Visiting beautiful Mother Nature and spending a few days or weeks in
its folds can be a great experience if you know what you are doing. You can
decide to go wild camping-meaning there are no toilets or hot showers available
or you can decide to camp in a campsite which is more or less like staying in a
hotel.
Imagine going camping with no means of getting yourself some food if
something happened to your food supply. Or finding the ‘perfect’ spot to pitch
your tent only to realize late in the night that perhaps it wasn’t the best
place after all! How about packing for your wonderful camping experience only
to realize you don’t have the right camping gear or you have gone camping in
the wrong weather!
When going wild camping, be sure to inform someone of where you are
going, how long you will be going for and when you expect to be back to
‘civilization’.
In order to avoid the scenarios mentioned above, there are a number
of Do’s and Don’ts that come with camping, some of which include:
- Make sure you have a map and double check your gear. Make sure you have packed all the necessary gear to make for a wonderful camping experience and then go ahead and double-check! Besides the maps and compass, be sure to include a first aid kit and emergency equipment.
- If you wish to bring along your pet, be sure to find out the campground’s pet policy. In case you are allowed to bring along your pet-a dog in this case, don’t forget to pack plenty of food for it and a leash.
- Avoid arriving at camp after nightfall. This is because setting up camp in the dark is not a piece of cake! Try as much as possible to arrive way before nightfall so you can put up your tent and get acquainted with your surroundings.
- After eating, clear all food in order not to attract wild animals. You should also keep your food in airtight containers or hanging from a tree to keep it away from the animals.
- Don’t leave your food unattended unless of course you don’t mind sharing a large portion if not all of it with the animals!
- Ensure you follow a fire safety protocol while building a fire. This means no open fires especially when you go wild camping! Try as much as possible to keep the fire at a minimum-no need of having a roaring fire that could go out of control! You should also ensure that the fire is completely out before calling it a night.
- Don’t provoke any of the wild animals. Don’t attempt to feed them and don’t leave their environment worse than you found it- clean up after yourself!
The above are just a few basic do’s and don’ts to make for a
splendid camping experience. When you know what to expect and come prepared
then you are one step closer to enjoying your camping experience. If you'd rather skip the whole planning headache and just want to enjoy a smooth camping trip or tour across North America, you can easily check out some great travel options over at BookBusTours to take care of the heavy lifting.
