In today’s world kids have video games, computers, and television. They are always inundated with pressure from television ads and their friends to have all the latest stuff that’s popular. Parents often find this difficult to compete with. Why not expose them to something completely different? Tent camping can offer many new things that they have never seen before.

Tent camping really get’s you back to the basics. Besides the fact that it is probably one of the cheapest family outings you will ever undertake, the things you will see and do are only measured by where you go and your imagination when you get there. And you don’t even need experience or a lot of imagination to get started. Here’s an example. Take a trip to Yosemite for example; this is a beautiful national park with a wonderful valley where you can go to have the camping trip of a lifetime. Once you get there you can get a park map that tells you all the cool places to see and things to do. Once you have found your campsite and set up now it’s time to have some fun. You could spend two weeks there and not see everything, which is why it is a great place to come back to. Just look around and see hiking trails everywhere, rocks to climb,lakes and streams to see, gigantic trees, and of course, wildlife! This is just one example and the list of places to go is endless and never to far from home.

Now let’s talk about some very basic gear that you will need to get started. And remember we said that tent camping is one of the least expensive vacations you will ever take. This is true because once you have purchased your gear, all you will need to go on future trips is food and a place to go! There are a lot of places you can go that it won’t even cost you anything for the campsite, such as the mountains or deserts. A lot of people today prefer to camp where there are very few people.

The first thing you will need is your camping tent. Tents come in all shapes and sizes and colors and materials so there are a few things to consider. First you need a tent that is the right size for your family. You might want to consider whether or not your children might want to bring friends with them, they probably will! So choose a tent that has enough room for your family plus a few more. After all if extra people don’t go it ever hurts to have the extra space. Choose a tent that is weatherproof and bug proof, ( with no-see-um mesh), this will keep the bugs and mosquito’s out while you sleep.

There are a few other basic things you will need. There are a thousand different things you can buy and spend a fortune on, so let’s just talk about the few essential things to get you started. After all part of the fun of camping is once you start going you can all decide that it would be nice to have this or that for your next trip. So the things you need to get you going are first you need your tent. Then you need to pick out some good sleeping bags. Pick some that are rated for warmth and preferably waterproof on the outside. If you do this you will probably never have to replace them. Next you need some camping chairs. You could go with the folding kind or the kind that fold up into a bag, they pack the best. I tend to pick the most comfortable one and worry about how much room it takes up later. Next you need a good 5 day cooler. You just put fresh ice in it every couple days and your food will be fine. Next you will need a small propane stove. These are inexpensive and will cook anything. You will also want to get a small barbeque that uses charcoal for your dinners. With a few utensils and paper plates you are set to cook your stakes, burgers, or hot dogs. You can cook corn or beans simply by opening the can and removing the rapper and setting them on the grill. I’ve been doing that for years! Don’t forget to pack a hand can opener!

So let’s do a short list. You’ll need: Tent, sleeping bags, chairs, cooler, stove, barbeque, and a few basic utensils. Yes that is a short list, but that’s really all that is necessary. You can add things later if you want to!

Camping give the family a sense of accomplishment and shows kids what’s really important in life like nature and wildlife. It’s as close to nature you can get. It gives the whole family a sense of togetherness and teamwork that is sometimes hard to do in the fast paced life we live. I hope this will be helpful in your adventures to come!

Sincerely,

Michael P. Schwartz

www.campyearroundound.com