It is hard to dispute the immense enjoyment people from so many walks of life derive from camping. To truly maximize your next camping adventure, you will need to possess a good number of valuable tricks and tips. The article that follows is chock full of useful information sure to help make your time in the great outdoors a huge success.
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.
If you have a toddler, pack a blanket. You can lay it out on the ground and use it as a makeshift play area. Bring cars, dolls, or whatever items your child is into. They can play without getting too dirty and you can instruct them that they need to keep their toys on the blanket for safekeeping. This will help to keep things from getting too spread out.
When planning for your camping trip, don't forget to pack the sunscreen. Just because you are not on the beach doesn't mean that you don't need protection from the sun's burning rays. A sport sunscreen can be a smart choice if you will be doing strenuous physical activities during your trip.
Choose a tent large enough for everyone that is going to sleep in it. This will ensure you are able to comfortably move around without disturbing people you are sharing your tent with.
When going camping, try to buy non-perishable items to eat. There are no refrigerators in the wild, so everything you bring has to be kept in good order. You can certainly bring a cooler to put food in, but the cooler will be added bulk on your trip. Therefore, make an effort to bring more non-perishable foods than perishable.
A Frisbee makes for excellent support under paper plates, and can avoid the usual camping spillage and drops! Grab as many of them as you have around your home or yard, or pick up a few at your local dollar-type store. They conveniently stack for easy, space-saving packing and are tremendously helpful with little one's meals.
Bring oranges. Not only are they nutritious, but the peels can be used for mosquito repellant. Use the peels to rub your body down. It is a low-cost, chemical-free way to keep bugs away.
If your canteen is beginning to smell musty, you can give it a good cleaning with baking soda. Place a little bit of water in your canteen, and then add three tablespoons of baking soda. Shake gently, let it sit for sixty minutes, and then rinse with water. Your canteen will be refreshingly clean!
Focus on safety during your trip. Educate yourself and the other members of your party about what you should do if you come across a wild animal. Learn as much as you can about bears and what to do in the event of an attack. Refresh your memory on snakebites. Hopefully, you won't have to use this knowledge, but it is important that it is available to you.
During a camping trip, try to go swimming at some point. Camping can make you miss your shower. The coolness of the water when you swim will help you feel clean and refreshed, so you may not miss your home shower as much.
Bring along plenty of zip-lock bags on your camping trip, for a great mixing tool with foods as well as great storage. Always make sure the bag is completely sealed, then pop in any foods you need to combine, like chicken and batter or steak with marinade! Zip-lock bags are the best at keeping anything you need water-proofed too.
People who are going camping would be wise to stay away from axes to do their chopping. Sure an Ax might make you feel manly, but in many conditions, particularly when it is wet outside, or you are tired, an ax is a one-way ticket to the hospital.
You need to carry water that is clean if you will not have access to a safe spring or to clean tap water when you're camping. You can either cheap canvas tents carry your own water in bottles or bring some iodine with you to sanitize nearby water. You can also use a water filter or boil water for around 10 minutes.
A great tip for anyone that is going camping is to take plenty of water. In this case, there is absolutely no such thing as too much water. Plan out how much water you will need and then try and at least double the amount just to be on the safe side.
A great tip for anyone who is planning a camping trip is to bring along some hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer is great for keeping your hands germ free, but it can also act as a disinfectant if you get a cut somewhere on your body and don't have access to first aid.
You should never leave your car or basecamp without a fully-charged cell phone. The best thing to do is bring some backup batteries. In the event of an emergency, you will need your cell to call out for help, so this item is very important.
Consider leaving a handwritten note to the following campers. In this note, you can inform them of some things that interested you during your camping experience. You could even wish them well during their stay. This is a nice gesture they are certain to appreciate, and it only takes a few short minutes of your time.
As you have read from the above article, camping is a great way to spend relaxing time outdoors. By following the tips outlined, you will be ready for most of what nature has to throw at you. Even that sudden downpour won't dampen your spirits or ruin the special time you had planned so hard for.
