Enjoy Some Astronomy During Your Camping Nights
March 30, 2012

When you go camping, the focus is so often on what you do will spend your time doing during the day. However, you can make the most of the starry night too if you engage in some astronomy- especially if you have a nice rooftop tent to lay in and get a clear view of the sky in comfort. You can bring along some books that tell the younger ones in your camping party about mythology that includes the gods and different stars in the sky. You can also take along a small telescope that allows them to see the stars up close.

If you live in a large city, then being able to see the lovely stars out at night can be hard. You may forget how gorgeous they really are until you get a chance to go camping for a few days. Getting away from the nights, the buildings, the smog, and more allows you to see that bright sky for what it really is.

You are never too old to delight in the wonders of astronomy while you are out camping. Many adults find this to be relaxing and very enjoyable. You may be able to unwind with a nice cup of coffee as you gaze up at those stars each evening. This may quickly become one of the favorite things you like to do when you go camping. If you don’t know much about astrology, get some books from the library and do some online research before you go camping. Then you will be able to identify the major constellations of the night sky.


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Disconnect Your Camping Experience
March 26, 2012

Before you go on a camping trip, you may want to make the decision that it should be a technology free experience. You have to get the entire family on board for this one to really work. However, it seems in our society today those gadgets like laptops, readers, MP3s, and mobile phones have taken over. They sure on convenient for us but that could prevent you from getting the camping elements in place.

You don’t want your kids in nature and doing nothing but texting their friends. Adults tend to be caught up in the technology too both for work and for their personal lives. A commitment to leave it all behind for a few days of camping can be a great way to open your eyes and take in what is around you. It can also increase family bonding with those types of distractions out of the way. Many people returned home to realize that they don’t need to be using such technology as often as they used to.

You do need to take a long a small radio and one mobile phone though in case of any emergency. These items should be secured and they should be put away unless such a situation warrants the use of them. It may be scary at first to go camping with no technology to glance at. However, many people who have done it agree it was what made the camping experience one of the best times for them. You won’t know unless you give it a try!


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Water Purification Tablets for Camping
March 22, 2012

Even if the camping location you plan on visiting is going to be a common one where there is drinking water, you need to be prepared. Should you go out hiking you definitely need to bring along your own water. Don’t forget to bring water purification tablets with you in your backpack too. You never know when you may become dependent on the water in a river or stream for survival.

This water can be dangerous for you to drink because it isn’t clean. While you do need water to survive in the wilderness, you can become very ill or even die due to bacteria and other forms of contamination in it. The water purification tablets allow you to remove those elements from the water so you can drink it without any problems. You never want to risk drinking water from an outdoor resource without purifying the water. It may not be possible for you to have a pot and a fire where you can boil the water to make it safe.

While no one plans to go camping and to get lost, especially in a camper trailer or even an off road camper trailer, it does occur. Part of being a responsible camper involves you having the resources you need just in case. You should have some water purification tablets in your camping gear. You may never need them but they will be a valuable asset if the opportunity does present itself. These tablets are inexpensive and they are well sealed. You can carry them around for a very long time if you don’t need them and they won’t go bad.


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Camping Accessories to Keep You Comfortable
March 16, 2012

While some people love the idea of going camping so they can be in the water and go hiking, they don’t do it. They don’t like the idea of sleeping on the ground or spending several days without a shower. Your camping experience doesn’t have to be like that though so make yourself comfortable- there are a million camping accessories you can bring along to enhance your experience.

If your children really want to camp in a tent but you don’t, compromise. Get an air mattress or a cot for you so that you aren’t sleeping on the floor.

Many camping locations do have showers you can pay for and they also have toilets. You will need to plan your stay well in advance to reserve one of those campsites as they often go fast. They also have locations that have some electrical outlets. If you would like to take your camper with you, then you would have some power for what you need, including being able to see after dark.

There are many camping locations that offer lovely cabins too. Some of them are just right for a couple. Others are bigger for a family to enjoy. There are also those that can host 10 or more people so more than one family could stay there and share the expenses. All of this can be explored so that you get the joy of camping but you don’t have to give up certain luxuries that are important to you. Explore what is out there at a given camping area you are interested in.


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Dressing Right for Camping and Outdoors Activities
March 13, 2012

You need to be well dressed for camping, without exception. While it may be tempting to wear shorts, you are almost always better off to keep your legs covered unless you are going swimming or staying off the trails.

This will help you to avoid scratches and scrapes. It will also help you to reduce the amount of sunlight that you are exposed to. You should wear long sleeves too in order to protect your arms from the elements and from the sunlight.

A hat that has a wide brim is a good idea when you go camping. It will provide you with plenty of shade for your face. Don’t overlook the value of quality shoes too. They should fit well, offer plenty of support, and be closed. Don’t wear open toed shoes when you go camping as it is too dangerous. You need shoes that have good traction due to the unpredictable terrain.

Dressing in layers allows you to be well prepared for the day of activities and the chillier nights. You can take off layers of clothing as you need to in order to cool down. Then you can put those layers back on as you get chilly later on. If you go hiking, make sure there is room in your backpack for clothing you should carry and that you may want to take off.

Take along plenty of clothing with you so that you can change if you need to. Have extra socks in case you get yours wet. An extra pair of quality shoes is a good idea as well. It can be helpful to put aside older clothing that is torn and stained for camping. Then you can use it out there and not have to worry about it getting affected by the elements around you. The easiest thing to do is just make sure to throw plenty of extras into your camper trailer so you will have the right choice for any situation.


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Bird Watching is a Favorite When Camping
March 10, 2012

There is so much to see and do when you go camping. Depending on the time of year and the location, bird watching can definitely be something that you are able to take part in. This type of activity while camping does require quite a bit of patience though. You may have to wait and to stand still for long periods of time before the birds come along. Since birds often are shy about activity around them, you can use a pair of binoculars to help you zoom in on what they are doing.

There are books about bird watching too that will help you to get tips and advice. They also have photos of different birds and facts about them for you to read through. It can be a very educational time for you to explore the different species of birds that are found in the area where you plan to go camping. Bird watching is an inexpensive hobby and one that you will find that you quickly become very passionate about.

You can often go online and find out what types of birds to expect at certain camping and camper trailer locations. It isn’t uncommon for the birds to have nests in such locations. Another great time to take part in bird watching is during the winter migration. Then you will have the best chance to see a wide spectrum of different types of birds while you also enjoy a fun filled camping experience.


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Avoiding Poisonous Plants During Camping Trips
March 6, 2012

Nothing will ruin your camping trip like coming into contact with poisonous plants will. As a general rule, you shouldn’t be touching any plants you see in the wilderness. Not only does touching them increase the risk of you getting poison ivy or something similar, it could disrupt the natural habitat out there that animals rely on for food and survival.

You should try to hike in locations that have well kept trails and be careful where you setup your tent- even a rooftop tent can end up in the wrong area. These are locations that won’t have lots of plants and trees bunched up. When that occurs, you have to virtually touch them every step of the way if you want to get through them. Try to find paths that allow you to freely walk through all of it with ease and to avoid touching the flora around that location.

Many of the plants that are poisonous out there are similar to bushes and shrubs. You also want to avoid those that have flowers of four on them as they tend to be the most dangerous. If you aren’t absolutely sure what a plant is, don’t touch it. You can always photograph it and then look up information about it later.

Even with your best attempts, there could be times when you do come into contact with poisonous plants during your camping trips. With that in mind, you need to make sure you have a well stocked first aid kit. You should have cortisone cream and some form of antihistamine on hand just in case.


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Camping Safety Tip: Always Tell Others your Camping Details and Plans
March 3, 2012

Ever see the film 127 hours? Right. The lesson there was the one we are talking about here.

Going camping is fun and it is exciting, but it can also be risky. You should always tell others about your camping details and plans. They should know when you will be leaving and when you will be returning home. They should also have information about where you will be camping, how you will be camping, and the names of people with you. This applies even if you are heading off in a camper trailer and plan to stick to well traveled areas- always better safe than sorry.

Should there be any problems such as you don’t return when you said that you would, those that you told about your camping trip can start to look for you. They can tell investigators where to look and that is a good starting point that will save time and resources. They can also let the rescue crew know how many people are out there and their names and ages.

Precious time can be lost when looking for lost hikers and campers if such information isn’t shared. You need to have a plan in place to make sure that you aren’t going to be stranded out there in a vast area with no one having a clue to even look for you. While most camping trips don’t end that way, some of them do and you want to prevent that from being how it plays out for your own experience.

If you can leave behind a detailed agenda for the others to know about, that is a great idea. It is understood that some of your details may be unknown but you should be able to give them enough information that help can be coming your way if you need it.


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Selecting the Right Shoes for Hiking
September 24, 2011

As you are making your list of items to pack for camping in Australia, you want to give lots of though to the shoes you take along. For the beach it makes sense to wear shoes you can easily slip on and off. However, when you are going hiking you need shoes that are going to offer support for the feet and the ankles. A twisted ankle can be very painful – and it can be make it hard to get back to the camper trailer on your own- especially if you took the off road camper trailer way out into the bush and the hiked even farther out on foot.

You need to go hiking in shoes that are snug but not too tight. You don’t want them to be able to slip and slide as you move through the terrain. This is especially true when you go through caves and other locations that aren’t always on level ground. The wrong shoes can result in stickers, thorns, and various injuries to your feet.

However, you don’t want your hiking shoes to be so tight that your feet are throbbing and you feel like you aren’t getting enough blood circulating through them. Painful blisters can form very quickly that will make hiking a chore instead of fun. Since it can take days for those blisters to heal, it could ruin the rest of your camping trip.

To shop for great hiking shoes, you want to try them on at the end of the day. As the day progresses our feet swell up. If you shop for shoes early in the day then you may prevent yourself from getting those hiking shoes that offer enough room for that swelling to occur and that could make them too tight when you have them on.

You don’t want hiking shoes that are too heavy either. That can make each step tiring and then you would get very much hiking done either. Most hiking shoes are durable though so that you can handle the rugged terrain with ease. You may want to consider a pair that is waterproof too.

Don’t just buy a new pair of hiking boots or shoes though and toss them in your bags for camping. As we all know, it  can take some time to break in a new pair of shoes. Wear them for short periods of time around the house, hiking locally, and even for a walk around the block. Then your feet will be used to them by the time you go camping in Australia.


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Tips for Successfully Packing All of Your Camping Items

Creating a list for your camping items is a great place to start the packing process. You need to make sure you don’t leave anything behind that you could really need when you get to your destination in Australia. Just because you can fit a ton of gear into your camper trailer doesn’t mean you should throw everything in there! Plus, how you pack your items is also very important. For example you don’t want to have to unpack everything in a box to get to the cooking utensils that you need.

Organization is key when it comes to successfully packing all of your camping items. You need to put logical items with others in the same group. For example all of your clothing in one area and all of your cooking supplies in another. Items that have to be kept cold need to be in a cooler or a refrigerator of a caravan.

Pack heavier items on the bottom and lighter ones on the top so that you don’t smash anything. Consider the amount of room you have for items that you need and then prioritize. All of the essential items for the camping trip should be packed up first. Then you can add any items from your pile of items you would love to take along, but they aren’t essential. It can be tough to leave those items behind but you will survive without them.

Make sure you have sturdy containers to pack your items in. You don’t want them to break or to crack if you are using plastic containers. Your coolers need to have a latch on them too so that they won’t accidentally come open. If that occurs the food items in there may not stay cold enough to be safe to eat during your camping trip.

Make sure you pack all of the containers securely too as you get ready to take off for your camping trip. You want to have those containers in place so that they won’t tip over as you turn corners, if you need to stop your vehicle suddenly, or your have to go over very rugged terrain to get to your camping location.

Packing is one of the necessary chores you need to take time for before you can enjoy a wonderful camping trip in Australia. You want to take the same care for packing all of your items up to get them home too. That way they won’t get damaged and you can use them again and again for future camping experiences.


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