Many people are reluctant to try camping for various reasons. For some, it is the fear of the unknown. For others, the thought of sleeping outdoors is a little scary. If you’ve been hesitant to go camping, fear not. The article below has the tips your need to make your trip a success.
Pack a few shovels if there are children with you on your trip. Kids love nothing better than digging in the dirt, and having the right accessories is crucial. If you have room, bring a bucket too. The children will happily entertain themselves in the dirt while you unpack, set up camp and do everything that you need to do.
When you decide to go camping you want to make sure that you bring a flashlight with some batteries. You want to be able to see in the middle of the night just in case you have to get up and go to the bathroom, or just to move around.
If your canteen is beginning to smell musty, you can give it a good cleaning with baking soda. Place a little bit of water in your canteen, and then add three tablespoons of baking soda. Shake gently, let it sit for sixty minutes, and then rinse with water. Your canteen will be refreshingly clean!
When going camping, try to buy non-perishable items to eat. There are no refrigerators in the wild, so everything you bring has to be kept in good order. You can certainly bring a cooler to put food in, but the cooler will be added bulk on your trip. Therefore, make an effort to bring more non-perishable foods than perishable.
When it is time for you to go to sleep, it is a good idea to put the coolers that you brought along into your vehicle. Bears have become quite savvy these days and have figured out that these coolers usually carry food items and this will attract them to your campsite.
Camping often sounds like a great deal of fun, and it is; however it does require some special preparation. Before going camping for the first time, make sure you have done some research on tents, food and wildlife survival. It can make the difference between a great trip and a dangerous one.
Try combining a swimming experience with your camping experience. Many people miss a nice warm shower while camping. The cool water helps you to feel fresher, and you may just miss your shower a bit less.
Let people know where your group is headed. Just in case anything happens to any of you, you want to know that there are people who know where you are at. This is a good precautionary measure to take if something were to happen to your camping group, because help will be on the way soon.
Bring some plastic totes or canisters with you when you go camping so you can store any food products you have opened. This will keep any critters from swarming around your campsite and it will also keep various wildlife from being attracted to whatever it is you have in there.
Unless you are a wildlife expert, you should never drink water that you haven’t brought to the campsite with you. Water may look crystal clear but actually be home to a host of diseases or bacteria. If you are in an emergency, always choose running water over stagnant water.
Never park your vehicle under a single tree when you are at a campsite. If there is a storm, it will attract lightning. This also means that you should avoid sleeping under any trees that are in a particular area by themselves. Try to be in an area that is free of trees or one that has many.
You should bring food on your camping trips. You should plan out what and how many meals you plan on eating before going on your trip. As far as how much food you should bring, a good rule of thumb is to only carry the amount of food that you need to prepare your meals.
Since the tent is one of the most important parts of your camping trip, be sure the one you get is appropriate. Figure out how many people are coming on the trip so you can get a big enough tent. Also, make sure the tent you get prevents moisture from getting inside.
If you have more than three people camping with you, take along more than one tent. You are going to want to have some privacy at one time or another. The additional tent will make it possible to get some “me” time while at the camp site. It also gives you additional storage to keep animals out of your supplies.
Talk to everyone in your next camping party about the health of their backs. Some might not be able to sleep on hard ground or need more than a standard mat or cushion. Also, portable or foldable stools might be needed around the campfire, as constant standing or sitting on the ground is not good for their spine.
Look into the temperature rating of the sleeping bag you are considering. If you are not going to be camping in cold climates, you do not need one that is rated for the cold temperatures. Finding the sleeping bag that will keep you warm enough without cooking you will make a huge difference in your camping experience.
Bring along many different types of clothing. In nature the weather can alter dramatically quickly. A cold morning can turn into a very hot afternoon. Nighttime can often be much colder than mornings and afternoons. You can adapt to the changing weather over the course of any day when you have multiple layers of clothing.
Now that you’ve reached the end of this article, you surely realize that you, too, can go on the camping trip of your dreams. Heed the advice you’ve just been given, and head out for the great outdoors. When you follow the tips you’ve just read, you can’t help but be a happy camper.
