How to See the Country Without Going Broke

The do's and dont's of primitive camping.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• a tent, one sleeping bag per person, a good food supply, a portable stove or hibachi, storage for clothes, a lantern, and several games for the children.

How to see the country without going broke

1. There are as many reasons for camping as there are ways to do it. Tenting is the most practical for the young family. It doesn't cost much. All you really need is a tent, one sleeping bag per person, lots of easy to cook food, a stove and transportatiion. For the first-timer, it may be possible to borrow a tent.Before buying a tent, make sure it is big enough for everyone to comfortably sleep in it. You also need room to store clothes, supplies and several games for the children.Practice setting up the tent before leaving on your first adventure. Listen to the weatherman and schedule your trip accordingly.Make up a checklist of everything needed and add to it as things come to mind.

2. The first trip shouldn't be far from home, because there will always be things you forgot. Don't give up when things don't turn out just the way you plan. No one said it would always be perfect.To enjoy the adventure of outdoor camping, you must be prepared for the unexpected. Curious wildlife may come to investigate the strange newcomers invading their territory. Smart campers never leave their food supply on the ground or near their tent.Scout the area before pitching your tent. Poison oak, ivy, and sumac can ruin a weekend. Keep insect repellent handy at all times. Chiggers, ants, and other pests can make a person miserable for weeks.

3. Keep a notebook and pen handy. Jot down your experiences, both good and bad. Your notes will help to improve future trips. Never set yourself on a tight schedule. You are not at work and you don't have a deadline to meet. Whenever our family camped, we tried to make it exciting. Going over the Smokey Mountains, we stopped at the Cherokee village and watched Cherokee Indians dancing. On a break, our restless children climbed a hill and rolled head over heels to the bottom. We stopped at a pull-off and took pictures of sightseers feeding brown bears. When conditions put a damper on your plans, make the best of a bad situation. Several years ago, our family planned a camp-out at Kankakee State Park over the Fourth of July. The temperature dropped drastically and we were all shivering. About 4 am we packed our gear and headed for the nearest donut shop for coffee, hot chocolate and sweets.

4. If the thought of sleeping on the ground doesn't appeal to you, a nice used pop-up camper can be a step above tenting. There are canvas ones and there are some with plastic sides and top. Ours was an Apache. The owner demonstrated how easily it folded down, and we were hooked. It had a small stove, a tiny sink, and storage under the benches. The sides had 2 queen size foam mattresses. Before attempting to go on a trip, you should practice putting it up and folding it down. Next step is to erect it in the back yard and spend a weekend getting used to the close quarters. Never leave your pop-up erected for more than a few days at a time. We left ours to air out for a couple of weeks and field mice infested it. A snake crawled into one end and adopted the mattress as its home. After evicting the snake and exterminating the vermin, I spent Saturday scrubbing it clean.

5. The biggest problem with pop-ups is that they cannot be erected in bad weather. Wind storms can blow the plastic sides out, exposing the mattress to the elements. Torrential rains can come through the canvas and make life miserable. Then there is still the pesky insects, but if you always look for the silver lining, it is a pleasure to spend time with your family, enjoy the country side, and still know you are staying within your budget.