Dos and Don’ts for Summer Camping Trips

Memorial Day weekend is the kickoff to summer and the official camping season. So, if you haven’t already, there’s no better time than now to start planning some summer escapes in your RV.

But, before you start looking up locations and calling campgrounds, check out these dos and don’ts for camping to help you prepare:

• Do make your reservations in advance – To get into the most coveted parks and campsites or locations, book your reservations as early as possible before your trip. However, just because you don’t have reservations months in advance doesn’t mean you can’t throw a quick getaway together. It just means that you’ll have to be willing to compromise. Look for out-of-the-way campgrounds and locations and be prepared to get creative. For example, if you’re up for boondocking, you could stay on private land that someone owns rather than in a campground or a national park.
• Do consider unique road trip ideas and themes – Break out of your typical camping shell altogether and consider a different kind of trip. For instance, if you’re a foodie, you could plan to hit a few of the best barbeque spots in your state. Or, if you’re a history buff, visit some historical sites that focus on a particular subject, such as the Civil War, the industrial revolution, or the evolution of blues music. When you have some unique goals and destinations in mind, your trip will plan itself.
• Do make sure your pets are allowed – Dogs and cats are a part of our families, but they may not be welcome everywhere you travel, even when in your RV. So be sure to check pet policies of any campgrounds or parks you plan to stay in before you bring Fido along. And, while you’re a guest, follow common sense etiquette and make sure your pets are not disturbing other campers and clean up after them outside.
• Don’t forget to pack all the essentials – Luckily, when you’re traveling in a rig, you’re never far from the comforts of home. But it’s still important to bring the essentials for your trip – clothing, food, water, some first aid items, and anything else you think you’d need for your specific camping trip. For example, the essentials you’ll need for boondocking will be different than those you bring when staying in an RV resort.
• Don’t be afraid to try new things – Remember the summer you first learned to ride your bike and how exhilarating that was? Sure, it might’ve been scary at first, but you succeeded. Summer camping trips are for making more memories like that. If you’ve never learned how to swim or have always thought about skydiving but have never made the leap, make it a priority to conquer fears and try new things while on vacation.
• Don’t leave behind a mess – Wherever you camp, it’s important that you leave the site cleaner than you found it. The great outdoors is a resource that we must all care for and protect, so be sure to “leave no trace” – remove all trash from your site (including fruit peels and cores), leave only ash in the campfire ring, and if you’re able to dump grey water at the location, make sure you’ve used only biodegradable soaps.

Whether you’re loading up the family and the pets in the rig for this long Memorial Day weekend or just starting to think about escaping later this year, you can’t go wrong with when you follow these dos and don’ts for trip planning. Want to learn more? Contact us today!