As far as summer recreation goes, camping can be a truly fun activity for the whole family. Kids will learn to love nature and adults can get a breath of fresh air away from the city life. This article will focus on some wonderful tips that can make your next camping trip a success!
When packing for your camping trip, do not forget chairs and a radio. One of the best parts of camping is sitting around the campfire. You could sit on an old log, but why bother when you can pack chairs and be comfortable. The radio is for entertainment sitting around the fire. An even better idea is to bring your guitar for a sing along.
Find your best place for camping shelter long before nightfall. Once the sky becomes dark, finding a good spot for your tent, necessary firewood and food preparation become near impossible. This is particularly true for those city-dwellers that are not used to pitch-black darkness. Do whatever you can to make sure that you find a safe location for your tent and pitch it before you find yourself in this sticky situation.
Water is critical for your survival when hiking in the backcountry. Carry water purification tablets with you or some sort of water filter that is capable of filtering out bacteria. There are many different kinds available at your local sporting goods store. Whenever you are looking for a water source, make sure the water is flowing; stagnant water can kill you if not treated properly.
Leave no trace of your outing at your campsite, for environmental reasons and as a courtesy to park officials who clean up and the next camping crew. Make sure all trash is picked up, you refill holes you may have dug and of course, that your campfire is completely out!
If you are interested in camping, and you are new to the activity, then you should never start out alone. It can be quite dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing, so it is important to bring along an experienced friend to help you learn the ropes.
When you bring your dog on a camping trip, make certain he has adequate tick protection. Bugs thrive in forests, and many flea treatments do not extend protection to include ticks, so ask your vet before departing if your dog has everything he needs and what you should do for proper tick prevention and removal.
Make sure you are aware of what hospitals are close to your campsite and how to get to them. While you don’t want to think about anything bad happening on your trip, it is a possibility. Certain injuries will necessitate a visit to the doctor, so it is best to know where to go before something happens, and you are in panic mode.
Review your health insurance policy. Sometimes going into a different state means that you will need to have an additional policy. This is a bigger factor if you’re traveling to another country for a camping trip, such as Canada. Be sure that you prepare yourself in case anything happens!
Camping in the wilderness alone is one of the most dangerous things that you can do. It is essential that you always bring at least one friend with you unless you are incredibly knowledgeable about the wilderness. Additionally, bringing several friends with multiple tents is the ideal situation, but this is not always possible.
Just because your tent is labeled waterproof, do not count on it to keep you dry when it rains. Pack a couple extra-large tarps to take along with you. Use one to set on the ground under your tent and keep one dry to use to cover your tent if it looks like it is going to rain hard.
In this modern age, there is no excuse for being in the woods without some form of communication ability. Of course, no one likes to receive phone calls when they are relaxing, so leave your phone off but fully charged, just in case there is an emergency, and you need to contact someone.
It is a good idea to pitch your tent on a piece of land that is level. This will ensure you sleep better, which means you will have more energy for the next day. If you have to sleep on an incline, make sure that your head is tilted uphill.
Charge all of your electronic equipment such as your cell phones and gaming equipment for the children to the max before you go to a camping trip. You want to get the most out of their charge when you do decide to use them, so make sure they are charged.
A great tip for anyone that is going camping is to take plenty of water. In this case, there is absolutely no such thing as too much water. Plan out how much water you will need and then try and at least double the amount just to be on the safe side.
Especially if you live in a hotter climate, you need to make sure you know how to get ice. Ice melts rather fast, and you’re going to need more. Sometimes you can buy ice at the campsite, or sometimes at a store, but there are times when ice isn’t so close to where you’re camping.
Bring along plenty of zip-lock bags on your camping trip, for a great mixing tool with foods as well as great storage. Always make sure the bag is completely sealed, then pop in any foods you need to combine, like chicken and batter or steak with marinade! Zip-lock bags are the best at keeping anything you need water-proofed too.
As you have read, there is plenty of advice that can help you improve the quality of your camping trip. Millions of people go camping each year, may it be in their own back yards or in an exotic location. Use what you have learned from this article in order to ensure a safe and fun camping trip!
