October 5, 2009

How To Organize Your Camping Adventure

If you love adventure and like to get away from the city life, camping might just be for you. Camping can give you a chance to see nature up close and personal while providing opportunities to do a lot of different types of exciting activities. The main thing you want to be sure of before you go off camping is that you need to plan ahead and determine what locations get you excited and what you want to do once you get there. By planning ahead instead of just taking off, you can ensure your trip will be a lot of fun and provide some lifetime memories.

Getting To Know The Outdoors

For many people, camping is something that they like to do because they have a real appreciation for the outdoors and like to get away from life in the city. For people that love the wilderness, it doesn’t really matter where they end up going camping. For them, getting the opporunity to get in touch with Mother Nature is enough of a reason to go camping despite the fact that it also allows them to retreat from city life.

To ensure that you have the best camping trip possible, try to check with your local camping organizations to have them help you plan your trip and meet some of the other campers in your area. In fact, if you are fortunate enough to get in touch with the right camping organazations, you can enjoy the benefits of what these organizations can provide including their ability to plan outdoor activities that will be fun and exciting for the whole family. The other benefit they can provide is connecting you with your fellow campers to make your camping experience more enjoyable. 

But these camping organizations will charge you fees to help you plan your next camping trip. Regardless of whether you use an organization to help you plan your camping trip or not, try to plan some exciting activities that will challange you such as canoeing, rock-climbing, or even white water rafting. Although these activities can be challenging, they are a lot of fun as well.

One of the best reasons to use a camping organization is that they can guide you to the heavily forested areas. These particular areas are usually where the wilderness displays its best scenery and most amazing wildlife. The bottom line is that getting the opporunity to see these types of moments are what every camper is looking for when hiring the services of a camping organization.

One last thing to remember the next time you plan a camping trip is to make sure you bring the right types of camping gear. An important piece of equipment that you want to remember is a king air mattress. In order to find the best air mattress to buy, you will want to check out some air mattress reviews that can point you in the right direction. By bringing the equipment needed to make your trip safe, you can be sure your camping experience will be fun and memorable.

Filed under Ecotourism by Ecotourism Expert

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April 12, 2009

Bad Weather Hunting? Your Camping Gear Makes a Difference!

Don’t you hate it when you have a camping trip planned and the forecast calls for bad weather? Have you ever postponed a hunting trip because it was too cold or rainy? I don’t have that problem anymore. Last November I decided to go to hunting camp with a bunch of my friends. We made our plans a few weeks in advance so we’d all have time to get our camping gear together. As opening day of deer season approached, I kept an eye on the Weather Channel and things didn’t look very promising. The forecast was for a snowy, freezing week but we knew it wouldn’t keep us from bagging our deer.

The fact is I had postponed too many camping trips in the past and recently purchased a four season family camping tent and some warm sleeping bags to prevent it from happening again. The tent sleeps up to eight so I knew there would be plenty of room for the four of us and our gear. I also knew we’d be warm and dry because the four season camping tent is built to withstand all kinds of bad weather.

As the weekend got closer, I packed all my equipment knowing that we’d be going hunting as planned. What’s even better is that guys without the right camping gear would be staying home. Less hunters in the forest would mean better hunting for us. Also, doesn’t it seem like the deer know just when hunting season starts? Well, maybe because of the bad weather they wouldn’t be quite so careful.

Friday finally arrived and we packed our camping gear in the car and headed for the woods. All of a sudden it dawned on me that we left the picnic backpacks with the sandwiches for our first day in it. We don’t cook on the first day because by the time we arrive at camp and set up our gear, it’s too late to bother cooking.  After the first night though, we take out our barbecue tools and grill up dinner on our portable grill.

Finally we were on the highway. I couldn’t wait to get to hunting camp and set up our camping gear before the snow and wind set in. For me there’s nothing better than a weekend in the woods with my best buddies and the anticipation of the hunt to come. Stay tuned and I’ll tell you how we did on our winter weather hunting trip.

Filed under Ecotourism by Ecotourism Expert

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February 16, 2009

A Good Knife is Essential for Camping and Survival

Knife Design Philosophy

If you have ever seen any of the Bear Grylls 'Born Survivor' TV series or the outstanding Ray Mears 'Extreme Survival' you will have noticed how both Bear and Ray always carry a good quality knife.

Knives have been used since the stone age when man made remarkably effective and sharp cutting tools from flint and obsidian. The knife is both a practical and versatile tool and a very effective weapon. They've been receiving a lot of bad press lately due to the frequency of violent knife crime in our towns and cities.

But knives are not bad, they are only tools. They are practical tools that, in the outdoors or a survival situation, you would be glad to have.

When camping out a knife can be used in any number of ways including:

  • Cutting branches for fire wood
  • Preparing kindling
  • Cutting rope or string
  • Making tent pegs
  • Skinning rabbits
  • Preparing food
  • Almost everything…

It's always a good idea to choose the most suitable knife for the job. The swiss-army knife is a good example of a practical clasp knife that comes with a bewildering selection of tools for almost any situation. While the variety of tools provided by a Swiss Army knife can be appealing a good, strong, sharp knife blade is the essential requirement.

Knives that are good for camping and survival don't really need to be particularly large. Ideally the knife should have a stainless steel blade that will not corrode and will hold and good sharp edge. Your chosen knife may have a fixed or folding blade. Knives with folding blades should ideally lock when the blade is exposed to prevent accidents which can happen when a blade closes on the fingers. Your chosen knife should have an appropriate handle that is comfortable and the right size for your hand. The knife blade should have a good sharp point and the handle may have a strong rear bolster (the bit at the bottom of the handle) which can be used as a hammer.

If you select a fixed blade knife it will need a suitable sheath that, ideally, you can mount on your belt. To keep your knife blade sharp you will need a suitable whetstone. For fishing and hunting, you may like to use a knife that has a partially serrated edge, ideal for cutting through bone.

Whatever you choose a knife is an essential part of your camping equipment. While you may be arrested for carrying one in the city streets you would be a fool to venture far into the wilderness without one.

Filed under Ecotourism by Ecotourism Expert

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