This summer, millions of Americans across the country will take a break from the daily grind by embarking on a camping trip. If you plan to be one of them, you’re likely looking forward to cooking over a fire, spending time outdoors and fishing and hiking with your friends and family. However, if you’ve camped before, you likely know that things don’t always go as planned: it might rain all week, your campsite could be attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes, or you might forget to put ice in the cooler, to name only a few common problems. Fortunately, with a few easy tips, you can roll with the punches and have a great time, regardless of miserable weather, insects and other issues. Read on for some great tips for your next camping trip!
Do Your Research
When you’re planning the trip, make sure to do a little research on the campground and the local area. Does the campground have any rules about tents, camping coolers, pets and other common campsite features? Is the area particularly rainy or prone to summer storms? Is there a town or some sort of convenience store nearby that you can use to pick up anything you might forget or need? Checking this information first can be invaluable if a problem arises, and might even keep you from being kicked out of the park.
Bring Bug Protection Insects aren’t just an annoyance: mosquitoes, fleas and ticks can all transmit diseases to humans and animals, making planning ahead for your various activities an important part of any camping trip. Typically, it is recommended that people wear proper clothing, such as socks and long pants, to prevent various bites. You can also keep insects away from the campsite with store-bought citronella candles, sprays and more. However, you can also go natural by burning sage and making a homemade spray out of tea tree oil and water to prevent tick bites. But if you do develop a few mosquito bites, try rubbing some bar soap on the injury to stop the itching.
Pack Food Like a Pro
The first step to this is making sure you have the right camping cooler for the job: with a variety of cooler sizes and styles, it should be easy to find a camping cooler that can fit all of your food but still be maneuvered from the car to the campsite and back again. However, if you’re planning a fishing trip or heading to an area with bears, you may want to invest in a marine cooler or heavy duty coolers to keep your food safe. Next, make sure you bring a variety of easy-to-pack snacks, meals and drinks; planning ahead can help you avoid scrambling to come up with a meal when you’re tired from a long day hiking. To keep your items cold, some people recommend freezing jugs of water instead of ice instead of buying bags of ice as an easy way to keep your food cold while also ensuring that you have plenty of water.
What camping tips do you use to keep your camping trips fun and relaxing? Tell us about them in the comments below!
