If you are a fan of camping you are not alone. To make the most of time spent camping, educate yourself on what you must know. If you are willing to put the time and effort into it before you leave on your trip, you will surely benefit a great deal from it later on.
Never assume that you will find enough wood to burn, because rain can change that in an instant. Bring some wood and store it in an area that is not moist when you camp.
When you buy a new tent, set it up completely at home before you take it camping. This will allow you to get the experience needed for erecting your tent. It’s a great way to avoid the frustration of having to set up a tent on site.
Put together a survival pack and have it on you all the time. You should have a bandanna (to use as a sling or tourniquet), wound coverings, something to use for sprains, matches, a knife, tablets to purify water and a compass in your kit. This kit may just be what helps you to stay alive in case you get lost or something bad happens and you’re stuck outside for longer than planned. Keep your kit with you at all times; don’t leave it at the campsite.
Camping can be extremely fun or extremely dangerous depending upon how prepared you are. Without proper preparation, a camping trip can turn into a disaster. Do your research and understand the local conditions and wildlife, as well as climate concerns. This is the best way to keep yourself safe and enjoy your trip.
Make sure your medical insurance is up-to-date. Traveling to a different area may necessitate that you purchase another policy. This can be especially important if you leave the country on your trip, such as camping across the border in Canada. Be prepared in case there is an injury or illness.
Kids might enjoy a camping activity called the “jungle breakfast.” Take mini-boxes of cereal, juice boxes and fruit out into the woods, and tie them to the trees. When the kids awake, you can tell them to “hunt” for breakfast. This is a wonderful way to add fun to their camping enjoyment.
It’s important to have all your equipment with you when camping. You definitely don’t want to leave something essential behind, such as your sleeping bag or tent. Check to make sure you have everything you need with a check list prior to going on your trip.
If you are camping for the first time, stay close to home. You may encounter problems with your equipment, or you may decide to come home early. Maybe you’ll run low on food or not have enough clothing with you. There could be a lot of reasons why you need to end your trip early, so keeping your first trip close to home can save a lot of headaches.
Make sure that you bring things to occupy yourself when camping. Create a good scavenger hunt list, pack some fishing poles and carry along some board or card games to entertain you while sitting in the middle of the woods. Take extra things for entertainment if you have children.
Be aware of your campsite location. You don’t want to camp very close to bee hives or ant hills. If you’re near lots of vegetation, you should wear long sleeves and pants to protect your skin from insects. It is also a good idea to carry insect repellent.
Always make sure your mobile phone battery is fully charged. As an added safety precaution, you may wish to bring an additional battery so you have plenty of power. A cell phone will be your best friend in the event of an emergency, so keep it charged and available.
Pack carefully and efficiently. Make a list of what you’ll need and check it off as you get things packed. This helps to reduce the chance of an emergency impacting the quality of your trip.
Don’t make the mistake of waiting until dark to pitch your tent. When it’s dark, it’s hard to pitch your tent. You should pack a flashlight or make a fire while it is still light. It is so much easier to erect your tent and organize your camping area before sunset.
As you leave for home, clean up your space. Bring enough garbage bags for all the trash. Take any leftover food with you. The only things you should really be leaving behind at your campsite are your footprints.
As crazy as it might sound, do not forget to pack some toilet paper. If you don’t happen to have toilets at your site, your only option will be to go in the woods. Leaves may have poison on them, as you will want to use toilet paper to wipe.
Many new campers make the mistake of setting up camp near the bathrooms. They think they are doing themselves a favor, but they aren’t. Bathrooms are not only sources of light, but they receive quite a bit of traffic. Therefore they can be more of a nuisance than anything else.
Camping is one of life’s true joys for those who have a thorough understanding of how to do it well. In order to obtain the necessary foundation for planning great camping trips, a bit of research is in order. If you want to have the best time possible just be sure to keep the information above on hand for your future use.