Camping Tips for Novice Campers

Many consumers are trying to reduce their vacation expenses by giving up cushy motel rooms and staying at campgrounds. Camping is much more economical, and you can often rent a campsite for a whole week for the cost of one or two nights in a motel. However, camping out is certainly not as convenient as staying in a motel, and there are a few things that first-time campers need to know. Being properly prepared for camping allows you to have a good time, with few unpleasant surprises, while you are enjoying the great outdoors.

Choose a Campground That Offers Amenities
The novice camping family that requires modern conveniences should pick an established camp that offers amenities such as electrical hook-ups, water access on your camp site, indoor showers and flush toilets, and a convenience store so you can buy all the things you forgot on your first camping trip, and a Mountain Dew. You'll have the option of choosing a tent site or an RV site which has a dump tank for the septic system. Generally, you'll find that the tent section is much less populated, so that's the way to go if you prefer solitude.

Tips for Choosing Your Camp Site
An established campground may assign you to a site or may let you pick your own. Picking a comfortable camp site isn't hard when you know what to look for. You'll want a spot that is dry, level and grassy without run-offs that will carry water through your camp site if it rains, and without low spots that will make standing puddles. A heavy rain can make your campsite muddy, messy and uncomfortable when you have to deal with standing or running water, and also attracts insect pests.

Avoid camping under dead trees or large overhanging branches that might fall on your site. You'll need young, strong trees for shade and shelter from the weather, and to tie a clothesline between. However, some camp sites don't allow clotheslines to be strung between trees, concerned that the line and weight of the clothing will damage the tree bark. You may want to bring a portable clothesline, since the clothesline can serve not only as a method of drying your towels and clothes but also as a means of protecting your food from wildlife by hanging it out of their reach.

Tips for Controlling Outdoor Insect Pests
Wet conditions and food supplies aren't the only thing that will attract insects to your camp site. Bright colors and sweet scents will fool bees and wasps into thinking that your campground is a field of flowers. Wear neutral colors and avoid using perfumes or sweetly-scented personal care products when camping, and you'll have fewer problems with flying pests.

Camp sites that are near lakes, ponds, rivers and streams will be inundated with mosquitoes. You may think it's fun to fish from your campsite right next to the lake, but you'll be sorry when you become insect food. Campsites that are further away from bodies of water, about 100 feet, will have fewer mosquitoes. Placing lit citronella candles around the outside edges of your campsite will discourage mosquito pests, and smoke from a campfire will also deter insects. You may want to resort to personal insect repellant to make camping more comfortable, but be sure to choose one that is DEET-free. Avoid using yard foggers which will kill beneficial insects as well as the pests

Tips for Keeping Your Food Uneaten by Wildlife
The wildlife around established campsites can become rather bold, used to a variety of people coming and going, and won't hesitate to steal your food supplies. Raccoons can open coolers and tear through grocery bags, not to mention the damage a bear might do to your tent if you store food inside. Keep your food safely stored in your vehicle between meal times. Discard your food scraps, sticky soda cans and other trash in barrels provided by the campground, which they should empty at regular intervals. Keeping your campsite clean and food safely stored away will discourage foraging animals and insect pests.

Respect Your Neighbors' Privacy
Since it's not likely you'll have the whole campground to yourself, be considerate of your neighbors. Respect the personal space of other campers so everyone can have an enjoyable vacation. You wouldn't just walk into your next-door neighbor's motel room would you? (Let's hope not). Don't walk across occupied camp sites without asking first, and then only when absolutely necessary. Your neighbors may not care for your favorite music, so keep the volume down. Observe the "quiet hours" established by campground policy and keep the party noise way down in the wee hours (some campgrounds allow you to bring alcohol but it must be kept on your campsite).

More First-Time Camping Tips
Bring clothes that can be worn in layers and peeled off as the afternoon warms up, but don't overpack. No one is going to care if you wear the same shorts for a few days in a row. And don't forget rain gear!

Use the fire ring already in place, and be sure to place your tent far enough away that stray sparks can't fly over and set your tent on fire. Don't leave fires burning at an unattended camp site.

Plan your camping menu in advance, but don't bring more than a few days worth of perishable items unless you are camping in an RV with a refrigerator. Observe cooler safety to avoid spoiled food and cross-contamination. For extended camping trips, replenish your supplies at a local grocery store.

New gear can be quite expensive when you're starting from scratch. Buy secondhand, or borrow gear from friends until you're sure you'll want to go camping again. When it's taken care of properly, your initial investment in camping gear can be spread over several years.

Practice setting up your tent and other camping gear before you leave home, so you can set your camp up quickly when you reach your site. Inspect your gear for damage and functionality. When you're worn out from traveling, you won't want to find that you're missing a tent pole or that you have no idea how to light the camp stove.