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Camping And Hiking Basics
by: William C. Harrison
Introduction
Camping and hiking involve a multitude of
activities. They span the outdoors to encompass
such things as camps, trail hiking, roughing
it, campsites, sleeping accommodations, erecting
tents, backpacking, navigation equipment,
and cooking activities. People who engage
in these activities are motivated to get away
from civilization and spend time in the wilds
enjoying nature. They set up tents; they sleep
under the moonlight-sometimes with a sleeping
bag, or they sleep in a shelter, either motor
vehicle or fixed camp site shelter.
Camping and hiking often represent very hard
work, especially if you have to bring many
components of a plan together in an effort
to make the venture a success. While the effort
may be difficult, it can be lots of fun when
the plan comes together as intended. Just
make sure that you get all of the right advice
and information available ensuring that you
have a successful adventure.
There are lots of types of camping and hiking
adventures to choose from. Examples of adventures
include a trip to the beach, a hiking trail
trip, a mountain climbing trip, a water sports
trip, a recreational vehicle trip, a trip
to a state or national park to name a few.
Camping and hiking items have wide usage.
For the individual nature lover, it may mean
a walk through the forest with minimum gear,
perhaps a backpack, hiking boots and, if lucky,
some survival stuff (food, water, compass,
and map). In the age of SUVs, serious campers
will likely travel with a fully equipped vehicle.
This could include not only backpacks and
boots, but such things as sleeping tents,
cooking stoves, table, chairs, heaters, and
other items that can be used with electricity
sourced from the SUV. Camping and hiking are
often done in conjunction with other activities,
such as picnicking, mountain climbing, fishing,
kayaking, and canoeing.
Prescription for a Camping Sojourn
If your camping involves more than a day's
trip, you will need to consider in your plan
such things as:
Camping gear including tent(s), sleeping
bag(s), backpack(s) if hiking, stove or lantern
with cooking utensils, compass, map, flashlight,
hunting knife, toiletry items, sanitary supplies,
food and water.
First aid kit including first aid cream,
bandages, dressing pads, aspirin or equivalent
for pain or fever, insect repellant, sunscreen,
soap, and thermometer.
Other items such as cell phone(s), small
shovel, axe, sunglasses, whistle, appropriate
clothing including a hat, ID cards, and cash.
The Campsite
While much goes into the planning of a good
camping trip, the implementation aspects of
the trip is equally as challenging. Now that
you have that well developed list of camping
items, just what do you do with them once
you arrive at the campsite? What are the limits
of the campground? Will you pitch tents or
sleep under the moonlight? Will the camp be
pitched on the slope of a hill or in the valley?
How thick is the brush that you picked for
your campground? All of these are questions
that must be quickly addressed. Erecting a
tent gives you some protection from a potential
rain storm as well as any local wild inhabitants
of the area. Pitching it on the slope or top
of the hill provides protection from a sudden
downpour of rain that could flood the valley.
Avoiding too much brush minimizes the danger
from wild animals using the brush as cover.
Also, a tent provides some protection from
insects such as mosquitoes. Wearing long pants
and sleeves together with insect repellant
provides additional protection from insects.
Campground Activities
There is so much that one can do during a
camping trip. You can go hiking. Of course,
you'll need a backpack and hiking boots. You
can fish, either from the banks or in a canoe
or kayak. You can go swimming. You can also
play volley ball or other sports game. Then,
there is the option that you can just sit
around cooking and eating marshmallows all
day long. Another delight of camping is watching
the sunset, watching the stars at night, or
glazing over water fronts, especially if you're
lucky to have the moon's reflection over the
water.
About The Author
William C. Harrison, a former Army Lieutenant
Colonel and Business Executive, has written
a number of articles, blogs and RSS Feeds.
The founder of WCH EnviroTech Corp, he currently
manages several online businesses: http://www.mycampingmall.com,
http://www.usacampsite.com,
http://www.videotoyguy.com.
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