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How to Make Your Camping Trip More Exciting
Camping trips are meant to be exciting whether you’re going with your family or with a group of friends. Whether your group is adventurous or just looking to brave the outdoors there is something for everyone. If you’re off to a bad start though, what can you do to make your camping trip more exciting? This article will list a few ideas that can get your camping trip back on the right track.
Go Exploring
If you’re already at the campsite what’s stopping you from going to explore the wilderness? You never know what you may find out there and it’s a good way to take your mind off any hardships you may be facing. It’s amazing how even the smallest discovery can be exciting when you’re out camping with a group of friends. It’s important that when you go out exploring that you at least bring other person with you in case you get lost. Two heads are better than one when trying to find your way back!
Play Games
Making up different games is half the fun when you’re out camping with your friends and family. There are all sorts of games that you can come up with using the environment that you may have found, whether that is trees or a lake. From freeze tag to racing the woods is a great environment to play all sorts of games. Try to keep them safe because it could be very easy to hurt yourself in the woods, especially if you’re playing in the water.
Try To Rough It
Many people like to rough the great outdoors when they go camping. To them this can either mean being completely helpless to just have to catch your own dinner, whether that is a fish or whatever. This creates a sense of isolation; some people love this feeling because camping is a way to get away from the hustle and bustle everyday life.
Look For Wildlife
Looking for animals is great fun in the woods because often times they’re smart enough to stay away from you making it hard for to observe them. This can even be turned into a competition of who can find whatever animal first. It’s important that if you do seek out wildlife that you don’t anger it. Even the smallest animals can be dangerous if they attack you, especially if you don’t have the proper first aid.
Remember, camping trips are meant to be exciting, don’t just go outside put up the tent and go to sleep. Try to have some fun, catch some dinner, explore, there are endless possibilities waiting for you in the great outdoors.
Photo Credits: TheNickster
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Camping in a Thunderstorm
Although you try to keep tabs of the weather forecast, you find that this particular day, you’ve simply watched the weather by looking at the sky. And although the sky was relatively clear at dawn when you fished, you noticed that by lunchtime it had gotten cloudy and, in the afternoon, downright dark.
In this situation, a thunderstorm might be headed your way. But you’ve got an entire campsite built for relatively mild weather, and no where in particular to go for the evening. What exactly can you do? In this article, you’ll learn how to weather a thunderstorm effectively when you’re camping with your family.
Lightning
First things first: the most crucial issue will be safety, and this means avoiding lightning as best as possible. Being outside during a thunderstorm can be downright dangerous, so you’ll want to pay attention to these tips.
First, seek shelter as quickly as possible. If this means abandoning your campsite, you should still do it. Put out your fire with a bucket of water (you should always keep one handy just in case) and find a place where you’ll be protected from lightning.If this is impossible, you’ll want to follow a few rules of thumb. First of all, avoid being the tallest object in the area – get low to the ground by squatting, not lying down. Make sure that you don’t squat under the tallest tree, either.
Make sure you also avoid wires and fence lines, and other metal objects that can move electricity from one area to another.
In order to gauge where lightning is, keep track of the time between a flash and the sound of thunder – five seconds usually means roughly a mile. This information won’t be of much use, as you should try to seek shelter anyway.
Your Campsite
If your campsite is on a hill or comprises the tallest objects around, you shouldn’t try to stick around or seek shelter in your tents. All tents will do is shelter you from rain; it’s better to be stuck in the rain then it is to be exposed to a greater chance of getting hit by lightning.
If you can, get into a vehicle – the metallic frame disperses much of the electric current of a lightning blast. If there is no other shelter, getting into your car is one of your best options; it shelters you from rain and helps protect against lightning.
Most importantly, the best way to camp in a thunderstorm is to stay prepared. Bring a radio or GPS watch that will help you forecast the weather; if you know a thunderstorm might be coming hours in advance, you’ll be able to make necessary changes and adapt. If you get stuck in one, however, you might potentially be in harm’s way.
Photo Credits: nebelkerze
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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 -
How to Stay Safe During Your Camping Trip
Camping can be a dangerous undertaking because it requires you to spend an extended time in the great outdoors. If you’re planning to take your children camping with you, then you need to spend extra time examining certain precautions that you need to take. What should you worry about when you’re about ready to go, though? This article will give you a few common concerns and what you should do to prepare for them.
Watch the Weather
Being outdoors, it’s very important that you pay very close attention to the forecast when you’re going camping. If you’re going in the winter months it can be extremely dangerous if you camp in the midst of a snowstorm because you could easily run out of food and have no way of getting back to civilization. Be sure to watch the weather reports and if you’re already at your campsite you can always ask any rangers or other campers you see what the forecast looks like.
Bring the Right Supplies
Brining supplies with you can help you feel much safer during your trip as it offers you a backup and can be used anytime an unexpected problem occurs. Common supplies include: bug spray, extra food, and medications. It’s extremely important that you bring any medication that a family or friend needs in case they have any issue during the trip. You should also bring a first aid kit as it’s very easy to be injured by falling or possibly by an animal in an extended visit.
Plan Ahead
Perhaps the best thing you can do before going on your camping trip is planning ahead. Plan things like where you’re going to camp and for how long you’re going to stay. This planning should include both of the previous items, watching the weather and considering the essential supplies. It’s important that you think of any possible problem that can occur while you’re camping and be ready to address it accordingly.
Use Common Sense
Not using common sense is probably the cause of most problems that occur in the woods. Don’t attempt to do anything that could be potentially fatal, and make sure you follow basic camping guidelines such as leaving food out near or inside of the tents. With a little common sense it should be easy for you to avoid any problems that you could experience.
If you follow the above advice it should be easy for you to plan a fun and safe camping trip for you and your family.
Photo Credits: Omer Simkha
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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
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Swatting Bugs: How to Get Rid of Insects at Your Campsite
Let’s face it. When you head outdoors, you’re likely going to come across one or two unfamiliar creatures that you don’t need pestering you. While some of these creatures can be dangerous, most insects and animals don’t pose an immediate threat. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t pestering you. So how do you minimize the impact of mosquitoes and other insects at your campsite so you can have the best camping experience possible? Let’s take a look.
The first insect on anyone’s mind when they start putting together the campfire is the ever-popular mosquito. The mosquito can be such a pest that even its very name conjures up images of annoyance and discomfort. Summers in the north will particularly see a lot of mosquitoes; so how do you get rid of these pests? Insect repellent on your skin will make a significant difference, but you’ll also want to light some strategically-placed insect repelling candles around your camp area. Make sure they’re in fire-safe areas. Once you have these in place, light your fire; that should be enough to keep a majority of mosquitoes away.
Once you move beyond mosquitoes, the pests become a little bit more threatening. For example, ticks can carry disease and generally pester you; they’re so small that they can be hard to prevent. Make sure a few times a day, you check your skin for ticks, particularly after waking up and spending a lot of time near the ground. Bring long, light pants if you think you’re going to be knee-deep in wild brush; ticks can often get on your skin while you’re wearing shorts and wading through some wildlife. Making sure you have your skin protected will also help you to avoid Poison Ivy.When it comes to larger critters, including everything from chipmunks to snakes, you’ll want to take an alternate route: instead of removing them, you’ll want to keep your distance. You don’t know if a mammal is carrying a disease, and you can’t be sure which snakes are poisonous. It’s better to take the safe route and avoid as many of them as possible. Try to clear out your camp area so that you can tell if anything larger than an insect is around you; this will help you to spot these critters. If necessary, be sure to leave your boots upside down and inspect your sleeping bags before you go to bed.
Sometimes, keeping pests out of your way can be an issue of common sense; simply try to evaluate your situation and come up with a solution that gets rid of the pests most frequently bothering you.
Photo Credits: Mike Burns
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How to Build the Ideal Campfire – Part I
Any dedicated campers out there know that the campfire is the lifeblood of your campsite. Without it, you can’t boil water, prepare food, or have heat on a cold night. With it, you’ll be able to do all of those things and more – but the trick is, you have to know how to make a good one.
This article is part I of II in a series on building the ideal campfire so that you can have the most thorough information possible. Since part of creating a great campfire is to be thorough in your preparation and your knowledge, this initial research will be an integral part of learning how to create a campfire that lasts, provides plenty of heat, and gives plenty of flame for cooking. Let’s take a look at the steps to accomplishing this.
Tools to have handy: A bucket of water, a shovel, matcher/lighter.First, let’s tackle site preparation. You’re not going to just pile up a bunch of wood and set it aflame – that might make a quick fire, especially if you’ve got lighter fluid with you, but it won’t make a great camping fire. The difference begins with the preparation of your campsite.
For your first site preparation step, choose a location for the fire. Typically, this will be lower than all of the other areas – including where you have already set up your tents. You’ll want to create as much space as possible around your fire so that you can bring plenty of chairs up to it when night falls. You’ll also want to avoid low, overhanging branches.
Second, clear this location of debris and any flammable items. Get rid of garbage and other objects that might get in the way.
Third, pick exactly where you fire will be and dig a large but shallow circle, square, or rectangle. Keep the dirt in a nearby pile – dirt can make a good fire extinguisher for later on. This in addition to the bucket of water you have prepared will help you contain the fire should the need arise.
Fourth, gather as many nearby rocks and large stones as you can and make a ring around the area you dug. This will create a barrier between you and the fire, and since rocks aren’t flammable, will help control the fire and keep it contained.
Like building a skyscraper, much of the work into a great structure goes into a solid foundation that will accommodate large additions. In the next article, we’ll use this campfire site as the foundation for a great campfire.
Photo Credits: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/wili/”>wili_hybrid</a>
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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
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The Hiker’s Guide to Finding a Good View of the Stars
If you’re not just hiking, but camping, then at some point, you’re going to find yourself looking up at a dark night sky. That is, if you can even get out of the wilderness for a little bit to find a good view of the stars. If you’re an astronomy nut and want to bring your telescope out to a location far away from the city so you can finally get a great, unobstructed view of all the stars up there, you’re not alone. But you’ll need a few tips to help you avoid some of those trees that might be hiding a few constellations.
Remember that preparation is the key. If you’re hiking in the woods and decide to come back to your camp area where there isn’t a great view of the night sky, you probably didn’t do a whole lot of preparing. Instead, take a few hiking trips where you enjoy hiking, and do this during the daytime. Try to find a view that exposes a lot of the sky: take a look around the horizon and imagine that it’s night time. If you notice a lot of trees blocking the views around the sky, just make a note of that location and see if you can find something better.
If you live in the city, finding a weekend campsite that gives you a clear view of the stars can be a real treat, so don’t give up very easily if you don’t find a site like that right away. Sometimes, even a partially-obstructed view of the night sky is amazing compared to what you might get in the light-filled city.Next, remember that it’s not a good idea to go exploring at night. If you want a good view of the stars at night, it should be where your camp site is, or at least somewhere where you can easily navigate to and from. Do all of your exploring in the day time, and don’t venture too far off the beaten path.
If you live in the city during the week and can’t do any exploring, then check out web sites that show you the positions of the stars given your time of the year and location. This will help you to identify the stars you do see when you’re looking at a more clear sky; you’ll also find this even helps you navigate – though you shouldn’t need the stars to navigate while hiking!
Photo Credits: VinceHuang
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How to Break Camp Without Leaving a Mess
If you’ve ever been camping, you know that bringing a lot of your civilized comforts out into the woods can be great, but it can also result in a messy campsite when all is said and done. This can be very frustrating, especially if you’re at a campsite that makes you clean your own mess or camping on your own land, in which case you’ll obviously want to keep your land clear. So how do you break camp without leaving a cartoonish pile of debris in your wake? Follow a few simple tips:
First, it starts with preparation. While you’re camping, make sure you have everything compartmentalized. Leave your living essentials in your tent or car, where they’ll be sealed off from the rest of the world. Make sure the fire pit area is separated from the other areas. Have a designated garbage/recycling bag pair handy at all times so that you don’t have to collect garbage at the end of the trip. If you start preparing for a clean campsite the first day you get there, you’ll make things a lot easier on yourself when it’s time to break camp.
Also, be sure that you re-use materials and places when you can. For example, if you have a lot of wood in your fire pit, try to burn that wood in the next fire; you should have a big pile of ashes in the same place when your camping trip is done with. That’s good! That’s what you want, because you can then simply shovel it into your garbage bag.While you’re camping, make a mental note of cleaning up everything after yourself, every single time. For example, if you bring out a paper plate to eat a hot dog dinner with, make sure you dispose of all the garbage you have at the end of the meal. If you unpack something, don’t simply leave it out somewhere on the campsite; put it back in its bag if you’re not going to be using it.
If you’re on a campground, there might be a place to dump your greywater. If not, it’s best to use items like biodegradable soap and then dump the greywater away from fresh water sources.
If you’ve followed these instructions, it shouldn’t be very difficult to break camp without a whole lot of work today. Don’t dread the last day of camping – be sure that you’re thinking about your campsite’s “debris mark” throughout the whole trip!
Photo Credits: heymarchetti
