Camping is a terrific way to enjoy the great outdoors. It can also be an economical way to take a vacation. There are two main kinds of campgrounds: public and private. Campgrounds have facilities established for campers, including sanitation, showers, perhaps even shops and dining. You may be assigned a site, or allowed to choose your own. Public campsites include national parks, national forests, and public areas managed by the Army Corps of Engineers or the Bureau of Land Management. There are many state parks that allow camping, too.
What campground you choose can depend upon the type of camping you plan. Some campgrounds cater only to tents, others only to RVs, and many cater to both. Still others offer rustic cabins for campers to rent. RV (recreational vehicle) camping can include everything from a pop-up camper that you tow behind the car to the most elaborate of mobile homes on wheels.
The other type is tent camping, also called car camping since everything you need can be carried inside your car. Basic needs for tent camping are a tent and a sleeping bag. A tent not only protects you from the weather, but also keeps out insects and airborne debris. A tent also provides privacy from people passing by.
All sorts of sleeping bags are available for campers. Many can handle great extremes of low temperature, but most people use "summer" sleeping bags since summer is by far the most popular camping season. You will also want to use a ground cloth for protection of your sleeping bag against moisture and dampness. Some people prefer to use inflatable mattresses or padding to make sleeping on the ground feel more comfortable.
Cooking supplies are another category of camping gear. You may choose to bring a cookstove or grill, or you may use grills provided by the campground. If cooking over a campfire, make sure that fires are allowed and that you follow prescribed fire safety procedures. Some natural parks and forest may prohibit campfires in drought periods.
When it comes to action, you may end up getting more than what you bargain for. You will find that you'll be able to have a lot of adventure when it comes to areas with bears. Bears may look like teddy bears, but really they are dangerous and more people will find that there are times where they will attack you. You will find that grizzlies are very aggressive and will eat a human. Black bears happen to be less aggressive, but they too will attack when provoked. You need to think about ways on how to get out of their sight. Basically you don't want to run. Running will make them chase you. Don't try to go up a tree because they can climb trees. You will however want to slowly back away. You will want to slowly take a step or two and not move too much. If one does attack you, you will want to roll up in a ball and shield your head.
Another animal that you will want to keep your eye open for is the wild cat. This is where you will find that they are very aggressive and they attack. It is hard to get out of the sight of a wild cat, because they are deadly. Most will try to avoid contact; however, if you just met a bob cat looking for food, you will become a target. There have been known cougars or pumas that will take a child and eat them.
While it may seem like attention to safety takes the fun out of camping, in reality it helps ensure that your camping vacation is a fun time for the whole family. And, isn't having fun the point of camping?
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