Camping is a great way to help you reduce stress. Being in the outdoors gives you a sense of natural peace and serenity. And it also gives you a chance to stretch out those cramped muscles of yours. However, camping, when executed unplanned, may yet be a source of stress and even injury. So, in camping, always practice common sense. The effort you put in planning the trip, including the things that you have to bring, may spell the success or failure of your camping trip. Remember the horror stories you hear from people who despise camping because of bad judgment or simply embarking on the trip with a 'come-what-may' mindset. Yes, camping is supposed to be roughing it up but it does not mean you should not plan it. Camping should be an exciting experience but it ceases to be that when trouble sets in. Here are some camping tips that you can opt to follow.
1. Before you get too worked up, line up all the camping gear that you intend to cram in your backpack and give it a once-over. No, check it twice, even three times. I am quite certain you will be able to think something up, an item that is not on your list that might eventually become handy in the outdoors or on this particular trip of yours.
2. Bring extra clothing. This is a contingency for events like a slip on muddy ground, or a fall while crossing a shallow river, or perhaps just a sudden change in climate. Always think ahead.
3. Bug repellents and sunscreen are musts. Do not allow your night to be a sleepless one.
4. Heavy items at the bottom of the bag, lighter ones on top. Crushed food or damaged gear can be a hassle.
5. It would be advisable to precook hot dishes if your plan is to relax on the camping trip. All you have to do when you get there is preheat it and then enjoy. Of course, cooking outdoors is awesome but it would be better to do some heavy cooking on the next day. You might want to rest after that long trip.
6. Make a list of your menu from breakfast to dinner. This way, you can pack your stuff better, last in first out.
7. If water is an issue on the camping area, stock up on drinking water and instead of bringing regular plates, carry paper plates instead. Just make sure you also brought along garbage bags.
8. Of course you did not forget flashlights but always bring extra batteries for emergencies.
9. First aid kits are always a first when traveling into the wild.
10. Always keep out an eye for possible sources of problems. It would not hurt to be proactive.
Always remember, camping can be really fun when you want it to be.
For those who wish to discover more about camping why not do some research here: camping tips
We spent a good three days in Valdez, Alaska. It's about 6 hours from Anchorage. Home of the infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill and the epicenter of the 1964 Alaska Earthquake that destroyed so much of this state. It's now this quaint little fishing town in the middle of no-where Alaska
I would like to try to give you a small glimpse of rural Alaska. Since my bladder inside my preggo body was about to explode, I had to stop. I'm not beneath going in the woods (did that too on this trip), but toilets are always better in my book. Sadly, this is one of the ONLY restrooms on our 6 hour journey. It's not like every hour or two you pass through a small down with a Dairy Queen (though I kinda miss those days). There is nothing.When the lady told me to pick up the bucket...I was a little concerned. Thankfully it just held the toilet paper and there was this lovely "moving" outhouse we could utilize. Wonderful.
This is where we ate dinner. About half way there is this booming town called GlennAllen. We were instructed we needed to stop there and fill up with gas and eat dinner as it was our last opportunity. It had 3 restaurants. Three. I know this as a fact, because we stopped and asked a local when we didn't see anything. Options: a local inn's restaurant, a Thai place in a van (literally), and The Freeze. Guess where we ate.
The drive was absolutely stunning. Steep mountains for hours and hours in every direction. Huge waterfalls. That highway is where they film some of the Chevy commercials. There is a reason for that.When we finally arrived, we set up camp here.
Pretty swank (especially compared to the rest of the town). It worked out well that Matt's work has an office there with a 2 bedroom apartment above it that was available for us to stay in. Couldn't get better.Out on the porch there was a view of the harbor and all the fishing boats. We were able to watch the charters come in and see them clean and gut their gigantic fish. This is a cleaning station. We made sure to crowd around and watch after we'd already eaten. We even got a glimpse of a full rainbow. I don't know if I've ever actually seen one. The even cooler part was that the end of the rainbow landed where there used to be a whole bunch of gold mines. Coincidence? I think not. We adventured out on a hike one day through this amazing, lush valley. I'm pretty sure they need to come film Jurassic Park 4 there. And of course enjoyed some more waterfalls. And the best part...we saw our first grizzly bear!! First we saw the mama (behind us) and then a baby a little bit later. We were driving, so I did not feel threatened since the car was just a stride away for safety if needed. It was amazing. As afraid of bears as I am...I do hope that's the only way I see them. Not stranded on a trail by our lonesomes. And just in case you want a close up. Yep, it's eating a fish. I took like a million pictures. On the drive back we stopped and hiked up to one of the many icebergs we saw along the way. They are gigantic and sadly quickly melting away. That was our trip to Valdez. The following days we spent biking, grilling out and venturing up to Denali (aka Mt. McKinley) to ride some ATVs. But alas, I forgot my camera for that. It was great mini vacation!
This photo shows the most popular outdoor adventure activity kids enjoy at camp— whitewater rafting. We take every girl who’s old enough (The Forest Service restricts access by age and weight.) rafting on the Nantahala River. It’s a fun rock’m sock’m ride.
2. Bring extra clothing. This is a contingency for events like a slip on muddy ground, or a fall while crossing a shallow river, or perhaps just a sudden change in climate. Always think ahead.
3. Bug repellents and sunscreen are musts. Do not allow your night to be a sleepless one.
Cruising- Exotic destinations 
