Camping is a great way to bond with your friends and family. If given the opportunity, everyone should go camping at least once. You must know what you are doing when you go camping. You can get some great camping tips from the following article to help you prepare.

Gets Dark

Make sure to find your shelter before it gets dark. Once it gets dark outside, figuring out how to set up a tent, finding wood and making food may become impossible. This is particularly the case for city slickers who are unaccustomed to darkness. Avoid being in that position; find good shelter before the sun goes down.

Remember that everything you bring along, including you and your family, will more than likely get dirty. If you are prepared for that before you go, it will cause less stress when it happens. Use your time in nature to enjoy the chance to be a little messy. You can always clean up, and be “normal” when you return home.

Be sure your tent is big enough. This will make it easy for you all to have a comfortable time sleeping, and moving around in the middle of the night when nature calls for people.

Take along pillows that are especially for camping. If you use your bedroom pillows, the humid weather will make them feel hot and sticky. They can mildew quickly after absorbing moisture. Camping pillows do not have these problems.

You should always have some duct tape along on any camping adventure. There are multiple uses to put it to when camping, just like at home. It can be used to fix a hole in your air mattress. Use it to cover any holes or rips that appear in tents or hold together items that break. If you are going on a long hike, you can put it on the sensitive parts of your feet for blister prevention. It may also be used as emergency bandaging.

Make sure to prepare in advance before you engage in a camping trip. You should bring your sleeping bag, plus some extra blankets. Blankets make good padding and can help you stay warm if it’s colder than you expect at night.

It is imperative that you are properly packed for your camping trip. Even letting one particular item slip your mind can devastate your trip. Take the time to create a list that can be checked off while you pack. Be sure your list includes the tent and sleeping bags, as well as food items and personal hygiene items.

Take some preventative steps in order to avoid inadvertently draining the batteries in your flashlights during your next camping adventure. You may accidentally turn on a flashlight while you’re looking through what you have packed for your trip. To avoid this, store the batteries backwards in your flashlights. This will ensure they do not drain if the flashlight is accidentally turned on.

Always watch your kids closely. There are many people coming and going all of the time and you do not want them to get kidnapped or lost. In no time, your children could be harmed, so always keep a watchful eye on them.

Pack plenty of jerky and trail mix when planning for a camping trip. Both items are fairly healthy and will come in handy when you don’t feel like cooking. These kinds of foods do not spoil quickly, so you can always save them for a later time.

Bringing your survival kit and first aid kit is crucial. Together, these items can be the difference between going home early and rapidly addressing problems that arise. You can also prevent serious situations from becoming dire, and allow you to get an injured person to help safely.

Make sure that you are always conscious of safety rules, regulations and best practices when you camp. Stay away from larger animals, and be cautious even around smaller ones. Even smaller animals such as squirrels can pose a danger. And, unless you’re in Jellystone Park, don’t feed any bears!

As was previously mentioned, camping can be enjoyable, but it involves plenty of preparation and research. Always use this article’s tips when you want to start planning your future camping trips. It will surely be a real joy to experience!