Vacations are a special time to get away, and camping is one of the most exciting ways of spending that time. Utilize some of this advice to have the best camping trip possible. These tips offer some great advice for your next outdoor adventure.
Try to get to the campsite well before nightfall. This allows you to get a feel for the lay of the land and gives you the opportunity to set up camp while you can still see what you are doing. In addition, it lets your children feel a little more comfortable with their surroundings because they will have time to explore.
Camping is definitely a fun time, but there might also be uninvited guests at your campsite. Who are these guests? Bugs! This is their environment and they like camping, too. Make sure you have bugged repellent with you to tell them to stay at their own campsite or to go visit other campers who weren’t quite as prepared as you were.
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.
Look up grocery stores near your campsite. Make sure you know how to get to them. Particularly, if your trip is spanning more than three or four days, the food you bring with you probably isn’t going to last the length of your trip. Not only, that, but your family is going to get tired of eating the same things day after day. Variety is the key.
When camping, periodically do a tick check. Look for any brown or black spots that have just appeared on your skin. Ticks attach themselves to the skin without causing too much of a disturbance, so be sure to check yourself and your companions for ticks after spending time camping outdoors.
Choose your campsite carefully. The location in which you’re camping can make all the difference. Do plenty of research before you make any plans. What is the weather like? Does the campsite have specific rules? How crowded will the campsite be? Poor planning can make for a miserable camping experience.
Safeguard your food from the local wildlife. You will need to keep your food in airtight containers or securely wrapped, and store it away from your tent. Some foods should be avoided entirely. This can help you to prevent an attack from a wild animal.
Take along a fire extinguisher! You never know when a fire can spread. Being prepared to put it out quickly could save your life, your gear and the woods around you. Find one that is capable of putting out fires of all kinds to be sure you are prepared to extinguish them all.
Unless you are a wildlife expert, you should never drink water that you haven’t brought to the campsite with you. Water may look crystal clear but actually be home to a host of diseases or bacteria. If you are in an emergency, always choose running water over stagnant water.
Part of the fun of camping is cooking over an open fire or on a camp stove. To make sure you don’t forget to pack any key ingredients, make a list of the meals you plan on preparing. Don’t forget to take a small cutting board along with you so you have a clean surface for food preparation. Also remember to pack a couple of potholder or oven mitts to handle hot utensils, such as marshmallow forks.
Camping can be made simpler and much more fun with advice that you can follow. Your camping time will be so much more enjoyable now that you’ve taken the time to educate yourself. Apply what you’ve learned here, and have a great trip.