Camping is a great opportunity to connect with nature and prepare for an emergency. In the event of certain emergencies, you may be unable to live indoors for a period of time. Fortunately, there is a fun and convenient way to practice living outdoors through camping!
In many places, there are designated campgrounds and locations where you can easily go pitch a tent and have a camp fire. Doing so may be difficult if you are a first-time camper, but you can make it very enjoyable with a few activities. Here are a couple of camping tips from an experienced camper.
- Where possible, build a camp fire: Some locations may not allow this. Please follow the laws of the land. However, if building a camp fire is legal at your camp site, it will allow you the opportunity to practice building a fire, which may be necessary for survival in some situations. In addition, a camp fire will allow you to cook dinner, roast marshmallows and have a good time telling stories.
- Do something active: Go for a hike, go swimming, play a game of soccer or football, or do some other physical activity. In our modern world, it is easy to get used to driving to work, sitting all day, driving home, sitting on a couch and going to bed. Part of the fun of camping is to do something outside and active. Enjoy it.
- Spend some time looking at the stars: If you live in a big city or near one, you probably don’t get many chances to look at the stars. The sky is absolutely gorgeous. Take a look and just enjoy it. Try to pick out the constellations. You can look them up online and take a guide of what to look for while you’re there.
- Be prepared: Be ready for rain or other bad weather than may be possible in your area. It is possible to go to sleep under a clear sky only for rain clouds to move over you and dump their contents all over you. Get a rainfly for your tent, a rain coat for you, and a place to keep food that is covered and safe.
- Most of all, be safe: Camping is supposed to be preparatory and fun, but it can quickly become a bad experience if you or someone you care about is harmed during a trip. Make sure the water you swim in, hikes you go on, and everything else you do is safe and the proper precautions have been taken. Be sure to know about the area you are visiting. If mosquitos or ticks are prevalent, then bring the appropriate spray and know how to check for ticks. You should know about other larger animals that could be in the area as well.
Camping can be a lot of fun and it is a good preparatory experience. If done right, it can be one you’ll remember for a lifetime.
