Wilderness Survival Tips

I'm posting a video that I found on wilderness survival. It's in Swedish but it has a subtitle at the bottom of the screen. Though you might not understand one bit, please take your time and watch this video. It's a little over 27 minutes.

This video deals with immobilizing fear, our need for warmth and water, spruce roots as string, fire with fire steel, tinder, feather sticks & fire wood, spruce bows as a bed and smoke signal. This 27 minutes might save your life should you ever get lost in the woods. Watch and take notes.

Enjoy!

For more info, please visit our website: Camping Guide.

What Type Of Camping Food To Bring?

Nature tripping with family or friends never fails to give delight. A week of fun and excitement in the woods gives the opportunity of the curious mind to explore and develop a sense of love and respect for living creatures.

Of course, camping won’t be as much fun when there is not enough ration of food for the whole pack. A night out at the campfire or a day full of activity will surely trigger the appetite.

This article contains tips on which type of food to bring and the best things. The amount of camping food packed should not be too much nor too few. Since camping would mean bringing of a lot of equipment over, it is best to pack other things lightly.

• Meals should be made as simple as possible. Hotdogs, marshmallows and burgers are good.
• It is wise to pack pre-chopped vegetables the night before the trip and pack it in zip lock bags. Veggies such as carrots and onions stay fresh and are best to add to side dishes and mixes.
• Dishes such as meat mixes and sauces are best pre-cooked.
• Soft-fleshed fruits such as bananas and apples are easily bruised in packing. It is best to bring firm ones such as oranges.
• Purchase pre-packed salad for a fresh supply of lettuce. Bring along cheese that are pre-grated or buy one at the supermarket for convenience.
• When cooking the corn over fire, it should be wrapped heavily with aluminum foil when cooked over fire.
• Oil for grilling is best placed in a spray bottle for ease of use. Keep it inside a bag to prevent from spillage.
• Soft-fleshed fruits such as bananas and apples are easily bruised in packing. It is best to bring firm ones such as oranges.
• Powdered juice is easier and lighter to pack than carbonated drinks. Freezing the juice in reusable containers is more economical because it can act as a cooling pack. The cooler should be stocked with drinks that are going to be consumed on the day itself. It is best to fill it before going to bed for next day’s use.
• When bringing along chips, it is best to buy those that are contained in canisters to prevent crushing of the bag.
• The flat tortillas are easier to pack than bread and tastes good, too.

It is common for the animals in the park to go for the camper’s food. It is wise not to feed them and not to keep your camping food inside the tents for the camper’s own safety!

Here's a video on camping food for you on how to make the world's most delicous camping food - the pudgie pie - also called a pie iron sandwich.



For more on camping food, you can read more about camping recipes and camping cooking at our website: Camping Guide.

Checklist For Campers

A great summer getaway with the family is spending days at a campsite, taking pleasure from Mother Nature: the scenery, the flowers and the wildlife. While being excited for the whole trip, it is most important to prepare for the best, and the worst, things that nature can give us.

The ultimate camper’s check list should be categorized into the following items:

The Before-Leaving-Home List
Includes locking of all the doors and windows, turning off all the lights and appliances such as the computer, adjusting the thermostat, holding of all mails, watering of plants and making pet arrangements.

Personals
Includes grooming and hygiene kit such as shampoo, soap, towels, toilet paper, insect repellant (which one cannot do without!), toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, deodorant, sun block, sun glasses, lip balm and a trusty sewing kit.

First Aid Kit
Includes the necessary medicines for headaches, fever, flu, allergy and stomach ulcer. For wounds, you should have antibiotics cream, antiseptic and band aids. Tweezers to take out splinters. Pocket tissues are advisable.

Camping Essentials
Includes ID card, driver’s license, money, map, compass, water, flashlights and battery packs, radio, canteen, clock, lantern, bulbs, rope, clothespin, clothesline, lounge chair, foldable table, tent repair gear, camera, lots of film, binoculars, pocket knife and a lighter.

Sleeping Gear
Include the tent, poles, sleeping bags, mattress, mallet, ground cloth, air pump, pillows, blankets, rope and stakes.

Clothing
Includes a cozy pairs of sweat pants and shirt, underwear, sweater, thermals, socks of varying thickness, pajamas, gloves, jacket, pants,swimsuit, t-shirts, tank tops, bandannas, hats, sneakers, sandals and hiking boots.

Children and Baby Supplies
Babies would need lots of baby food, milk, bottles, diapers, pacifier and baby wipes, bibs, play pen, stuffed toys, spoons, high chair, blankets, stroller, tub and books. For bigger kids, games for rainy days and for traveling, pencils, crayons, paper, toys, bucket and shovel. Frisbees, kites and magazines are essential.

Kitchen Utensils and Equipment
Includes food container, insulator for frozen food, matches or lighter, disposable plates and utensils, pots and pans, stove, fuel, aluminum foil, dish towel, knife, dish soap, sponge, spatula, tongs, bottle and can opener, bowls, mugs, coffee pot, thermos, trash bags, zip lock bags, table cloth and skewers for campfire barbecuing or marshmallow toasting.

Camping Fire Checklist
Includes the matches, kindling, newspaper, ax, shovel, wood, fire extinguisher and the campfire permit.

With these filled-up, the trip will surely be a blast! No more worries. You just go and enjoy yourself.

For more camping information, please visit our website Camping Guide or download our Camping Ebook.

Camping Tips On Choosing The Best Location

Camping is assumed to have rudimentary accommodation because you have portable gear including your shelter and bedding packed in your backpack or vehicle. It's the small price to pay for enjoying the great outdoors and going off the beaten track, where even popular camping sites promise lots of great views and great ways to bond with nature.

Knowing this, great care should be taken when choosing the best place to go camping. A lot of the more popular national parks and protected areas have selected only specific areas for camping. Other reserves do not permit camping at all. When selecting a camping place, find out if a camp permit is required, how much the fees are and the specific restrictions in a particular place. You absolutely have to get permits either before you go or upon arrival. Permits for very popular sites during holiday periods are very difficult to obtain and there are instances that they will be sold out months in advance. Obvious example: don't plan to camp during Christmas without being securing a permit beforehand.

It’s also a good idea to ask family and friends for good camping places that they can recommend.

Caravan parks are also available at or near popular nature parks or campsites. These camping places are usually available in two to three types. First are powered sites where you can park the caravan and vehicle and plug in. Some parks rent out caravans available in the camping place for shelter. Other parks offer small cabins, which are cozier and more spacious.

When arriving at a particular park or camp area, it would be best to stick to some camping place selection tips.

Be sure to have a map of the park or campground so you can be oriented with all the trails, features and amenities available. Be especially conscious of water faucets and rest rooms.

Check the distance to nearest neighbors. Also, look for trash bins and showers, when available. Set camp as close as possible to the water source and restroom.

Next, select the highest point on the campgrounds but make sure that the ground is flat enough to install the tent and beddings on. Do not locate the fire pit very near your tent, and be mindful of wind directions to avoid smoke entering your tent.

Some campgrounds have washing stations for cleaning cookware. If so, do not do the dishes in the restrooms.

Now, whatever location you choose for your next camping vacation, you know how to select the best camping place to settle in for your rugged adventure.

For more camping info, check out our website: Camping Guide

or our bestseller: Camping Ebook

For the latest news in the world of camping, check it out here: Camping News

How To Make Your Camping Trip Fun Again?

Okay, today's post is going to be about making your camping experience more fun like never before.

Many people are now engaging into camping especially now that the metros are becoming more and more congested and polluted. Before, this activity has only been a means of adventure and chilling; but now camping has also turned into a popular sport. Everybody is doing it!

A usual camping activity starts with the preparation of gears and gadgets. Food are then packed and sealed. After several miles of travel, campers arrive at the site. After setting the tents, everyone goes on with different activities: mountain hiking, skiing, snow boarding, etc.

However, if the same activities will be done every time one goes camping, the level of excitement and adventure may be lessened. There has to be something new and this meas, new activities, new experiences and new tricks.

Here are some tips to make your camping like never before:

Plan Ahead of Time
Avoid hasty scheduling. A well planned trip gives the group ample time to decide the details of the activity. A check list of what to bring will greatly help in avoiding incidents of forgetting something. Also, planning ahead of time allows adjustments in schedule, for example, a weather disturbance is predicted or, a member suddenly encounters an emergency appointment that conflicts with the group’s camping schedule.

Scout a New Campsite
There are lots of magazines, web addresses, television and internet programs which feature places suitable for camping. A wider choice of sites means new activities, new view, and new experiences for the group.

Build a Campfire
Tired of the day’s varied activities, campers can settle down around a campfire. Together, campers can eat dinner or midnight snack, tell either funny or spooky stories, or just relax.

Below is a video on how you how to build a campfire. This video explains how to collect the three things needed to build a fire: tinder, kindling and fuel. Gathering the right kind of material in sufficient quantities assures quick, reliable campfire. It's a little over 6 minutes. Enjoy!



Have Fun With Games
The group can enjoy with games such as scavenger hunt or any adventure game. Parents also can organize easy games especially when kids are joining the camping activity.

Seeing, tasting, smelling, hearing and experiencing something new in a camping activity will surely make every camper miss the excitement and thrill of camping. A simple addition or revision to the usual set-up can create a remarkable increase in the team member’s enthusiasm in joining the camping activities.

Now that more and more advertisements are being launched giving us a wider array of gadgets, gear and camping sites, making a camping activity fun is not anymore a problem. One just has to be creative and resourceful for camping in itself is not adventurous and exciting enough. The right location, the perfect day, the good weather, the reliable gears and gadgets and the cooperative team members are the ones that make a camping “an activity like never before”.

For further information on camping, please visit our website: Camping Guide

More Safety Tips For The Whole Camping Experience

By now, you must be tired of me writing about camping safety already. I'm starting to sound like an old grandfather. I'm sorry if you felt that way. The truth is being safe is the key to a fun camping experience. So whatever it is, safety should come before anything else, no matter what you do in life.

Be it in a public or private campsite, the whole family should be prepared to make the camping experience both fun and safe.

Without any delay, here are a number of safety tips for happy go campers:

• First aid kit first! Remember to be prepared for cuts, bee stings and allergic reactions. Bring antiseptic, bug sprays and insect repellents, pain relievers and if possible snake bite kit.

• Plan your trip before going to the actual campsite. Check on whether you are going to setup a camping tent or what activities you wish to do. This will prepare you with what the things you would need to bring and need to know.

• Know the weather report before leaving. Make sure the weather is good for camping. If the weather is uncertain make sure you'll have shelter in case of heavy rain.

• Familiarize yourself with the plants surrounding the campsite. In case you come in contact with a poisonous plant, rinse the part with water immediately. Most of the times, calamine lotion is usually advised to be put on the affected areas.

• Wear light-colored clothing and do not wear any cologne or perfume so as not to attract stinging insects. Be calm when insects approach, use a brushing motion to drive them away.

• Don't forget essential camping supplies like flashlight, knife, whistle, fire starter, clothing and food.

• Check for all possible hazards in the campsite. Inspect the campsite. Check the terrain and look for beehives or possible poisonous plants.

• Be fire safe. Usually, campsites have fire rings where you can build your fire. Make sure that no other fuel-burning equipment near the fire. Do not use heating devices or candles inside the tent. Flashlights or battery-powered lights are preferred

• Build your tent on a safe spot. Keep it at a safe distance from the campfire.

• Dispose of your garbage properly. Your trash could attract animals to your camp.

• Remember good hygiene is essential. Wash you hands before and after toileting and food handling. Be aware that a lot of microorganisms are present in the area.

Camping is just one of the activities the whole family can do. It can also be a form of exercise at any age. Bonding with nature would seem to be a great idea.

However, one must be prepared for potential events that are unexpected to happen. Combat these events through thorough preparation. Plan ahead and know the ABC's of camping.

To find out more about our camping website, please click here: Camping Guide

You can also check out our latest camping ebook.

What Types of Camping Are You Looking For?

If yesterday we discussed on camping safety, today we're going to be discussing about the different kinds of camping you could have either with your family or friends.

Camping gives everyone the chance to experience wildlife firsthand. Campers usually can engage in hunting, fishing, plant study, swimming, canoeing, nature photography and wildlife watching.

Likewise, camping delivers many physical benefits because it involves outdoor activities and according to enthusiasts, camping imparts confidence in children as well as offers opportunity for adult campers to challenge themselves when in unfamiliar surroundings.

Tent Camping

Tent camping is the one that most of us are familiar with. Tent camping usually attracts families with children because children are primarily the ones that enjoy it the most and because is rugged and inexpensive.

Tent camping employs commonly a car to transport camping equipment to any established campground that offers full amenities that allow direct car access.

Day Hiking

Day hiking today is becoming more popular with campers of all ages. Anyone capable of walking long distances can certainly do this. Day hikers’ objectives is to hike or walk for the day then go back that same day, usually as night approaches to their campsite.

Besides being able to walk on long distances, you must also to be ready for any weather conditions as well as having the right tools and techniques needed so you can find the right route back to your campsite.

One very important thing in hiking is selecting hiking equipment, in this case, selecting the correct footwear. Because hiking is defined as walking which simply means being always “on your feet”, you must purchase a footwear designed specifically for hiking and one that primarily give your feet comfort while walking and never one whose main purpose is only to make you look good.

Many are attracted to this "sport" because every individual sets himself an objective then strives hard so to achieve it; this undertaking requires some commitment and planning.

Backpacking Camping

Backpacking is generally the most exciting and basic way to experiencing a wilderness adventure.

Backpacking adds new excitement and elements unto any hiking experience because it extends your visit in the backwoods. You may travel far into the wilderness because you are not obliged to go back to your campsite at the day’s end.

It is exploring simply on foot beautiful and wild country, being self-sufficient, while hiking with camping essentials in a comfortable backpack and set camp mostly in undeveloped and primitive areas.

Put simply, backpacking entails having to carry a pack of essential camping supplies on your “back”. The longer your trip, the more supplies you carry. What you will be taking along with you as well as how distant you will hike actually depends on you.

Preparing for your backpacking trip involves assembling, selecting and packing supplies and gears that you need and want to bring along with you.

Selecting your backpacking gear is very significant so to have a successful trip. Excessive gear or specially the wrong kind of backpacking gear can bring about an extremely heavy weight load that will spoil your hike.

Likewise, incorrect or too few a gear will result to discomfort and on certain conditions, may even dangers.

The internet is a filled with stores devoted to only to backpacking supplies and gears as well as information. Studying your backpacking gears will enable you to purchase the right gear that you will need.

The selection for backpacking gears are always evolving, ongoing and constantly changing. Find out which one best suits you backpacking requirements.

Backpacking equipment generally costs more compared to car camping, however much less compared to RV camping and take note, backpacking campsites mostly are free.

RV Camping

RV stands for Recreational Vehicle and RV campers benefit the liberty of traveling at their “own time” and are able to camp in different places while not sacrificing comfort that RV vehicles offer.

RV is comparable to a small lodge but on wheels and normally comes complete with heater, oven, refrigerator, shower, stove, beds, toilet, and “12-volt” electrical power.

According to many Rv-ers, they enjoy their “mini hotel” because they are always “packed and ready-to-go”.

Furthermore, they enjoy the cooking, bathing and sleeping convenience the vehicle offers while in a distant or remote campground.

For individuals who never experienced camping in an RV but thinking of purchasing one, renting first would be a very sensible decision so you will see if RV lifestyle suits you.

Whatever type you choose, with safety in mind, camping is sure to be a fun filled experience the whole family will love and will look forward to every season.

Find out more about camping at our website: Camping Guide