Planning a Camping Trip

Series Summary

Camping is an outdoor recreational activity in which the participants, known as campers, leave civilization behind and enjoy nature while spending one or more nights at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, a primitive structure, or no shelter at all. Camping as a recreational activity became popular in the early 20th century, and many campers frequent national parks, other publicly owned natural areas, and privately owned campgrounds. Camping may be its own activity, but it's commonly done in conjunction with other activities, such as hiking, swimming, and fishing.

The difference between a good and bad camping trip can come down to planning. If things like packing, weather, food, equipment, and mapping are taken into consideration, a camping trip can become smooth and peaceful. In this free video series, a camping expert will teach you how to plan a camping trip from start to finish. You'll learn how to pick out hiking poles, how to understand the wildlife in the area you plan to camp in, and how to make a checklist for the trip. With these tips and the right supplies, you'll be sure to have the ultimate camping experience!

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Albert Hedgepeth with Expert Village and today we're here to talk about planning for a camping trip. One of the first components is figuring out who's going to be going with yeah. Sometimes you want to take your family, sometimes it's your friends, sometimes you want to go solo, but each trip has its own set of expectations and planning procedures so that the trip goes smoothly. With a family, it can be a lot fun to get the entire household involved in the planning process. Figuring out where you're going to go, figuring out where you're going to sleep, figuring out what food you're going to take, what activities you're going to do. If you set it up as a date and it's a new relationship, you might want to have your partner just a little bit so that you're both on the same page whenever you get out and you're camping. A lot of the amenities of the "real" world are not there. It is really important if you're planning on doing this new experience with a new partner that you're both there and involved in the planning process. Whenever you go solo, you definitely better know what you're doing because you can really get yourself into some trouble, especially if you're going into really wilderness areas. A lot of people these days are also camping in RV's. They're bringing the amenities of their home with them to the campsite. RV's have showers, they have TV's, and they have satellite radio, satellite television, all of the above. There's also boat camping. A lot of boats are just like RV's. They have the same resources and amenities and they're a great place for a family to get away, enjoy the water and to enjoy camping at the same time. Long distance trekking, we're hiking over long distances, is a different story. At that point you're carrying everything in your backpack, your water, your food, your sleeping supplies, your tent, your sleeping bag, and all the resources you need to stay alive have to be carried on your back. While your planning these camping trips, it is just important to remember who is involved, how much experience they have, and where you're planning on going and what the terrain is like. As long as you plan appropriately for a camping trip, it can be an enjoyable experience for everyone involved."