The Three Most Important Elements of Camping

When we hear the essential rules of survival, it usually doesn’t dawn on us to relate them to the experience of camping. After all, camping is simply a relaxing excursion into the woods, not a battle between man and nature. But when you’re planning a camping trip, it couldn’t hurt to look at the rules of survival: not only can they help you out should you ever run into trouble, but they can make life in the outdoors much more comfortable. Without further ado, here are the three most important elements of camping.

1: Shelter. The first rule of survival is to build a competent shelter as quickly as possible. When it comes to camping, this can often be easily handled – you simply bring your tent along with you. But if you understand what makes a comfortable shelter comfortable, you’ll enhance your camping experience. You’ll want to keep your tent dry, insulated from the cold, and bug-free. If you can build a good bed outdoors (using something like an air mattress), you’ll get a higher quality of sleep and won’t wake up with bumps and bruises on your back.

2: Clean water. Water is essential for hydration; without it, we would die in a few days. For most people who are camping, hydration isn’t always the issue, as you can pick up a few bottles of water from a local gas station. But even if you’re simply on vacation, having access to clean water will keep you feeling fresh and energized. Make sure you have access to water for washing your hands, showering, cleaning, and of course, drinking.

3: Food. With your shelter and water needs taken care of, you don’t want to camp on an empty stomach. In the wild, you could survive for a relatively long time without food, but without a supply of good, nutritious food, you won’t feel good by the end of the first day camping. That’s why you’ll want to pack a cooler full of good foods: vegetables, fruits, and nuts make great nutritious snacks, while meat will help fill your belly for the main course. Even if you’re living in the wild, that’s no reason to feel wild.

One great camping tip related to food: have a giant breakfast. It will help fill you up with plenty of energy for fishing, swimming, and hiking, and you won’t feel as drained throughout the day.

Photo Credits: chanchan222

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air mattress, bumps and bruises, camping, clean water, dawn, empty stomach, excursion, few days, fruits, gas station, hydration, long time, man and nature, nutritious food, nutritious snacks, nuts, survival, tent, vegetables, water water

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camping, camping equipment

Posted by Hike Camp Fish on January 12, 2010 in camping, camping equipment. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.