Trekking into the wilderness may seem easy at first glance. Sure, we have all seen TV shows and reality series that make it look a whole lot of fun and easy to do, but remember one thing…these are for TV. In the real-world there are no outtakes, editing, help or camera crews, it’s simply a case of you versus nature. And nature can be a cruel beast.
If you want some survival tips for camping then we are going to help guide you through everything from preparation to things to look out for.
What to Take for Food
The first thing you are going to want to think about before even setting food into the wilderness is what to take. Now, you don’t want to be packing everything into your backpack so take just the necessities.
One popular food source for camping is quick-cook oats which you only need a few cup fulls of in order to keep you going for a while. Don’t bother with fresh foods or meats that will spoil easily.
Always take a few bottles of water with you as well, or at the very least some purification tablets or iodine packets. If you do forget everything then you can boil up water for about 10 minutes to remove any dangerous bacteria.
Another tip to keep your water cool is to wrap each bottle in aluminium foil; this will prevent heat getting to it and pack in the coolness.
Where to Setup Camp
The next thing is where are you going to setup camp? You are going to want to get started as early as possible with this to avoid running out of any daylight. If you have packed a tent then it’s fairly straight forward to put the tent together, but you do want to look for an open flat space where you can do this.
If you really are going back to basics and have no sleeping accommodation then look for fallen trees, branches, and big leaves that you can use to create a makeshift shelter for yourself.
You want to start by creating a frame that you have room enough to sleep in and then begin building up the materials around the frame to keep the wind and rain out.
The other popular choice is a pack-away hammock which you can attach to two trees and then climb into. With this choice, you obviously need to look for two sturdy trees next to each other.
Our final point to make on where to setup camp is dependent on the season. If you are in the middle of summer you want to find somewhere that provides a certain element of shlter, whilst if you are in the Winter season, the sun can be a welcome guest.
Therefore, observe where the sun rises and where it sets so you know exactly where to setup your camp.
Avoid Poisonous or Dangerous Bugs and Plants
One harsh point to the wilderness is the amount of things that can do you harm. So when you are out camping you need to be on the lookout for a number of different basic things.
Firstly, here are a few popular items to avoid:
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A few tips to combat some of these things it to wear long sleeve t-shirts, keep food secured and in higher places (prevents bears from wandering into your location).
Let There be Light!
The last point we are going to offer is light/fire, and this is one of the most important aspects of camping you are going to need. At the end of the day you will need light to see at night, and you are going to need fire to cook and keep warm.
Pack yourself a full lighter and a couple packs of matches, as well as a quick fire-starter which will provide you with some light.
With all these tips we have given you today, you should be ready to take on your own survival camping trip, and make it a success.