The Pocket Guide to Camping
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About this ebook
Katherine White
Linda White and Katherine White are a mother and daughter team. They have both authored other books for children on camping and the outdoors. They live in Colorado.
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The Pocket Guide to Camping - Katherine White
The Pocket Guide to Camping
Linda White & Katherine L. White
Illustrations by Remie Geoffroi
The Pocket Guide to Camping
Digital Edition 1.0
Text © 2011 Katherine L. White and Linda White
Illustrations © 2011 Remie Geoffroi
NOTE: Some of the activities suggested in this book require adult assistance and supervision. Activities associated with camping and the outdoors carry inherent risks. The publisher and authors assume no responsibility for any damages or injuries incurred while performing any of the activities in this book.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except brief portions quoted for purpose of review.
Gibbs Smith
P.O. Box 667
Layton, Utah 84041
Orders: 1.800.835.4993
www.gibbs-smith.com
ISBN: 978-1-4236-2059-4
The Pocket Guide to Camping
Table of Contents
Packing and PreparingPitching CampSafety and First AidCampfire CookingOutdoor Activities: Things to DoCamp Crafts: Things to Make
Packing and Preparing
What are you going to do this weekend? Watch TV, play video games, clean your room? Would you rather sing songs around a blazing campfire, roast marshmallows on a stick until they are gooey, and sleep in a sack under the stars? Then you should go camping!
Getting Started
Getting started in the world of camping can be confusing. Outdoor shops offer oodles of choices in equipment and gadgets. Fortunately, you don’t have to buy everything you see there. Much of what you need you probably already have. Add a few basics—mainly a tent and a good sleeping bag—learn a few camp skills, and you’ll be ready to head for the woods.
The best camping trips are well-planned ones. It’s no fun to be miles from any town, have the wood laid for your campfire, and your hot dogs on a stick, only to find out you’ve forgotten to bring matches. There’ll be a cold and hungry night ahead!
This book will help you organize a great camping trip. You’ll learn what to look for when choosing camp equipment; what food, clothes, and tools to pack; how to choose and set up a camp home; and some games, songs, and crafts to keep you entertained while you’re living in the wild.
Having an adult camp with you is a must. You’ll be going places you haven’t been before, doing new things, and using unfamiliar tools. You’ll want an adult to help you purchase gear, set up camp, know when it’s safe to build a campfire, and many other things. Besides, it’s always more fun to do things together.
When you see this symbol, the use of something sharp, such as a knife, ax, or camp saw, is required.
This symbol alerts you to a burn hazard. Make sure to ask an adult for help when doing these tasks.
Can you smell the wood smoke? Are you ready to hear the night music of the out-of-doors? Let’s go camping!
Where to Go
Start out by picking your favorite camping site. Do you want to go to the woods or the beach? To the mountains or the desert? Do you want to go to a favorite family campsite that you return to year after year? Or try someplace new? Do you want to drive a long way by car or plan a short trip?
Have an adult help you decide where a good place to camp will be. Then research the time of year, how long it takes to get there, how many campsites are available, whether the campsite requires reservations, maps for the best route, and so on. You’ll want to plan your trip in advance so you know where you’re going and what you’ll need.
CAUTION: Don’t throw your gear in the car, ride to your destination, and think you’ll find the perfect camping spot on the banks of the swimming hole. You may end up with your tent pitched ten feet from the highway, or not get a campsite at all. Remember the early camp bird gets a campsite!
Many campgrounds now allow campers to make reservations. Some require reservations or permits that you must apply for well in advance of your trip. A guide to campgrounds (available at bookstores and libraries) will give you the information you need and provide a phone number to call with questions. There is also often a lot of good information about local campsites on the Internet.
Where You’ll Sleep
You’ll miss a real treat if you don’t sleep out sometimes where you can count the stars. But since the weather can change suddenly, a tent—your portable home—is desirable for most camping trips. It’ll keep the rain out of your face and the mosquitoes out of your ears. It’ll also give you a private place to change clothes.
Backpacking tents, used by campers hiking deep into the backcountry, hold one or two campers in close quarters. These tents may weigh as little as five or six pounds. Good ones can cost several hundred dollars.
Dome tents, shaped like a turtle shell, can be a good choice for a small family or a few friends. They are easy to set up, sturdy, and come in a range of prices (and qualities). But watch out when the tag says the tent sleeps three—that may not include room for even the next day’s clothes!
Larger, cabin-style tents, made like a cloth building with walls and a roof, are great choices for big groups and when you’re going on longer outings. The extra space and stand-up headroom really make a difference.
Many campers like campgrounds that are for tent campers only. That way they aren’t kept awake by a loud recreational vehicle generator powering an even louder television. Most tent campers prefer watching stars, listening to animals, singing around the campfire, and telling stories for their evening entertainment.
Firewood gathering is not allowed in many campgrounds. Find out before you go, and, if needed, take your own or see if you can buy it at the camp headquarters.
Packing
People new to camping, and even some longtime campers, usually take too much or too little on their wilderness adventures. The