Camping has always been one of the enduring joys a family can have together. There have continually been renewed efforts by state and federal governments to improve existing campgrounds and expand into new areas of the country.
People can accumulate so much equipment and gear for a camping trip that it becomes burdensome. Make sure every aspect and circumstance of the trip has been planned rather than collecting camping gear.
Tents and sleeping bags have gone beyond advanced with technologically new space-age materials and construction. The military no longer holds the upper hand in outdoor gear. Some of the strongest tents in the world have frames that would put stick-built houses to shame. Different strengths of nylon, titanium frame material, and other space-age components make up the modern tent. Some opt for a large and spacious canvas tent to use on their adventure.
Before heading off to the local sporting shop, make sure you have a good idea of what type of camping you want to engage in. Know where and what the temperatures are likely to become before hitting the road.
The name of the game with sleeping bags is how comfy a person can be the lower the outside temperature. What sets the current crop of sleeping bags apart from years past is that they’re lite-weight. Some new age bags can keep a person toasty in below-freezing weather and fold into a space held in the palm of your hand.
Explorers new to the sport of camping figure once the tent and sleeping bags are purchased, what else is there? Yes, it is essential to have a good foundation of camping gear that lasts a lifetime. However, there is so much more that makes camping with family and friends genuinely unique.
Optics is an area of camping that can transform an uneventful trip into one of majestic scenery and stunning wildlife imagery. The following items carry varied price tags, but all can be kept for a lifetime of use.
These optics are more necessity than guilty pleasure; however, a good set of binoculars gives you endless wildlife scenery. Binoculars also give campers advanced notice of inclement weather coming into the area, making them extremely necessary.
German Precision Optics Passion HD. GPO is on the high-end of the price range; however, this pair of binoculars gives users a lifetime of vivid scenery with some of the finest glass in the industry. Large objective lenses offer 99.7% of available light to pass through the device. A magnificent 315 ft field of view captures minute details and offers excellent low-light viewing. At only 33.9 ounces, the Passion HD is easy to carry.
These optics offer campers and wildlife enthusiasts a chance to spot images in natural light and animal habitats. Spotting scopes offer versatility and durability. These optics are best used for birding and other long-distance viewings, and they are perfect under the stars.
Burris Signature HD, 20x60, 85mm. This spotting scope is one of the company’s premier optics, with its angled body and huge objective lens. The Apochromatic lens system eliminates color fringing and offers perfect edge-to-edge viewing resolution. The built-in sunshade reduces glare while protecting the objective lens. Coarse and fine focus adjustments with a forward-mounted profile make this excellent wildlife viewing.
The best GPS units offer layered overviews of the terrain so you can plan exciting hiking trips without getting lost. With a quality GPS device, you will always know where you are in relation to your starting point or the original camping spot.
Garmin Montana 700 GPS Navigator. Garmin is world famous for quality electronics, and their GPS systems are no different. The GPS Montana allows for active mapping with land boundaries, weather tracking, and pre-programmed hiking routes. There are advanced outdoor features from three separate satellite networks, with routable mapping for roads and trails.
There are always those small items you wish you had while at the campsite or in front of the fire. Hindsight is always 20-20; here are a few items that may help spur on a few ideas for a better camping trip.
Camping can be a wonderful experience for a group or family to get to know each other better. The experience is considerably better if options have been covered. Consider the products above as an ideal springboard to safeguard and individualize your trip into something that will never be forgotten.
