Revolution RV

By: John J. Baker
Among the many useful camping tips, safety is the most important tip to consider. Familiarizing yourself with the area or bringing a navigational tool, for instance, are important, but you should also be sure to have at least a basic first aid kit.

Every camper wishes for the perfect, injury-free trip, but obviously there is no guarantee which is why a proper first aid kit should at least include bandages of varying sizes, scissors and antibiotic ointment or crème. Be sure to purchase a kit containing all of the essential items you may need, though hopefully will not. If you ultimately find yourself in a position to need such items, you will then understand the importance of safety and first aid preparation.

Other important tips include brining a night light to use at night when outside the tent. Not only does this make returning to the campsite easier at night, it also deters possible intruders. A night light also provides lighting in the dark to help prevent falls or injuries while walking around the campsite.

Now, you may be in a reserved campsite area, but you still must consider the local wildlife. It is always a good idea to keep food off the ground and secured in you car or a camping trailer. Many campers hang their food up in the trees, which can help, but secured in a car or trailer is the number one option. It is not strangely uncommon for bears to enter campgrounds looking for food, in addition to squirrels or raccoons which will also search campgrounds for food.

Though there are many items you will want to pack, some are more essential than others. For instance, aluminum foil is very important for cooking as it makes it not only the cooking easier but also the clean up easier. You should also bring water purifying tables in the event the water tastes odd, as well as insect repellent, clothing for any type of weather, and a car charger for your mobile phone if you have one. Of course, don’t forget the cell phone which is a smart item to bring camping in case of emergency.

If there will be children with you, be sure to have things for them to do such as bikes, board games and even a small portable DVD player for movies. A playpen is a good idea if toddlers will be joining you.

If you are brining pets on your camping trip, you will want to keep them in a shaded area and out of the direct sunlight. A small pop-up tent, like a child’s play tent, is perfect for pets. Simply place the water and food nearby outside the tent entrance and they will be content.

These are only a few tips you will want to consider when preparing for an outdoor vacation such as camping. Some other useful tips can be found online at various camping websites to help ensure you have a smooth, fun journey to the great outdoors!

By: Brenda Williams
There are a good majority of people who have gone camping at some point in their lives. Usually, you hear about children going camping with the girl scouts and/or boy scouts. For example, when I was in the girl scouts, when I was younger, we all went camping at this camp site out in the woods of New York. It was a lot of fun; we built camp fires, set up our bedding in these little log cabins that held about fiver of six of us and went on hikes and learned about nature stuff. It was actually really informative, and I’ll never forget it. Adults still go camping too. For instance, some friends of mine go camping every year in the mountains of North Carolina.

They make an entire weekend trip out of it where they’ll drive out together and actually set up tents at designated camp sites. However, since we are now adults and are chaperoning ourselves, we have to be aware of certain things when we go camping: First of all, know where you are planning to go. There are plenty of designated camp sites online that you can check out and see the reviews for. If you feel so inclined, do a “dry run” by the camp grounds to get a better feel for the type of people that you’re going to be camping around.

Make sure that you are somewhat familiar with the surrounding area in the event of an emergency. Sure, you can practice a little frontier medicine, but make sure that you know the name of the place that you are staying, and be well versed enough that if you had to give someone else directions to where you are, you would be able to do that. Make sure that you pack enough blankets, and rain gear- things that are water proof. Check over your tent and other equipment to make sure that they are free of holes, etc. and are in good working order. Unless you’re really planning on roughing it, make sure that you pack plenty of food and water.

Does the camp site have showering facilities? If not, be sure to pack hygiene products for yourself. There are lots of nifty things backpackers, hikers and campers can buy at local outdoors-types of stores. If you’re planning on cooking or eating, there are tons of portable thermoses, spoons, tin bowls and the like. Keep in mind that you’re camping and not staying at a four star hotel. The sooner you remind yourself of this, the better off you’ll be.

Some other things you may want to bring with you include: deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, wet wipes, soap, shampoo and conditioner, toys and games (for children), plastic backed mats (i.e. picnic mat) that won’t leak through if the ground is wet, barbecue for camp fire, tinder, fuel and an axe for chopping wood, camp chairs, matches, other lighting (i.e. flashlights, candles, tent lamp), and toilet paper. Also read up on some other general rules for camp safety such as the dangers in leaving food out to attract other wildlife (ex: bears). It will serve you well in the end!