I remember my first camping trip. I was eleven years old. Several other neighborhood kids and I decided to sleep on the flood wall overnight. With Mom’s permission and Dad’s WWII sleeping bag, I joined the others about sunset. Before we set up our beds, we had to make a last-minute rush to the local grocery store for portions: Rainbo bread, bologna, and Pepsi. Now we were ready to set up camp and venture out for the night.
The first task at hand was finding a soft place to put our sleeping bags. One of the children had a Coleman flashlight, which we placed in the center of us since we had formed a circle.
Now that we were ready for the night, the cards, bologna sandwiches, and bottle opener came out. We sat down to play cards until the sandwiches were gone, at which point we lay back on our sleeping bags and gazed at the night skies. Back then the sky was full of stars, but they have since been obscured by smog. We would stand there pondering space until the Coleman lantern ran out of fuel.
One by one we all succumb to the peace of the night air. And one by one we wake up with aches and groans from sleeping on the hard floor. But we were different somehow we just spent the night in the open air. Now we were campers.
There you go! Basic camping: an outdoor place to sleep, eat and drink, and someone to share the experience.
The following chapters will introduce you to lessons that address these three basic premises for an enjoyable camp: a comfortable sleep, delicious food, and outdoor activities.
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Camping Basics Index
- Introduction
- Making your bed
- More about bedding
- Sheets Blankets Pillows
- Camping shelters
- What kind of tent?
- Staking the store
- Preparing the camp
- What to do next
- Dealing with pests
- Cozy bonfires
- Leave no trace
- Kitchen duty
- Last minute camp
- Returning home
- Store equipment
Updated by Camping Expert Monica Prelle
