Crazy For Camping?

by Glenn H. Kipps

Here are a few things you should know if you are new to camping. These tips, while broad in nature, will give you some idea on what you should bring to make your trip a great experience. The rest is just plain common sense.

First, expect to have a good time, but be prepared for the worst. For instance, it may not rain at all on your Camping Trip, but you should be prepared in case it does. Do not put your tent directly at the bottom of a hill. It is certain that it will flood in a torrential downpour. Make sure you have a sturdy tarp to keep you and your group dry. It should also be able to withstand the strong winds that often accompany a rain storm. Other things to be prepared for are cold weather, pesty insects, sickness, etc.

If you are hiking or canoeing, you should pack MRE’s (meals ready to eat) and other types of food that do not require cooking. In other words, you should pack light (the lighter the better). Save the cooking for when you get back to the [tag-tec]campsite[/tag-tec]. Some [tag-ice]campgrounds[/tag-ice] do not allow fires. Therefore, you should pack a camp stove just in case.

If you like comfort, be sure to invest in a quality air mattress with a quick pump. You should also bring mosquito netting so you do not get eaten alive while you are trying to sleep. Of course a comfy sleeping bag and a tent that doesn’t bleed (rain water seeping through the walls of the tent) are also big essentials.

Do not put a lot of leaves in your campfire. Leaves tend to make a fire smoke (getting more smoke than flame). You do not want to smoke out your neighbors. If there are quiet hours in the area you are camping, please observe them. It all boils down to respect for your camping neighbors.

On packing day, make sure you take all of your garbage with you (or if a facility is provided, use it) and leave the campsite the way you found it. When packing your gear, make sure it is dry. Wet camping gear can develop a musty smell and rot over time.

In conclusion, if you are new to camping, these broad tips should provide a nice foundation from which you can build. The rest is up to you.

By Glenn H. Kipps

In the world of camping, there are a few choices. You have wilderness camping, where one either hikes a few miles into the woods or paddles down the river for a while and sets up camp. With this type of camping, one should only bring what is needed to ensure their survival. Then there is back country camping, where one does not have to travel as far (maybe 1/4 to 1/2 mile from the beaten path). With this type of camping, one can bring a little more than the bare essentials because they do not need to travel as far. A couple of trips from the car is all it takes. Last, but not least, you have what is known as car camping. By car camping, I do not mean pulling over somewhere and falling asleep in the car. Car camping means that one can pull the car right up to the campsite. Campgrounds are the most common conduits for car camping. Car camping is the easiest way to camp because one can bring virtually anything. This is what I will be talking about in this article.

[tag-tec]Car camping[/tag-tec] is a great way to gather with friends and/or family because most people will not like to take a 10 mile hike in the woods with you. Of course, just like any [tag-ice]camping trip[/tag-ice], you need to take the essential camping tools for fire building, survival (i.e., first aid kit), shelter (tent), sleeping (sleeping bag), cooking, etc. However, you can bring as many extras as you like.

Some people prefer not to build a fire (although I can’t imagine why) and prefer to bring a grill. Then, there is the music factor. Some people bring radios. However, I just bring my car. The stereo in my Durango provides enough music for the whole camp. When my friends and I go camping, we take turns playing music from our cars. If you are with a group of partiers, you may want one from your group who has a truck to bring a couple of kegs of beer. It is always good to get everyone in your party to contribute for this one. If your car is equipped with video, feel free to bring a couple of DVDs. However, that would sort of take away from the experience. Bringing some games (or in our case, my friends and I invent them i.e., Flip Cup) can help with interaction. The point I am trying to make is that the possibilities are endless.

In conclusion, car camping is the easiest way to camp. Most people like the convenience of stepping out of the car and setting up camp. They also like the idea that they can bring whatever they want and not worry about carrying it. More often than not, if they have to carry things a great distance, people will leave their extras in the car.

by Glenn H. Kipps

One of the most overlooked, yet most important, items when planning a camping trip is the outdoor first aid kit. Most people think that their regular first aid kit they have at home is good enough. On the contrary, there are many missing items in a home first aid kit that could mean the difference between life and death. Additionally, there are certain accessories that are not part of a prestocked outdoor first aid kit that one should consider adding to their arsenal. In this article, I intend to go over those essential items that make up the anatomy of an outdoor first aid kit.

In addition to the usual band aids and ointments, there should also be splints for the occasional broken bone or sprain, ace bandages, adhesive tape, scissors, tweezers for extracting debris out of wounds such as splinters, sterile gloves, a snake bite kit (very important) and a [tag-tec]first aid guide[/tag-tec]. The guide is extremely important especially in life or death situations. If you do not know what you’re doing, you can kill someone. It is a good idea to go over the guide before going on a camping trip. This way, you can become familiar with it, so when it becomes time to use it, you can quick-reference it without taking the time to look at the table of contents. That extra minute wasted could be detrimental to the person needing your help. Also, if the guide provided in your first aid kit is not that good, buy a better one to replace it.

There are items that are not part of a [tag-ice]prestocked first aid kit[/tag-ice] that are also essential and should be added to your life saving arsenal. An extra cell phone should be with the first aid kit. If the injuries are serious enough, 911 can be reached and the patient can be med-evacced to a hospital. Sometimes, boiling water to purify it is not enough. Therefore, water purification tablets should also be in there. There should also be some kind of handheld GPS device for finding your way if you are lost. However, if you are good with a compass, that will suffice. Aspirin and other medications you may need, matches in a waterproof container and thermal blankets are other items that will have to purchased separately and added to your kit.

Last, but not least, it is important to take proper care of your outdoor first aid kit. It should be inspected regularly. Any items that are used are no longer sterile and should be discarded and replaced. Attending to a wound with unsterile instruments can be worse than not attending to the wound at all. Any medications that have reached or passed their expiration date should also be discarded and replaced. While they will not hurt you, expired medications have diminished or lost their potency and will not help you. It is important that you replace everything that you discard.

In conclusion, the anatomy of an outdoor first aid kit (what you put inside it), is very important to survival in the wilderness. The first aid kit is the most important item in anyone’s camping arsenal.