10 Tips For Successful Tent Camping

1. When you pitch your tent, make sure it is on level

ground. Remove any sticks, rocks, pebbles and clumps

of mud so the floor of the tent is nice and smooth.

2. When making a camp fire, the two best methods for

safety are to either place good size rocks in a circle, or

dig a pit to keep the embers from straying, thus keeping

the fire contained. Keep your tent at least 25 feet from

the fire, and when you are ready to leave, douse your

fire with water and stir it around until you are sure it

is out.

3. Choose a good camping mattress. Inflatable mattresses

are the most popular, and most of them come with

inflators, which can come in hand pumps, foot pumps, or

even electric pumps you can hook up to your automobile

cigarette lighter. Also avaliable are foam matresses which

tend to be less expensive and roll up nicely for storage.

4. On many a camping trip, I have found good trails to

hike. Choose a good pair of hiking boots that are

comfortable for you, and lace up tight to support the ankle.

Regular athletic shoes are O.K. also, if the trail isn't too rough.

5. Insect repellent and sunscreen are essential these days.

I have found the best repellents contain deet, however, if

your skin is sensitive to deet, there are many alternatives.

There are also repellent and sunscreen combinations on

the market today, and very important, kid friendly

sunscreens and repellents.

6.As far as cooking your camp meals is concerned, I like

to bring a grill and a camping stove as well. There are many

good camping stoves on the market, and as far as grilling

goes, I like my 18 inch tabletop charcoal grill. Many

campgrounds supply picnic tables to campers, and I find

this type of grill to be perfect. Even if there are no picnic

tables avaliable, (I realize some camping areas are quite

primitive, and of course sometimes we prefer them that

way), this type of grill is just fine. The legs of the grill are

about 6 inches off the ground, and the 18 inch grill top

can support plenty of food.

7. We all know we can't control the weather. Many tents

these days come with a rain "fly" that can be added over

the tent. If your tent doesn't have this feature, not to

worry. First of all avoid pitching your tent under a big

tree. If a hard rain does fall, this will make sure branches

and sticks won't strike your tent. Also, bring along rain

panchos for everyone. They are light weight and provide

good protection.

8. Let's be comfortable. Bring a good sleeping bag that is

long enough to stick your head in if the night air gets a

little chilly. There are many good sleeping bags to choose

from with different temperature ranges. Choose

appropriatly for the time of year you are to camp.

Also a pillow can make things much more comfortable.

You don't have to bring your big home pillow if you are

trying to save room, there are many camping pillows

such as inflatable ones that fold up very small and take

up very little room.

9. Earlier, I talked about camping areas with picnic

tables. This is very nice, but if you don't have this option,

sitting on the ground can be very uncomfortable. There

are many good camping chairs to choose from, some of

which fold up very small. There are also camping tables

that do the same thing.

10. Keep a neat camping area. If the campground or area

you are in doesn't supply refuse containers, be sure to

bring along some garbage bags. You certainly do not want

creatures of the night invading your space.

Follow these 10 tips and I garauntee your camping trip will

be an enjoyable and memorable experience.