Many people around the world will tell you that they live for camping trips. Camping is something that everyone should try at least once in their lifetime. But camping can be a bummer if you show up without your camping weapons for your destination without at least a little knowledge, though. Read on to get yourself prepared!

A great item to put in your camping backpack when going in the back country is a Ziploc bag filled with dryer lint. There is no better fire starting material than dryer lint. It will hold a spark and get your fire going quickly and efficiently. Dryer lint takes up almost no space in your pack and is very light weight.

To increase your sleeping experience while camping, bring a pad along that you can place under your sleeping bag. This pad acts as a barrier between you and the hard ground where twigs and tree knots may cause strange sleeping conditions. If a pad isn’t handy, bring a few extra blankets that you can fold over on themselves to create some cushion.

Navigation is the key when it comes to camping. It is important to know where you are, and how to get back to civilization if you become lost. Always bring a map of the area, and a compass to help you. You can also use an outdoor GPS that will give you navigation information, as well as additional information such as altitude.

When you decide to go camping you want to make sure that you bring a flashlight with some batteries. You want to be able to see in the middle of the night just in case you have to get up and go to the bathroom, or just to move around.

With camping, comes the campfire. Make sure your campfire is in an open space and far enough away from brush or trees so you don’t run the risk of a stray spark catching them on fire. Surround the fire with stones to help keep it contained. Most importantly, never leave any campfire unattended. If you need to leave for any reason, make sure the campfire is extinguished completely.

Check the weather before leaving for your camping trip. There are countless websites that contain information about what sort of weather you should expect at the area you are going camping at. When you have some idea of how the weather will behavior while you are camping, you can pack appropriate clothing and equipment.

Bring duct tape with you since it can help you in many situations. It’s easy to use, can hold out moisture and will even fix a leak or a broken shoe!

Consider purchasing inexpensive walkie-talkies to take with you on your next camping trip to provide a way to keep in touch with everyone in your party in areas where cell phone reception may not be available. This can be especially important if you are camping with children and need to keep track of their whereabouts.

Kids generally love camping, but plan some activities for them ahead of time. Being in the woods can be boring for them as time goes on. They may never have had a chance to set up a tent or catch a fish. This a great way for them to experience the great outdoors.

Bugs do not like fire at all, so it is a good idea to keep your fire burning all night while you are sleeping. If you find that there is a huge bug problem during the day, it would help to keep a fire burning at that time as well.

When kids are in your camping party, it is important to let them know what the rules are as soon as you get there. They must have strict guidelines to follow, or they could get hurt or annoy others. For example, talk to them about screaming and how their voices could disturb others. It is much harder to enforce rules after you have been there for a few days, so get going early.

Plants

Make sure that you avoid any venomous plants. A good way to do this is to stop at the ranger station and ask what kinds of poisonous plants are in the area so you can identify them if you come into contact with them on the trail. Never eat anything while hiking on the trail if you do not know it is edible.

When you are planning a camping trip with children, take some time before you go to talk with them about common camping dangers. It is simple to show them which plants they should stay away from prior to your trip.

Whenever you are near any type of plants, always wear clothing that will cover you from head to toe. Doing this will help prevent you from breaking out during your camping stay. Although this may only be a mild breakout, you could be allergic to certain plants, which could put you at serious risk. Wearing clothing will prevent this from occurring.

Wear closed-toe shoes when camping. While walking with open-toe shoes or barefoot in nature may sound appealing, there are a lot of treacherous things on the ground that can harm your feet including rocks, sticks, poisonous plants and even animals. Protect your feet completely by always wearing shoes that protect you completely.

Know what types of poisonous plants to watch out for when you are camping. This is especially important if you have kids and they are unaware of dangers lurking. The three common poisonous plants to watch out for are poison ivy, poison sumac and poison-oak. The best rule of thumb to remember these plants by, avoid trees with three leaves or carrying berries.

As mentioned previously, it’s important to have a little knowledge about camping. But you can now use the advice shared here with you to ensure that you are ready for any curve balls during your trip. Print out this information if you need to, and refer to it often. Have a great trip!