​Camping Like a Pro, Even If You Are a Novice

If you have never been Camping, or if you have only been camping with family and friends and have not gone out on your own before, it can be a bit nerve-racking. Apart from trying to find the proper equipment and food to bring, there is the act of camping itself. What should you do, how should you do it, and what are fun ways to enjoy the outdoors without a reliance upon technology? And while there are a ton of things which we could expound upon, here are a few simple hacks that you can use if you are a beginner.

Hungry? Try this simple recipe

​If you do not want to spend your entire afternoon getting food prepared, you may wish to try this simple solution. All you will need to do is have your vegetables cut up and wrapped in aluminum foil. If you have any ground meat or steaks, you can add them to the packet. To make this meal all you have to do is arrange the vegetables and meat on in your pouch, add a bit of water to keep everything from going dry, wrap up your contents and let it cook on a grill or on some white coals of a fire for around 20 to 30 minutes. It is really that simple.

Making a camping fire

​Camping and fires go hand in hand. If you are new to camping, then making a fire may not be an easy endeavor. Hopefully, you do not have the expectations of rubbing sticks together. But even if you have matches, getting a fire up and going can be a bit of a task, especially if the ground is wet. To start a fire quickly, this is what you will need to do:

Mint

​If you are camping away from any facilities which have water, then bathing may become an issue. Where you could go looking for a stream or something or another which could be used to quickly run some water over your body, getting clean and smelling clean may be a problem. If you forgot to pack your deodorant, but you have a bit of mint it could be just what you need to take the edge off. Boil the mint in water and let the water cool. Once you have that done, wet a cloth and wipe yourself down. Not only does the mint take away that body funk, mint, when applied to the skin can have a calming effect, cool the skin, and reduce the irritation of bug bites, says medical news today.

Pack a spare set of shoes

​When you go camping, you should have comfortable shoes. Hiking boots and tennis shoes do best. Do not wear your heels or open toe shoes in the woods. Heels tend to break and open toe shoes are a stubbed toe or cut heel waiting to happen. If you know that your destination will be beside a shoreline, stream, or soft bedded area, pack your river shoes in your bag and switch them out once you arrive.

It is important that you have at least one spare set of shoes in your camping gear. Should you get your shoes wet, puncture the sole, or any number of issues occur, it is best to have a solution rather than have to deal with being un-prepared.

Bring Duct Tape

​As comical as it may sound, duct tape is a quick and easy way to fix several problems which can occur on a campsite. Have a tent rod that is cracking? Well, you could pull out a soldering iron and fix it, or just put the tent up and hope for the best, or you could reinforce it with duct tape. If you forget to pack an extra pair of shoes and the sole comes undone, tape it together. You get the point. Duct tape fixes things quickly. Have a small roll in your camping gear.

Storing your food

​When you camp in nature, occasionally you should deal with nature coming to see what you have brought to you. Food and snacks tend to be a magnet for wildlife, especially when there is any aroma to the food. To avoid waking up to bear in your campsite, a raccoon in your tent, or just the frustration of picking up a mess of a mysterious animal that has rummaged through your camping supplies, use this camping tips.

Find a tree that has a branch extending a few feet from the trunk. The branch should be a good 10 to 12 feet above the ground. Using a rope hang your bag from the branch. Ensure that you do not leave the top of your bag open (as squirrels and raccoons will just climb into the bag). The bag should hang about 2 feet from the branch to keep creatures from just climbing the tree and reaching into the bag. Tie the rope around the tree firmly and only lower your pack when you are at the site and awake.

You have a phone, use it for good

​I am not a big advocate for technology in the campground. One of the reasons to go camping is to unplug from the world. However, using the GPS navigation system in your phone is a great way to safely navigate the woods. Just ensure that you are looking at your surroundings as you walk and not fixated on the phone. A GPS navigator is good only to a certain extent. Most of the navigation will not give you the layout of the land. It will not be able to tell you if there is a cliff, a snake in the path, or a low branch. Pay attention to where you are walking, using the GPS as a guide.

Don’t camp alone

​If you are a beginner, then you should not go camping alone. Every year the news reports several individuals who have gone camping alone and gone missing. I am sure that not one of those campers set out with the intention of getting lost. A pair is always better than a solo act when camping. Have a camping plan, have at least one other person with you and let someone know about where to find you should you not be back home around the intended time.

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