Camping is an excellent way to spend time recharging out in nature and teaching your family some vital self-reliance skills. However, a great camping trip can quickly turn sour if you haven’t packed correctly. Here are some ways you can prepare for your next camping trip, so you can ensure it’s an excellent time for everyone.
Make a List
When you decide that you want to go camping, you should start putting together a list of what everyone will need. Break the list down into categories, such as sleeping, personal items, and food. The categories will help you better know exactly what every person needs for the trip.
Then, when it comes time to start packing, you can follow your list to ensure you haven’t missed anything. Make sure you mark off each item as it is packed so that you don’t think you’ve included something when you haven’t.
Bring Protection
When you’re in the wilderness, you have no idea what animals you’re disturbing. Because of that, you should always make sure you have some protection. You could use bear spray, which would be effective on most animals, a knife, or a firearm. Whatever you choose, you want to make sure that you are familiar with how it works and that you’ve taken classes on how to use it, if necessary.
If you choose to bring a firearm, make sure you have followed all legal requirements in your area to carry it. You should also consider using a concealed shoulder holster so you aren’t fumbling trying to pull the gun out of a backpack if something happens. Plus, your hands will be free to do other things.
Pack for the Weather
When you’re camping, there is nothing worse than packing for warm weather and getting to the site, only to find that it is rainy and cold. Make sure you look at the forecast before you go and that you pack layers of clothing. You can always take off a layer if it gets too warm. Additionally, pack a waterproof layer, so everything stays dry if it rains.