Go CampingBy

Howard Hicks

Do you like the outdoors? Are you interested in having fun in a healthy environment? Do you want to meet new people and gain new skills that could be useful in an emergency? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you should plan to go camping sometime soon.

There are many ways to go camping, such as cabin camping or RV camping, but if I had to choose one as my absolute favorite hiking and backpacking is the activity I would pick. This form of camping burns an extra amount of calories, allows you to truly experience vast wilderness areas, and is often considered being a part of a very tightly knit community. It also brings you much closer to nature. With the other forms of camping, such as cabin camping or RV camping, you are separated from the outside, meaning there is something between

you and nature, but with hiking and backpacking you’re walking in the open air, completely surrounded by the environment around you. If the hike you are taking is more than one day you would need some equipment like a tent that would be light enough to carry, or in some climates, you might simply use a sleeping bag on the ground.

This type of camping may seem extreme, but part of the adventure and excitement is doing something new that you haven’t tried. People who feel as though they wouldn’t enjoy backpacking or hiking probably feel that way because they’ve never done anything like it before. There is always fear associated with trying something for the first time, but once people first go camping they almost always enjoy it. They enjoy the fact that when they go camping they are getting in touch with man’s roots like the hunters and pioneers of the past.

Arguably one of the most important things to remember when you go camping is that you need good food. Whatever your food source is, when you go camping with a backpack it will need it to be light. There is ready to eat food available, but it can taste bad and is typically not as nutritious as food that needs heating. A great lightweight way to heat your food is with single burner canister stoves such as the Primus EtaSolo stove or the Optimus Crux. Both of these stoves are extremely light and work using a small propane canister, that can be replaced at hardware stores or some gas stations when the propane runs out. These camp stoves produce heat by burning the propane out of the canister and work just like a gas range burner in your house. They’re easy to use, completely safe, extremely light, and make good nutritious food while you’re out camping.

Another thing to remember whenever you go camping is what the weather will be like. If the weather is going to be warm you might not need to pack a tent and just a sleeping bag will work. If the weather is going to be hot you want to choose a sleeping bag appropriately, using a thinner sleeping bag if needed. If the weather is going to be cold or wet you will most certainly need a tent. Tents range from small and simple to large domes for large groups of hikers to use together.

Now that you know a little about camping maybe you’ll consider giving it a try sometime. I guarantee you will return from your trip relaxed, re-energized and with many cherished memories.

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