How do you hold a tent down?
Whether you sleep in a tent, an RV or under the stars, taking a camping trip is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life. Getting away from it all can be rejuvenating and fun with just a little know-how. Here are a number of tips for enhancing and improving your next camping trip.
When packing for your camping adventure, make sure you pack only what you need for mealtimes. If you are at the campground, your food will have to stay cold so it does not spoil. If you are on the trail, any additional or excess food can be a burden. If you pack just enough food for the time you are on the trail, you will not be weighed down by excess weight.
Navigation is the key when it comes to camping. It is important to know where you are, and how to get back to civilization if you become lost. Always bring a map of the area, and a compass to help you. You can also use an outdoor GPS that will give you navigation information, as well as additional information such as altitude.
If you are camping and the weather is starting to rise significantly, tale the coolers that you have with you and put them somewhere in the shade. It will also help to keep them covered with some type of tarp. This will keep the temperature inside the cooler from rising too much.
While camping, cook easy dinners like "hobo stew". Simply bring potatoes, ground meat, and veggies. Cut the veggies and potatoes at your campsite. Using tinfoil like a bowl, put the ingredients inside and fold the foil over until the food is covered. Place foil on hot rocks or the coals of the campfire, and eventually you will have a tasty "stew".
If you are going camping with your pets or children, you need to take a few extra precautions. Try to teach your kids the basics of camping safety. They need to know what to do if they get lost and should each have a small survival kit. Make sure you have leashes for any pets and make sure they are current with all vaccinations.
When you bring your dog on a camping trip, make certain he has adequate tick protection. Bugs thrive in forests, and many flea treatments do not extend protection to include ticks, so ask your vet before departing if your dog has everything he needs and what you should do for proper tick prevention and removal.
Be certain you have everything you will need before embarking on your adventure. You definitely don't want to leave something essential behind, such as your sleeping bag or tent. In order to ensure that this does not happen, make a checklist before you head out and cross off the items as you pack them.
You can easily start a campfire with lint from the dryer. A month before your camping trip, begin collecting the lint from your dryer's lint filter. Keep a plastic bag right next to the dryer and put the lint in there. This is a good way to have kindling ready when it is time to go.
Be sure to choose the right site for your camping experience. The camping site can make or break your trip. Try to choose a site that is not too far away from help should you need it. Choose a site that is flat and somewhat apart from trees. You want a location that is far from critters and close to aid.
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.
Clean up thoroughly when leaving a campsite. Try your best not to leave any trace of you at the campsite you stayed in. This is important, not just in terms of being considerate of other people. There are animals and insects that continue to live in the woods after you have left, so think of them as well.
It is perfectly normal to set a budget for your overall camping trip. Sit down and make a plan of what you must spend on your entire trip. Make sure you factor in the campground costs, gasoline prices as well as food and any other materials you will need to purchase. This will ensure that you don't spend more than you have on your trip.
Take a roll or two of duct tape on your next camping trip. Tents may get torn, in which case duct tape can provide a seal. Duct tape can help you to sleep in peace at night, and is very inexpensive.
If you haven't camped before, then now is not the time to start being a hermit. Ask an experienced friend to go with you and show you the glamping tents to rent ropes. As you become more advanced in the hobby you can start to take small and then larger trips alone and get your hermitude on.
If you are interested in camping but are not sure if it is the right choice for you, you may want to start out with something a bit easier, like staying in a cabin or renting an RV for a weekend. If you enjoy nature with this convenience, then it may be time to up the game to a tent.
Take time to learn map and compass reading. Even if you know what your campsite is like, you may still get lost because a lot of areas look similar around where you are. Learn to use these survival tools to prevent potentially bad situations.
Don't ever use any kind of gasoline or fuels you'd use in your car to start a campfire. Making a campfire can be frustrating, especially in unfavorable elements, but you need to avoid making dangerous decisions. This can cause injury or death to you or the other campers. There are many safer ways to make a campfire, so try learning those methods before the trip.
Hopefully after reading this article, you can have an easier time planning your camping trip. Camping is an experience that should be enjoyed by everyone, and it should be as easy as possible. Once you put the information presented here to good use, you'll be camping with ease in no time.