Are tents waterproof?
When done well, camping is among life's true pleasures. Before embarking on an outdoor adventure alone or with friends and family, it is important to familiarize yourself with tried and true camping tips and advice. The article that follows offers just the start any burgeoning outdoors enthusiast might need to plan their next outing.
A great item to put in your camping backpack when going in the back country is a Ziploc bag filled with dryer lint. There is no better fire starting material than dryer lint. It will hold a spark and get your fire going quickly and efficiently. Dryer lint takes up almost no space in your pack and is very light weight.
To increase your sleeping experience while camping, bring a pad along that you can place under your sleeping bag. This pad acts as a barrier between you and the hard ground where twigs and tree knots may cause strange sleeping conditions. If a pad isn't handy, bring a few extra blankets that you can fold over on themselves to create some cushion.
When packing for your camping trip, make sure to pack either a pair of flip flops or water shoes. These will come in handy in and around the campground. For instance, if you are staying in a campground that has bathroom facilities and you plan on taking a shower, you need to wear shoes in the shower to protect your feet from foot fungus.
Make sure that you avoid any venomous plants. A good way to do this is to stop at the ranger station and ask what kinds of poisonous plants are in the area so you can identify them if you come into contact with them on the trail. Never eat anything while hiking on the trail if you do not know it is edible.
While a campfire gives off enough light in the general area around it, you want to be sure you take along a flashlight on your camping trip if you plan to venture outside of the campfire's glow. This is a definite safety precaution you don't want to ignore. It can be quite dark out there in the woods at nighttime.
It is important to have a flashlight when you camp, but make sure the batteries are fully charged. One way to be sure the batteries don't accidentally drain on the journey is to put them into the flashlight backwards. That way if the switch is accidentally engaged, they stay charged. Plus, you know where the batteries are.
Purchase a few camping pillows to take with you. If you take along a regular bedroom pillow, it can get hot and sticky when it is humid outside. They also absorb moisture out of the air and can mildew quickly. Camping pillows do diy glamping not have these problems.
Consider purchasing inexpensive walkie-talkies to take with you on your next camping trip to provide a way to keep in touch with everyone in your party in areas where cell phone reception may not be available. This can be especially important if you are camping with children and need to keep track of their whereabouts.
When you are going camping, do your best to get as early of a start as possible. It will be your job to pitch your tent so you have somewhere to rest comfortably, and that will be much harder for you to do once it starts to get dark outside.
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.
If you decide to leave your campsite to participate in activities like fishing or hiking, be sure you know how to get back. Many people become lost when doing these things and it could be hard for you to be found; remember, most cell phones do not work in these areas.
Make sure that the cooler you are taking with you is air tight. You do not want your food to spoil because the cooler was allowing the cool air to get out. Store your cooler in a shaded area where the sun will not work against it. This could save your food and your stomach.
Smart campers will leave their car or base camp with a charged mobile phone. Better yet, bring along an extra battery or two in case your phone runs out of juice. A mobile phone is an important part of camping safety these days, and you want it to be ready to go when you need it.
It is a great idea to put your tent together at home before you go out camping. Some tents can seem very complicated, and you do not want to get stuck in the dark without your tent being assembled. If you practice when you are at home, you will already have the experience of setting it up, and it will go smoothly.
Bring a few Frisbees with you next time you go camping. Not only will they give you something to do, but they are helpful, too. Use a Frisbee to help you hold your paper plate. It will give it the structure that it needs, and it will be a lot stronger.
Make sure you always have a source of clean water with you. When camping, you can't always trust that a natural water source is clean enough to drink from without boiling the water first. So keep a canteen filled with water at your side during any daily adventure. In the evenings, boil any spring water for ten minutes to create clean water reserves for the next day.
Make sure that you only pack the food that is absolutely necessary during your camping trip. Excess food that is packed will likely end up being spoiled. If your trip only has 2 people, you should not bring along numerous servings of food, especially meat, that can feed 4 or 5 people.
If you're new to camping, and even if you're not, a dutch oven is one of the best experiences you can have. There are so many delicious things you can make in a dutch oven, and some of the desserts are simply the best. If you've never tried a dutch oven before, now is the time.
This article has provided you with a lot of great knowledge about how to get the most out of your camping experience. It's good to know that you have the option to enjoy yourself with a nice camping experience when you want to dedicate the time to do so, so get out there and do it.