Trying new areas for camping can lead to new experiences, but you will need to be prepared in order to stay safe. The excellent ideas provided here can help to make your camping adventures a great success.
When camping, get your shelter squared away before nightfall. After the night falls, pitching a tent, locating firewood and making food can be difficult. This is particularly true for anyone accustomed to city living and unfamiliar with pitch dark woods. Don’t get into this situation, look for proper shelter before you get to this point.
It is important to establish and set up your shelter before the sun goes down. Once it is dark in the woods, pitching a tent can be next to impossible, finding firewood can be difficult and preparing food hard. That can be especially true for someone who live in the suburbs and is not used to total darkness. Set up camp before dark to keep yourself from getting into this situation.
Make sure your sleeping bag is right for the weather. If you bring a sub-zero sleeping bag to go camping in mid-summer, you might find that you are sweating all night long. If you use a lightweight sleeping bag during the winter, you can spend your night shivering if it’s cold outside. Packing the wrong sleeping supplies is certainly uncomfortable, and it might even become dangerous.
Let everyone of your family members have a say on where to go camping. Talk about which state you would like to go to. The options are plenty, so do your research! If it simplifies things, pick four or five favorites and then give everyone a vote.
Make sure that the tent you take camping has enough space for everyone you are taking along. You should have no problem sleeping and getting through the nights when camping.
Make sure that you get a tent that is big enough for you and whoever else is going to be inside the tent. This will make it easy for you all to have a comfortable time sleeping, and moving around in the middle of the night when nature calls for people.
If you are taking kids camping, have them eat a “jungle breakfast.” Tie fruit, juice boxes, and small boxes of cereal to trees. Make your children “hunt” them in the wild; like a great outdoorsman. This will add some adventure and fun to their day.
Attend a class in first aid; this is a really good idea if you are camping with children. In case of an accident, you will know what to do until medical help arrives. Be sure to do some research as well. Find out if the local snakes are poisonous or if there may be plants or animals that you need to avoid.
Try to fit swimming into your schedule in some way. When you go camping, you can miss out on things like showers. The coolness of the water will help you feel cleaner and more refreshed, so you won’t miss your shower as much as you thought you might!
A bandana or handkerchief can be a great addition to your camping equipment. It can be used as a hand towel, potholder or even a gag in a pinch. It does not take much space in your bag and can save the day in many different situations.
A camping trip provides fun experiences or dangerous experiences. Which you will experience depends on your level of preparation. Always be well prepared prior to leaving on your camping trip. Research the area you are planning on camping at.
Not only are oranges a great snack for camping, but they also serve as a natural mosquito repellant. When you finish eating them, save all of your peels and rub them around your body to use as a natural insect repellent.
If you are a camping amateur, keep your camping adventure near your home. You could run into problems with your gear, or decide to cut the trip short. You may run out of supplies early. There are a lot of different things that can come about and being closer to home will make it a lot easier.
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. This is a bigger factor if you’re traveling to another country for a camping trip, such as Canada. Make sure that you that you are prepared, just in case!
Make sure you pack plenty of camping-friendly food. Take a decent amount of food that won’t spoil when you go camping. Just a little food poisoning can turn a camping trip upside down. Cook and store your food properly during the trip to avoid food poisoning.
If your dog will be joining you on your camping trip, keep him leashed and under constant supervision. Some people fear dogs. It’s important to think of other people when you’re out there camping. Besides that, dogs can also damage equipment and campsites if they aren’t supervised.
If you are going camping with children, eat a “jungle breakfast”. Take little juice boxes, mini cereal boxes, and fruit into the woods and be sure to tie them to a nearby tree. Once the children are awake, tell them they need to forage for their meal. This will add some adventure and fun to their day.
Duct Tape
A handy tool that will make your life easier when camping, is duct tape. Not only is it useful around the home, but it serves many purposes while camping. It can repair an air mattress should it get a hole. It can also be used on your tarp or tent. Duct tape on your feet can be used to prevent blisters on a long hike. It may also be used as emergency bandaging.
Dryer lint can be used as kindling for starting your campfire. Start collecting the lint about a month prior to your trip from the filter in your dryer. An easy way to remember to save up your lint is to keep a plastic bag near your dryer as a reminder. That technique lets you simply grab the kindling you’ll use right before you go on your trip.
It is imperative that you are properly packed for your camping trip. Forgetting one or two key items could result in disaster. Creating a checklist of all the things you need can help you. Your list should include a sleeping bag, tent, tarp, water, food, knife, soap, fire-starting items and more.
To avoid those nasty mosquito bites the next time you go camping, try the peel from an ordinary orange. If everything was packed but you didn’t remember the bug spray, don’t worry! Rub the white, pithy insides of the orange skin over your skin. The scent from the orange peel should last for several hours resulting in a long lasting repellent.
Camping is fun for children, but make sure to plan out some extra activities they will like. Kids can easily get bored if you are in the woods for a long time. Children may not be familiar with activities like pitching a tent or fishing. Take the time to teach them these skills before the trip, especially if they don’t spend a great deal of time outdoors.
Pay attention to the surrounding area of your campsite. You should avoid pitching your tent near breeding areas for insects or nests of wasps, bees and hornets. If you are near lots of trees and leaves, wear long pants and sleeves so you aren’t upset by insects. Insect repellent will also help to keep the insects away.
Always take along a survival and first aid kit when you’re going camping. These two things will make the difference between ending your trip early and taking care of many situations quickly and easily. This is a great way to avoid a situation getting out of control.
Make sure you have activities to do while camping. For instance, card games, fishing poles and footballs will help to ensure that you have a fun time in the woods. If you are going camping with children, you need to make sure that you bring a lot of things to keep them entertained during the trip.
Learn how to use a compass and read a map before your trip. It is still possible to get lost at the camp grounds even though you have already been there, because campsites look similar. Knowing how to use them can save you from a disaster.
A camping trip is much less intimidating when you are properly prepared. Use the tips you’ve just been provided with to have a relaxing and more secure camping trip.
If your intended camping destination is known for its prowling wildlife, take more than enough precautions to secure food. This means you must warp things up tightly, keep them away from the tent, and avoid some food types while camping. This will reduce the chance of an attack.
