My First Camping Trip: What Should I Pack?

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Going on your first camping trip? That is great! Camping is one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities today. However, since it’s your first time, you may find it somewhat difficult to decide what you need to take with you. Keeping this in mind, one of the most useful tools when it comes to preparing for your first camping trip is a travel checklist.

By creating a camping travel checklist, breaking it down into categories, and covering the things you may need for the trip, you can ensure you have everything you need to make your first camping trip a major success. To help you out, in this article, we have discussed the important categories your checklist should contain.

Food

Think of the total number of meals you will have to prepare during your first camping trip, and start planning and preparing ahead. If only two people are tagging along with you, you would not need to pack as much food as when you have a whole family camping with you. If you are planning to supplement your meals with the fish you catch during camping, make sure you have the necessary spices and other ingredients to prepare it properly. Again, the best thing you can do is to write down all the things you require on the checklist, so you do not forget anything.

Emergencies

This category is one of the most important. In the event of any unforeseen incident or emergency while you are on your camping trip, you will need some proper emergency equipment available to effectively handle the situation. You should include things like a first-aid kit, allergy medication, after-bite, bug repellent, and analgesic, as well as any medication you or anyone else needs to take regularly. Think of all the things you may require when you find yourself in a situation of emergency and list them under the emergency category.

Shelter

Clearly, you will require temporary shelter for the duration of your camping trip. So, consider including a quality tent or yurt, unless you are going to rent a cabin or cottage in the woods. Anything you keep inside a tent comes under this category. These include flashlights, pillows, beddings, cooking apparatus, glasses, plates, pots, pans, utensils, barbeque lighter, newspapers, and matches. All these necessities can easily be purchased from a camping store. Consider including all the things you may need to feel comfortable, live, and cook, under this category.

Clothing

Check the forecast of the location you plan on camping at, and pack your clothes accordingly. If there is ample space in your vehicle, pack for every type of weather, just to be on the safe side. Usually, it does rain when you are out camping during the spring. Moreover, make sure you do not forget toiletries!

Sporting Equipment

A camping trip is never complete without fun and games. Therefore, pack some sporting equipment everyone enjoys. If you plan on boating or hiking, you should have the relevant equipment on your checklist.
So, plan ahead by writing down all the essentials on your camping travel checklist, and you will have everything you need to enjoy your trip!

 

How To Find The Right Hotel Among The Myriad Of Hotel Deals

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Vacation is the best way to bond with your friends and family. So, if you are currently planning to travel with them or have an upcoming business trip, you should already be thinking of which hotel to stay in. It is highly suggested to reserve a hotel room beforehand for you to get the best hotel deals at the most affordable price. The majority of hotels give discounts for early bookings. Finding a hotel is very important because it serves as your temporary home when you are out of town.

Thus, you must select the right hotel that will make you feel comfortable plus make you experience a totally new way and lifestyle of living. You may consider a hotel that is comfy, safe and of course clean. It is also important for the staff to be friendly and accommodating. There are actually many great ways to find hot hotel deals in the U.S.A. You may check your yellow pages and call them one by one. Well, that’s a totally conventional process and might be too tiring for you. If you want a faster one, you can surf the Internet and search for sites that offers online bookings. Most of these sites are affiliated to fine hotels all over the country. So, at the tip of your fingers, you are now guaranteed to have the hotel room of your choice. You can also check out hotel reviews in the Internet. Most of the time, sites have links to customer reviews. These are first hand comments on how they see the hotel and most of them share their experiences. They can even post actual pictures.

How then will you find the right hotel that suits your needs? You must first consider these few things:

Location: If you are on a business trip or on a vacation with your family, you would not want to stay in a hotel from a remote area. You would probably waste money and time in transportation. So, you have to consider the proximity of your hotel in the city’s major business areas or tourist destination. It should also be accessible to public transportation in case you do not have a car. For example, if you are on a business trip, it is more preferable to book a hotel that is just walking distance away from the convention center.

Price: Well, this is usually the first thing we check whenever we are booking our hotel room. It is necessary to compare prices of at least three hotel selections before deciding. Most of the time, you have to list down the amenities against the price. Choose the one which offers a lot of facilities at the most affordable price you can get. You may also decide to stay in a boutique hotel. Their rooms are at an average size but the services are fully packed. So, investigate well on the services each hotel is offering. With the high amount of money you invest, you deserve the best.

Staff: Especially if it is your first time to stay in that city, the staff can adequately relieve stress and anxiety. They can guide you on your travel destination.

All of these factors can actually be seen in one website. All you have to do is to identify your location and the site will generate a list of possible hotel rooms. You may check out hotel descriptions and decide which hotel suits you best.

 

How to Plan Your Child’s First Fishing Trip

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Many fishing enthusiasts dream of the day their children will join them on the water. If your child is finally old enough to handle a reel and you’re getting ready for that milestone first fishing trip, here are some tips to help you make the experience a memorable one.

Get Excited
Once you’ve announced to your child that the two of you are going fishing, mark the day on a calendar and commence a countdown. Help engage your child in the planning by going shopping together for a fishing license and some new fishing gear. Choose some extra tackle from your own box and hand it down to your child as a gift to make the occasion special.

Let your child help choose the location. Point out a few options on a map, explain the pros and cons of each spot, and decide on the best place together. Try to avoid steep or slippery locations, and look for a spot that is likely to yield fish.

Before the big day, teach your child how to clean and oil a reel as well as assemble, disassemble and put a new line on it. Allow your child to practice casting in the yard with a lightweight sinker; you can even set up a garbage can or other target to help build accuracy.

Get Ready
Let your child help you get everything ready the night before, including snacks, lunches and fishing equipment. Nothing spoils a fishing trip like being cold, so bring plenty of layers and extra clothes in case you get wet.

To help keep your child occupied during down time, bring a small bag of activities and keep in mind some other activities the two of you can do in case the fish aren’t biting: Go on a hike, learn to skip rocks, catch frogs, go geo-caching (if you have a GPS unit), etc.

Get Outside
The day of your big trip, wake your child up early to allow plenty of time to get ready and share a special breakfast, either at home or at a diner. Kids tend to remember occasions on which they had to get up extra-early.

Once you arrive at your destination, let your child help unpack and give him or her your full attention as you prepare and bait your reels together. The first time your child gets a bite, let him or her reel it in alone as you coach and cheer from the sidelines. If the first fish is lost, then help with the next one. Let your child know it’s common for a fish to get away.

Back at home, make a point of bragging about what a great job your child did. If you’ve played your cards right, you’ll have a fishing partner for life.

~Flora Richards-Gustafson, 2010