 |
Rolling With The Good Times When On A Camping Trip
by Giuseppe Tesola
http://www.hcamping.com
The annual camping trip is a traditional experience for many
families. For some, it's like a yearly visit to Aunt
Bertha's backyard get-together with her infamous sauerkraut,
cold Brussels sprouts and pig snouts dish. But for others,
the trip can be a bonding occasion that isn't dependent on
whether or not it's sunny. Below are few pointers to
enhance your camping experience:
1.~A checklist makes sure you not only listed all your
basic needs but that you also packed them. All the
equipment and supplies that you won't find in the middle of
the deep woods should be included, such as a tent, sleeping
bag, waterproof matches, food and emergency kit. Remember,
you can't (or won't want to) run out in the dead of night to
the nearest convenience store.
2.~Rain does and will happen. If your outdoors, you
really can't get too far from rain. Packing your goods in
waterproof containers and bags is really a lifesaver. Go a
step farther and pack smaller items in durable zippered
freezer bags. Other small containers like plastic
prescription containers work great for little stuff like
matches or coins. Don't forget about the big essentials
like sleeping bags that need to be kept soggy-free.
3.~Before the temptation to sight-see kicks in, set-up
upon arrival. Why? It's too tempting to put off set-up too
long. Daylight is a much safer and more convenient time to
take care of your arrangements than at night when you'd
rather be toasting hot dogs.
4.~Double check nighttime supplies before nightfall.
Hey, did you remember those flashlight batteries? If not,
you might have some time during daylight to hunt for some.
Once it's dark, looking for something gets a lot trickier.
5.~Plan a menu and prep as many meals ahead of time as
possible. This organization will help you remember
important ingredients, condiments, and cooking tools such as
a can opener. Precooking many meals before starting your
trip takes the chore out of cooking from scratch at every
meal. Also, put together small bags of cooking ingredients
and their mixtures to save lugging big bags of flour or
sugar.
6.~Eat and store food safely so critters aren't hanging
around. Wildlife is interested in our tasty meals and
learns to scavenge for our scraps. To keep them away and
out of the tent, eat only outdoors and pack up food when
you're done. Some animals like raccoons can do great damage
to your campsite and your tent if temptations are left
around.
7.~Also, don't feed the wildlife. Campers may find
this very tempting; however, animals loose their wild side
when they depend on human food, which really isn't good for
their systems.
8. Be a good steward of the camping area. You came to the
campground to enjoy the scenic beauty of the outdoors;
leave it beautiful for the next person or for your next trip
Remember to bring plastic trash bags for packing out
everything that you brought with you. As the saying goes,
leave only your footprints.
9. Be a good neighbor. In addition to the usual
admonitions not to be noisy and rowdy, help a fellow camper
who may be in need. Novice campers especially may need a
little help now and again.
10.~Realistic expectations result in a good time. More
fun can be had just by absorbing the experience and being
with family, even if it does rain the whole time.
Submit An Article
|
|
|
