PREPARING FOR CAMPING
Campers love to get it right. While you may still know how to improvise almost everything, it still hurts to realize you left your toothbrush at home. To resolve this issue, it is most advisable for you to have ample time to prepare. With proper planning, while you will still have to improvise every once in a while, it may just be something you had planned.
Obtain a checklist
If you have ever gone camping before, you might already have a checklist with you. In this case, you may need to go through it and improve it further. When improving it, seek to identify things that you did not need during a camp trip at all and which you may never need and cancel them out. It is always fun to have a simple trip in which you do not drag your entire bedroom with you.
If you have never attended a camp before, it may be necessary to go online and obtain yourself a checklist. A checklist should, however, only give you an idea of where to begin. There are no custom checklists unless you made it yourself. For this reason, it may be necessary to improve on whatever checklist you obtain to individualize it. Of vital importance, ensure you have personal effects, if you are on any medication you may need to carry your drugs, carry with you your night dress, foods and water, if you cannot obtain it on scene and enough clothing for whatever number of days you will spend there. Remember you may have to spend most of you time outside and carry the appropriate clothing including warm clothing, shower caps, heavy boots, first aid kit, and goggles if you need them.
Pack up
Using your checklist, ensure that you pack everything. Literally use the checklist. Mark against your checklist as soon as you have packed your bags. Do not pack too many bags. Ensure you pack just as many bags as you can carry on your body at least over a short distance. If possible, go through your checklist after you are through packing to ensure you did everything right. It is good practice to share your checklist with those whom you are travelling with to ensure that you do not have to share your own stuff during the trip.
Take good care of yourself
Remember everything you may not be able to do during the trip and do it before you leave if necessary. Shave your hair if it will be a bother to you, exercise to ready yourself for the hardships associated with camping, and have a good shower. Remember you may not have much water at the campsite. Get the doctor to certify that you may go for a camp especially if you have heath issues.
Food
When packing your food, ensure that you carry enough food, balance your diet and plan your food well. Since you may not be in a position to carry your freezer with you, plan to eat those foods that are easier to get destroyed on the early days of your trip. This way, you will not have a shortage of food brought your way by poor planning. Remember to carry everything you will need at the campsite for your food. At least carry some salt, cooking fat, onions, seasoning and spices if needed and some utensils. Again, do not carry your entire kitchen.
Conclusion
Preparing for a camp is often a tiresome and difficult affair. It however gets easier as you become a more frequent camper. The basics are using a checklist to get everything into the bag, packing up properly by marking beside your checklist as you pack, making sure you remain healthy and planning your foods wisely. This way, you will not need to call off your trip earlier or suffer excessively during your camping trip.
