Getting Ready for Your Camping Trip
The nature holds great beauty in its bosom; in fact, we often base our very concepts of beauty upon the nature’s image. All this is quite logical, when you think about it – we originated from it, we are a part of it. Relaxing on fresh air, however, isn’t the only perk of spending time camping – depending on how far you are willing to go, surviving in the wilderness can turn out quite a challenge. However, nothing can replace what you are going to see, experience and feel on your camping trip. In order to do everything properly, some preparations are going to have to take place and this article’s aim is to help you set your mind to it.
Food
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions spending time in nature? You probably aren’t thinking about TV, the Internet or your mobile device (although this is a questionable one) – you are thinking about food. A bag of Cheetos and some Coke, however, won’t do the trick for camping. Naturally, if you are looking for a hunting experience, you won’t have to bother too much with food packing. This guide, however is aimed at those who simply want to spend time in nature, so you’ll have to plan how much food you are going to bring, pack it and, ultimately, ration it on the campsite.
Avoid food that can cause diarrhea, which means “ebb away the exotic meals” and leave the spices back at home. Seafood is also unacceptable, seeing as how you don’t want to experience food poisoning in the middle of nowhere.
Aim at foods, such as healthy, naturally cooked, additive-free smoked meat. The dryer the food is (jerky is great), the more suitable it is for camping. Additionally, when it comes to alcoholic beverages, steer clear of anything that’s not beer.
Pro tip:A Swiss army knife is a must – you never know when you might need it and these multi-function items can literally save lives.
The Campsite
Your campsite is your headquarters, so you should position it wisely and set it up carefully. If you are thinking about bringing sleeping bags only, you should give up right away. Sure, sleeping bags are great additions when camping in cooler climates, but they are only additions; a tent is a must!
Now let’s address the issue of location. Mostly, this is a matter of common sense – find a place with drinking water nearby (although you should bring along some drinking water from home) and with a ton of dry branches and leaves, but you need to keep one particular thing in mind – rotten trees. Commonly known as widow makers, the rotten trees may drop a huge branch onto your tent and seriously injure or even kill you. Spotting these isn’t really rocket science – downed tree limbs and branch debris around the site are common indications. Keep in mind that finding a spot with plenty of dried-up branches is brilliant, but that you should never place your campsite directly under a potentially rotten tree.
Pro tip: Picnic tables and fire pits are an excellent indication of a quality campsite – if it’s evident that someone camped there recently, all the better!
Stuff from back home
Finally, you’ll need to bring some things from the civilized world with you, even though you may want your experience to be completely natural (if you want a full-on natural experience, you should skin a bear and act like a caveman). These things include portable diesel tanks, for example, which you can use in case of not being able to light a campfire.
Bring along some spare lighters and, although they are preferable to matches, you might want to bring these too, just to be safe. A first aid kit is a no-brainer for obvious reasons and, unless you truly want to act like a caveman, a couple of flashlights as well.
Pro tip:Bring water bottles!
This rounds up the majority of stuff to cover before engaging in a camping trip. Naturally, a pair of quality shoes and some warm clothing (depending on the season and climate), go without saying. Stay safe and have fun!