Useful camping tips

These camping tips will add to the learning experience and adventure for you on your holiday. A little preplanning can make a big difference to your enjoyment. Here are a few tips to aid your planning:

You don’t always need to go far to have fun: Sometimes planning a long weekend away is all you need. Most often there are venues that offer plenty of activities and facilities within a two hour drive from home.

Choose a site with easy to access facilities such as electricity and water. Lights around the site for those night walks or just to go to the bathroom. A safe barbecue area (raised off the ground is best), as well as a washing up area. If you are staying for longer than a week, make sure there is a close and convenient clothes washing area. Although going away implies you will take your own food, a store on the premises or at least close by is likely to be a necessity.

Remember to take along games and activities for those rainy days. An indoor pool is a big plus. If you have a busy toddler you need to check whether the outdoor pool is fenced. A good site will have walking paths, swimming, mountain bicycle trails, game drives and so on.

Keep your eyes open for quick, easy and fun recipes. This will give you more time to relax. There is nothing as delicious as a ‘homecooked’ campfire meal. Gas is a wonderful standby and cooks faster than getting a wood fire started. Try these charcoal grill tips. While the chefs are busy at the barbecue, you can keep eager hands busy with these recipes for children. Once the main meal is done remember to enjoy these charcoal grill tips mouthwatering sweet treats.

Take care with clothing made from synthetic fabric close to a open campfires or gas appliances. Here are some camping tips as to where to make a camp fire.

Check that the camp site has good security although the safety of your children will always be best managed by you.

This time away from television sets is a great opportunity to do 3 dimensional activities: Remember to bring some nature guides and see who can identify the most wildlife. Later on in the day it is fun to see what insects are around; insects can be absolutely fascinating to watch, they are nature’s own little cartoon characters. Some come with their own ammunition, camouflage and weapons. You can do a night study by collecting bugs and moths around the lights. Include catching frogs, fishing and bird spotting.

Bring containers to collect shells, leaves and seeds from the area. Take pictures of them and put them in your holiday scrapbook.

A few important hints: Remember a portable screen as a barrier from the wind.

Remember to have a basic tool box.

Pack a first aid kit.

Remember the little things that count: matches, tin opener, torches, toilet paper, sun hat, sun screen, insect repellent and rain coats. A small broom and dust pan makes camp life easier and a whole lot more bearable, especially when coping with beach sand or dust. Hints are always useful in a case such as this. Look at these camping tips for your equipment.

Set up your tent as a test before you go away to make sure all the pieces are there and you know how to assemble them. Even if you have mastered this task, it is best to schedule your arrival with enough daylight hours to spare: Putting up a tent at night is not a task to be envied. Here are some ideas on keeping warm.

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