Many people are drawn to outdoors experiences like iron filings are drawn to a magnet. The best way to maximize any camping excursion is to arm yourself with knowledge of the most useful tips and tricks. If you are willing to put the time and effort into it before you leave on your trip, you will surely benefit a great deal from it later on.
Let everyone of your family members have a say on where to go camping. Have a conversation about where you want to go. There are many different places, so it can be hard to choose. To make your decision easier, pick a few favorites and then vote on the final choice.
Find your shelter before it gets dark. After the night falls, pitching a tent, locating firewood and making food can be difficult. This is very true if you’re used to being in a city where there isn’t any darkness ever. Avoid these circumstances by finding the right shelter while it is still light.
When purchasing a brand new tent, put it together once at home before going on your camping trip. This helps you learn to put up your tent and make sure there aren’t missing pieces. It’s a great way to avoid the frustration of having to set up a tent on site.
Check the weather updates for the camping site that you choose to go to. You may even be able to find a website that gives you a general idea of the normal weather patterns in that area. When you know what the weather is going to be like ahead of time, you can pack the appropriate clothing and equipment.
Make sure to have an idea of the weather before starting your trip. You can find the average weather during a season for almost any location online. This will help you prepare by having the right clothes and equipment.
A ‘jungle breakfast’ can be a great activity for the kids. To do this, tie cereal and juice boxes to trees so that your kids have to hunt for their breakfest. Then when your kids get up, let them search for their food. It adds some fun to camping.
Teach your kids about camping safety before you bring them camping. It is easy to go online together and look at pictures of poison ivy and other hazardous plants so they will know what not to touch as they explore the great outdoors.
Be sure your insurance policy is up-to-date before leaving for your camping trip. Sometimes going into a different state means that you will need to have an additional policy. This can be even more important if you’re leaving to another country when you are camping, such as Canada. Be ready for any eventuality.
Make sure you have charged flashlights for the trip. It is not uncommon to accidentally bump the switch and turn your flashlight on when you are digging around in your bag. To avoid drained batteries, store your flashlights with the batteries backwards. That way, there is no way to turn the flashlight on until you switch the batteries around.
Don’t take your eyes of children while camping. There are cars that pull in and out of campsites, and of course, young children can quickly and easily get lost in the woods. Accidents and mishaps occur in a split second; make certain your children are safely supervised at all times.
If you’ve brought the kids along, feed them a “jungle” breakfast. Use serving sized boxes of cereal, pieces of fruit and juice boxes and tie them to trees near your campsite. Your children can then hunt these foods when they wake up. This is a fun game for the kids and makes their camping experience more interesting.
Orange Peel
The peel of an orange might save you from mosquito bites on your next camping trip. Thus, if you forget the repellant, but remember the oranges, you’re still in luck! Rubbing your exposed skin with the inside of the orange peel is something recommended by many camping experts. The scent from the orange peel should last for several hours resulting in a long lasting repellent.
Look into pillows made specifically for camping. If you bring a standard pillow for the bedroom, they become sticky and hot when the weather is humid. 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.
Pick out your clothing attire ahead of time. Make sure you’ll have clean clothes to wear every day. Pack clothes that will allow you to dress properly for whatever weather is expected in the area where you will be camping. You want to bring durable shoes that are closed toed like hiking boots since they work in many situations.
One great suggestion for any camping trip is to pack a second utility knife. This knife is a must-have for campers, and you should have a spare in case something happens to the first one.
Be certain you have everything you will need before embarking on your adventure. Forgetting your sleeping bag or food is not what you want to happen. Double check the items you want to take and make a check list before you leave to make sure that you bring everything with you.
Cell Phone
Make sure your cell phone is fully charged before leaving your car or campsite. You should also seriously consider bringing a spare battery for your cell phone in case the main battery dies. A cellphone can save your skin in bad situations, but only if it has a battery.
Living off the land is part of camping, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go prepared. Bring extra blankets along with your sleeping bag. This helps to warm you up in case it gets too cold at night. They are also good to use for extra padding.
Camping can be a very nice experience, if you go prepared. But to plan the best camping trip, you should do some research first. If you keep the advice featured in this article in the forefront of your mind, you are only a few steps away from erecting your own tent and enjoying the camping adventure of a lifetime.