Camping is a delight to many! It is a great experience with nature, whether you’re with your family, spouse or by yourself. Camping is a great way to appreciate the outdoors, but there is much to learn. Use these tips to enjoy your trip!
Sleeping Bag
Select your sleeping bag with the weather, season and location of your trip in mind. If you bring a sub-zero sleeping bag to go camping in mid-summer, you might find that you are sweating all night long. Alternatively, taking a light bag in the winter can lead to great discomfort. Without protection, you are running the risk of developing hypothermia.
Review the medical coverage that you have. You may need another policy if you’re going to a different state. If you are going to a foreign country, this is especially critical. Be sure that you prepare yourself in case anything happens!
Attempt a “jungle breakfast” with the younger members of your camping party. Pack breakfasts of cereal, juice and fruit in bags and hide them somewhere on the campsite. Then, when the kids wake up, have them go and “hunt” for their breakfast. This is a wonderful way to spice up the whole camping trip.
A surprising tip you may not know about is that the lint from your dryer also doubles as great kindling for your camp fire. Start collecting lint from the filter in your tumble dryer several weeks before your camping adventure. Keep a simple plastic or ziplock bag near your dryer to make collecting easier. Just grab your bag of dryer lint and go on camping day.
If you are camping in a location with dangerous wildlife, take safety precautions with your food. This means to wrap things up as tight as possible, keeping things away from your shelter and avoiding certain foods altogether. This will help prevent wild animals from being tempted to visit your campsite.
Plan for every situation that you can think of before packing for your trip. Try to plan your camping trip as best you can, but know that unexpected events can arise. Weather is truly unpredictable at times, so prepare yourself for the worse. Do what you can to prevent any accidents or illnesses and bring what you need to treat it if it does happen.
Make sure you have charged flashlights for the trip. It’s easy to accidentally turn on a flashlight when rummaging through your bags. If you put the batteries in your flashlight backwards, you can avoid this. This prevents accidental switch nudges so that they will remain fresh when you need them.
Ensure you bring some flashlights and extra batteries whenever you go camping. There are going to be moments when you must clearly see certain items when it gets dark. Having that extra light source might help to prevent a fall or accident, or even getting lost in the woods. You may want to get each child a flashlight of his or her own if you’re taking kids on your camping trip.
Make a plan as to what you’ll wear. Pack plenty of clothes that will last you the length of your trip. Pack clothes that will allow you to dress properly for whatever weather is expected in the area where you will be camping. Don’t forget to pack durable, comfortable shoes for walking.
Even though camping is an often mentioned vacation activity, if you do not plan right for your trip the experience can turn into a negative one. With any luck, this article should have given you some useful tips to have a great time and enjoy the next camping trip.