Camping Tips For Newbies and a Printable Camping Checklist

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Have you been camping yet? I know it’s not for everyone but it can be a lot of fun, especially if you can go with a group of other friends/families! It’s a great way to disconnect from the rest of the world and just connect with your family. There are so many places to explore, if you aren’t sure where to start, start out with a simple internet search of camping in your area. Also, ask others where they go camping. I’ve put together some camping tips for newbies and a printable camping checklist!

My biggest tip for newbies is borrowing other’s camping gear to see if camping is right for you because it can be a little costly for the initial investment!

More camping tips for newbies:

• Create a Camping Box. This is something you can grab every time you go camping and it has everything you need such as first aid kits, batteries, snake bite treatment kits etc. We also create camping suitcases full of pots, pans etc just for camping.
• Invest in a state map book. I have this book Arizona Road & Recreation Atlas, I keep it in the car to find roads to go camping.
• Don’t push your comfort zone. I think it’s easy to want to explore the wilderness but you want to make sure you do it safely. Tell family where you plan on going camping before you leave in the instance there is no cell service. Don’t hike too far away from camp unless you have a marking system (marking tape/ribbon is neon plastic ribbon you can tie to trees to know your way back. If you plan on doing target shooting, be mindful of others that may be in the area. You know the limits of your vehicle, don’t take it on a primitive road if you are not confident it will make it.
• Fuel up with plenty of gas and bring lots of water in case of an emergency.
• Have a checklist before you go, below you can find our essentials and a printable checklist!

Printable Camping Checklist

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Av4LRatnb7UmdGJ4RjIxbURVYTdCamlydnNRUmE5cEE&usp=sharing

 Camping Tips For Newbies  Basics:

Basics
Tent (We love our instant tent, setup in 6o seconds)
Sleeping Bags/Blankets (sometimes it can get very cold, be prepared)
Air Mattresses/Air Pump (be sure to get a pump that runs on batteries
Pillows
Firewood (sometimes you can find it in the forest but it’s best to plan to bring some)
Chairs (we use the foldable chairs)
Fold Up Camping Table (card tables work great)
Grill/Propane (check your area’s restrictions)
Bucket/Shovel (for digging camp fire rings and putting out fire)
Saw/Ax
Lantern (we like battery operated ones but you need one that has a high candle illumination)
Cooler (instead of ice, fill empty milk jugs with water then freeze to make it last)
Waterproof Matches
Tarp
Flashlights & Batteries
Rope
Marking Ribbon
Compass
Canteens
Mallet (for tent stakes)

Personal Basics
Clothes/Shoes
Jackets
Toothbrush/Toothpaste (pick up the Colgate Wisps)
Soap
First Aid Kit (lots of bandaids, creams etc)
Sunblock
Bug Spray
Towels
Toilet Paper

In The “Kitchen”
Insulated Cups
Pots/Pans
Bowls/Plates
Silverware
Tin Foil
Paper Towels
Zip Lock Bags
Trash Bags/Grocery Bags (for trash, dirty clothes)
Sponge
Dish Soap

Fun
Board Games
Cards
iPad (for music, board games and cool apps like astronomy ones for night time)
Soccer Ball
Frisbee
Fishing Gear
Baseball
Bikes
Raft/Canoe/Kayak
Pen/Paper

Food
Hotdogs/Hamburgers
Corn
Beans
Buns/Bread
Hot Chocolate/Coffee
Fruit
Peanut Butter/Jelly
Condiments
Water (I can’t stress how important it is to bring lots of water)
Eggs
Juice Boxes
Soda
Marshmallows
Graham Crackers
Chocolate

**YOU can edit and make your own list for this one, what you’ll need to do is click on “File” then “create a copy”, this will give you your own copy you can edit!

Have fun! If you have anything that you think I missed, please leave a comment and I’ll add it!

Looking for a delicious camping recipe? Try these banana boats!

http://cleverpinkpirate.com/2014/05/23/campfire-banana-boat-recipe/

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