintertime, you need to have a sleeping bag that will handle sub zero temperatures.
Collect dryer lint for your next camping trip. While this seems silly, lint costs you nothing and makes a great starter for a campfire. When you use lint rather than wood to start a fire, the flame is brighter. Just a spark on the lint will do the trick!
Always follow safety first during camping. This means you need to avoid large and some of the small creatures of the forest. Even small animals in the smallest creature can be dangerous. Obviously, if you see bears, should you encounter one.
Bring plenty of water, food and other drinks in your supplies. If bears are common where you will be camping, keep your food away from your sleeping area. Build a campfire and burn any left over food or garbage, otherwise bears will smell the food and come to your camp.
A used shower curtain can double as a cheap tarp for placement under your tent. You can use it for a washing or cooking area to control any run-off or spillage. Don’t throw that shower curtains; save them for a camping tarp.
When camping near a source of flowing water like a creek or stream, do your “business” downstream. It will help keep the water flowing by your site free of your fluids. Make sure you relieve yourself a minimum of 100 yards from your campsite.
Toilet paper is an important item to bring with you on any camping trip. You could always rough it by using leaves and other natural items, but that is an unnecessary inconvenience as long as you plan in advance.
When you are camping, be extremely diligent about fire safety. Make sure that you know how to safely establish a good fire ring. Keep pails of water on hand in case the fire burns bigger than you had planned. Take quick action to keep things contained, and do not allow a fire to burn unattended.
In conclusion, going camping is typically enjoyable. However, if you do not prepare properly, your trip can turn into a nightmare. Use the advice from this article to make sure you have a smooth camping trip. Last but not least, have fun!
Nature isn’t your home. Don’t leave litter lying around your campsite when you leave. As a golden rule, leave your camping area as clean as if you were never there in the first place. Respect for nature is important to preserve it as long as possible.
