Before you pack, use this handy checklist to help you plan and make sure carry all the essential items. This comprehensive list does have a lot of items that you probably don't need and it's ok not to bring everything and the kitchen sink. However, our motto here at Always Wanderlust is "It's always better to be prepared than not!"
If you have children or pets, over-packing is better than under-packing. Camping can be messy. Your kids may love playing around in the grass and dirt. As the day moves along, your children are going to get really messy. It is almost impossible to prevent, but luckily, you will not need to worry if you have extra clothes on hand. So it is important to be prepared.
It's imperative that you pitch your tent before the sun goes down. Once things go dark, you will find it very hard to erect a tent, locate wood and cook a meal. Some people cannot see very well at night, and this makes setting up camp at night next to impossible. Don't let this happen to you, and have a shelter set up before dark.
Make sure that your sleeping bag is right for the season and climate where you are camping. You are going to roast all night long in a sleeping bag designed for cold weather that you camp with during summer. On the flip side, bring a sleeping bag meant for summer camping will make you very cold during your winter camping trip. Hypothermia can be experienced, as well.
Don't forget to include special pillows made just for camping on your adventure. Since standard pillows can pick up a lot of humidity, debris or even creepy-crawlers, leave them safely at home. They can mildew quickly after absorbing moisture. Camping pillows are made with a protective, moisture-proof coating to prevent these issues.
An orange peel may just be the natural answer to repelling mosquitoes when you're out camping. If you neglected to pack mosquito spray, fear not. Rub the inner peel of an orange over your body as mosquitoes will refrain from biting you. This should effectively repel mosquitoes for hours.
Pack ready to eat foods in your camping gear, like trail mix and jerky. It's likely that you'll be so worn out at dinnertime that you will only feel like snacking and not cooking. They are also convenient because they keep well and don't need to be refrigerated.
Before setting out on your camping adventure, make sure you can read a map and a