Outdoor Basecamp: Where Should You Go On Your First Camping Trip?

Where Should You Go On Your First Camping Trip?
================================================================================
jason on 03/02/2009 12:43:00
 
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.