Where Should You Go On Your First Camping Trip?

Are you ready for your first camping trip? You should put some thought into it before you go. There are some things you should consider as part of your planning. In general, you can focus on the five Ps of Camping. It's a simple little mnemonic device: Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. If you want to make your holiday a joy rather than an ordeal, planning is essential especially for a beginner.

The first thing you need to decide is where you want to go. Once you decide this, all the other variables will pretty much fall into place. There are fun and interesting places to camp all over the United States. Indeed, there are fun and interesting places to camp all over the world. In fact, even if you live in a city, you may not have to go far to find a great place to camp near you. In the US, most of the great camping areas are on public land administered by government agencies.

There are local, state and federal land management agencies that can help you find out more about campsites that might be good for you. Camping stores are also great sources of information about places to camp. You are probably aware of America's National Park Service as a source of information, but are you aware that most countries also have national parks--and national park services? These can be great sources of information and provide you with exotic camping destinations.

When deciding where to camp, it helps to know in broad strokes what kind of camping you want to be doing. Camping is diverse and can describe an entire range of activities. For the more dedicated, hardcore campers, survival camping is the way to go. It consists of setting off into the wilderness with very little beyond your hiking boots. At the other end of the spectrum, recreational vehicles allow you to basically travel inside your own mobile hotel room. These recreational vehicles (RVs) are equipped with every possible amenity: their own electricity, heat, and patio furniture, and in some cases, satellite TV.
 
People often camp as part of some larger recreational plan, which usually involves activities like hiking, hill walking, climbing, canoeing, mountain biking, swimming, and fishing. In tandem with camping, hiking can either be done as an extended backpacking journey, or as a series of day hikes radiating from a central campsite.

If you're not up to heading straight into the wilderness, you may want to start at a permanent camp. They often have facilities such as toilets, water and electricity hookups, and even swimming pools. Hard core survival types live off the land, more or less and camp in the wilderness. You may want to work your way up to this. Be aware that people who take this approach have a moral responsibility to leave their campsite better than they found it and generally have a profound obligation to engage in environmentally sound practices.