Individuals across the globe plan camping trips to escape their everyday lives. If you don’t prepare correctly your trip can end up being a disaster. Keep reading to make sure you have a successful camping trip.

A great item to put in your camping backpack when going in the back country is a Ziploc bag filled with dryer lint. There is no better fire starting material than dryer lint. It will hold a spark and get your fire going quickly and efficiently. Dryer lint takes up almost no space in your pack and is very light weight.

Make sure to find your shelter before it gets dark. Once darkness falls, it is very difficult to set up camp. This is particularly the case for city slickers who are unaccustomed to darkness. Avoid these circumstances by finding the right shelter while it is still light.

Pick a sleeping bag which is appropriate for the season. Make sure that your sleeping bags in the summer are not too heavy. The opposite is true as well, as you need a good, heavy sleeping bag when you are going to be enduring very cold conditions. Extremely cold weather can bring about frostbite.

Prior to leaving, take a few minutes to make a checklist of everything that you need. There is nothing worse than getting to a campsite and then finding out that you don’t have what you need to be comfortable. A checklist is a great aid as you are packing. Try to start getting thing’s together several days before you leave so you have plenty of time.

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.

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.

Consider purchasing inexpensive walkie-talkies to take with you on your next camping trip to provide a way to keep in touch with everyone in your party in areas where cell phone reception may not be available. This can be especially important if you are camping with children and need to keep track of their whereabouts.

If you have a young child with you, do the math in advance with respect to how much baby food or formula they will need. Make sure you have supplies for them that will last the entire length of your trip. There are no guarantees that a store near your campsite will have these items or will have the type of items that you want.

Remember, when you are camping you will not have access to many kitchen luxuries. At most, you will have a can opener as well as a basic burner. This means canned foods make a great meal, but even better are things that need very little preparation, like peanut butter sandwiches.

If you are camping outdoors instead of in a travel trailer or RV, it is important to dress in (or carry with you) layers of clothing. While on a camping trip, temperatures can fluctuate widely. The easiest and most effective method to control your body temperature is through adding and removing layers of clothing. Having layers of clothing also protects you from bug bites.

Do not underestimate the power of Duct tape It is an essential tool when you camp, so make sure it is in your box of “essentials.” Duct tape can be used to repair tent poles, patch shoes, fix holes in mosquito netting, as well as many other things. Duct tape is a life saver.

When going on a camping trip, it is vital that you bring several lanterns and/or flashlights, as well as extra batteries with you. You’ll need these items to help you be able to see after dark, which may be necessary at times. Having that extra light source might help to prevent a fall or accident, or even getting lost in the woods. It’s a good idea to bring along one flashlight for each person in your camping party.

A tasty orange provides a peel that can help repel nasty mosquitoes. Don’t worry if you forgot your bug spray. Experts have said that you can just rub inner side of an orange peel on any exposed skin. The mosquitoes should stay away from you for hours.

When you’re finished camping and ready to go home, you should pick up after yourself. Keeping nature clean and preserved can allow future campers to enjoy it too. Before you leave, clean up any messes, you’ve made at your site and try your best to leave nature as you originally found it.

Make sure you always have a source of clean water with you. When camping, you can’t always trust that a natural water source is clean enough to drink from without boiling the water first. So keep a canteen filled with water at your side during any daily adventure. In the evenings, boil any spring water for ten minutes to create clean water reserves for the next day.

Plan what you will do from the time you arrive until you leave to make your trip fun. There is so much more to camping than just roasting marshmallows. Use your imagination to come up with ideas that each family member will enjoy. This is especially true if you are bringing children or older family members along for the trip.

Use a shower curtain as a tarp to put underneath your tent. Additionally, you can use it as a place to cook or wash up. Don’t throw away a shower curtain; use it for your next camping trip.

As stated earlier, camping can be a lot of fun. However, proper preparation is key. Follow the advice in this article to prepare for your next camping adventure. Most importantly, however, remember to have fun!