Camping is great. What a great adventure in nature that is an excellent choice for a vacation with your family or by yourself. It can be thrilling, awe inspiring and even relaxing if you do it right. To make sure that you have a wonderful time, follow the advice and suggestions below.
If you have bought a brand new tent in preparation for your camping trip, set it up at home first before you use it for camping. Doing this will allow to know ahead of time that all parts you need are there, and it will also help you learn the proper setup of your tent ahead of time. This can eliminate the frustration of trying to set up your tent in a hurry.
If you’d like to prevent mosquito bites, but want to avoid using harsh chemicals, use an orange peel instead. Rub the orange peel over exposed areas of the skin, such as the neck, arms, face and legs to naturally repel mosquitoes. Not only will the orange peels feel better on your skin than traditional repelling chemicals, but they will smell better, too!
Pack in excess for your kids when you are going camping. Camping can be very messy. Almost every child will want to play in the dirt or mud, constantly. Therefore, you will need to understand that a clean trip is probably out of the question. Take extra clothing with you for your children. Always prepare!
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.
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.
Even if you’re not going a long distance away on your camping trip, or even if you’re going into familiar territory, always stay in touch with friends, family or neighbors. Tell someone where your trip will be, and how long you’ll be gone. And if you can, check in regularly using a mobile phone.
Unless you are going to be spending a significant amount of time camping, buying expensive sleeping bags is really unnecessary. Even if your old and musty sleeping bag is rated for below freezing temperatures, it is excellent padding for the ground even when it is hot outside and you will feel comfortable sleeping on it.
Camping is hard work, but it’s also very much fun. Once you figure out what you’re doing, the rewards are numerous. You get to experience nature and the outdoors; picnics are always fun, and you get a chance to sleep under the stars. Nothing beats some of the experiences you can have camping.
Make a list of essential items to take on your camping trip before you leave. This can be of particular importance if you are traveling a long distance and will be in more remote locations. Pack your bags at least a day or more ahead of time, and keep a list to check off your items.
If you haven’t camped before, then now is not the time to start being a hermit. Ask an experienced friend to go with you and show you the ropes. As you become more advanced in the hobby you can start to take small and then larger trips alone and get your hermitude on.
One great tip for anyone who is planning a camping trip is to bring along plenty of 550-cord. This cord is extremely useful for many things like staking guy-lines, installing tarp and hanging bear bags. It is always better to bring to much chord than too little and find that you really need it.
Stick with food safety when you camp. Pack it in airtight containers and make sure they are waterproof too. Also, use insulated coolers. Avoid cross-contamination by keeping cooked and raw foods far apart. Using hand sanitizer or soap, keep hands and prep surfaces clean when dealing with food. Make sure cooked foods reach the correct temperature and make sure perishable foods are kept chilled.
When you go camping, dress in layers. There can often be quick and unexpected weather changes in the great outdoors. It may be chilly early in the morning, but then the afternoon can be incredibly hot and humid. Just as quickly, evening can become cold again. By dressing in layers of clothing, you can easily shed layers when the temperature rises and then add layers when the temperature drops.
When you plan a camping trip with your family, take along extra clothing and bedding in case the weather turns cold or rainy. Check the weather forecast of the area you intend to travel to before you plan your trip, and make sure you have a weather radio along so you know of any alerts.
Your tent should be dry and well ventilated. Lack of ventilation can cause condensation to form when you sweat and breathe. The moisture can drip on you, which can be a big problem during the winter. In a tent, you can crack doors, windows or vents to help you avoid buildup of moisture and give yourself a crossbreeze.
An excellent camping trip that absolutely everyone should use is to bring along some cotton balls that are soaked with Vaseline. These little balls make wonderful tinder when starting a fire as they burn for quite some time. Make sure to pack them up in a waterproof container though.
Although camping is one of the all-time favorite vacation activities, without proper planning and packing, it can be a disastrous and even dangerous time for anyone! Hopefully, you have learned some things from this article that you can use the next time you go camping.
