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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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Your Campsite Blueprint: How to Set Up Camp
Setting up a camping area isn’t only about finding a relatively flat space to plop all of your equipment down in. Instead, you should be careful to keep the right sections separate – such as fire and shelter – and understand why you need to design a campsite that will work for you better practically. Here’s how to set up a camp that you probably won’t need to adjust.
Section 1: The Tent Area.
Your tent area should be generally higher than the rest of your campground, since this will allow any water flow that should come in to move away from your tents and not get your gear wet. Try to find a relatively flat area that is higher than surrounding areas for your tent, and try to scout out this part of your location first. A lot of your surrounding tent area should depend on where your tents are so that your campsite isn’t too large.
Section 2: The Fire Area.
Once you’ve set up your tents, take a time to examine the prevailing winds. Moisten your finger or toss some grass in the air if you’re not sure. Why do you want to know the winds? Because when you build your fire, you’re going to want the smoke to blow away from your campsite and not into your tents. Keep your fire at least thirty feet away from the tents, and once you have a fire spot, you can set up a few surrounding metal or plastic chairs.
Section 3: The Bathroom Area.
Of course, a “bathroom” is a loose term when you’re talking about the outdoors, but if you’re going for the rustic experience, you’re going to need a place to, for lack of a better phrase, dump your waste. This should be out of sight and far from the campsite, hopefully behind some trees or a large rock for the sake of privacy. Be sure that the soil will allow for relatively easy burial, and be sure to stick with the same general area – you don’t want to spread this kind of thing out.
Section 4: The Shower and Bath Area.
Of course, a “shower and bath” is a bit of an exaggeration, but if you can, try to set up camp near a clean water source that will allow you to stay clean without straying too far from camp. Having a stream nearby is often better than buying your own water – just make sure that the water is fresh and clean.
Photo Credits: Smoobs
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Top Camping Strategies for Maximum Fun
Okay, so maybe your camping trip doesn’t exactly require the same amount of planning as the invasion of Normandy, but if you want to be prepared to have some fun on your next trip into the great outdoors, you might want to include a little foresight and strategy.
So what are the top strategies for camping? Read on.
- Mentally walk yourself through the trip. Our daily routines are forgettable because they’re our routines – we don’t know exactly what goes into them. You don’t want to be caught in the wilderness realizing you’d really like to brush your teeth or to wash up, only to find you didn’t plan these things out in advance.
Take out a piece of paper and consider an average day. Then ask yourself how much of this routine you’d like to bring with you on the camping trip. Even if you’re going rustic, you’ll want to make sure all of your needs and wants are accounted for before you head out.
- Simplify – Keep things as simple as possible. Even if it costs a little more money to buy simpler things, if you’re an avid enough camper, it will be worth it in the long run.
For example, buying a throw-pitch tent (which requires as little setup as possible) might cost a little more upfront, but it will be worth it when you’ve finally found your site. Quechua 2-Second Tents can cost as little as around $60 and take all of the guesswork and sweat out of setting up your site.
These smaller tents might not be Hiltons in the wilderness, but they also take the worry and work out of maintaining a tent that doubles as a mansion.If you’re really keeping things rustic, ask yourself what kind of amenities you might need in the wild, and the simplest ways to use them. Since you’re going to need water, bringing a portable water purifier, though expensive, can make the experience different for you. Many water purifying bottles fit in your backpack.
- Prepare yourself for emergencies – Communications are essential to being ready for medical emergencies or other situations that you might not be aware of. The more rustic your camping experience, the more you’ll have to be prepared.
If you’re a true explorer, a GPS watch and a satellite phone could mean the difference between getting lost in the woods and having a fun hiking experience. You don’t want to rely on traditional cell phones for your communications, as these cell phones aren’t consistent when you go into wild areas.
Keep in mind that camping is all about fun. This means that you’d do best to do most of the work when you’re back at home, still preparing for the trip. The better you prepare for a fun camping experience, the more relaxed and secure you’ll feel when it’s time to have some fun.
- Mentally walk yourself through the trip. Our daily routines are forgettable because they’re our routines – we don’t know exactly what goes into them. You don’t want to be caught in the wilderness realizing you’d really like to brush your teeth or to wash up, only to find you didn’t plan these things out in advance.
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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
