Beginner Camping Tips
Camping Tips, Information And Advice To Help Beginners Get Started And Prepared With Their Camping Trip.
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Before setting out on your first tent camping trip, you need to know how to build a camping tent. By preparing yourself with the needed knowledge for building a camping tent before you leave for the campgrounds, you will be ready to enjoy your camping vacation and be able to avoid any time consuming mishaps. Learning how to build a camping tent also known as pitching a tent, involves only a few simple steps. Following are some camping tips that will help you successfully learn how to build a camping tent. Keeping these simple pointers in mind will have you well on your way to learning how to build a camping tent.
As your home away from home, it’s important to choose the tent for camping that will serve the needs of you and your family so that you remain safe, comfortable, and can enjoy your camping vacation. One of the most important things to consider when looking at a tent for camping is where you plan to use it.
• Find flat and high ground to build your camping tent on. High ground will help your tent and sleeping bags stay dry in case of rain, and level ground will make building your tent easier and allow you to get more comfortable rest during the night.
• Use a tarp or ground cloth. This piece of supplementary gear for your camping tent is cheap to purchase, as low as ten dollars, and will help keep your tent dry during wet weather. A tarp or ground cloth under your tent will also protect it from rocks and other ground materials that may tear or damage your camping tent.
• Your tent will most likely come with stacks, and it is a good idea to stack your tent to the ground. Simply hammer in the stacks with a heavy rock or hammer on each side to secure your tent. This will prevent the tent from being blown if you experience winds and will also keep it from moving while you are inside of the tent.
If you plan to do winter camping or even cold altitude camping in warmer climates, then you would want to look for a four season tent. If you are alone, then obviously you won’t need as much space as if you need to fit a family of six into your tent for camping. Or, if you prefer, you can still have some privacy for the people in your group while camping under one ‘roof’ by purchasing a tent that has flaps which act as dividers inside the tent in order to create 2 or more interior ‘rooms.
You should also invest in a good ground sheet to reinforce the tent for camping and protect it from rips, tears and wear, as well as to keep the groundwater away from you
Keeping these simple pointers in mind will have you well on your way to learning how to build a camping tent. Also, remember never to build your camping tent within twenty feet of your grill or campfire.
by Philippe De Tiege
Many people are turning to camping as aninexpensive vacation this year. But to ensure you have a fun and enjoyable time, remember these do’s and don’ts.
Do’s
1) Have Fun – Enjoy being with your family and friends spent quality time together. Remember the important things in life and make memories with those you love.
2) Plan your Meals and Snacks Ahead of Time – Planning what you and your campers will eat for each meal and which night will ensure you have enough food for your camping trip. Always pack some canned goods and some peanut butter in case you need some extra food.
3) Use a Checklist – When packing for your camping trip, do use a checklist to make sure you bring all the items you will need. You don’t want to get out camping and find out you forgot the tent, sleeping bags, shoes, warm clothes, or pillows.
Don’ts
1) Don’t forget the bug spray – Nothing will ruin a good time camping faster than getting eaten alive by bugs.
2) Don’t leave your campfire when still hot – It is extremely important to extinguish your campfire properly before you go to bed for the night or leave your campsite.
3) Don’t Litter – Remember to pack you trash out with you. Mom always told you to leave a place better than when you found it. Apply this to your campsite and don’t leave trash, cans, or bottles in the forest. So, remember to follow these do’s and don’ts to make your next camping trip a fun and enjoyable one.
So, what’s our experience you want to know? Whom are we to tell you what to do about camping?
Instead of asking more questions, read the entire article and by the time you are finished you will have all the answers.
Before you go anywhere, decide what kind of camping experience you want. Are you looking for real rugged, outdoors along with bears? Then choose most of the Pennsylvania State Parks. Looking for more civilized camping, try the New York State Parks.
Know that camping inside a state park is no safer than camping or living anywhere else in the country.
So, security, health and safety should be on your mind before you begin your trip.
As a beginner, you will do well by first calling the state parks office and asking for a map of the place and any or all brochures of the campsites. You can find this information online also at the park’s websites.
IF this is your first time camping out, take a buddy, and also choose a campsite that is closest to the park office (if there is one) and closest to the bathrooms, showers or soda machines. (Some sites have those).
Look at the map and note whether there are bathrooms or outhouses (Yes, there are some that still have outhouses, i.e. in Pennsylvania and in Ohio). Choose what you like and then select your park or campsite.
Research the temperature of the climate that you will be visiting; check for upcoming storms and bad weather . PLAN your trip.
INQUIRE about the park’s regulations on animals. (You can find out if you can bring a pet or not).
Do not bring any pets, even if allowed into certain country campsites (where there might be wildlife). You risk your pet getting diseases and you risk your pet getting eaten, maimed or killed. You also attract bears by bringing pets into the campsites. (Some campsites have bears because they are in the middle of game lands or in the middle of vast state parks).
IF you must bring a pet, bring a kennel, minimal wet food, and bring gear to dispose of the food and waste. (Leave no trace)!
If you want a campsite that has it’s own library (in camp season), visit Wildwood State Park in New Jersey.
If you want a real wilderness experience, visit most of the Pennsylvania state parks.
If you want “civilized” camping, (with real showers, restrooms, electricity to charge your phones, water spigots at campsites) try Hecksher State Park in Long Island, New York.
If you want to feel like you have been to HEAVEN-on earth- make your reservation nine months in advance and reserve your spot at Hither Hills State Park in the Hamptons, New York. This place is every bit worth the wait and the preparation. (Bring zip lock bags and waterproof bags because this is the wettest campsite around – just a few feet from our ocean). We woke up in the morning and found EVERYTHING damp – money soaked, etc, even though we camped 30 feet from the ocean and the ocean never touched out campsite. The moisture in this place is unbelievable. (If you bring electronics here – your phone, etc, bring a water bucket and store your electronics in there to keep them dry.
Those, listed above, are just the basics.
Other things to prepare for. What if it rains? You can buy a small tarp at the dollar store or at any hardware store. Place this tarp over your tent if it rains. Most tents are not waterproof and even the ones that advertise that can be a little wet in a bad storm.
THINGS TO KEEP YOU DRY:
Old, clean shower curtains.
Tarps.
Old, clean plastic table cloths.
Rain ponchos (as opposed to rain coats). Ponchos , large ones can double as tent cover.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Keep food OUT of the tent at all times. This gives you good camping background training. Even if you are camping out in a place where there is no wildlife, get into the habit of eating OUTSIDE and far from your tent. Then when you do camp out where there are bears, you already have good camping habits. Besides, keeping food out is the same as keeping uncovered food out of your bedroom. You do not want to attract bugs or other creatures that might be hiding anywhere in the building or anywhere outdoors.
At Hecksher State Park, you might find unwelcome visitors (little people) trying to come in your tent when you are gone (to the pool, etc), so bring along “cable ties” and use them to lock your tent up while you are away . Cut the ties with a manicure scissor or small wire cutter when you return. You can purchase cable ties anywhere in most cities. This cable tie lets you know if anyone has “visited” your campsite while you were away. If the cable tie is broken when you get back, fully inspect your tent for rips, bugs and other creatures that might have entered while your tent was being visited. It is important to check for spiders in this campsite. Spiders are rampant all over Hecksher. You see them when you take the fly off of your tent before leaving. You will view unbelievable collections of spiders under and near your tent.
When camping with kids or camping and using ‘gear” – baseballs etc. Set up a tiny ‘gear tent”. You can buy a child’s tent for under twelve dollars. By storing gear in this separate tent, you save wear and tear on your regular tent’s zipper and also keep the tent CLOSED to all the insects and other things around the campsite. You will sleep better at night knowing that your main tent zipper was only opened a few times as opposed to having the door opened continuously all day to get “gear” out. This saves the floor of your tent also.
If you are determined to have a dry tent in a very rainy season or wet campsite. Put a large TARP on the floor of your tent. This will keep most of the floor dry and will make you happy.
Many people use TARPS on the outside of the tent, under the tent, so they have no messy mud on the bottom of the tent when they are ready to pack up. (YOU can have mud on the floor bottom, underneath, even if it is not raining outside; so use the tarps). IF You use the outdoors tarp under your tent, the tarp must be SMALLER than the bottom of the tent. You do not want any of the tarp sticking outside the tent on the floor. If that happens, all the rain will pool in the small bits of tarp that show and the rain will seep underneath your entire tent.
VITALLY IMPORTANT:
If you are camping at a NEW place for the first time and you have children or babies that you are bringing on this camping trip – PLAN a trip BEFORE your regular camping trip and go there without the children or babies. Camp there alone first.
We did this once, just as a precaution. We didn’t know anything about Hecksher and we went camping there first before we planned to take children there. Good Plan!!
What we discovered is that this particular state park is the QUEEN of Mosquito Heaven! Within less then 20 minutes that we were there, we had mosquito bites all over our body. (This doesn’t happen at all parks. Hecksher is notorious for mosquitoes and spiders.
So, on the regular trip with the kids, we took lots of repellent and we knew what to do .
So, when camping ANYWHERE with children, visit the site yourself first–without bringing the kids, just in case there is something that you should know about that particular camping site.
Wherever you camp, these things are essential:
water-tight bags, water proof bags
flashlights, batteries, or solar flashlights
plastic bucket or pail
soap and disinfectant
bug spray
tarps/ tent /tarp
and other camping basics (Read our other articles about camping)
Water and or the ability to find or locate water (pack iodine water-purifying pills if you can)
There is nothing worse than driving to the campground, finding the perfect campsite, opening up the trunk, and finding that you forgot to pack your sleeping bag, a can opener, or worse yet, the tent itself! So, before heading out on your next camping trip, plan ahead and make a list of the absolute necessities you will need to bring with you to the campsite. You can use this camping gear checklist or make one yourself and add your own camping gear necessities as you see fit. Check off each item as you pack up the car or prepare everything ahead of time and keep them in large storage bins that you can just carry out together for those last minute camping excursions.
Shelter is the most important thing you need to consider for any camping trip, whether it is for just one night at the nearby lake in the middle of spring or for an entire week at a campsite three states away in the dead of winter. Your camping shelter necessities should include a tent that is made for the terrain and weather conditions, tent stakes to keep the tent from blowing away, a sleeping bag with an appropriate temperature rating, and a tarp to protect your camping gear or to be used with your tent for added protection from cold, sun, or rain. You might also want to add a sleeping pad, a pillow, or rope to use with the tarp for added comfort.
Cooking gear is the next most important camping necessity every camper needs to consider. Unless you are trying to become the next contestant on Survivor, you will want to take with you the necessary items needed to cook any food you brought, caught, or shot! Your camping cooking necessities should include a cooler, butane lighter, propane camping stove, extra propane, pots and pans, a can opener, and one set of dishes and utensils for each person in your camping party. Of course, do not forget about bottled water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning, as well as whatever food items you want to bring with you on your camping trip. Also, bring along a bag of charcoal to use in the campground grill!
Personal hygiene is another important concern when packing for your next camping trip. Unless you really want to be roughing it you should make sure you have the following hygiene items with you on all your outdoor adventures. You will need your tooth brush, toothpaste, soap, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, wash rag, towel, nail clippers, and contact lens solution. If you are really concerned with how you look (and perhaps smell) to the other campers, you might also want to include a hairbrush, razor, dental floss, and unscented deodorant. Anything you bring with you that has an odor will only attract bugs or animals to your campsite, so avoid scented products.
First aid and safety is the final thing you should worry about when it comes to your camping gear necessities. You never know what adventures your camping trip will bring you, so you need to be prepared for both the best and the worst. You can buy a premade first aid kit or put one together yourself that includes any medications you take, aspirin, antiseptic cream, burn ointment, sunburn lotion, sun block, hydrogen peroxide, snake bite kit, eye wash, Band-Aids, medical tape, gauze, scissors, and tweezers. For your personal camping safety, you should also be sure to pack a flashlight, extra batteries, compass, cell phone, utility knife, pen and paper, water filter, whistle, and a small toolkit.
Bringing these camping gear necessities will ensure you a comfortable and safe camping trip, no matter where or when you go. From here everything else you bring with you on your camping trip is for your own personal comfort and enjoyment, so add those camping items as you see fit and enjoy the great outdoors!
There is more to a good Budget Camping Gear checklist than a tent, sleeping bags, and clothes. (Read the first part of Creating Budget Camping Gear Camp Supply List for more info on these items.) You will also want to include the right food, cooking and kitchen supplies, and a variety of other camping items on your checklist.
Camp cooking and preparing your favorite budget camping gear recipes is one of the best parts of a budget camping gear camping trip. Take care to include everything you need to prepare your meals, eat, and clean up. Many campgrounds provide charcoal grills at each campsite as well as picnic tables. If you are planning to use the facility grill, remember charcoal, and bring a table cloth, as well as table clips for breezy days.
You may also want a camp stove or a budget camping gear grill. Bring along plenty of fuel to last through your trip, matches, and fire starters, as well. Skewers, camp forks, camp grills, and broiler baskets are all ideal for cooking over the open fire. You will also want camp cookware, pots, pans, and a Dutch oven, depending on the camping recipes you plan to prepare. Don’t forget the cooking utensils, spatulas, knives, and lids for your pots, as well as potholders or oven mitts. An extra folding table may come in handy for budget camping gear cooking and you will want plenty of garbage bags to dispose of your trash and leftovers.
Avid campers often keep a set of dishes for camping trips, while some use paper plates and plastic utensils. Whichever you prefer, be sure to include them on your camping supply list. Plates, bowls, cups, mugs, and eating utensils are a must. You may also need measuring cups, a can opener, and other specialty utensils like peelers or shredders. Other important camp cooking items include dish soap, a dishpan, dish cloths and towels, and scrub pads for dirty pots and pans. Heavy duty aluminum foil is a camping necessity and you will want to remember cooking spray and storage containers as well.
Your camping supply list may include several coolers and, after a few family camping trips, you will see how useful more than one cooler can be. The Coleman 50 Qt. ice chest and 9 Qt. Excursion cooler combo is ideal. A chest cooler is great for your campsite to hold soft drinks, juice, water, and perishable foods, while a smaller 6 pack cooler is perfect for visiting the beach or taking to the pool.
There are several other items you should considering including on your camping checklist. Keep your maps, guidebooks, and any reservation confirmations nearby for easy access. Don’t forget sunscreen, bug repellent, and lip balm, as well as a pocket knife or multipurpose tool, flashlight, a camping lantern, and extra batteries, bulbs, and fuel for gas, kerosene, or propane lanterns.
Regardless of where you are camping or how long your trip will last, one of the most important items on your budget camping gear camp checklist is a good first aid kit. It is a good idea to carry an emergency kit in your vehicle at all times and especially important while camping. If you are planning day hikes, boating outings, horseback riding, or other outdoor activities, you will want a smaller first aid kit that can fit inside your day pack as well.
As November passes quickly, it is time to start thinking about buying Christmas gifts. Here’s a primer on unique Christmas gift ideas for people who like to go camping.
Unique Camping Gifts
Camping enthusiasts love to get away from the rat race and just take in the majesty of Mother Nature. If you’re shopping for person that likes to go camping, here are a few unique camping gift ideas.
1. National Parks Pass – Some of the best camping locations are in the United States National Parks system. Yosemite, Glacier Park and so on provide simply stunning scenery and absolutely tremendous camping opportunities. The National Park Pass grants admission to all of the National Parks for one year. The National Parks Pass costs $49.99. 80 percent of the proceeds go to the preservation of the parks.
2. Play & Freeze Ice Cream Maker – This cool little gadget lets you make ice cream on the fly while camping. In the form of a plastic ball, you simply add rock salt and ice to one end and provided ice cream to the other. Seal it up and start rolling it around like a soccer ball. Before you know it, you’ll have ice cream. This very cool gadget will run you $30.
3. Fold Away Food Covers – While getting back to nature is a blast, insects become annoying. The Fold Away Food Covers act as a little tent you can put over food to keep the little buggers off. The covers fold up and easily stored making them the ideal camping accessories. Coghlan’s covers are the best. You’ll spend $5 or so for the covers, a very small price for keeping food insect free.
4. Nomad Camping Journals – A little self-promotion here. Nomad Camping Journals are compact writing journals that let campers keep notes and a record of their camping trips. Really great for creating a record of who was on the trip, how the trip went, other places to try and so on. The camping journals are great keepsakes for adults and something to do for kids during down times. As the trips add up over the years, you’ll enjoy reading about past trips. You can use a three ring binder to make notes about your trip and maps and fees (for the budget)
Camping is a great way to escape the chaos of daily life and provides plenty of gift buying ideas. Get out there and enjoy the world!
In case you really enjoy camping then its better you buy advanced camping equipments for camping which will make you a true camping enthusiast from being a regular camper. And if you are not that much of an enthusiast of camping, then you have not had the true enjoyment of camping yet and may be you are not aware of the things your are supposed to buy of advanced camping equipments which are available to bring comforts to you when on camping trip.
Like any other field or hobby, technology advancement has benefited camping from past few decades.As a result we have advanced camping equipments for convenience during camping .Every kind of camping gear is available that you may want to buy. First of all, there are different apparels which are specific in design for camping or any other similar kind of outdoor activities which gives many options in limited number of clothes. There are pants which are with zip off legs and also shirts which are with zip off sleeves.
Jackets are with number of layers of material. Also even undergarments have been developed to give you few choices and also which do not take much of your space in your camping backpack.Advanced camping equipments also include a good quality camping shoes which are sturdy, with flexible soles will make hiking very pleasant particularly if have heated socks for keeping your toes warm.
The basic of every camping equipment is backpacks whether advanced or not, but for advanced camping equipments these backpacks are ergonomically modeled and designed to protect campers from back pains as in advanced camping equipments the backpacks are scientific in distributing the weight of the stuff you carrying evenly across you body, efficiently and which is also least burdensome, which means you can carry more with less strain on your back.
Different types are made for men, women and children. These ergonomically designed backpacks may also have compartments which further gives you the choice of removing some compartments to carry only the selected equipments. These backpacks are also waterproof which means are designed to keep your belongings and other stuff dry which need not be stashed in the tent to keep them safe.
When you are done with hiking and want to sit down for dinner, having fire to get your meals ready is not necessary anymore as there are personal and miniature stoves available for this, to boil water, or you can cook anything you desire.You can also carry a fuel canister easily. There are also water filters available for potable water. It does not matter where you camp, you can be comfortable with these advanced camping equipments.
For navigation purposes, advanced camping equipments includes different advanced things which are due to technological advancement. It depends on where you camp; you may have internet access and also your mobile network coverage which will keep you connected with the rest of the world and especially about the weather. You can also use radios which pick stations even if your are miles away. Safety lights which never exhaust their batteries can be seen from far away and also portable GPS systems can also be used .This way you will never get lost and can find your way always when with these advanced camping equipments
by Abhishek Agarwal
Camping trip is another word foradventure. To make your head spin with excitement you should have all aspects of the trip all planned out. This will include certain items. While the camping trip and the place where you will stay are important there are some others that you will need to look into. These items will be under the heading of camping equipment.
As you look into the various camper rental accommodations available you will need to check what sort of facilities are provided at these places. Knowing these details will help you to plan on the camping equipment that you can use to make the trip more enjoyable. As some camping sites will include lots of outdoor activities you might want to include some sporting equipment with the rest of your gear.
Once you have gotten your camping trip all sorted out you can begin to see what camping equipment is needed. In general many of us know what the general camping equipment is. Just to let you know what the basic items are here is a brief look. You will need to have a tent, sleeping bag, camping chair, folding camping table, cooking items and eating items. Now let’s take a deeper look into the camping equipment that you can use.
There are lots of different tents that you can choose from to make your camping trip extremely comfortable. You will find that you have family tents, single tents, and trailer tents. Each of these many tents have lots of great features which make them ideal for camping. You should look at the many different camping chairs that you can buy. You will find that getting really comfortable ones will make camping all the more enjoyable.
Camping tents and other basic camping equipment aside you will find that other items can be found to make your trip more relaxing. Among these items you might want to include insect repellent, a strong camping lantern, powerful torches, a radio to keep you company in the night and others items.
By choosing all of the appropriate camping equipment that you can find you will be able to enjoy the best camping trip ever. And all that is needed is to know what items and products you need to stock up on. For a great camping trip take your time and pack only the best and right camping equipment that you can find and afford.
by Vlad Suski
Your kids enjoy the outdoors and going to campgrounds, but there are ways to have fun with your family without leaving home. Are you trying to come up with something fun that you can do without heading off into the woods? You should consider sponsoring a camping trip for your children along with some of their friends. Why not let your children go camping right in your backyard with their friends? Your children will appreciate this opportunity and likely wouldn’t pass it up for the world.
Try and think of some activities that they can do during their “at home” camping outing. There are a lot of ideas you could come up with. With adult supervision your children and their friends can roast marshmallows and tell ghost stories around the fire in your backyard. If you often go camping as a family, you probably have a tent available for sleeping. This can bring the campground right to your home. Since you’re sponsoring this camping experience in your backyard, it is easier to give someone medical attention faster than you would if you were on a campground, should the need arise.
Safety is the biggest factor when camping, even when camping at home. The idea that you’re camping in your backyard ensures safety for your children, due to you having no problems with animals near your property, or at least let’s hope that’s the case. If you have a fenced in yard, this is perfect for those favorite camping activities as you won’t bother the neighbors. This is an experience that your children and their friends will never forget. By letting your children and their friends go camping in your backyard, this gives them a camping experience without you camping with them. You must always check on the kids from time to time to ensure they are following the rules you have laid out. Two way radios can be of great assistance to keep from running in and out of your home when checking on the little campers. It’s just that easy to have a fun camping experience right to your backyard.
by Simon Harris
Camping can be one of the most rewarding recreational activities that a person can embark upon. However, when considering going on a camping trip, there are many items one must consider before jaunting off into the wilderness. If you are new to the camping scene, there are a lot more things to consider than one would think. To begin with, if you are going on any kind of a camping trip at all, camping gear is a necessity and it is often far more than some tent and sleeping bag. There are several things to consider, especially the tent size, various accessories such as sleeping bags and lanterns, the number of people going along with you, and of course good supplies.
If you are going into a terrain that has a very cold climate, the first assessor you might want to consider bringing along is a sleeping bag. Although there are compromises in price and value that can be made in a variety of stores, you will want to focus upon quality opposed to the damage that will be done to your pocketbook when you are considering your own health and safety. Taking into consideration the temperature that the bag will handle, and the size of the person that it will fit, are probably the most important things to consider with a sleeping bag.
Other accessories would include lanterns, cooking utensils, a way to cook the food that you bring, the food itself, and any kind of safety supplies in case of accidents or in case you simply get lost while camping in an unfamiliar area. Likewise with all of the accessories, getting the best in camping gear is not always cheap but it also does not have to drain your wallet if you can find these accessories on sale. It is possible to find good quality camping gear at a reasonable price.
Buying a tent that is not only weatherproof but that will also fit the amount of people going on the trip is a large consideration as well. Although we all know that ordinarily when a tent says it’s a four man that usually means that at best it will fit three people comfortably. And this comfort level factor is not taking into consideration any inflatable mattresses and luggage that you will bring on your trip. Simply put, the number that the tents give is for extreme backpackers who plan on sleeping cosily inside the tent. Therefore, it is best to supersize any tent purchase in order to safely and adequately fulfill your needs and the needs of others that may be coming along with you.
Another item of camping gear one needs to take into consideration if you are camping over a few days is a camping stove. Camping stoves can be bought in most outdoor stores and again, they do not have to be big and bulky to serve their purpose. Small stoves can be found that only require some oil to light up and travel size pots can fit on top.
If you are bringing small children with you, especially young children, will have to take a lot more into consideration than those traveling alone or in a group of peers. Certain precautions need to be taken by all campers but when there are children, there is a lot more to worry about. When purchasing any of the camping gear, make sure that it is safe for children and that it can allow for the overzealous activities that children usually preoccupy themselves with which may have to do with testing the durability of all of your equipment. Therefore, again, it may be more expensive to buy the cheap camping gear opposed to the expensive camping gear that is built to last.
Camping is an adventure for most people that embark upon it. Some will not enjoy interacting with the wilderness. However, by purchasing the correct camping equipment that will provide comfort for all of the parties involved, it will make your camping trip much more enjoyable because you chose to purchase quality camping gear that will probably last you for generations to come.
by Michael Kohle
If comfort is an issue for you, family camping tents may be able to help you. The tents are large, comfortable and provide a much more secure feeling while camping. Family camping should be a great opportunity for fun for the entire family, but sometimes it does not quite work out that way. Sometimes, with everyone staying in confined spaces, tempers can flare and the good times are diminished. Familycamping tents may be able to solve this problem for you as all of them come with more than one room. In fact, depending on the model of tent you choose, some even have four individual rooms. The great thing about having more than one room is getting some much needed away time, a place where the children can be together to play or rest, a place to read and just relax while still being part of the same overall family tent. Initially, family camping tents were designed with only a front door which was problematic as all entry and exit was through the same door. Today, there are tents with both front and back doors, making the camping experience far more enjoyable for the entire family. A lot of family camping tents you will find may also provide a lot of room to store things, which was another big issue for families and camping. This could include potential items for storage such as books, musical equipment, lighting gear, fishing ear, clothing, and other items. Another great feature is that family camping tents can be procured with an entrance in the front as well as the back allowing fo more division between campers and a place in the center for additional people or storage. In addition, a solid floor placed in the bottom of the tent helps keep family members dry during nasty weather There is an option to rent or purchase family camping tents. Renting is a great option for families just starting to experience camping because they have the opportunity to try it first before purchasing. Generally, family camping tents can be found at most sporting good stores for a very minimum cost when compared with the comfort you will enjoy. Lastly, most family camping tents have been made for fast and easy setup and take down. Although the tents are bigger, they are very flexible and easy to deal with and make the camping experience enjoyable for the entire family. Really great options are available for tents today, making finding the tent that is right for you and your family a fun experience. by Chris L. Jensen
Primitive tent camping has been a great outdoor activity for hundreds of years. ATVs have only been around for about eighty years. ATV stands for All Terrain Vehicle and the first ATV was developed back in the 1930’s. It was a six-wheeled amphibious vehicle with three tires on each side. These first ATVs had no suspension other than what the tires offered and turned by disengaging the drive from one side or the other. The first utility 4 x 4 ATV was developed by Honda in 1986, the FourTrax TRX 350. The other manufacturers quickly followed suit, and the 4 x 4 utility ATV has remained the most popular type of ATV ever since. People quickly realized they could load their camping gear and supplies on the attached racks and head into the deep wilderness for an ATV camping adventure. First it was mainly hunters but soon others realized this exciting new camping adventure.
The first utility 4 x 4 ATVs had very harsh suspensions by today’s standards and very small load capacities. As technology improved, the suspensions got better and with the ability to handle the machine better, the engine sizes started to increase. When the 4 x 4 independent suspension was developed, the “Big Bore” engines quickly followed. The “Big Bore” utility 4 x 4 ATVs range from 500cc up to 960cc. These bigger ATVs have much larger load capacities than the original utility ATVs, enabling more camping gear and supplies including extra fuel. With the extra capacities, campers can go further into the wilderness. As technology has improved, the side by side UTVs (Utility Terrain Vehicle where the riders sit side by side) have improved and these allow even more load capacity.
One of the most obvious trends is the increased interest in ATVs and primitive tent camping. So when you combine the two you have ATV camping. With utility 4 x 4 ATVs people can get to deep wilderness camping sites faster and easier than full size vehicles. Utility 4 x 4 ATVs can carry more camping gear and supplies than backpacking and properly equipped can go further distances.
With this increased interest in ATVs comes increased carelessness. Statistics released by the Consumer Product Safety Commission show that in 2005, there were an estimated 136,700 injuries associated with ATVs. According to these statistics, the risk of injury in 2005 was 171.5 injuries per 10,000 four-wheel ATVs in use. The risk of death in 2004 was 1.1 deaths per 10,000 four-wheel ATVs in use.
In 1988, the All-terrain Vehicle Safety Institute (ASI) was formed to provide proper training and education for ATV riders. The cost of attending the training is minimal and most manufacturers offer the training with the purchase of new ATVs. Some states require successful completion of this type of training by minor-age children before they are granted permission to ride on state land. Increased awareness of helmets and safety gear has had a positive effect.
Wilderness areas are shrinking by approximately 100,000 acres every year by the unmitigated growth of single-family housing and industry. Subsequently, Environmentalists criticize that excessive use of ATVs in the remaining wilderness areas is causing excessive erosion to the landscape. Others complain that ATVs produce excessive noise. ATV advocacy groups have been organized to purchase property or obtain permission of landowners, or both. Many US states now work with clubs to build and maintain trails suitable for ATV riding and educate ATV riders about responsible riding, safety gear and maintenance of their machines. Many states require ATVs to be registered and display proof of registration on the ATV. The income generated from gas taxes and registrations are used to develop more trails and to perform grooming and maintenance of existing trails.
Like everything else, people have to take responsibility for their own actions and not rely on the government and others to pick up after them. It only takes one bad apple to ruin the bunch. One person riding carelessly without the proper knowledge, safety gear, or respect for the environment, ruins the sport for everyone. And when this same person gets hurt, they are usually blaming (suing) the manufacturer, the government or someone else. Everyone need to take responsibility for his or her own actions!
This applies equally to camping, ATVing, and enjoying our wilderness areas. Leave No Trace® and Tread Lightly!® means picking up after yourself and others. Leave your camping site the way you found it preferably better. Respect private property as well as nature itself. The message is simple: conserve our environment! Doing this ensures everyone will be able to enjoy ATV camping and the great outdoors for many years to come.
Education on ATVs and the proper selection of camping gear, supplies, and accessories for your application means a trouble free and enjoyable ATV camping experience. Each trip is unique and should be prepared as such. Take only what is required to be prepared for the occasion. When loading an ATV for a camping adventure pay close attention to the load capacities of the unit, load the unit effectively between front and rear racks without exceeding the manufacturers rated load capacity. Overloading your ATV can cause a tip hazard as well as possible damage to the unit. Try to keep your load as low as possible as this will help keep the center of gravity of the unit as low as possible. There are some nice aftermarket rack packs available that help keep things organized and waterproof.
ATV camping gear and supplies needs to be as lightweight as possible to minimize the wear and tear on the ATV, but most importantly for safety due to the more weight on the ATV the more the difference in handling the ATV is. The rider needs to understand the weight difference and the effect the extra weight has on handling, controlling and stopping the ATV. Freeze-dried food or MRE’s (Meal Ready to EAT) are great for ATV camping, as they are light and compact (don’t taste that bad either). ATV camping does not mean you cannot cook gourmet meals. There are many lightweight stoves and cooking utensils available along with several easy great tasting camping recipes.
Along with camping gear and supplies each ATVer should have at least a basic survival kit and a basic tool kit that should be carried at all times when riding. It is amazing what can be fixed with basic tools (adjustable wrench, combo screwdriver, multi-tool, small Vise-grips, safety wire, tire plug kit, and electrical tape).
ATV camping is really another version of primitive tent camping and one of the great things about ATV camping is the campsite location because with an ATV you can really get into the deep wilderness quickly. No crowded campgrounds out there. Just remember you are a visitor to the area, so minimize your impact on the environment and stay on existing trails. Plan your trip in advance and have maps of the area. Portable handheld GPS (Global Positioning System) units are great especially if you get lost. Always travel with a group, never alone. Breakdowns, flat tires, getting stuck, and accidents are all possibilities with this sport and having the extra help is a comforting feeling. Also there is always someone to tell the story.
Once you find the perfect wilderness campsite unload your camping gear and supplies. Setup your camp on durable surfaces and cooking areas on a non-vegetated area. Make sure you are aware of any fire restrictions for the area. Be aware of the wildlife that may be in the area. Make note of any landmarks around the campsite so you can find the campsite again after a ride or hike. With your campsite setup, you are free to ride your ATV, hike, fish, hunt (if in season), or just relax, after all this is camping, ATV style
Before setting out on your first tent camping trip, you need to know how to build a camping tent. By preparing yourself with the needed knowledge for building a camping tent before you leave for the campgrounds, you will be ready to enjoy your camping vacation and be able to avoid any time consuming mishaps. Learning how to build a camping tent also known as pitching a tent, involves only a few simple steps. Following are some camping tips that will help you successfully learn how to build a camping tent. Keeping these simple pointers in mind will have you well on your way to learning how to build a camping tent.
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Primitive tent camping has been a great outdoor activity for hundreds of years. ATVs have only been around for about eighty years. ATV stands for All Terrain Vehicle and the first ATV was developed back in the 1930’s. It was a six-wheeled