Camping is adventuring and a lot of fun. Many people go camping for family activity and also just to get away from home. While camping you can enjoy nature and you can also bond with your family. You get to see new sites that you’ve never seen before. You get to encounter animals you’ve never seen before. This can be for the good or the bad! When you go camping you usually sleep in a tent or a cabin. There are many activities that come along with camping like hiking, climbing, swimming and fishing.
If you have decided that camping is something you would like to get into, you are to be applauded. Camping has the potential to change your life. When we get out into nature and slow down and come to an appreciation, or a deeper appreciation, for this earth and for creation, it can make us a better person.
You are likely young and will not be going out and buying a new and very expensive RV. If you are like me, then you will probably spend many years in a tent. I actually envy you. I had many wonderful and joyful years camping under canvas. I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
There is plenty to know about camping. However, if you put off going until you know it all, you will never know the joys of camping. Some simple things are necessary. We will touch on them briefly now and in more detail in further blogs.
You should spend quite a bit of time looking into the fundamental gear you need. These will be the pieces you will likely have for many years. There is an adage that I try to live by in all things, “buy the very best you can afford.” There were times when I couldn’t afford good quality gear but that didn’t stop me from having a good time camping. The real difference between low and high quality gear is, usually one lasts longer than the other, so, often in the long run the higher quality is cheaper.
TENTS: Tents these day will almost exclusively be rip stop nylon with fiberglass rods. They are good, easy to put up and are bug tight. A couple of warnings. Buy one with a fly that goes all the way to the floor. A fly that stops half way down the wall will give you water problems. You should get something to put under the tent to keep it dry. A cheap plastic tarp will do for now. If two of you are going together, get a four man tent. There should be room for extra stuff you want to keep dry.
SLEEPING BAGS: Unless you plan camping in the winter, don’t bother with a down sleeping bag. They are expensive, take up a lot of room and are a real problem if they get wet. I have a Thinsulate bag that I really like. It’s good for three seasons and rolls up very small. If the weather is good and I am not moving, I will hang my bag out every day, it keeps it fresh and dry. If you are married,you would likely look for bags that zip together. As always comfort and convenience.
MATTRESSES: It’s pretty hard to beat a well dried autumn caribou skin to sleep on. It’s comfortable and warm, and if you’ve had it for a couple of years, it will get soft and supple, and it won’t have a strong odor. However, when they do get old, they start to shed and then there is caribou hair everywhere including your mouth and nose. They also take up quite a bit of space. We now use a foam-air mattress. It’s self-inflating, rolls up very small, is light, and straps together to make a double. All the comforts of home. Hang a small spruce bough inside your tent and you will soon forget you’re in a campground and that there is a party going on two stalls down.
List of Camping Activities
If you are new to camping or have not gone for a number of years, you may be asking yourself what exactly is it that we will be doing out theirs. This simple question’s answer entirely depends on who you are going with and what you really want to do. The options are endless. Although most tent campers will stick with the basics of cooking, building a campfire, setting up a tent and sleeping under the stars, and sitting back and enjoying nature, others will do a wide variety of activities. Here, is our list of common and uncommon camping activities for things to do while camping.
Check out all the stars and constellations. Since you are away from the city lights, the view can be amazing.
Plant and Wildlife Identification. Go looking for leaves, berries, tracks, scat, dens, burrows, etc. Learn what things live in your camping area and be able to identify them.
Hiking. Go for a walk and see nature in action. Let the kid inside you come out as you explore areas you have never been. The kids will love the adventure of it and it is great exercise.
Start fires without matches. Use flint and steel or use a hand or bow drill. You can make a game of this to test your survival skills against others.
Go fishing or hunting. These are camping basics and quite a lot of fun.
Practice Knife and Hatchet Throwing. All you need is a target and you are ready for action. I will tell you from experience that hatchet throwing is much easier.
Tell Ghost Stories and Adventure Stories around the campfire. Some of my best memories as a kid were hearing these types of stories from my father and other adults. Give your kids this same experience by learning a few good stories.
Orienteering with map and compass or GPS. Set a course to find a location on the map. With the invention of the GPS, this normally mundane activity is now exciting.
Geocaching. This popular treasure hunting game uses a GPS device to find hidden treasures in the field. You can adapt your campsite for this very same function by hiding some objects in the area and allow for family and friends to go hunt for them.
Birdwatching. Being away from the city, you have the opportunity to see a number of different types of birds that you would otherwise not be able to appreciate or follow. Here, is a chance to see them in their natural habitat.
Watch Animals. Make a blind and stay downwind from the animals. If it is early morning or late in the day, you are likely to see a number of animals come down for a drink.
Build a Lean-To or some other man-made shelter. This is a great idea if you are camping with a number of people. A lot of team work will go into building this structure and there is always a lot of satisfaction out of building something with your bare hands. Why not let your camping group share in this experience?
Learn different types of knots and try them out. You can do this for fun to show off to friends or you can make it practical by using the knots to help with your camping. For example, create a rope that will hold up your water bucket from a tree.
Build a water still. This is another survival technique which gives you a chance to see if you could really survive using this method. Give it try as it is something you can set-up, go do other things and then, check back later to see how you did.
Create snares and traps. This works much like a water still would in that you set it up and check on it later. Just be sure to let all the people in your party know where they are and be sure to take them down when you will be leaving.
Glow sticks for the kids. Bring along glow sticks for the little kids to play with at night. Kids love these things and will make their own games with them.
Woodcarving. This grandfather favorite can also be a hit with kids. It allows them to be creative in what they might design and teaches them patience. Plus, the only tools that are needed are wood and a pocket knife.
With this list of camping activities, you should be well on your way to enjoying your camping trip. One final thing to keep in mind is to remember to allow some downtime during the camping trip. One of the best things about camping is the opportunity to sit back and enjoy the experience. Don’t be in such a hurry to get to the next activity and miss out on this experience.
