Look around you on any summer day and you will see that more and more Americans are outside, enjoying great times out of doors. They may be big families, retired couples, recent immigrants, singles, young people and seniors - all of them have packed up their luggage, filled a cooler with food, and are on the road, traveling to their getaway destination outside. Would you like to be one of them? Well, this article will focus on some things you can do to be a successful camper this summer.

What's the best place to start? Well, how about your outdoor headquarters - the place where you will live, sleep, and even play. I'm talking, of course, about shelter. Where will you live? In the outdoors, your basic choices are two: a trailer or a tent. A tent is much cheaper, of course, but is not such a great option if you are going to be camping in an area where the weather often turns bad. Tents are available in a multitude of sizes and types, everything from the one-man tent for outdoor wilderness adventures, to enormous family sized units. But if you are going camping in wet, rainy or snowy weather - or where it is cold - then a great alternative is the camping trailer.

If your preference is for a trailer, again you will find many different models to choose from: small pop-ups and motorcycle trailers, all the way up to RV's and park models loaded with every possible convenience. All-in-all, I prefer the trailer for camping in inclement weather. I have had the misfortune to be stuck living in a tent for week when it rained every day - not fun, I can tell you! If you are hesitant to purchase a trailer because of the cost, look into purchase of a good used camping trailer. Many RV dealers sell used as well as new units.

Once you have your shelter squared away, perhaps the next question to ponder is: Where will you cook in the outdoors? If you have purchased a trailer with a built-in kitchen, this will be a non-issue, as you will have a place to cook. However, if you have purchased a tent, then perhaps you should also think about purchasing a good camp stove.

Camp stoves come in various sizes and types: small, lightweight units for backpackers and mountaineers, large single burner units with a large capacity fuel tank, multi-burner units for feeding a hungry family - there are even some camp stoves that have built in ovens for baking! And when you buy your camp oven, don't forget to buy accessories, such as utensils, attachable griddles, lights for cooking at night and replacement hoses and burners.

What else will you need to take on your wilderness trek? Well, consider this: when you need to spend some time sitting at your campsite, what will you sit on? Take it from me: let the kids sit on the old logs and tree stumps - you need something more comfortable than that! One of your wisest purchases will be a good camping chair. The latest models are both lightweight and very sturdy - capable of holding hundreds of pounds of weight, and they won't collapse!

You are out camping and get bitten by a snake. What do you do? Your kid slips on the wet grass and sprains their ankle, could you help them? And what if the nearest doctor or hospital is 50 miles away? All of this points up the necessity of having a good camping first aid kit. These are specially stocked with the supplies that you will need if you have a medical emergency in the outdoors. This is an essential item - a persons' life may be saved, or serious injury avoided, if you have a good first aid kit handy.

So now let's take stock: you have your shelter picked out, your outdoor kitchen is stocked and ready to go. You have brought along a well-stocked first aid kit, the comfy chairs are arranged around the campfire. What's left to do? Simply this: get out there and enjoy the wilderness!