Tent Camping Tips You Must Follow

There are so many details to think of when you are planning a camping trip, whether it is your first or your one-hundredth, that make it so important you understand the basics of what's involved. Your camping trip should be remembered for its good times - not its disappointments. The first few camping trips for new campers can even determine if they continue camping, based on whether their first trips were successes or disasters.

These common-sense tent camping tips will help new campers ensure a good start, and might even contain a suggestion or two for the experienced camper.

Know the area where you will be camping: Successful tent camping requires being prepared, for anything, and if you don't know what to expect, you can't be prepared. You need to know more than whether your campsite is in the mountains or lowlands, or if the weather will be hot or cold -you should know details about the type of terrain, and what the typical weather expectations are for the time of year you will be camping. Finding out if the campsite has amenities, like; water, electric, and bathroom facilities is a start, but knowing; where, when, and how much is more important. For instance, did you find out; the bathrooms are fifteen minute walk from your campsite, or there is only one water spigot for the whole camp-ground, or electric is available, but there are only enough outlets for you to use one extension cord. Campsite restrictions can also play a role in your preparations. Imagine planning a weekend of great campfire meals, only to discover when you arrive that open campfires are not allowed. Or, that you need a special permit, (which you didn't get), to be able to drive your vehicle to the campsite.

These are the type of details you need to know before you can plan and prepare for a great outdoor camping adventure.

Be prepared: When you know the details, even the little ones, you are more prepared to decide what, and how much camping gear and equipment you need to take. You also need to prepare for more than just the expected items and amounts of a typical camp outing, you need to prepare for what you might need for the "unplanned" events also. For instance; if you packed for one clothing change per day -what do you do when you get caught in a downpour of rain or a missed step crossing a creek, or, you brought enough camping stove fuel for normal camping conditions, but the weather turns colder and windier than you expected -which means you need extra fuel that you didn't bring. Are there: snakes and camp-invading varmints, or mosquitoes and flies? You will have a miserable campout if you didn't prepare for them.

Check and double-check: Experienced campers know the value of camping checklists -they learned from experience, and most have checklists they have customized over time to match their type of camping and equipment needs. For new campers it is even important to use camping checklists. One forgotten item, large or small, can ruin all or part of your camp-out. For example; you can't wait to use your new camp stove, but it won't do you much good if you forgot the fuel connector for the propane bottle, and what will you eat when it's time to start dinner and you discover that the fully-stocked camp food cooler is sitting on the garage floor back home, instead of being with the rest of the camping gear -where you assumed it was. Check it when you organize it, and double-check it when you pack it onboard.

These are only the basics. There is so much more to each area that the details have provided enough material for scores of camping books. No matter what method of planning and preparing you find works for you, just make sure you find one, because if you cover these three basic areas of preparation, your chances of having a great and memorable camping trip will be a lot better than if you didn't.

For more information, including; step-by-step trip planning tips and free printable camping checklists, check out Gus' article on Planning an Outdoor Camping Trip - 1st Steps

You can see more of Gus' articles, including outdoor camping resources, camping guides, and time-tested camping tips at Campingwithgus.com