Essential Camping Gear

“Be Prepared” isn’t just a scouting motto; it’s a good motto for anyone who wants to go camping. This is especially true of the family that likes to camp together.

It can be a challenge, however, to identify all of the things that you need to have with you when you go camping. While you certainly can camp with the bare essentials, like a tent, sleeping bag and some water bottles, you’re going to have a much better time if you bring more gear.

Here’s a list of some of the most commons sorts of camping gear you might want to bring with you on your next family camping trip:

Shelter and bedding

• Tent or tents
• Doormat
• Sleeping Bags
• Fitted Sheet
• Air Mattresses
• Pillows
• Extra Blankets
• Picnic Blanket
• Fan and Extension Cord

Camp cooking gear

• Coolers
• Propane stove
• Propane tanks
• Propane hose
• Egg holder
• Dutch oven
• Sauce pan
• Griddle
• Hot dog skewers
• Cooking utensils
• Chopper
• Can opener
• Pot holders
• Grill tools
• Cutting board
• Kitchen knife
• Silverware
• Measuring cup
• Plates bowls and cups
• Plastic mixing bowl
• Covered 2 qt. Pitcher
• Collapsible water jug (2)
• Dish tubs/dish soap
• Dish towels
• Sponge/scrubber/scrub brush
• Paper towels
• Table cloth & clips
• Trash bags/Ziploc bags
• Aluminum foil
• Collapsible trash can
• Funnel

Lighting & campfire

• Flashlights
• Extra batteries
• Lanterns
• Extra mantles
• Lighter
• Fire starter blocks
• Firewood
• Matches

Safety gear and medical supplies

• First aid kit
• Prescription Medications
• Over the counter medications such as a pain reliever, anti-diarrheal, decongestant and antihistamine
• Sunscreen
• Bug repellent
• Hand Lotion

Tools

• Wisk broom
• Rope/clothespins
• Pocketknives
• Scissors
• Axe
• Small shovel

Personal hygiene

• Toilet Paper
• Portable shower
• Hand sanitizer
• Bath soap
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Bath towels
• Washrags
• Baby wipes
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Nail clippers
• Hair brush
• Shaving cream and razor
• Deodorant
• Shower caddy

Clothing

• Pants and shorts
• Shirts
• Socks
• Old shoes
• Sandals
• water shoes
• Good shoes (for town)
• Emergency ponchos
• Swim suits
• beach towels
• Bandana or hat
• Underwear
• Pajamas
• Laundry bag
• Laundry soap

Other items

• Atlas
• area brochures
• directions
• Games for adults and children
• Coloring books and crayons
• Books
• Flyswatter
• Toys
• 2way radios

13 Tips for Choosing a Tent

There are a wide variety of different types of tents out there to pick from , and all tents are not created equal. There are twelve ways you select the most comfortable, durable, and convenient tent:

1. Try to find a tent that is big enough for your entire family to sleep inside all at the same time.
2. Look for a tent with a large rain fly or umbrella. These will offers better protection against natural elements, such as the sun and rain.
3. Choose a tent that has sturdy, aluminum poles instead of fiberglass poles. Fiberglass poles are more lightweight and bendable, but they are also more likely to break.
4. Make sure that the tent material has folded seams with double stitching. This helps to avoid leaks and tears in your tent.
5. Pick a tent whose floor is sewn a few inches above ground level, and be firmly stitched to the walls. This helps prevent ground water from leaking into the tent.
6. A tent should be water and fire resistant and have the ability to withstand strong winds.
7. Check for high-quality stake loops in every corner and the center. Make sure there are sufficient guy lines and pegs allow for firm ground pitching, and to prevent the tent from taking off in high-wind conditions.
8. The tent should have a roof vent for fresh air and the removal of condensation from inside the tent.
9. The windows should have mosquito meshing for fresh air and easy visibility.
10. Zippers are one of the first things to break on a tent. Make sure your tent has heavy-duty zippers or even Velcro enclosures. Velcro is ideal for tent-flap doors.
11. The inside of the tent should have pegs or loops for hanging camp gear and storage space for utility items.
12. You will also need to be certain that the tent has reflective markings so that it can be seen at night time.
13. Pick a tent that can protect you from the elements, and that won’t be destroyed or blown away by the elements. Tents should be sturdy to withstand rain, hail, snow, sleet, and strong wind.

Expand Your Camping Options by Renting a Tent

Tents can be expensive. If you have a large family like we do, you’re probably looking at several hundred dollars for a tent big enough for the whole family. If the prospect of buying a new large tent is overwhelming, you might consider renting a tent.

Renting a tent provides another benefit. By choosing a tent rental is that you are able to select a new camping tent every summer. There’s no need to be stuck with the same old tent you used for the last several years. Instead, you can rent your camping tent and have a new color, a new theme, or a new structure every year.

Where to get a good rental tent

Now that you have decided to rent your camping tent, what is the next step?

Locate a business that can provide you a wide range of rental plans. You can go about this by surfing the Internet and checking out the local Yellow pages or the classifieds of your daily newspaper.

Alternatively, ask your friends, family members, and camping acquaintances about camping tents they may have rented. Many party planning services also provide tent rentals.

The location of the camping tent rental business is important. Ideally, they should be located close to where you live or close to where you camp. That way, you can easily pick up your camping tent on the way to your campsite or have the camping tent rental business set up your camping tent at the site.

Choosing a rental tent

Once you have located the rental company best suited for your needs, check out the various plans and types of camping tents they have to offer. Camping tents come in all sizes, colors, materials, and for all purposes.

The type of camping tent rental you choose will depend on various factors, including the size of your family, the time of year you’ll be camping, and what features you’re looking for.

Fire Building Without Matches

No one expects to be stranded in the wilderness without matches to start a fire. The fact of the matter is, though that it does happen. When it does, it helps to know how to start a fire without matches. You need to have fire to provide heat and light while you’re stranded.

Some of the oldest methods of fire building without matches are friction-based methods. These methods use a spindle – a stick you spin to create friction. They also use a fire board, which is the board on which you will create the ember that you use to start your fire. Both the spindle and the fire board need to be bone-dry in order to be effective.

The Hand Drill Method

1. Gather and build a pile of tinder. This tinder needs to be dry and catch fire easily. Leaves, bark and dry grass are all good choices.
2. Cut a notch into your fire board in the shape of a V. Make a small dent next to the notch.
3. Put some bark beneath the notch. This will catch the ember you create.
4. Place the spindle into the dent and begin to spin. It will take a long time, but don’t give up. Your survival may depend on it.
5. Once an ember forms, tap the fireboard to drop the ember onto the bark. Put the bark into the tinder pile, and fan it to start your fire.

Fire Groove Method

1. Cut a line groove in the fireboard.
2. Place the fireboard at the end of your tinder pile.
3. Place the spindle in the groove.
4. Rub the spindle back and forth in the groove.
5. Once an ember forms, transfer the ember to the tinder pile, and fan it to start your fire.

Bow Method

1. Get a rock or another piece of wood to use as a socket.
2. Use a flexible piece of wood about an arm’s length and attach a string tightly to either end. This is your bow.
3. Cut a notch into your fire board in the shape of a V. Make a small dent next to the notch.
4. Put some bark beneath the notch. This will catch the ember you create.
5. Wrap your spindle in a loop of your bow string.
6. Place the spindle on the dent in the fireboard, and hold your socket on the other end to maintain pressure.
7. Saw the bow back and forth.
8. Once an ember forms, tap the fireboard to drop the ember onto the bark. Put the bark into the tinder pile, and fan it to start your fire.

A Tent for Any Season

I’ll never forget the year that we decided to camp in early May. The sun had been out for several days, and the temperatures were high. So, we decided to pack up our gear and head to the lake for a weekend.

When we arrived at the lake, temperatures had dropped to a cool but comfortable level. It was chilly, but we brought sweatshirts and extra blankets.

By 2 AM, we were packing up the tent and heading back home. The temperature had dropped to near freezing level.

Three-season tents

It never occurred to us that maybe we didn’t have the right tent for that particular season. What we had was a “three-season tent” – designed to be used mainly in the summer, but also during spring and fall. Unfortunately, we had winter weather that May, and weren’t prepared.

Three season tents have certain characteristics. They have many options for ventilation, such as mesh ceiling panels and windows. They also come with a sturdy rain fly that can be installed with utmost ease to protect you against downpours and wind on those cold spring and fall nights.
We should have considered using a winter or mountaineering tent.

Winter/mountaineering tents

The main goal of these types of tents is to play a helping hand in severe wind and weather that is more or less a norm in winter months. They typically feature a closed ventilation system along with heavy canvas fabric and high-strength aluminum poles. These are designed specifically to survive during harsh weather.

Of course, you still need to make sure that your other equipment, especially your sleeping bags, is also suited to the colder weather.

Outfitter Tents

Outfitter tents are designed around specific sport hunting and fishing seasons. That is, they are specifically designed to act as a base camp for hunting and fishing activities. The majority of these tents will be a stake-out design with some sort of pole framework.

Outfitter tents are, essentially, a portable cabin. In an ideal scenario, windows are kept to a minimum, but they are attached with other accessories - like a removable floor panel to make place for a wood burning stove, and a stove jack for the roof.

How to Pick the Right Tent

Tent camping can be an exciting experience for anyone, no matter what your situation. Tents come in all shapes and sizes, from the single-person “mummy” tent all the way to a large frame tent that can sleep a dozen people or more. Some tents are better for certain climates, and some tents have extra features for you to enjoy.

With so many different tents to choose from, it can become hard to know exactly which one is right for you. Here are some things to think about when trying to pick the right tent:

Tent Size

Your first consideration when buying a tent should be its size. Do you have a large family? You’ll want a large tent, with plenty of sleeping space. Will you be carrying the tent on your back to a remote location? You’ll want as small a tent as will suit you and your fellow campers. If you’re traveling alone, there are even lightweight single-person tents that are ideal for the single person.

Number of Rooms

Most tents are made up only of a single room. However, many larger tents may have as many as three or more rooms. Having additional rooms provides you with several benefits. First of all, one room can serve as a changing room, where campers can get dressed in privacy. If you have a camping toilet, one room can serve as a bathroom. You can even use a room to separate kids from adults. Some tents include a screened-in porch as an extra “room” as well.

Air Flow

Modern tents provide campers with all sorts of options when it comes to comfort. Gone are the days when tents had to be stuffy and humid. Today, there are tents with air flow vents that keep fresh air circulating inside the tent. There are tents with a screened ceiling, over which a canopy is placed. This prevents moisture from gathering on the tent fabric, which also increases the life of your tent.

Extra Features

Beyond all of these basics, many tents offer campers extra features that provide convenience or comfort. These include things like beverage holders, built-in mats for shoes or even a clothesline for wet towels.

Prepare Your Family For Camping

Camping is an exciting family experience that your children will remember for their entire lives. That first time the family goes camping is critical, as it can set the tone for all future camping trips. Because of this, you want to make sure that the trip is as positive as it can be for your child. Here are some ways to do that:

Do a test run

Thoroughly prepare your child for the camping experience. If your child is prone to anxiety in new settings, consider setting up the tent in the backyard and sleeping outside for a night or two. If that isn’t an option, consider setting up a small pup tent inside the house and allowing the child to sleep inside.

Consider a separate children’s tent

Older children especially enjoy their privacy. If you have teenagers in your family, they may not want to sleep in the same tent as mom and dad, or as their younger siblings. Allowing the children to sleep in a separate tent if they wish may be the perfect solution for this problem.

Have clear rules and expectations

When you go camping for the first time, your children probably don’t know what to do and what not to do. Discuss these things with your child ahead of time. For example, if you intend to use a chore list (sometimes known as a “kaper chart,”) go through the list ahead of time so that the children know what they’ll be doing while camping.

In addition, you need to cover the basic safety rules ahead of time, as well. Talk with your children about fire safety. Teach them to recognize plants like poison ivy and poison oak.

Keep them interested

Bring along some toys and games for your children in case they get bored. Try to bring family activities, such as board games, if at all possible. Bring plenty of books, coloring books, crayons and other sorts of toys and activities.

Make it truly memorable

Try to plan some unique activities. Make s’mores. Let your children roast their own hot dogs. Do some fishing. Find things to do with your children that they can’t do when they’re not camping.

How to Clean a Tent

Have you ever opened up a tent bag, only to be overcome by the smell of mildew? Have you taken off your socks inside of a tent and realized that the floor was covered in sand? A dirty tent is not only an eyesore, it can even be harmful to your health.

One of the most important parts about taking care of a tent is keeping it clean. Keeping your tent clean will help you to eliminate dirt and avoid the transmission of fungal infections.

Excessive dirt can damage the floor of the tent, and reduce the life of your tent greatly. In addition, preventing the accumulation of dust reduces the need for hard and labor intensive cleaning.

There are two key components to keeping your tent nice and clean. First, you need to clean the tent thoroughly. Then, you need to keep more dirt from entering the tent.

These tips will help you do both of these tasks:

• Use a ground cloth to keep dirt away from the floor. A ground cloth is, essentially, a doormat. Keeping dirt away from the floor in this way will also help protect the tent floor from corrosion.
• Bring a dust pan and broom with you when you camp. Hand brooms are especially useful for smaller tents, while a full-size broom may be better for larger tents.
• Take off your shoes outside the tent before you enter the tent. If that is not possible, use a wire bristle brush to get the dirt and mud off your shoes before you get into the tent.
• Clean off your camping gear and clothing before entering the tent, as well.
• When the tent gets dirty, sponge the tent with soapy. Use a wet cloth or sponge to wipe down the soapy tent. If you have manufacturer’s recommendation or instructions on cleaning, follow those carefully.
• Brush the dirt off and away from the tent when you pack it up.

Let the tent completely dry before you pack and store it. If you must break camp in the rain, make sure to air the tent out when you get home.

Tent Review: Coleman 10×8 Variflo Tent

The Coleman 10’ x 8’ Variflo Tent is one of the most versatile and well-made tents available.This tent comes in a variety of different designs, and has several features that can take your tent camping experience to the next level.

Features

Here are just a few of the features you’ll find in the Coleman 10’ x 8’ Variflo:

• It features the WeatherTec system. This feature helps keep your tent dry, even in the heaviest of storms. It includes It has a waterproof floor that keeps the interior dry.
• This tent can accommodate up to four people comfortably.
• It has shock-corded poles to allow for a quick and simple set up.
• It also has additional pockets to give you extra storage space.
• It also has a mesh vent for increased comfort and proper ventilation inside the tent.
• It has a rain fly covers the doors and windows, as well as the roof.
• There are separate storage bags for the tent, poles, and stakes.
• Finally, It comes with a five-year warranty so you can enjoy your tent for years to come.

Is it right for you?

The Coleman 10’ x 8’ Variflo Tent isn’t right for everyone. Before you buy one, check it out. Go inside the tent to see whether you can walk around and lie down and stand up inside with no difficult. Make sure that the tent has enough space for your air mattresses or sleeping bags, and that there are at least 30 square feet of space per person who will be staying in the tent.

In addition, if you’ll be walking to your campsite this may not be the best tent to choose. The tent bag is heavy and bulky, and not well-suited for carrying long distances. If that’s the case for you, you might consider using individual pup tents or perhaps even one or more small dome tents.

Essential Hiking Gear

Hiking can be a wonderful experience for individuals or families. Like most other outdoor activities, though, there are some things you need to have with you in order to be prepared for an emergency. There are also things you’ll want to have with you to make the hiking trip more comfortable.

Here are a few of the key items you should bring on a hiking trip:

Your cell phone. While there’s no guarantee you’ll have coverage where you’re hiking, the GPS transmitter inside your phone may be able to help others locate you in an emergency.

Extra clothing. Bring a sweatshirt or something else to keep you warm. Extra socks don’t hurt, either. You can bring a rain poncho, as well, in case of inclement weather. A hat can help keep the sun off your head, too.

A first aid kit. Make sure it’s stocked each time you go hiking, and replenish any items you’ve used. At a minimum, you should have an ice pack, bandages, gauze pads, medical tape, and an antibiotic cream in the first aid kit.

A survival pack. This is a small container, preferably one that’s waterproof, that contains a pocket knife, whistle, space blanket, dry matches, a compass and water purification tablets. Each of these items will come in handy if you should get lost or if there is an emergency.

Insect repellant and sunscreen. These items keep your skin safe and free of bug bites. Make sure to reapply these items frequently, as they lose their effectiveness over time.

A map. A topographical map of your hiking area can be especially useful.

Medications. You should bring prescription medications, as well as medications for common ailments. A pain reliever, antihistamine, decongestant and anti-diarrheal medication can be especially useful while hiking. If you are allergic to bees, you should bring an Epi-pen in case of an emergency.

Food and water. Make sure to pack a little extra in case you wind up hiking longer than you originally intended.

All of these items should fit comfortably inside your backpack when hiking.

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