8 Tips for Tent Camping Success

Tent camping can be an amazing experience for anyone. There’s nothing quite like pitching your own tent, starting a campfire, and spending a few days experiencing nature up close and personal.

Unfortunately, tents aren’t made of indestructible material. Over time, tents develop leaks as the fabric wears down. They can develop mildew, mold, or become unusable because of general wear and tear.

Over the years, we’ve discovered some important things about tent camping, and how to help keep your tent in the best shape it can be. Here are a few ways you can make sure your tent camping experience is a successful one:

1. Pick the right location to set up your tent. Avoid low-lying areas, because they tend to have poor air flow. In addition, low-lying areas are more likely to gather water, causing a flooding problem.
2. Protect your tent from the sun. Set your tent up in the shade, if at all possible. Try not to dry the tent under direct sunlight, either.
3. Don’t pull your tent material too tight during setup. If one side of the tent is creased, it is worth the extra time and care to adjust the frame. If the material stretches too much, you’re likely to develop a leak.
4. Keep your tent clean. Get rid of trash daily. Leave shoes and boots outside the tent, or use a mat inside. Bring a broom, if possible. Sweep the tent every morning.
5. Make sure your tent is well-ventilated. Allow the tent to get a bit of a cross breeze. If possible, face the tent toward the source of any wind to allow it to catch the airflow.
6. Keep your tent dry inside while you’re camping. This can be especially difficult when it’s raining, or if it is especially humid. You can even use anti-moisture sprays to stop condensation from building up inside the tent.
7. Keep your tent dry when it’s in storage, too. Don’t allow mold or mildew to develop.
8. Watch out for creases when storing your tent, too. Try to fold your tent along different lines each time.

Following these tips helps you preserve your tent and insures that your camping experience is a positive one.

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.

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.

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.

Keeping Bugs Away While Camping

One of the downsides to camping is the constant exposure to bugs. Whether it’s ants that decide to invade your picnic table, or whether it’s mosquitoes who think you’re a tasty treat, bugs can ruin a camping trip faster than you can imagine. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to keep bugs away while you’re camping.

Choosing a Campsite

Campsites in sandy areas may be more vulnerable to certain types of bugs. Likewise, campsites deep in the woods or on a tree line may be more likely to have mosquitoes. Take these things into consideration when you pick your campsite

Food Handling

Make sure that your food is in sealed containers, such as coolers. After you eat, wash your dishes right away. Dispose of any leftover food quickly, so as to avoid drawing ants or flies. Some basic sanitation practices when it comes to handling food can help make your camping trip bug free.

Mosquito Spray

This is probably the most basic, yet most important, component of dealing with bugs when you’re camping. Mosquito spray, especially spray containing Deet, can keep mosquitoes from landing on your skin for hours. There are also mosquito repellent creams that perform the same function as mosquito spray. Some of these even contain sunscreen, as well.

As always, read any warning labels on your mosquito spray, and make sure that the spray you’re using is safe for children if you’re using it on children. Also, mosquito spray doesn’t last forever. Check the label to see exactly how often it is that you should reapply the mosquito spray.

Yard Guard

There are also bug sprays that are designed to cover a certain area. These spray cans send a cloud around a larger area, and the bug-repellent chemicals settle to the ground, where the scent of them repels bugs of many different sorts. Spray your entire campsite just before dusk with a yard guard type of bug spray to help keep the bugs away during the evening hours.

Clothing

Another way to avoid mosquitoes and other bugs is to dress in such a way that you have little or no exposed skin. Wearing pants and sweatshirts at night when you’re camping, for example, can help you avoid getting mosquito bites on your arms and legs.

Fun Family Campfire Activities

One of the most enjoyable parts of camping is the campfire. There are many things you can do around the campfire, as a family, to pass the time while you’re enjoying the great outdoors. Here are a few fun family campfire activities:

S’mores

These tasty campfire treats are a camp cooking classic. To make S’mores, you need three ingredients: graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows. Simply roast the marshmallows as you normally would, until the marshmallow is golden brown. If you prefer your marshmallows burnt, feel free to roast it that way, instead. While the marshmallow is still warm, slide it off your roasting stick on to one of the graham cracker halves. Place a piece of chocolate on top of the marshmallow, and put the other half of the graham cracker on top of that.

Sing-a-long

Another great campfire tradition is the sing-a-long. Whether it’s a somber song like “Kum Bay Yah” or whether it’s something more upbeat, your children will enjoy singing with you around the campfire. If you don’t want to sing traditional campfire songs, you can make a copy of your kids’ favorite CD liner, so that you can all sing along to their favorite tunes. You can make up songs, too. Use twigs, pots and pans for musical instruments to add a little extra variety to your sing-a-long.

Storytelling

Ghost stories are yet another campfire tradition. Stories about ax murderers loose in the nearby woods, or the spirits of long-dead campers can excite and entertain your family. If you are concerned about your children becoming too scared, consider telling other sorts of stories. Retell some of Aesop’s fables, or other classic children’s stories. For more interaction, consider making up a story together where each person adds a single line to the story.

The Most Important Thing

Always keep in mind, when you’re having fun with your family at a campfire, that safety comes first. Avoid horseplay, and watch the fire to make sure that it stays in the fire pit. Keep an eye on children of all ages, and make sure you’ve got a first aid kit with you in case of an emergency.

How to Select Camping Tents

For as long as people have been living indoors, we’ve been escaping to the great outdoors for a break from regular life and a new perspective on the universe. The fresh air and physical exertion that accompany a camping trip are among the best ways to relax and enjoy your free time.

Along with camping goes a whole host of special equipment and supplies. The sporting goods store can seem like a foreign country when you’re new to outdoor activities.

It’s not easy to break through all of the lingo and myriad options to get the camping equipment that you need.

Tents are an especially tricky area for beginners. There are weird numbers and letters designating different features, and there are so many different shapes and sizes that it can make you want to take up gardening instead.

The sizes listed on camping tents are typically listed as 1-man, 2-man and so forth. This refers to the number of campers that can be squeezed tightly into the tent, not necessarily the number of campers who can fit comfortably into the tent along with all of their gear, muddy boots and wet dogs.

Some larger tents have a public area along with separate sleeping chambers. These public areas are a great place to spend time when the weather outside isn’t nice enough for sitting around a fire and gazing at stars.

If you are going to be using your tent in inclement weather, such as snow or high winds, you’ll need a specialty camping tent that is designed to withstand these conditions. Camping tents that will be used in harsh weather should usually be double-walled and constructed of reinforced fabrics.

One of the most important qualities to look for in a tent is water resistance. The water resistance is measured in pounds per square inch (psi). This number refers to the amount of pressure that the water can exert on the material. Higher numbers are more water resistant and will keep you dryer on wet and stormy nights.

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