Your First Camping Trip

The idea of pitching a tent next to a lake is romantic. Time and again you've imagined hiking along trails, taking in the sights and sounds of the outdoors replete with the rush of wind in the trees. You'd like to try it, too, but the idea of an outdoor vacation seems formidable. You've never set foot in an outdoor store, and kind of think these places are for hunters, fishermen, and hard-core survivalists. There's so much to know, and you want to know it, especially when everyone at work seems to return from their outdoor vacations relaxed, tanned, and happy.

Your decision to embark on your first extended encounter with nature is usually surrounded by some uncertainties. Irrational questions pop into your head: Where will we camp? What will we eat? How do we find our campsite? And what if we don't? What if we forget something? Do we have the right equipment?

We will try to lessen the fear, anticipation, and bewilderment that goes with planning any vacation. Just because the wilderness beckons this time doesn't mean that the right amount of planning can't help you ride out some of the inevitable bumps in the road—or should we say trail. Nothing goes completely right. But isn't that why we like to camp in the first place?

Preparation and Planning

You don't need every piece of specialized camping gear now. Borrow or rent equipment the first time around until you're convinced that camping outdoors is for you! Plan short weekend trips with friends if you're new to camping and hiking. Of the many shared experiences, nature always offers indelible memories. Browse through state and federal brochures when planning an outdoor vacation. There are literally millions of acres of prime camping and hiking land under the control of the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, and the National Forest Service. Understand that the wilderness can be overwhelming for some. If you're traveling with a group, have someone act as a group leader.

Getting Ready - When starting out, you're not going to need the best of everything, and you can scrounge around for the items that can be called into duty.
Where to Camp - finding National Parks, State Parks, and other public Wilderness areas
"Luxury Camping" - easy ways to make your "roughing it" camping trip a little less rough.
Camping Checklists - make a list and check it twice. Expect that something will be forgotten, and try to improvise.
Meeting the Animals and Bugs of Mother Nature - you're likely to encounter wildlife in the woods. The chances of coming face-to-face with an animal, is pretty remote, but you'll probably hear plenty of animals doing their thing.
Avoiding Ticks - In grassy eastern woodlands deer ticks may be a hazard because they carry Lyme disease
Ground Rules for Respecting Nature - There is no garbage pickup in the wilderness; you'll have to “pack out” most of whatever garbage you bring in.
Gauging Your Abilities - If you're new to camping, or are bringing the family, make sure you don't plan an activity that is out of your league.
Camping Safety - Safety on the trail has much to do with whether adventurers are traveling solo.
Unexpected Stuff Happens When Camping - Now that you're high on venturing into the great outdoors, there is the chance that nature won't cooperate.

Different Ways to Camp

Chances are that you know the person (or people) you're traveling with, and know they can improvise and contribute something to your trip, whether it's a sense of humor or some camping skills. This section discusses various camping situations and reveals that, in most cases, traveling with others, whether family members or good friends, is the most fun and rewarding part of a trip.

Choose a guided trip if you can't rustle up others to go with you. Make lists of provisions needed for an outdoor vacation. Children can fit into an outdoor vacation. Just remember to take along some amusements for them, and to introduce them in advance to the idea of the outdoors. Refuse the urge to "get on with" an itinerary. The idea of an outdoor vacation should be to progress at a leisurely pace, and to take time to stop and smell the flowers.

How Many People Should Come Along? - A group can consist of two or more people, but camping with more than six people can be problematic.
Family Camping - Family camping usually means gearing up for a camping or hiking trip with one or more relatives, and typically means at least camping with a spouse.
Guided Camping Trips - For first-time adventurers (or those not especially confident about taking off by themselves the first time), going with a guide may be the best way.
Solo Camping Trips - Guided treks can be a great getaway—that said, there are times when traveling solo is preferable to visiting the wilderness with someone else.
Travelling To Your Camping Destination - In most cases you'll have to figure out how to get to your camping destination yourself.
Enjoying Your Camping Trip - Take time to enjoy the fresh air, stop and sit down for a few minutes every once in a while, and take your time if possible.

When and Where to Camp

Not everyone lives a stone's throw from a slice of wilderness—and not everyone can afford more than three days just to get to a place resembling wilderness. Most, however, can get somewhere in three to four hours with a little planning. While some self-styled outdoor snoots turn their noses up at camping from the trunk of a car, so-called “car camping” may be the best way to enjoy a short visit to the outdoors. And whether they are willing to admit it or not, a good many “advanced” outdoorspeople began appreciating wilderness this way, and got more adventurous later on.

Car Camping - For now, car camping may be an ideal way for those short on time and skills to get to the edge of the wilderness and take in some of the joys of an outdoor vacation.
Finding Quiet Locations in Crowded Campgrounds - Unfortunately, not all campers regard camping as a chance to a have a quiet commune with nature.
Finding Good Campsites - good campgrounds offer hiking trails, biking trails, lakes, and opportunities for swimming and enjoying the simpler pleasures of exercise.
Avoiding Crowded Campgrounds - No matter what kind of camping you have in mind, the likelihood of experiencing its downside hinges on the time of year you head to the country.
Cold Weather Camping - Spring and fall ushers in all kinds of weather. Be prepared to handle rain and colder weather, particularly at night.

All About Tents

Nothing is quite like the peacefulness of sleeping in a tent beneath a sky profusely speckled with twinkling stars. Fresh, unpolluted air is all around you, and you fall into a deep sleep listening to the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. But what if a torrential downpour were to ruin your dreams? Instead of drifting off to sleep, the scene changes to one where the wind howls in the darkness and rain pelts down on the thin nylon that separates you from the cold, cruel realities of conditions outside. A good tent, properly pitched, will provide protection from the worst weather conditions. A tent is a portable cottage—something you can erect in minutes, into which you can throw yourself and your equipment after a long day of camping. In this section, you'll learn about tents and their contribution to the overall pleasure of the camping experience.

Buying a Tent - Tents can be your most important piece of equipment when you're faced with heavy weather.
Pitching a Tent - always remember one Golden Rule: Practice pitching a tent before heading off on your camping trip.

All About Sleeping Bags

Getting the right sleeping bag is important. Not only is it one of the big three investments you have to make (the others are a tent and—for hikers—a backpack), it is also one piece of equipment that will add to your enjoyment of the whole trip. And a satisfied outdoor vacationer is, well, a happy camper. Believe it or not, choosing a sleeping bag may seem more complicated than selecting a tent. Sleeping bags come in a wide range of designs and shapes, filled with a variety of natural and synthetic materials. Choosing a sleeping bag, however, is a relatively simple matter. The main thing to remember when shopping for a sleeping bag is that its main function is to keep you warm on chilly nights. Ideally, it should also be as comfortable to sleep in as your bedding at home. Think of a sleeping bag as part of a whole comfort system that begins with the tent and ends with a soft sleeping mat underneath. In-between, there's you, tucked away and warm in your sleeping bag. A good sleeping bag costs $100 and up.

Types of Sleeping Bags - Sleeping bags work by trapping warm air created by the body to prevent it from cooling off.
Synthetic vs. Down Sleeping Bags - The warmth and insulating properties of any sleeping bag are related to what material, and how much, it is filled with. You will have two basic choices of fill: synthetics or down.
Sleeping Bag Construction, Care, & Cleaning - how sleeping bags are made, and how to care for and clean them.
Sleeping Pads and Air Mattresses - Besides the cocoon, you'll require some kind of sleeping mat to soften out the bumps in the ground.

Becoming an Outdoor Gourmet Chef

How Much Food Should You Bring? - Success in the wilderness kitchen depends on planning—a lot of it.
Putting Together a Camping Menu - Putting together a decent menu in the outdoors is a bit of a challenge if you're carrying your food into the woods.
Keeping Yourself Hydrated - Humans and most animals can survive without eating for long periods of time. But without regular doses of water, dehydration can result in heatstroke and hypothermia.
Camping Grills - are they worth the hassle?
Choosing a Camp Stove - Without a reliable source of heat for cooking, outdoor mealtime can be a major disappointment.
Setting Up Stoves, Camp Ovens, & Other Cooking Gadgets - When you go to buy your stove, you'll probably encounter a range of other cooking apparatus.
The Bottom Line - if you only remember a few things, remember these things.

Fishing on Your Camping Trip

Choosing a Portable Rod-and-Reel - The first thing you'll need to buy is a good, lightweight rod and reel.
Choosing Your Fishing Tackle - Now that you've got your rod and reel, you're also going to need something to put on the end of your line to attract the fish.
Catching Your First Fish - Catching a fish is a lot like playing a good game of poker. You can't change the cards you're dealt, but you can change the way you play them. Luck is involved, but skill is just as important.
Types of Fish and Where to Catch Them - The first thing you need to know is what types of fish can be found in the wildlife area you will be exploring.
Cleaning and Cooking Your Fish - It's easy to clean and cook your fish.
The Bottom Line - if you only remember a few things, remember these things.

Low-Impact Camping

Be Kind to Mother Nature - It's encouraging to see so many embracing nature, but also discouraging to see how nature is being treated by her many visitors.
Selecting a Camp Site - Choose an established campsite whenever possible. The damage to nature at these sites has already been done—and largely confined—to these areas.
Leaving the Campground the Way You Found It - Can you cover up the areas where you've trodden over again and again on your way to the campfire? Have you left holes where the tent was pegged into the ground that need to be filled with earth?
Avoiding Crowded Camping Areas - Summer is the height of the camping season, and it is probably when nature will beckon you into the wilderness—along with loads of others looking for a way to escape city heat and humidity.
Personal Hygiene in the Woods - The time has come to learn how to responsibly handle the ugly matter of disposing of human waste in the wilderness. Indelicate, yes. Important, absolutely.
Building Low-Impact Campfires - Campfires are lovely things to relax around at the end of the day. They can be used for cooking, and they are sources of warmth on cool evenings.
The Bottom Line - if you only remember a few things, remember these things.