Love to Sweat and Work Hard? Enjoy Your Camping

By Jody Smith HERWriter

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sweat and work hard to enjoy your camping trip

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Camping for some is a tortuous experience of sweat, hard work and primitive inconvenience.

But for others, the thought of gathering firewood, pitching an uncooperative tent, and sleeping an inch off of the cold hard ground sparks stars in their eyes rivalling the stars they'll see in the otherwise pitch-black night.

Hard to fathom, but there it is.

The idea of roughing it strikes the more pragmatic among us as being ... well, rough. For the idealistic pioneer wannabes, it's just a great big gorgeous challenge.

The more it hurts, the greater the award. At least, I guess that's how it works.

The non-campers have already abandoned reading this article, so camper spirits, this is for you.

Nature is all well and good but you don't want to sleep out in it exposed to the bugs if you can help it. Trueblood campers scoff at RVs, revelling in pitching their own tent, and sleeping with only a pad and a sleeping bag between them and Mother Nature's dirt.

Campgrounds usually are equiped with bathrooms (with or without showers) and fire pits. Just bring your tent, find yourself a patch of ground, and pitch it.

Whether it rains or not, put a tarp down before you put your tent up. The morning dew is just as disconcerting as rain, when you are too close to the ground.

Think about bringing along a tent which has a floor that is made in one piece. Fewer seams means fewer places for leaks.

You can lay out a sleeping bag, or if you'd like a little more comfort and a little less muscle pain and stiffness, lay yourself to rest on an air mattress or an egg crate foam pad.

Simply putting a second sleeping bag under the one you'll sleep in can make your night's sleep more comfortable. A thick exercise mat is another way to buffer your nest for the night.

Some people hate food cooked over an open fire. If you on the other hand salivate at the thought of a blackened hot dog and charred marshmallows, let's consider the fire pit.

Bring your own wood supply, matches and newspaper for kindling. Keep your menu simple.

Just basic cooking will be tricky enough. Think canned goods to heat up, or meals cooked in one pot.

Make sure to use a cooler with ice blocks or bags of ice for anything that needs to kept refrigerated.

Bring a plentiful supply of water, for washing up and drinking. Pack the mundane but essential toilet paper, baby wipes, toothpaste and other personal care items.

To keep bugs at bay, bring along candles and bug repellent. To keep from moving around blind at night, bring a couple of flashlights and spare batteries.

Sound enticing? I'll bet this makes you want to hit the road and start sweating right now.

Sources:

Camping for beginners. Roadandtravel.com. Retrieved on May 9, 2012.
http://www.roadandtravel.com/adventuretravel/campingforfirsttimers.htm

Camping Tips for Women Who Have Never Been Camping. Allcamping.com. Retrieved on May 9, 2012.
http://www.allcampgrounds.com/articles/tips/camping-tips-for-women-who-h...

Visit Jody's website and blog at http://www.ncubator.ca and http://ncubator.ca/blogger

Reviewed on May 9, 2012
by Maryann Gromisch, RN

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.