There is nothing quite like camping. It is a wonderful pastime that can bring families and friends closer to nature and each other. Camping is a terrific way to commune with nature, though it is important to understand a fair bit about it first. Review the ideas that follow to have the best trip possible.

Those big, colorful plastic storage bins make excellent places to store and organize all of your camping gear. While at home, keep it in a closet or the garage and right before you leave for your camping trip, pop it in the trunk. It should keep everything air-tight, dry and easily accessible.

When you get to your campsite, take your family out on a walk. Particularly, if you have children, everyone will need a chance to stretch their legs after getting out of the car. The hike will be a good chance to get everyone excited about the trip and involved with nature.

Bring a plastic garbage bag and put all of you family’s dirty laundry in it. This keeps the items from mixing in with your clean clothing. It also makes things convenient for you when you return home. You can simply dump out the bag in your washing machine and begin working on it all immediately.

Make sure you plan out your route in advance of your trip. Look to see if there are any special places that you can stop at along the way. It will make the drive much more enjoyable and you may have a lot of fun in the process. Granted, you may need to get to your destination quickly, but if you have time, taking the scenic route is worth it.

A tent needs to be the proper size for all people staying in it. This makes it possible for everyone to sleep comfortably, and it also allows for room to move about and exit the tent if nature calls.

Make a list of things you need to take with you before you go camping. You may think you are great at packing, but little else is worse than being out in the middle of the woods and realizing you forgot your allergy medication. Sit down and create a comprehensive list of everything you might need during the week before your camping trip.

Try to camp near water, where you can also enjoy swimming. While camping, you might really miss the luxury of showering. Swimming can help you feel a little cleaner.

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.

If this your first time going on a camping trip? Before going on the trip, set up the tent at home. This will enable you to learn how to pitch the tent properly and make sure all of the equipment is fully functional. This will also enable you to do this task quickly if you arrive at the campsite, right before darkness sets in.

When you are going camping, do your best to get as early of a start as possible. It will be your job to pitch your tent so you have somewhere to rest comfortably, and that will be much harder for you to do once it starts to get dark outside.

If you are camping for the first time, try to practice pitching a tent before your trip. This is a valuable camping skill to possess, especially when it can be done quickly. You don’t want to be out on your trip and not know how to put up a tent right away when the weather takes an unexpected turn.

Pack plenty of jerky and trail mix when planning for a camping trip. Both items are fairly healthy and will come in handy when you don’t feel like cooking. As an added benefit these snacks have a long shelf life, so if you do not eat them while camping you can enjoy them for months to come.

You next camping trip can turn out to be a weekend full of relaxation or it can be a nightmare. Preparation can be the factor that determines how your trip turns out. If you are able to think ahead about what you might come across, and protect yourself against it, you will have a great time camping.

A Frisbee is a great toy to take for entertainment when camping. It is easy to pack and fun. But in addition to its use as a game, it is also a great way to strengthen a paper plate. Just place the plate into the middle of the Frisbee at meal times and the plate will not collapse no matter how big your hamburger.

Always pack a roll of duct tape when you go camping. Tents are pretty strong, but they can suffer tears. Your tent can easily be repaired with some duct tape, which will keep you nice and dry in your damaged tent.

Make sure you know how to use a compass and map before you go camping. Even if you know the area well, getting lost is always a possibility. You can avoid things going wrong if you know how to operate these great lifesaving tools.

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.

Do not set your camp near a bathroom. While this might be convenient, you’ll soon find out differently. Bathrooms attract many people and also end up lit up at night. Therefore, they end up not having the convenience and comfort that they expected.

Camping is a activity many enjoy, but there is much to know before you go. Hopefully, you have learned some things from this article that you can use the next time you go camping.