Planning
a Successful Tent Camping Trip
Each
year, thousands of people throughout the United States choose to spend their
vacations camping in the great outdoors.
With the great diversity of environments available, campers are not
limited to woods, but can experience the challenges of deserts, mountains, and
high latitude wilderness. Depending on
an individual’s sense of adventure, choices also include types of camping
too: log cabin, tent, recreational
vehicle, and open-air sleeping bag. Of
these, tent camping involves the most opportunities for “roughing it”, and with
proper planning, the experience can be satisfying and memorable. However,
even with the best planning, tent camping can be an extremely frustrating
effort due to uncontrolled factors such as bad weather, wildlife encounters,
equipment failures—and a camper’s life and well-being. Failing to plan properly
for tent camping can prove uncomfortable as well as deadly. (instructor
note: that’s the thesis.)
(Topic sentence #1) Nothing
can dampen the excitement and anticipation of tent camping more than a dark,
rainy day. Even the most adventurous campers can lose some of
their enthusiasm on the drive or hike to a planned campsite if the skies are
dreary and damp. After reaching the
destination, campers must then “set up” in wet conditions that may make for
poor decisions and results. It is vital
to keep the inside of the tent dry and free from mud or rock- slides, keeping
sleeping bags safe, and protecting any food from exposure. If sleeping bags happen to get wet, the cold
also becomes a major factor and difficulty: a dry sleeping bag provides warmth
and protection; a wet bag means chills and no sleep. Combining wind and rain can cause frigid
temperatures that cause outside activities to be delayed or cancelled. Even inside the tent, problems may arise from
heavy winds. More than a few campers
have had tents blown down because of wind, leaving them exposed to the elements
and struggling to reestablish a safe and secure tent. Therefore, it is wise to check the weather
forecast before embarking on a camping trip: Mother Nature is unpredictable and
a compromised tent and its security cannot be overlooked.
(Topic Sentence #2)
Another unexpected problem likely to be faced during a camping trip: run-ins
with wildlife, ranging from mildly annoying to extremely dangerous. Minor inconveniences
include mosquitoes, chiggers, biting flies, and ants. The swarms of mosquitoes can literally drive
annoyed campers indoors. If an effective
repellent is not used, an unprepared camper can spend an unpleasant long night
scratching and not sleeping. In the
northern-most states near the Canadian border, tiny black flies can inflict
painful bites that torment animals as well as humans. Ants normally do not attack campers, but
keeping them out of food can be quite an effort. Extreme care must be taken not to leave food
out before or after meals—and that includes cleaning up afterward. Food should optimally be stored off the
ground (suspended from a tree limb away from the tent). In addition to swarming the food, ants inside
a tent can crawl into sleeping bags, shoes, and clothing. Although these creatures (especially insects)
can cause various levels of discomfort, just as dangerous are spiders, snakes,
scorpions, and centipedes. There are
many poisonous snakes in the U.S., such as rattlers, copperheads, water
moccasins, and coral. However, the large
animals in a camping area should be the main concern for anyone in a
tent—especially with food storage. Animal behavior in the wild can be deadly,
especially from a bear, mountain lion, or moose. An angry moose cow can stand 9 feet tall and
weigh 1200 pounds, moving incredibly fast and furious if she defends a calf. Her hooves and heavy antlers can kill a bear,
let alone a human. Bear sows too will
chase down and attack humans who stray near cubs—and many foolish campers who
wander upon “a cute little thing” are foolish to assume the mother is only
silently observing—and not timing an attack.
(Topic Sentence #3) Perhaps
the least serious camping troubles are equipment failures; these often plague
inexperienced families camping for the first time. Picture this: a family
of five arrives at the campsite for the night and set up their large tent. They then settle down for a peaceful night’s
rest. Then sometime during the night, a
huge crash awakens them: a tree limb has come down during a downpour and
collapsed one side of the tent. Luckily,
no one is hurt—but in the morning, everyone slowly emerges, stiff and wet—except
for two, whose sleeping bag zippers are stuck.
They are freed after 15 minutes of struggling, only to realize that each
of their bags has been directly against the tent walls. A tent is waterproof only if the sides are
not touched. Now their clothes and
sleeping bags are wet. Totally
disillusioned with the “vacation,” the frustrated family packs up immediately
and goes home.
What options are there?
Regardless
of animals, weather, or equipment, poor planning and decisions can be the ruin
of any camping endeavor, especially in a tent.
A sense of humor can actually be a needed tool. The bugs will still outnumber us, the animals
naturally live outdoors, and anyone who can control the weather will have an
Olympic-sized job. So, pack that gear
and keep an eye out for whatever comes your way, fellow campers—and may your
socks be dry and the path safe.
