Camping ideas

Enjoying the great out-of-doors has never been so much fun, or as easy. Whether your family prefers tent camping or RV camping, both have distinctive characteristics that are enjoyable.

Tent camping, or roughing it, is for the bold, hardy camper. But, even the hardy camper would be foolish not to put an air mattress under his sleeping bag. Anything that makes the visit more comfortable is acceptable.

Likewise, coolers should be keep inside the tent or car. One good idea is to close the tent flaps, and place the cooler on the inside, over the bottom ends of the flaps to keep the raccoons out of the tent, as well. I once left a watermelon on the ground near our tent. Later that evening we watched as two industrious raccoons literally rolled it down the hill!

Though raccoons look friendly, they are wild animals and should be treated accordingly. If a raccoon takes your food, do not attempt to take it back from it. It will already have been contaminated by the animal and regardless of how many times he washes his hands, a raccoon is still a wild animal and may carry a number of diseases.

Any and every raccoon bite should be treated as though the animal were rabid, and since rabies are fatal, consult a doctor immediately. Likewise, squirrels, bats, and other wild animals are suspected of rabies if they attack or bite a human. If ever bitten by a wild animal, consult a physician immediately. If the animal is caught, it’s head must be severed and the brain examined to determine whether it has rabies, or not. If it can’t be caught, a series of rabies shots may be your only option. Do not put yourself through this terror unnecessarily; avoid contact with wild animals or pets that are unfamiliar to you.

Though most campgrounds forbid campers to use tree limbs as clothes lines, it is usually acceptable to take a piece of nylon rope and tie it around several tree trunks to form a make-shift clothes line. Remember to bring clothes pins, and remember to hang everything. Damp towels and clothing will smell musty in a hurry, and no one wants to use a towel that’s wet. The items will dry in a relatively short amount of time. Tie sneaker shoelaces together and loop over the line to drip-dry.

Bring along a broom to sweep out the tent, as well as your own roasting sticks. Never cut branches at a campground or park. If you do not have long metal “store-purchased” hotdog sticks, fashion sticks, complete with a fork, from the branches of your own trees and bring them along as part of your equipment.

Make sure you have a buddy system implemented, and that each one in your campsite is aware of how it works. A buddy system where no one goes out alone anytime, especially after dark, is a good system. That way, no one will get lost–or at the very least, lost alone. It also means that if one person needs to visit the lavatory in the middle of the night, he must wake his buddy to accompany him. The buddy is not allowed to complain. After all, his buddy would do the same for him, if he needed the favor returned.

Buddy systems only work for adults or responsible teenagers. Youngsters should not be allowed to wander off, even in twos. You never know who is in the campground, and no one wants to take a chance with their child’s life.

Most campgrounds are equipped with shower stalls and indoor toilets. Take advantage of this luxury. Because these facilities are not always pristine, use flip-flops when showering and never walk on the bathroom floor without some type of foot covering. It’s also a good idea to bring along a second pair of sneakers to wear in the water in case of rocks, glass, or other sharp items that may have washed ashore. (Always bring at least two pairs of shoes when camping. If one shoe becomes misplaced, you’ll have to find a shoe store in a hurry, and that can get expensive.)

Excellent choices for beach toys include castle molds, plastic pails and shovels, arm wings, life jackets, and Zip-lock plastic bags. Beach balls and inner tubs are fun, but, without fail, they tend to blow into other beach area and interrupt other families, or get left in the water and float away. A youngster’s tears as she watches her ball float to the other side of the lake does not add up to quality beach time. Be sensible. Leave floaties at home. Keep arm bands or life jackets on the very youngest children at all times. The Zip-lock bags are necessities when collecting shells or other cool things by the seashore.

Beach towels, sun screen, and snacks are also good ideas for the beach bag.

Bicycles, roller blades or roller skates, bubble blow, sidewalk chalk, and skip ropes are usually appropriate playthings, but ask ahead. Every park has it’s own set of rules and regulations. If your child does bring these toys, it’s your responsibility to make sure your children are careful on the park roads. An RV, or a truck pulling a boat, will be hard-pressed to stop on a dim, even when traveling at the park’s posted speed limit.

Campground water pumps frequently become contaminated when campers do not follow rules. Therefore, it is recommended that you bring at least two gallons of water for cooking, drinking and brushing teeth. Often, rules are posted near water faucets explaining what is allowed and what is not allowed...follow all rules and regulations posted in the campground.

Finally, everyone in your campsite should be equipped with a flashlight. To ensure your flashlight doesn’t get lost, place one in each sleeping bag before leaving the house, and initial them. Kids tend to keep better track of things when they feel ownership. Roll the sleeping bag up with the flashlight inside. It won’t be needed until evening, and won’t get misplaced in the meanwhile.