Camping in the great outdoors is becoming more and more popular. With people in urban areas wanting to get themselves and their families out of the city and into the fresh air, camping is what they are choosing. Is camping a sport? Well not in the sense of how we think of conventional sports, but it can incorporate a lot of outdoor activities.
Most campgrounds are near water and that gives campers a lot of opportunity to participate in water sports such as swimming, boating, fishing, kayaking, etc. When searching for a place to take your family camping, try to find campgrounds that are on or near bodies of water. Almost always there are places to rent canoes and boats and other watercraft. The fun never stops when you're camping near water.
Another activity that can be done while camping is hiking. Hiking is a great form of exercise and a great way to see nature first hand. Some people incorporate camping into their hiking, setting up camp alone hiking trails. If you are camping at a campground look for nature trails, they are very common in wooded areas. Hiking is also a great family activity. Make a picnic lunch at camp and make hiking an all day event.
Probably my favorite thing about camping is the campfire. Nothing seems to be better than sitting with family and friends around a campfire. The fire seems to mesmerize and relax you. The smell of the smoke takes you instantly back to other times when you had enjoyed a camping trip. Another fun thing about campfires is all the tasty snacks you can cook over the open fire. Roasted marshmallows seem to be the favorite. Smores are fun to make as a family and are very tasty too. Hotdogs cooked over a campfire seem to taste a little bit better then normal. Honestly I think everything seems to taste better when cooked outside.
On a more serious not about campfires, make sure you check your campgrounds fire guidelines before lighting a fire. You may have to provide your own wood. There also may be certain rules about gathering wood from around your site.
Some of my best sleep has been while I was camping. The fresh air and the sounds of nature seem to sooth you to a deep sense of relaxation. If you can I recommend a night spent under the stars. If you don't want to do that or can not, a leak-proof tent will do just fine. There are many varieties of tents available to you. Choose one with ease of set up and one that has enough room for occupants and their gear. Again check the park's guidelines, some sites only allow tents and some only allow camper trailers.
The most important thing to remember when going camping is, Have Fun!
Author: Alan Gardner
