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English 110
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Camping for a Noob

Camping is a experience anyone can enjoy alone or share with others. Yet not everyone who wants or wishes knows how to camp for a over night trip. In this paper, the over all basic knowledge of packing, setting up and picking a sight will be laid out in a simple and easy read layout. So, now anyone can camp, no matter if your a city person or just going for a trip!
One thing that is a must before you even think about camping for a weekend or even before packing. Check the weather! This determines what you will be packing and how for the trip. Then make a list of the things you will need, stick to it. For the first time camper and if alone, a small dome will work to hold one person. These can be found at a sports shop or at a local Walmart. Ask the person in that department for help on choosing a tent, stick with the cheapest you can get for a good dome. Things such a tarp are very needed as well. They can act as extra protection for your tent in a bad storm or to make out a dry place in the woods, but we will get to that later. A large and small are all you need for a over night trip. Always bring or put together a first aid kite in case of anything happening. Now as for food and cooking, a small good fry pan can cook about anything from a pancake to canned soups on a fire. Food is easy to pack of anything on a trip, canned soups or foods, bread and dried goods, and the all American hot dog is a must for any trip! Also, buy a gallon of water for drinking, cooking, and brushing your teeth in the morning. Even if it is summer and the nights can get hot , at least bring some warm cloths like jeans and a long sleeved shirt. Bedding is a simple matter, a foam mat and a sleeping bag with a few old blankets is all you really need, and one pillow of coarse. The few last things are two flash lights and don't forget bug spray.


Next for any trip planning is picking the where to go. If camping for the first time, stick close to home for the first few trips. These trips are the baby steps for longer trips down the road if you so choose. Camping depends on the local area, stick away with anything with a swamp near by due to bugs. In a area like this, I would say head to the Detour area, its close to home and people for safety measures. Try to choose a site with a clean floor of pine needles and a mix of rough grass. The ground will hold the pikes of tent better. If one can, try to get one with a slight hill to it, encase of a storm, the water will run down and pool around the tent. Also, try to get one with a good fire pit in it. That is going to be your stove for the next night and only real souse of warmth and light. It will always be your protection from any small animals like raccoons or coyote Any sight with dry wood is a good thing, its a bit cheaper to gather your own wood they pay ten dollars for cheap little logs and such. After finding the sit, find the bathroom and water pump near by. Then your ready to set up camp for the night!
The last and longest step is the setting up of camp. Unload the car and the first to get up after you streach out your legs is the tent. What kind of tent you have is how you put it up, but there are some basic things to follow; make sure the spikes are in taut and strong in the ground, everything is tried down and tight, all zippers work and the tent is zipped up, and any kind of water cover is on the tent. All campers follow these lines. Make a lean too, if you don;t know how this is a basic out line to follow: tie some rope in the holes of tarp and find some trees that are right space from the other. Tie the ropes to the trees, and tie the rope to the other corners of tarp and use the spikes, make it to the earth on a lean so the water runs down to the ground. You got a basic lean too! Don't unpack your food from the car, keep it in there so the scent does not make animals think of free meal and visit you in the middle of the night. Make sure to get out the flashlights to were one can reach them as night falls and know where the first aid kite is as well. Get a fire going for the meal and before it gets to dark to see. As night falls, your done and ready for a well earned meal.
So, as night falls you sit back and watch the stars come out. The pines singing maybe as a wind blows in the night. A cry of the coyote or his big brother the wolf may sing along with the trees. This is a good reason to camp, its something anyone can do to enjoy the woods and get away from the city for a night. Lean back and absorb and make sure to put the fire out before crashing for the night!