Camping, The Ultimate Budget Vacation

1. Use interlocking foam pads to make a real soft floor in your tent. These are also called foam floor tiles.

2. Put a head lamp like you would wear on your head onto a gallon jug of water to make a really great lantern. I bet you'll be really surprised at how much light will be given off.

3. Paint the inside of a large jar with glow in the dark paint before you put the lid on the jar. You can do several jars to line the walk way to your tent.

4. Check out the photo directly above of what poison oak, poison ivy, and poison sumac look like. Be sure you teach your kids what these plants look like.
Nothing ruins a camping trip like poison oak.

5. A great way to keep ticks off of you is by mixing 1 part tea tree oil with 2 parts water. Spray this on your ankles, pants legs, and shirt collars to keep ticks away. Tea tree oil works better than most commercial products.

6. Put your wooden stick matches inside a square plastic container with a tight fitting lid. Glue a sheet or part of a sheet of sandpaper inside the lid of the plastic lid to strike your matches on. This will insure that your matches stay dry and you will have the sandpaper to strike your matches on.

7. Save all your old tic tac mint boxes when empty to store your spices in. Be sure to label each tic tac mint box with a label telling what's in it.

8. Invest in a two person sleeping bag for you and your spouse and you will enjoy camping much more. And you'll stay warmer.

9. You can make a mini first aid kit out of an empty large prescription bottle by adding packs of individual medicines, band-aids, and a tube of anti biotic ointment to the large empty prescription bottle. I keep several of these filled up that I have removed the labels from. Its great to have these around when needed.

10. Make a great fire starter out of match light charcoal and a empty cardboard egg carton. Put a piece of match light charcoal in each hole where the egg went. I include a couple of paper towels to make it real easy to light. I keep the whole thing in a large zip lock plastic bag to keep it dry until I need to use it.

11. Take some fresh rosemary sprigs with you and place it after soaking for an hour in water directly on your charcoal in the grill and grill your pork chops over the charcoal and rosemary. You'll get a wonderful flavor on your pork chops this way.

12. You can add bundles of fresh sage to your campfire to keep mosquitoes away. Dried sage bundles will work to but soak them in water for a hour before adding them to your campfire so they give off smoke and don't burn up as fast.

13. Have a nature scavenger hunt to give the kids an interesting activity to do. See the photo above for some great ideals for what the kids can look for. Be sure to teach your kids what poisonous plants like poison oak look like. See the photos above of the poison plants.

14. Freeze gallon jugs of water solid in your freezer and then use them in your ice chest. Use clean jugs and regular tap water and you can have cold water to drink later on. Add instant lemonade powder to the water before you freeze it and you'll have cold lemonade.

15. Be sure to take along insect repellant and sun screen. Having both along with you can make your camping trip so much easier.

16. I reuse my old prescription medicine bottles with their tight fitting lids to keep things like fish hooks, split shot sinkers, matches and etc dry and handy for when I need them. Its also a great use for the old prescription bottles to keep them out of the landfill.

17. Take a few of the fire logs like you burn in a fireplace and saw them up into small pieces. Take these with you stored in plastic bags and you can get a fire started in a hurry if you need to.

18. I always keep a tarp and rope packed with my camping supplies so I have it in case my tent starts leaking or I need to create a wind break. You can also create a shelter from the sun with a tarp and rope. Be sure to have a knife with you to be able to cut things like rope.

19. I always make sure I take along a hammer and extra tent stakes and since I started doing this I've had a much more enjoyable camping experience.

20. I always have a flare gun packed in the tire well of my vehicle along with extra flares for it. Its really great to have in case of an emergency and it even makes a great emergency weapon.

21. You can take along a box of the instant pancake mix that just needs water and make great pancakes in a frying pan over the campfire. Let the campfire die down or rake coals out to one side and set your frying pan on the coals. Take a stick of butter along in a plastic bag for each time you plan to make pancakes. Don't forget the pancake syrup and a spatula.

22. Put cotton balls and petroleum jelly in a plastic zip lock bag and you will have a great way to get a fire going in an emergency situation. Remember you need to start with kindling like dry grass and very small sticks and then add larger sticks and then pieces of wood.

23. You can pack empty toilet paper cardboard tubes with dryer lint and use these to start a fire with. As your packing the cardboard tube with the dryer lint add some petroleum jelly in the middle.

24. Do all the meal prep at home like all the dicing, cutting up and etc. Pack everything in zip lock bags and then put the little bags in a larger zip lock bag and put it into your ice chest. You can prepare a camp meal in a hurry this way,

25. Pack all your things in a heavy duty plastic box. When you get to your campsite you can use the emptied large plastic box for a sink.

And there are 25 tips or more to make your camping experience a lot more fun.

If you don't have a large budget for your vacation why not consider camping. You can spend less on a weeks camping trip than you would on a day or two in a hotel. Be sure to check out what National Parks are in the area where you plan to go camping and be sure to check to see if that particular National Park offers camping. Not all National Parks offer camping. You'll need to do your own research and find out if the park your going to does offer camping.

Camping Can Be A Wonderful Adventure.

Camping can be a wonderful adventure for your family and with some careful planning you and your family can enjoy a budget vacation that will give you memories to last a lifetime. You can set around a camp fire roasting wieners or marshmallows and recall childhood memories. Be sure to see exactly what the campground you are visiting offers. Many campgrounds in National Parks offer swimming, fishing, and more for you and your family to enjoy. If you purchase and take your food and beverages with you once you have paid for your tent spot you'll have very little other expenses. You'll need to decide if you want to rough it or do you want a camp site with all the extras.

Camping Will Require An Initial Investment To Buy What You Need To Go Camping.

You will need to make a initial investment to purchase a tent, lanterns, fishing gear, sleeping bags and etc. You will want to have a good set of pots and pans to use on your camping adventure. If you check out camping equipment you will find that there are all kinds of wonderful things you can purchase and use on your camping adventure. Always be sure that you have a very good insect repellent spray with you and be sure that you bring enough to last the whole time you are camping. Once you have purchased all your camping gear you won't have a lot of other expenses when you go camping. You want to be sure that you take matches in a waterproof container and plenty of batteries for your flashlights or radios. You want to keep from purchasing items like batteries, insect repellent and etc at a store at your camping destination because the price will quite often be much higher than they would be at the stores in your hometown. Take as much of your food and drinks with you as possible.

Check out your local newspaper and local classified ad papers to find cheap camping equipment on sale at bargain basement prices. I've found some real deals this way. You should also check out flea markets and yard sales for great deals on camping equipment.

Yard sales are a great place to find great used camping equipment so you don't have to pay full price at the mall.

Check Out Campgrounds Like K.O. A. Campgrounds.

If you want a campground with a lot of extras be sure to check out K.O.A. Campgrounds around the United States. You will find that K.O.A. Campgrounds offer movies, swimming pools, game rooms and more for you and your family to enjoy. If you're in the Cherokee North Carolina area I can highly recommend the K.O.A. Campground on Big Cove Road on the Cherokee Indian Reservation. It's a very clean campground with lots of extras. The ponds in front of the K.O.A. campground are part of the Cherokee Tribal Fishing program and you will find some wonderful fishing for trout there. There is nothing like a delicious meal of trout cooked on a campground fire.

Camping Can Let You Make Wonderful Memories With Your Children.

Make some wonderful memories with your children by taking them on a few camping trips. If you and your family enjoy camping make it a regular thing. Camping is cheaper than hotels or motels. Just be sure that you know what is included at any campground you plan to visit.

Camping Let's You Get Back In Touch With Nature.

By going camping you'll find yourself getting back in touch with nature. And if you live in the city you won't believe the wonderful view of the stars you'll have at your camp site. You'll want to bring along a pair of binoculars so you can more easily watch the wildlife around you. In most of America's National Parks you'll find an abundance of wildlife to watch and enjoy. Just be sure to practice safety around bears. Bears can be dangerous so you'll want to be sure to secure your food or put it up in the air out of the reach of bears. Raccoons can also steal your food so don't feed the wildlife. Clean up after all meals and put everything away so you won't attract wildlife to your campsite. If you see wildlife like bears or raccoons approaching your camp site make lots of noise. Noise will usually put the wildlife on the run. Keep a loud whistle around your neck and blow it loudly. You can also take a spoon and beat on a pot to scare away bears or raccoons. If the bear comes with in 25 yards of you lock you and every one in your group in your vehicle. Never try to confront a bear. Instead drive away. If you know where the rangers station is drive there.

Be Sure To Purchase A Good Quality Tent.

When you pick out your tent be sure to get one that is of good quality and it must be waterproof. It can and does quite often come thunderstorms in the evenings and nights and you will want to be sure your tent is waterproof so you and your camping gear will stay dry. You should also take along a tarp big enough to cover your tent and plenty of ropes. If your prepared and the tent does get a hole in it you can stay dry. If not then you will get wet and if your wet and it's raining you will be miserable. So always go prepared. Here it makes a lot of sense to pay attention to the Boy Scout motto and always, Be Prepared.

Check Out The Campground By Phone Before You Go.

Before you go camping call ahead and ask the people running the particular campground you are going to what if any amenities are at your particular campground. You'll often find grills and a place for a campfire at your tent site. If there is electricity available be sure that you purchase and take along a waterproof drop cord and a hanging light to use in your tent. I suggest buying extra tent stakes and a extra roll of rope. Always be prepared for something to go wrong and you'll be prepared in case it does. I also include a couple of rolls of Duct Tape in my emergency supplies. A good light weight tarp will also be great to have in case your tent develops a bad leak. Staying dry is very important. Don't be caught way out in the woods with out a knife to cut rope or other things. I keep a couple of knives hidden in all my vehicles.

Always Be Prepared When You Go Camping.

Always have a couple boxes of stick matches in a plastic box that seals tightly in your vehicle somewhere. This way you can always be prepared to start a fire. Everyone who goes camping on a regular basis should have a large first aid kit in your vehicle. If you use items out of it be sure to replace them. I keep extra Tylenol, aspirin, and other over the counter drugs in their original containers sealed in a plastic bag in the vehicle. You may also want to take a supply of ready to eat zip top items like Vienna sausage, sardines, potted meat, beanie wienies, crackers and etc to have in case you can't get a fire going. We always take a couple of cases of bottled water on all our camping trips. Think about those items that will make your life easier and take those items with you.

If you go camping on a regular basis you should keep several flashlights with extra batteries in your car and you should keep a couple of boxes of stick matches stored in separate plastic boxes so you'll have dry matches in an emergency. Keep a small box of fire starter logs in your vehicle so you can get a fire started in an emergency.

You may also want to keep a large plastic tarp, rope, a folding shovel, a hatchet, and a couple of blankets in case of a emergency. And you will of course want a couple of good sharp knives in with your emergency items. Always have plenty of strong flashlights with a good supply of batteries.

Be Sure You Know If The Water Is Safe To Drink.

Be sure that any natural water you drink is safe. Never just assume that because you are in a state park or National park that spring water is safe. Look for signs saying the water is safe and if there are no signs ask. You can boil water or use iodine pills in the water if you have to drink water your not sure about. Also never eat berries or mushrooms unless you know for a fact that they are safe. The best way to be sure about this is to buy a good book with color pictures so you can learn everything you need to know about berries and mushrooms.

Always have a couple of large canteens to take safe water along with you on your camping adventures. I sometimes also take a couple of cases of bottled water with me so I always have good quality drinking water with me. You know that you can drink the bottled water or use some of it for cooking if you need to.

Be sure to take a box of trash bags along on your camping trip to use for clean up. It will make things a whole lot easier when your cleaning up after meals.

Glow In The Dark Bubbles

A really great and fun thing to do is to break the glow light sticks to activate them near dark and carefully cut them open and pour them into a bottle or two of bubbles that has the hand wand in it. You'll end up with glow in the dark bubbles for the kids.

Use A Mesh Bag To Store Canned Drinks In The Creek

You can use a large mesh bag to store canned drinks in the creek to get them cold and keep them cold. Tie a rope to the bags handle to pull it out of the creek or stream.

You Need A Clothes Line At Your Camp Site

I'm always sure to take along plenty of sturdy rope to make things like a clothes line to dry out wet clothing or sleeping bags or blankets in case they get wet.

Plan Your Camping Trips Carefully

Be sure to plan your camping trips carefully so that everything that is supposed to go camping with you goes with you. Its really bad to get way out in the woods and then discover that the can opener got left at home. I make a check list and pack for my camping trips using the check list.

Save Those Take Out Packets And Napkins To Take Camping With You

I'm always taking extra packs of ketchup, hot sauce, sugar, lemon juice and etc. when I dine in restaurants that have them. When I get home I add them all to a gallon plastic jar and this plastic jar of condiments goes with us when we go camping.