Are you ready to go camping? Whether you want to go for an overnight adventure or plan to stay a week, there is some basic information you need. The information shared in this article will allow you to have an enjoyable camping trip of any length.
Pre-cool your ice chest by filling it with loads of ice, at least six hours prior to departure. When you are about to leave, pack up your refrigerated cooled drinks and block ice, not cubed. Popping room temp beverages will take up valuable ice-life, and the cubes will melt much quicker than a block!
Build yourself a survival kit; keep it with you anywhere you go while camping. Don't forget things like knives, waterproof matches, flares, first aid, and a water purifier. These are essential items for your survival if you ever get lost. Never let it leave your side.
Don't fear that you are overpacking for your kids on a camping trip. Camping can be messy. Kids love getting into dirt. This means that by day's end your children and their clothes can be quite soiled. While you can't do much to prevent that, you can at least provide clean clothing, so long as you brought extra. Keep yourself ready at all times.
At night, create "bear bags." Tie a rope around the bags with your food and your trash. Then, find a tree and toss bags over a branch, raising until they are at least seven or eight feet off the ground. Tie the rope around the tree so it is secure. This way, bears and other animals will not be able to get into your food and trash during the night.
You are going camping outdoors, so expect that you will all be getting dirty. If you are prepared for this situation, you will find that when it occurs, you will be less stressed. Part of the whole camping experience includes allowing yourself to get dirty. After all, you can be normal at home.
When camping, most people enjoy relaxing around a campfire. To prevent your fire from becoming out of control, you should incorporate a few safety practices. First of all, build your fire away from bushes and trees so that sparks from your fire will not start a forest fire. You will also want to use a circle of rocks to contain your campfire. Do not ever leave your fire unattended. Before leaving your campsite, make sure your campfire has been totally extinguished and that there are no remaining hot embers.
Make sure that you avoid any venomous plants. A good way to do this is to stop at the ranger station and ask what kinds of poisonous plants are in the area so you can identify them if you come into contact with them on the trail. Never eat anything while hiking on the trail if you do not know it is edible.
Remember, when you are camping you will not have access to many kitchen luxuries. At most, you will have a can opener as well as a basic burner. This means canned foods make a great meal, but even better are things that need very little preparation, like peanut butter sandwiches.
If you're going camping with a pet, take them for a vet visit beforehand. Inform your veterinarian of where you plan to go camping. Get your pet updated on all their vaccinations and be sure they have protection against ticks, mites, and fleas. You can never be too careful when it comes to the safety of a pet.
Take extra precautions if you are camping in any area that has very dangerous wildlife. You will need to keep your food in airtight containers or securely wrapped, and store it away from your tent. will tent Some foods should be avoided entirely. This can prevent an attack.
If you bring a dog camping with you, be sure to keep an eye on them and be sure they're on a leash. A lot of people have a fear of dogs. This will maximize the respect that you have for others while camping. Also, dogs can damage your campsite or another person's campsite if they're not watched carefully.
Make sure that you know how to get a campfire burning before you head out into the woods. If you have difficulties getting a fire started, look for fire starting supplies to take with you. These supplies make it easy for just about anyone to start a fire on the spot.
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.
Many people fail to plan properly in order to ensure that they get a good night's sleep when camping. The temperature difference between the ground and your body can be quite different, even if the weather is warm. Make sure you bring the proper sleeping gear to make your evening comfortable for you.
Before setting out on your next camping trip, check out your first aid kit. If there are any items that are missing, replace them. If any of the ointments or medications are low in quantity, remove them and replace them will a new package. Check the expiration date on topical ointments and medications and replaced any that are outdated.
One great tip for anyone who is planning a camping trip is to bring along plenty of 550-cord. This cord is extremely useful for many things like staking guy-lines, installing tarp and hanging bear bags. It is always better to bring to much chord than too little and find that you really need it.
Leave your camping spot as clean as, or cleaner than you found it. It is important to show respect to the land and to others by cleaning up your camping area. If it was a mess when you got there, you can do a good deed and make it cleaner.
Camping offers just about anyone the opportunity to peacefully commune with nature. But, in order to have the type of experience you truly desire, it is necessary to possess a certain degree of understanding and know-how. With any luck, the guidance contained above has provided the foundation every camper needs to have a wonderful outdoor experience.
