If you love to spend time outdoors, taking in everything that nature has to offer, then give camping a try. The following article has guidelines for what you should be doing and planning for before and during your big trip. If you are prepared, camping is great fun and worth the effort you put into it.
Bring a large trash bag for dirtied laundry, and keep it in a central location, suitable for everyone in your party. Let them pack their clothing individually, as this makes it much easier to find than if you pile it all in a community storage box or bag. Toss in a dryer sheet to any bag you want smelling fresh.
Pick out your sleeping bag according to what season it is. A winter bag for the summer will cause you to sweat all night. On the other hand, light-weight sleeping supplies will never keep you warm enough in the dead of winter. You could even develop hypothermia or frostbite if it’s very cold.
Always take a fully stocked first-aid kit when you venture out on a camping trip. You can put together your own kit with bandages, gauze pads, tweezers, scissors, anti bacteria cream and antiseptic wipes in a sturdy container. You can also buy one of the many excellent ready-made kits to save time.
A survival kit should be packed and carried on you everywhere you go. Things to include in your survival pack are a knife, matches that are waterproof, first aid kit, flares and tablets to purify water. You may find that this kit makes the difference between life and death in an emergency situation. Be sure to carry it on your person and not leave it at your campsite.
A tent needs to be the proper size for all people staying in it. This will ensure you are able to comfortably move around without disturbing people you are sharing your tent with.
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.
Be certain your camp fire is completely out before you leave a campsite. To your eye it may seem like the fire is gone, but stir the ashes with a stick and you may find burning embers. Pour enough water and keep stirring until you see no more embers in the fire pit.
Make sure you observe the campground rules and regulations. One of the biggest concerns is trash and also noisiness within a campsite. People often think that people can’t hear them, but noise travels far in a campsite. It is extremely difficult to have any privacy, especially when people are supposed to be observing quiet hours.
Do not take anything that belongs in nature with you when you leave. Have fun and take pictures, but when you are loading up the car, make sure rocks, pinecones and other objects remain where they are. This is one of the unspoken rules of camping. Everyone should have the same opportunity to enjoy these things.
Some of the best food options to bring camping with you are things that come in cans. While this may not be the tastiest, it is great for two reasons. It is very convenient and easy to prepare, but more importantly; wildlife will be unable to smell the food inside of the cans.
When camping, many people wake up in the morning, only to find out they they have left items out that are now wet. This is because of the morning dew, which can hardly be avoided. If the weather conditions are right, dew is inevitable, so make sure you put things away.
It is a great idea to put your tent together at home before you go out camping. Some tents can seem very complicated, and you do not want to get stuck in the dark without your tent being assembled. If you practice when you are at home, you will already have the experience of setting it up, and it will go smoothly.
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.
Make sure you secure all sources of food at night when you go to sleep. There are many animals that can frequent campgrounds at night and scavenge your food, especially when left open and unattended for hours. You don’t want to wake up to your food scattered everywhere, and you left with a shortage.
Always carry a first-aid kit with you while camping. It should include bandages, antibiotic ointment, wrap bandages for sprains and strains, and peroxide or alcohol for cleaning wounds. Scissors, tweezers and other small tools can be used to remove splinters or ticks. Antacids, over-the-counter pain medicines, and allergy medicines should also be included.
If you are trying to camp on a budget, make sure that you do not skimp when it comes to tents or sleeping bags. It is necessary for you to have top quality versions of these two items. Buying generic food and off-brand clothing would be a better way to save a few bucks.
Before you load up the gear and drive toward your next camping trip, be wise and research different camping locations for the one which best suits your needs. As an example, if you are a greenhorn camper, then you will probably want to choose a site that is near civilization. Nothing is worse than arriving at your dream location and finding out that they have no space available, so be sure to make a reservation.
As you have read from the above article, camping is a great way to spend relaxing time outdoors. By following the tips outlined, you will be ready for most of what nature has to throw at you. Even that sudden downpour won’t dampen your spirits or ruin the special time you had planned so hard for.
