Budget Camping Tips For Choosing A Camping Spot | Budget Camping Gear

Planning on going camping? Great! One of the first things you need to do is choose a spot. Here are several factors you should consider when choosing a camping spot, as well as a few tips for finding a good one.

There are some good tips in this article, to be sure, but some are missed that I find to be valuable in looking for a good spot.

Here’s some additional tips to help you in picking a good camping spot:

• Shade vs. Sun: What do you like to do during the day? How you like to spend your time in camp can really make a difference on whether you want to camp in full shade, partial shade, or full sunlight. If you like to nap, you may opt for partial shade, giving you some cover for a snooze in a hammock or some shut-eye in the tent without having the sun overheat things. Full sun campsites can be harsh, but in warmer weather they may afford a better shot at a cooling breeze in the evening, without trees to get in the way.
• Proximity to Amenities: While many of us like to get back to basics, the key to a great family camping trip is that everyone in the family has a good time. We all have folks in the family whose idea of roughing it is having to walk into Starbucks instead of driving through. These folks are not going to be happy digging a latrine. Keep the sensibilities of all your family members in mind when picking a campsite. If showers are important, keep that on your list of items to look for. Car campers can carry less to the campsite if there are stores not too far away. Find a spot that is a compromise between the hard core campers, and the folks who want room service.
• What’s Around?: Depending on what you want to do on your camping trip, the campground’s location can make a huge difference as to whether you enjoy the experience. For example, if what you;re looking for is solitude, picking Yosemite Valley in the middle of summer is a recipe for disaster. Likewise if you’re looking to do a lot of siteseeing and pick a site 75 miles from the nearest town. Give a thought to what is around you and what you plan to do before you pick your campsite.

Good campsite selection is crucial to enjoying your trip. Take a few extra minutes to do your homework on campsite selection, and you won’t be sorry.

When camping skills come in handy - Image credit mtsn

From www.620wtmj.com:

WEST BEND – Thousands of families were still without power Thursday morning after the storm that roared through Southeastern Wisconsin this week.

Among them: Jerry and Marge Pok of rural West Bend.

They are one of the families trying to survive without heat, water and electricity.

They say their camping skills are definitely coming in handy.

The Poks used buckets of melted snow for water, used a camping stove to cook, and built a fire for heat.

“We kept the fireplace going with a very generous fire most of the day.”

Just goes to show that those summer camping skills can always come in handy!

I came across an interesting story today about a family’s camping experiences (from the Winston-Salem Journal)

How could you blame Terry Mixon if he had decided never to plan a group camping trip again?

His first attempt was memorable for all the wrong reasons: The heat and humidity were unbearable; the fire radiated so much heat that no one wanted to get near it; and the scenery at Tanglewood Park, although nice, was familiar.

Yet, there was something undeniably special about sharing time outdoors with friends and exposing children to nature.

What I find interesting in this article is that these folks made serious efforts to make the campping experience enjoyable. Are they doing purist-level camping, packing in only what they can carry? Nope. In fact, they make sure they can pull the cars right up to the campsite and the ladies have a hot shower available. They’re not roughing it by any stretch. But the kids leave the electronic gear at home, and the family gets an experience out among the beauties of nature.

We can all learn from this experience. For something like camping (or boating, or fishing) to take hold as a family tradition, everyone has to enjoy it. That means you may have to compromise on comfort for some, or the rustic nature of your ideal campsite for another. But by making sure that everyone can enjoy their trip on their own terms, you maximize the potential for more trips in the future, building memories that will last a lifetime