Planning A Camping Trip For Maximum Enjoyment

Planning A Camping Trip For Maximum Enjoyment
by: Roddy Hooper


So you and the family or you and your friends have decided to go on a camping trip. It's Thursday night and you are going to leave right after work Friday evening. Now you go to the garage or basement and pull out the camping gear from last summer and toss it in the trunk. The tent, the stove and the cooler.(we'll buy some franks and beans on the way).

It's late Friday night when you reach your camp ground and you start to pitch your tent when you suddenly remember that you don't have all the tent pegs and the zipper broke the last time you used the tent. Your buddy said he'd bring the gas for the stove and lantern but forgot and the flashlights didn't work and you did not bring spare batteries.

This weekend is starting out not so enjoyably.

Let's step back a week or two and start PLANNING a camping trip.

First decide where it is you want to go camping. If it's the same spot as always then decision made but if it is somewhere new you should check out the Internet to get as much information as you can about the camp ground you plan to visit. What facilities are available and what rules and regulations are in place.

The next thing to do is make a check list of what you need to take and what you want to take. Make this a group discussion involving all that are going on the trip.

The weekend before the trip go to your storage area (Garage, Basement) and pull out all your camping gear. Put up the tent. Does it need any new poles or pegs? Do all the zippers work? Does it need a ground sheet? Do the air mattresses hold air? Do you have all the cooking equipment including gas cylinders, charcoal etc? Do you have Flashlights, Batteries, Sleeping Bags, Cooler? Check the long range weather forecast. Do you need boots, rain gear or warmer clothing (especially if you are heading to the mountains).

Maybe you need a GPS device or two way radios. They need batteries too.

If you are going with a group of friends make sure they have the check list too. Some things everyone needs others can be brought by just one of the group. No need having ten air mattress pumps and nobody brought the any toilet paper. There is roughing it and then there is roughing it! You can bet that nobody forgets the beer and snack food!

Check your list and go out and buy what needs to be replaced or order it online.

Basically, what it boils down to is, if you Plan a camping trip rather than just go on a camping trip you will have much more fun. What does it really matter if it rains if you have all the equipment you need at your fingertips. You are with friends and/or family, you are warm and dry and you are roughing it in the great outdoors.

No planning would mean you are cold, wet and miserable and wishing you are anywhere but half way up a mountain in the rain, having as MUSH fun as you can.

For more information and purchasing your outdoor needs visit: http://www.myoutdoorsplace.com


About The Author
Roddy Hooper is an avid outdoorsman with over 25 years experience. A year round outdoors enthusiast he participates in everything from cross country skiing to scuba diving and from wakeboarding to snowmobiling. Roddy loves to write about his experiences, some serious and some just plain funny.