Basic Information for Your First Camping Trip
Don’t worry if you’ve never been camping before. If fact, you’re lack of experience may make some experienced campers a little jealous. You have the chance to experience an exciting camping adventure for the first time. Expert campers may know the finer points of what to wear, where to go and what to pack; but you can have a great trip with a moderate amount of knowledge and little or no previous experience.
Consider Your Camping Gear
Regardless of the destination, you will want to take some time investigating what camping gear you’ll need. Some essential items are a lightweight tent and a comfortable sleeping bag. There are plenty of excellent choices that use modern design and materials. Of course you have options other than a tent or sleeping. You may wish to stay in a local motel, cabin or even a vehicle.
In place of a tent, a Large Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) can provide better protection against adverse weather. You could take a tent along with a SUV so you can ‘rough it’ in the tent but still have a comfortable back up just in case. Another great option is a Recreational Vehicle (RV) which can be available in a variety of sizes. For people that wish to take the comforts of home with them, some smaller RVs have a stove, running water, a TV, and can comfortably sleep two. Some larger RVs can serve as a permanent mobile home.
Cooking Supplies and Lighting
A couple aspects of camping that have been influence by well designed products are food preparation and lighting the camp site. It will serve you well to investigate your cooking needs before hand because it can be difficult to cook outdoors. However, stoves like a Coleman fuel stove or other propane stoves simplify outdoor cooking. There are a lot of options for lighting as well. There a several types of lanterns ranging from liquid fuel to battery powered lamps. You certainly will not want to forget a handy flash light.
Communication and Navigation
You cannot make the assumption that you will have cell phone or internet access at your camping location. If you need to have such communication, be sure that you have selected your location accordingly. Depending on how far away from civilization you plan to get, a good GPS unit could be a very important piece of equipment to have. If getting lost is of any concern, it would be a good idea to understand how the GPS unit works and to get familiar with maps of the area. Being knowledgeable about the surrounding area is very important.
Proper Planning Is Key
If you want to avoid a lot of potential headaches, do some advanced planning. Since camping is becoming more popular than ever, it helps to decide on a destination and make any necessary reservations as early as possible. You should also consider more than just the destination itself. Be sure to research any poisonous plant life or local wildlife that you may encounter. Checking the weather is also important. Knowing what weather to expect will help when choosing what camping gear to take.
Where Can You Go?
If you live in the U.S. there are plenty of great locations to choose from, however, you do not have to limit yourself to only U.S. destinations. There are excellent campsites the world over. Canada and Europe, with impressive scenic locations, have been popular with campers for generations.
You will find plenty of options in Greece or Portugal. The UK alone has a multitude of sites in several countries. You can visit the calm seas in wild Wales or the wild seas of the Orkneys. Perhaps you would prefer to head inland to the Midlands. Some of the most diverse scenery of any country exists in the UK. If not the UK, maybe the Black Forest of Germany is to your liking.
No Need to Wait
First and foremost you should just have fun. You don’t have to wait until you’re an expert to get out and enjoy yourself. After all, it should be an adventure, not a homework assignment.