Archive for the ‘camping tips’ Category
-
Making Your Camping Bed (And Sleeping In It, Too)
It’s no secret that one of the purported miseries of camping – as espoused by the willfully-sheltered folk who happily name themselves “indoor types” – is that sleeping on the ground is no fun. In fact, it can be downright painful. The experienced camper, however, knows that sleeping on the ground would be like eating a camping diet solely comprised of almonds and hot dogs: with a little preparation it’s not necessary. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how you can make your camping bed and actually want to sleep in it, too.
But once you’ve decided to bring a device like a cot or an airmattress, that isn’t the whole story. A bed should keep you warm, insulated, and dry. If your airmattress has a leak in it, don’t be surprised to wake up in the morning with your back on the ground. If your cot isn’t adequately insulated, you may find yourself wishing to be in your bed back home.
First, understand your options. An airmattress will keep you off the ground, but so will a cot, a futon, a foam pad, and even something home-made. So many people think about sleeping on the ground outdoors that they forget it takes very little action in order to rectify the problem: simply buy something for your bed that you can bring with you.That’s why you’ll still want to bring that camping staple so many enjoy: the sleeping bag. Most sleeping bags come with zippers that allow them to fold out like blankets. You can use this feature to spread out the sleeping bag like a blanket on your airmattress or cot.
Why not just use a regular blanket? Regular blankets work well, but they’re not designed for the outdoors. Sleeping blankets usually have lining on the outside that keeps them dry, sealed off from insects, and insulating well against the cold. You’d be surprised how much heat you can still trap with a sleeping blanket that’s been folded out.
Once you have your gear ready, simply bring a comfortable pillow or two from home. If you really want to stay luxurious, you can even bring sheets; it will feel like you’re still in your bedroom. Make sure to keep your pillow and sheets in a safe, dry place (such as the back of your car, if it’s nearby); exposing them to the elements can mean bugs, sticks, and moisture. Make sure to put together your bed after you’ve set up your tent: when bedtime arrives, you’ll be ready to slip in the covers right away, just like at home.
Photo Credits: Felipe Skroski
-
What is a Camping Vacation?
We might be familiar with the old-fashioned idea of packing up a camper and heading into the wilderness, especially because the premise offers so many opportunity for laughs in movies like “RV.” But when was the last time you actually thought this might be a good idea for you and your family and really considered trying a camping vacation?
Simply put, a camping vacation is what you make it – there are no set rules that make your camping trek any more or less legitimate than anyone else’s. All you have to do is have a plan of action, a plot of land to set up shop, and come prepared to enjoy the wilderness to the highest extent.
Here are some quick tips to preparing your next camping vacation, as well as how to get started today:
1. First, be a scout.
A good camping vacation starts with the idea of scouting – finding the right destination for your family to enjoy. You’ll want to consider a number of variables during this phase, and come up with as many different potential spots as possible. For example, if you have small children, a place with easy accommodations not too far from the campsite might be ideal. If your kids are older, they might embrace the challenge of a more “rustic” experience (of course, they’ll have to bring their cell phones with them). Know what you’re getting into ahead of time.
2. Decide what to bring with you.
If you’ve never been camping before, it can be a bit difficult to know what to bring with you, and it’s tempting to go a little overboard. Dropping a big chunk of change on an RV that you might not necessarily need isn’t the way to go.
Mentally run yourself through a typical day as you see it, and imagine the type of supplies you’ll need. Soaps that double as shampoos are great because they carry less weight. Tents that set themselves up will also take a lot of the edge of nature off. And don’t be afraid to splurge on a gizmo or two if you think it will really help you enjoy your experience.
3. Have fun.
This is an obvious one, but you don’t want to force anyone into a camping trip if they’re determined to have a bad time. Instead, make sure everyone in your family is okay with a camping trip, and ask them for their input. If they love water sports, make sure to go near a lake. You might even consider renting a cabin in the woods – it’s not quite “camping,” but it can be a lot more comfortable for city slickers.
Photo Credits: oskarlin
-
How to Prepare to Set Up Your Camping Tent
For anyone living the rustic life on a far-off campsite as their yearly vacation, the trick to camping isn’t necessarily living off of the land: it’s living in your tent. If you were prudent, you brought along a tent that you know how to set up, effectively holds out moisture and insects, and provides a comfortable shelter for you and yours on your camping trip. But what if you’ve never tried it before? Here are some brief tips for setting up a tent the next time you go camping.
First, there are two ways to prepare, and you’ll want to try both of them. The first is to make sure you have a good tent in hand. If an old camping tent is available, make sure to take it out before your trip: check for holes, tears, and anything else that might compromise the tent’s functions as a shelter. If you don’t have an old tent lying around, make sure that you do plenty of research in order to find the best and most cost-effective tent available near you.
Once you have a tent in hand, you’ll want to make sure you know to set it up. Nothing is more frustrating than traveling all the way out to your campsite, only to find out that one small part of the instructions doesn’t make any sense and is ruining your experience. By taking out your tent and setting it up in the front yard a week or so before you go camping, you can work out those kinks ahead of time. If you get stuck at any one particular point, you can take the time to figure it out in a situation in which you don’t actually need the shelter.Setting up a tent usually relies on a few things: stakes, tent poles, and the tent tarp. Most tent structures are established by having you drive a few stakes into the ground. These stakes will typically have something attached to them – such as a loop – that the tent poles can then essentially “plug in” to, allowing the poles to bend and create a dome-like skeleton over your head.
Once this skeleton is complete, you follow the tent instructions and lay the tarp over the skeleton, making sure that it’s properly laid out and attached in every area. Then you’re free to unzip the door and climb in.
Each tent is different, but if you know how to put up a tent, you’ll have a head start the next time you take the family out to the woods. Just make sure you’ve read the directions already!
Photo Credits: candescent
-
4 Things to Do During Camping ‘Downtime’
Let’s face it: even on your most active day of camping – fishing, hiking, boating, building fires – there’s still going to be some downtime. After all, even the U.S. Marines enjoy a certain amount of free time every day. If your day has been active enough, you might only want to spend your downtime eating and resting, but if you have a little bit of reserve energy, you might just feel a little bored. Here’s how you can cure that boredom out on the campsite.
- Constellation spotting – Constellation guide books are easy to buy. If you’ve never really done any serious stargazing, you should feel free to take a gander up at the stars and try to identify as many constellations as possible. If you’re exhausted from activities all day, you can even do this on your back. Just be careful that you don’t fall asleep outdoors! Stars are clearer out in the country, where there’s less light interference here on Earth to drown them out.
- Roasting marshmallows – This is perhaps the hallmark camping activity. Roasting marshmallows doesn’t take a lot: a fire, a stick, a marshmallow, and of course some graham crackers and chocolate bars to go with it. You can even make S’mores for everyone else if they’re too tired to do anything, seeing if you can get your marshmallow at just the right temperature.
- Talk – The campfire is one of the greatest places to have a conversation. Not in it, of course, but around it as everyone gathers. There is a certain psychiatrist’s-office effect in looking at the fire and not directly at anyone else: after all, it might be dark anyway. Talking around the campfire is usually done with friends, so the conversations tend to get a little deeper than smalltalk. Of course, there is nothing more engrossing than a good conversation, and you can do it while sitting in a chair under a blanket.
- Play cards – A flat surface and some willing participants are all you need for this easy activity. Oh, and a deck of cards, of course. A quick game of poker can be great for just before bedtime, and nighttime means that it will be harder for others to see your cards.
The spirit of “downtime” usually means that people aren’t exactly willing to volunteer for a lot of exercise-heavy activities. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself while sitting down or even lying down.
Photo Credits: parl -
Outdoor Activities for the Camping Trip
You’ve already got the family set up on your camping site – a fire going to prepare lunch, two tents raised, more firewood for later, and a cooler full of cold drinks waiting to be consumed. So far, so good, right? There’s just one problem.
What do you do now?
Sometimes, the fun of a great camping trip can be dampened when you’re looking for activities to fill the hours. Instead of going into the woods to find adventure, you’ve discovered that all you’ve found is a campsite. So how do you have some fun while you’re out there, without taking away from the rustic experience of being away from civilization? Here are some suggestions for some fun, natural activities to enjoy outdoors.
-Fishing.
Fishing is one of the most popular activities for camping, particularly as you can do it anywhere you have a good source of water. Fishing can kill the time when you’re waiting for a meal to heat, or it can be turned into a long afternoon trip if you decide to rent a boat or a canoe. Of course, this all depends on whether or not you’ve got access to water.
-Hiking.
Hiking can usually be done anywhere you have a camp site – all you need are some basic supplies (including a first-aid kit, and perhaps some navigational tools) and you can go explore. Many people find this a serene way to pass the time, while kids might find it to be a good way to seek adventure and look for wildlife.
-Photography.
Hiking can be blended with photography if you bring a camera along. For any visually-oriented members of your family, this is a great way to pass the time while directly enjoying the sights of nature. You could also buy disposable cameras and send your children on a mission to find the best pictures possible while they wait for dinner.
-Paddling/kayaking/rafting.
If you’ve chosen a campsite with access to a water site, you’re in luck – lakes and slow rivers can be great for kayaking while whitewater rafting sites are great places to go and camp. These can often turn into day-long activities, so make sure you stock up on sunscreen and have plenty of water available to drink.
These are just a few of the options available to you when you go camping. The key is to prepare for the “downtime” that inevitably comes when you can’t instantly turn on a television set. A few simple purchases or some wise campsite choosing will help you fill the time easily – and wish you had more to spend!
Photo Credits: Rick McCharles
-
How to Fix a Broken Tent
[The following is a guest post from How to Fix. There you can learn How to Fix a Dishwasher, how to fix a flat tire as well as how to fix a toilet]
Having a tent is an absolute necessity when you’re out in the woods – that is, unless you can find some other form of shelter. Tents keep moisture out, protect you from the elements, and separate you from the wild, even if the separation is a thin one. So if your tent breaks or tears while you’re out camping, you’ll probably recognize when it happens fairly quickly. The only question that remains is simple: how can you fix it without buying a new one?
There is no one answer to this question, because there is more than one way that a tent can be broken. But in this article, we’ll handle two of those ways:
Your tent tearing: If your tent tears, then duct tape is your best friend. It’s generally a good idea to keep some basic tools in your car – duct tape is one of them – around for just this kind of situation. Duct tape won’t only help re-attach the two sides of the tear in your tent, but it will continue to seal out moisture and its adhesive will generally keep the duct tape where you put it. It’s generally a good idea to use more duct tape than you think you need rather than less; don’t be afraid to go a little overboard. After all, you’re not going for beauty here – you simply want to keep your tent working. So make sure you have duct tape with you. The next time you head to the hardware store, buy a couple of rolls of duct tape and put one in the back of your car. It just may come in handy.Tent poles breaking or bending: The structure of the tent is generally held up by loosely-assembled tent poles. These aren’t always the most sturdy foundations to have with you, but they make for light packing and generally an easy tent setup. If one of them breaks, you’ll want to consider your situation. Can you possibly bend the pole back into place, or is it lost forever? If it’s totally broken, you may simply want to toss that pole out and keep your tent up with the rest of the poles. Your tent may be a little uneven because of this, but at least it will stay up, continue to shelter you from the weather, and will continue to work. Worry about a replacement pole or tent once you’re safely back to civilization.
Photo Credits: bgautrea
-
The Hiking and Camping First Aid Kit
While the hiker who’s a trained doctor is a rarity, most doctors would agree that it’s better to self-treat when out in the wilderness and encountering an emergency medical situation, rather than not to treat at all. For this reason, when you’re hiking or camping, constructing a quality first aid kit that adequately prepares you for the challenges of the outdoors will be one of the most important stages of your preparation.
First aid kits can only carry so much, but if you know what to carry and how to use it, you can help those materials make the greatest possible impact on the positive health and safety of yourself and those you’re travelling with. Here are some items to include in your hiking or camping first-aid kit.
-Bandages.
Covering up cuts and scraps will be crucial for preventing infection and promoting the healing of your dings and dents, and will be especially crucial for deeper knicks and cuts. Carry a variety of bandages, including a bandage roll for taping, triangular bandages, butterfly bandages, and an assorted variety of adhesive bandages, in a range of sizes.
-Disinfectants and alcohol swaps.
Again, preventing infection is often one of the highest priorities in outdoor medical situations, and treating cuts or marks the proper way will go a long way toward preventing infection. Before even dressing a wound, being able to apply disinfectant of some sort, fighting against bacteria, will be a key issue.
-Medicine.
This seems obvious, but what kind of medicine? Many recommend Aspirin or ibuprofen, so those might be good to carry. But also consider a possible attack of diarrhea or other stomach sickness that will require some ideal digestive medicine to help ease suffering and get the recovery process going more quickly. Consider medicines for treating diarrhea, especially, as an essential element, even if you carry small amounts of that medicine.
-Gauze and wipes.
Gauze and wipes are important to carry because you don’t exactly want to clean wounds with leaves while you’re out there. Gauze is very lightweight, so it makes sense to carry plenty without adding any burden to what you’re carrying on a hike, and it might just come in handy.
-A Swiss Army knife.
A Swiss Army knife already has plenty of tools for working in the outdoors, but scissors can prove especially useful in medical situations, helping cut through clothing to get to a wound, or helping to dress and replace the bandages on a wound.
Be sure to look at first aid kits and check out the local situations of each hiking and camping opportunity to make sure that your first aid kit is customized to your needs.
Photo Credits: gregor_y
-
How to Stay Fresh While Camping
The words “fresh” and “camping” usually don’t go together, least of all in our imaginations. But if you plan ahead and have a good source of water, you should have no problem staying fresh and clean even on an extended camping trip. To do so, you’ll need a little foresight, preparation, and of course you’ll need to be armed with knowledge. That’s why this article will explain how to stay washed up even while camping.
Find a fresh water source.
Whether you’re near a large lake or a clean stream of water, setting up camp near a fresh water source will be crucial to staying fresh and clean. If you have bathrooms and showers nearby on your campsite, then it’s needless to say that you’ll have no problem staying clean. But when you’re opting for the more rustic experience, you’ll need to use the lay of the land itself. Be sure to set up camp not far – but not too close to – a fresh water source.
With your fresh water source, you should be able to wash yourself and your hair. It’s often a good idea to bring a two-in-one soap and shampoo bottle that is easy to carry – this means simply bringing one bottle with you to the “shower.” There’s nothing quite like changing into some dry clothes after a good wash when you’re out camping to make you feel at home.Maintain consistent bathroom habits.
If you’ve built a successful campsite, you should have a nearby bathroom that’s out of site and out of…smell. Try to keep your bathroom habits localized to this one bathroom area, and be sure to bury your waste. This means you’ll want to find an area where the soil is relatively soft for a quick burial.
Definitely bring toilet paper. There’s nothing that can upset an otherwise fresh and clean-feeling day like the absence of toilet paper. It’s light and you’ll probably only need to bring one roll, depending on how many people it’s for. Even if you want to have a very rustic experience, having toilet paper will make everything else seem much more pleasant.
Keep up with your usual routine.
It’s very comforting when you can stick to your usual hygiene routine out in the woods, including your shower, shave, and teeth-brushing. The closer you can stick with your usual routine, the better you should feel. Try to prepare in advance so that you can do this, such as by bringing a travel pack of shaving and toothbrushing equipment.
Photo Credits: UNC – CFC – USFK
-
How to Survive a Forest Fire
You might have heard the old catchphrase “Only you can prevent forest fires.” But what if you actually find yourself in one? Granted, for many people this is a longshot, but if you plan on going out and camping in the woods, it might not be a bad idea to be prepared to protect your family and yourself. Here’s a quick guide to what experiencing a forest fire might be like.
First, if you encounter an out-of-control fire that you started yourself, remember the best way to put out these fires: clothing, towels, and flame-resistant tarps or drapes. Using water isn’t as effective as you might think unless you have enough of it to completely engulf the flame. If you can’t find anything else, use the ice water from your cooler, as that will probably be the most water you have access to. If you’re near a river or lake, use this cooler to scoop up water as a last-case scenario.
If it becomes apparent that a fire is out of your control and your life might be in danger, you have to move out. Whether or not you started the fire, the authorities need to know about it as soon as possible – the faster they arrive, the better they’ll be able to control the situation. Don’t worry about anything else except for keeping yourself, your friends, and your family safe.When you move away from a fire, keep into account how a fire moves – the direction of the wind will be important to monitor. The wind will blow fires onto new branches, bushes, and trees, so that will help you predict a better escape route. Keep in mind that fires also tend to travel uphill faster than downhill, since heat rises. Getting down to a lake or river if possible will help, as long as you have a way of escaping. Otherwise, don’t let yourself get trapped. Crossing a river can be helpful if you have no other recourse.
If a situation arrives that requires you to “break through” the fire – i.e., travel through it – you can still take safety precautions, as long as you’re aware that this should be a last option.
To do this, cover your face with a wet cloth – dry if that’s all you have – and run through the fire as fast as possible. Be ready to stop, drop, and roll on the other side of the flames to extinguish any fires that caught on your clothing.
Be sure to have the goal of consulting the local authorities as soon as possible, as long as it is safe to do so. Ultimately, your only job is to survive.
Photo Credits: leppre
-
Things to Remember When Going Camping
Ever gotten all the way out to your campsite, only to forget that one essential item? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Whether you’re going out for a week long hike or just overnight, the last thing you want to do is get to the camp site and discover that you’re missing that one vital element. This guide will give you a basic list of the items you’ll need to remember in order to make your trip a success.
* Bring the right shelter. Regardless of what kind of camping you’re planning on doing, a proper shelter is will make the difference between a good trip and bad one. Shelters can vary from a simple tarp and rope affair to sophisticated high tech tents. You must pick a tent based on your needs for the trip. Choose one that’s both large enough and sturdy enough.
* Choose an appropriate sleeping bag. Make sure that sleeping bag is packed, and make sure it’s the right one. When you’re on your trip you’re not going to have the luxury of several layers of sheets and blankets to keep you warm or cool. Packing the right sleeping bag for the weather will ensure a comfortable night that’s neither too hot nor too cold.* Navigational aides. Who wants to get lost when you’re out there to enjoy yourself? There are all sorts of fun technological gadgets to help you find your way on the trip; however, make sure such a device will work where you’ll be traveling. While these gadgets may be useful, if you’re going to be hiking, you may want to have a backup map, compass, and someone familiar with their use.
* Provisions. Rations come in all shapes and sizes, but make sure you keep a couple things in mind when packing them. First, confirm that you’re carrying enough water for the duration of your trip. Second, if you must carry everything in backpacks, make sure not to weigh yourself down with unnecessary luxuries. If, however, you’re just out for a fun time overnight then by all means pack those coolers full.
While camping can be both fun and arduous, this guide will help you make sure your trip is enjoyable. Make sure to keep in mind the kind of weather you’ll encounter, how long your excursion will be, and how you’ll go about navigating. Hopefully, with the help of this basic list, you will make your trip one to remember, not one to forget.
Photo credits: El Dav
