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In America, Camping for the most part began as a way of life before houses. The Camp site was known as a dwelling or just a place to bed down for the night for Travelers, Explorers, Hunters, Couriers and the Cowboy of the Old West, not to mention the American Indians. It wasn't somewhere you went for a week or a weekend to get away.
Today Camping is still used for Business, Travelers and an overnight accommodation. But today Camping is used mostly as a means of Recreation.
Everyone has his or her own idea of what Camping is. With that comes a variation of Campers. For example: Roughing it for some means a Motor-Home with all the bells and whistle and for others a Backpack with cloths, first aid kit, dehydrated food, a sleeping bag and a blanket for ground cover. So don't sweat it if you want to take that portable T.V. or the kitchen sink.
If you have never been Camping before, start out slow. Take a weekend, pack the car with some supplies and find a campground close by your home. That way if something goes wrong or you, for whatever reason don't like it, home will be just down the road.
Some of the best pointers towards Camping you will find, comes from observing other Campers Camping around you.
What makes a successful Camping trip? Well, if we didn't starve, freeze, get washed away by rain, eaten by wild animals, kill each other and we left feeling good about the trip. Then we consider it a success, but then you'll have to decide that for yourself.
There are those who don't use the campgrounds and like to go set up camp out in the wilderness. We don't usually do that. The campgrounds offer some comforts that we prefer to have. A good flush toilet and even a smelly out-houses beats digging a hole and offering a full moon to whom ever may be lurking around.
Of course there are some people that will say that is not truly roughing it. Well, that is fine, but it is what we call camping.
We try and go at least once a year for a week. Then every so often we will go for just the weekend.
For the weeklong trips, we really like to go to Yosemite it's a big place and has alot to do. That is if you like Nature, hiking and wild animals running through your camp while you sleep or worse yet, while your in the rest room!
Which brings up another point. Safety! This is also something that should always be on your mind. From illness or injuries, to wild plants and animals to mother nature.
We have not been toYellowstone or the GrandCanyon, but they are on the list. Of course these are not at all the only places, but most on our minds. Grand Canyon is the most likely we will do first.
Usually the first thing we do when we arrive at our campsite is to set up camp. The adults breaks up into two groups, so as to speed things up. Tents take the longest and dad usually does this with little or no help. We have two, one for the kids and one for us. Mom usually will make up the cooking and eating area and puts the food away in a bear box (if available) or arrange it for easy access in the car.
After the tents are up, the cooking/eating area is done and the food is secure. Then we start on the beds. That consists of (in our case) airing up the mattress and throwing down a blanket and laying down our sleeping bags. Next into the tent is our CLEAN cloths bags, dirty cloths are in a bag outside hanging from a tree next to the cloth line we put up or in the car.
After that is all finally done, we go out to hunt for wood for the old campfire.
For those of you who don't know. Camping for the most part is not all that relaxing. You get up in the morning build a fire, make breakfast, do dishes, then you might secure the camp before going out sight seeing and hiking, fishing, etc, etc... When you get back you do lunch or dinner, clean up build a fire and resecure the camp to help keep the critters out of things. Then you sit down by the fire to relax. Of course after such a long fun filled day you think bed is a good idea instead of that log or chair you are sitting in. Up you go for a trip to the restroom (behind a tree, outhouse, flush toilets and sinks whatever is availible). Here you do your duty, brush you teeth and down to bed. Next morning you start all over again.
Don't get me wrong, Camping is just as relaxing as any other vacation and it is a whole lot of fun too.Especially if you have planned it right.
One thing I would like to mention to about this page and myself. I am not an expert and all advice is my own opinion. The focus of this page is to give a basic idea of camping, my personal experiences and things you should think about before heading out
See Ya!
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