How to Prepare and Carry out a Successful Camping Trip

Camping is one of the most fun and adventurous outdoor activities you can do, and with the right planning and preparation, it can be one of the best outdoor experiences of your life. However, if you do not carefully plan out and bring everything you will need, it can be very miserable and a bad experience overall. Being as prepared as you can be will almost definitely ensure a smooth, enjoyable camping adventure. There are a lot of things to consider when going camping, and the planning and preparation is the most important step in the camping process.

Steps

1. 1 Decide whom you are going with, and where the campsite will be. After you decide who is all attending to the camping trip, you can decide things like who will provide the transportation, who will be sharing a tent, who can help bring or buy the food/ supplies, and things of that sort.
   • Deciding where you wants to camp is really up to them, but just make sure everyone agrees on the activities taking place and be sure it is at a designated camping ground. It would be highly advised to call the campsite prior to making the trip to ensure availability, as well as any fees that might be associated with camping there.
2. 2 Bring the right equipment. Assuming that the camping trip is taking place in the outdoors, there is some essential equipment that you need to bring. The most important item would be the tent to provide shelter (assuming one is not staying in a cabin or other things), the next being the sleeping bag, then the more handy and practical items. Packing can be tedious when trying to fit everything in the car, so make sure you're packing only the things you absolutely need when going camping. (see suggestions at bottom)
3. 3 Bring the correct clothing. The next essential items to pack are clothing. Depending on what time of year and what the climate is at the campsite will determine what clothes you will need to bring. In warm climates the key is to dress thin to stay cool as possible, and dress in layers in cold weather to keep as warm as possible. Always pack clothing that is resistant to inclement weather, and proper footwear is extremely important. (see bottom for suggestions)
4. 4 Once you have decided what equipment is needed, plan out what meals you want to have on your camping trip. Cooking meals will depend on what activities are planned, so if a lot of time is being spent at camp you can use a camp stove or the campfire to cook. If not, meals will have to be prepared using items that will take hours or days to perish.
5. 5 When arriving to the campsite, start by unloading the car at the actual site (if possible) for maximum convenience. This will make the set up and preparation much easier. Proceed by setting up means of shelter and food.  
6. 6 Leave it the way you left it. There is a saying that everyone should go by upon leaving a campsite, which is "Leave No Trace." Basically, you want to make the campsite look as close to as you found it as possible. This way future campers can enjoy the same luxuries of the outdoors. Pick up any trash found around the camp, an put any unused firewood back in the woods in a spread out manner.
7. 7 Talk with everyone about how the camping trip went after the trip. Discuss things like what went well, what didn’t go very well, what equipment, clothes, or food you could bring next time, and things of that sort.