Camping Gear - What You Need To Know
Author: Steve Dolan

There's something about heading off to visit Mother Nature,
with nothing but you, lots of trees and a cheerful campfire.
It's the best way to experience total peace and quiet. There
are no other people, no smog, nothing to do but relax for the
weekend. If this sounds irresistible to you, then make sure you
do some planning before you head off.

Check out what sort of camping gear you already have. While you
might be keen to escape the modern world, it might not be so
much fun if you're sleeping on hard ground with a thin sleeping
bag and it starts to rain. Don't worry if you don't have all the
gear you need for your great escape into nature. If you look
online you'll find plenty of sites where you can look at
camping gear, compare different styles and brands, then buy
what's right for you.

It can be a bit more difficult to know what you need if you've
never been camping before. Generally, a tent is necessity. You
can chance the weather, but that's only for the very hardy
souls! Perhaps if you're going to be close to some well
protected caves you can get away without a tent, but otherwise
you'll be very glad you have one when that thunderstorm rolls
in. Persistent insects and wildlife are also less of a nuisance
when you're in a tent.

If you're planning on cooking any food over the campfire, a
good campfire grill makes life much easier. If there are fire
restrictions or there's no wood available for a campfire, then
take along a camping stove. You'll also need some basic cooking
utensils, including some pans. Never use your best utensils out
of the kitchen; they inevitably get burnt, melted, lost or
almost impossible to clean.

Just in case the stars aren't sufficient, a strong torch with
fresh batteries or a camping lantern can help. If you need to
go wandering in the night, you'll want to be able to check out
your surroundings. For sleeping, make sure your sleeping bag is
suitable for the conditions you'll be encountering. If you have
a lightweight summer bag and it starts to snow, you won't get
much sleep because you'll be shivering the whole night.

If you're really planning to get away from the world, to the
point that you won't be near your car at night, then you'll
need a backpack to carry everything with you. Modern designs
are truly wonderful, with all sorts of features to make
carrying a pack more comfortable. You can find packs suitable
for anything you might plan to do, including strolling round a
local park right through to heavy going trekking in the
wilderness. Take the time to think about what you need to use
the backpack for, perhaps even visit a camping store and chat
to the salesperson, but if you choose wisely you won't regret
it.

Remember, in the end it's important to travel light when you're
going camping. You don't want to have so much stuff in your
backpack that you can't even lift it! It's easy to get carried
away and buy far too many things and spend a lot of money, but
it doesn't need to be that way. Take the time to think about
the sort of camping you're likely to do, where you're likely to
go, what the weather conditions will probably be, and then
choose carefully. By doing that, you'll get the maximum use out
of whatever camping gear you buy, and so you'll get great value
for money.


About The Author: Steve Dolan is an avid camper who escapes to
the great outdoors at every opportunity. Research the best gear
on the web at http://www.campingequipmentweb.com