Everything For The Outdoors!

During our first camping trip, my boyfriend continually teased me about the presence of bears.  While hiking he pointed out bear scat, as well as claw scrapes on a tree and paw prints in the mud.  I laughed off his observations and firmly held onto the belief that he was wrong.

We returned to the campsite site at dusk to cook a nice steak dinner on the grill. Looking up, I was shocked to see a large bear lumbering towards us and whispered urgently, “Honey, there’s a bear”.  With the day’s previous joking in mind, he chuckled and said “Oh yeah, where?”.  I nodded my head behind him, and he turned around to discover a black bear standing not 10 feet away from us.

He picked up the flashlight and chased off the bear by yelling at it to go away.  We quickly finished up with dinner, and then I nearly hurled myself into the tent.  Pulling down the zipper securely, I announced that finally we were safe from the bear.  My boyfriend didn’t have the heart to tell me that a few microns of nylon were not about to keep a determined bear out of the tent.  But luckily we had taken all of the right precautions such as hanging our food from a branch, so we had no unexpected visitors that night.

Every savvy camper knows the supplies you pack can either make or break the trip.  There are certain items that must be included in your overnight bag to make the trip fun and comfortable.  The basic supplies include the tent (if your campsite does not include a shelter or cabin.) An air mattress or sleeping bag is also essential.  If using a sleeping bag, you may want to consider a pad for underneath. Large plastic containers are important for storing food, as this keeps your food dry and prevents animals, such as raccoons from scavenging.

Other must have’s include hygiene items such as soap, shampoo and deodorant.  Your camping buddies will not want to sleep in the same campsite as you if you forget these items.  Hand sanitizer, if you will be fishing or hunting is good to have on hand.  Paper towels, napkins and even moist towelettes are useful since you will likely be making smores over the camp fire.  You definitely don’t want to over pack, but having the essential items will make the trip less stressful.

Camping can be fun when you go in a group with family and friends. It can be more enjoyable if you have common interests and liking. I remember my friends who had gone camping had narrated to me a hilarious incident which happened there. Their group consisted of youngsters with some older members. There was one guy who kept on bragging about not having any fears. The guys were talking about different animals seen in the nearby areas.

One guy kept on bragging that he was not afraid of anyone and anything.  Amongst the members there was one older member who could make animal cries very effectively. They decided to teach this young fellow a lesson. At night this older guy went out of the tent and into the cover of trees and started making impressive animal sounds. The younger fellow was so frightened that he was not ready to sleep. He had been so afraid of the animals that he was shivering with fear and was not ready to go to his sleeping bag. He went to bed only after the others revealed the prank they had pulled on him.

Flashlights vary in sizes, color, weight, length, technology, etc.  You would use a different depending on your situation.  For example, if you want a flashlight to have in your home for power outages, then you would want a simple cheap flashlight.  If you are going to be out in the woods or using it for rugged work, then I would recommend a flash light that is made of a durable material.  Preferably metal.

Another thing to consider is the flashlight technology.  Most flash lights require the use of batteries, but there are new designs that eliminate the use for a battery.  These new flashlights require you to shake the flashlight in order to recharge it.  Flashlights are also doing away with the traditional light bulb and have switched to LED’s.  The LED’s are far brighter than the light bulbs that are used in many flashlights.  They are smaller, more compact, and use less energy.  These new LED lights are more durable than a traditional bulb.  The flashlight can be dropped on the ground and there is no fear of the LED breaking.  A bulb, on the other hand, has that chance.

If you are planning on doing the majority of your camping primarily in the Summer months, as the average American does, you will probably be just fine without spending the extra money on an all weather tent. If you are a diehard camping who plans on making trips year round, in different parts of the country, then an all weather tent is most certainly for you.

Of course, the most important thing to consider is the climate in which you will be camping in. Do your research on the area beforehand so you will know what to expect. If it is going to be cold, you may want an all weather tent to help stay warm. On the other hand, you could always pack a down filled sleeping bag or some extra clothes. If you plan on making several trips throughout the year, again you will probably want an all weather tent – there is just no reason to take a chance on ruining a planned vacation because you don’t have the right tent for the weather.