# Planning for outdoor trips

## Where to go

Since camping is a broad concept, pay attention to the type of campsite you're getting:

- Individual campsites can hold up to ~6 people.
- A basic or standard campsite is typically an individual campsite with a driveway and a fire ring or grill.
- Family campsites are designed to hold 2 tents and up to 2 vehicles.
- A standard double campsite is a standard campsite, but family-sized.
- Group campsites can occupy 12-50 people, but can sometimes surpass 100.
- Full hookups simply means it has [RV](home-rv.md) connections for sewer, water, and electrical.
- Most come with electricity or hookups, but nonelectric clarifies there's no power going to it.
- Unserviced campsites allow RVs, but doesn't have hookups.
- RV-only sites don't permit tents.
- Walk-up campsites are a short distance from a road.
- Wooded campsites give shade from trees nearby.
- Platform tent sites give a wooden platform to pitch a tent.
- Back-in and pull-through campsites are only for how the RV driver will have to park.
- Premium campsites are designed for RVs, but with a picnic table, grill, and firepit.
- Class-B frequently don't offer electrical hookups, showers, or running water.
- Class-A are like premium campsites, but with a driveway and often with showers, toilet (possibly flushing), and potable water.
- Class-AA will have Class-A, but will also have flushing toilets, sinks with running water, and often RV sewer hookups.
- Class-AAA will be Class-AA, but also come with features like 50-amp electrical hookups and heated bathroom facilities.
- Backcountry and primitive campsites are walk-up only and along hiking trails, or may be another term for dispersed camping (setting up tent anywhere you want).
- Accessible campsites are ADA-compliant and designed for wheelchair access.
- Equestrian campsites are for horseback riders only.

If it's nearby, visit a beach:

- Always pack umbrellas or sunscreen.
- Keep sand from getting on your electronics by using them inside sandwich bags.
- Either bring a shovel to dig out a seat or bring beach towels, blankets, and beach chairs.
- Jam a clean plunger in the sand to use as a can holder.
- Bring kites, beach balls, footballs, Frisbees, or a volleyball and net.
- Use a fitted sheet to keep sand out.
- To keep your sandals from overheating, set them face down.
- When you leave, sprinkle baby powder on things to remove sand when you leave.

If you want a more unconventional outdoor adventure, go beyond camping, beach trips or hiking:

- Sailing, kayaking, or canoeing
- Surfing, paddleboarding, or cycling
- Fishing
- Swimming
- Target shooting with a bow or gun

## What to plan

Budget for gas money, parking, food, and entrance fees.

Research where you can dine out, or bring food and drinks for the whole trip.

Freeze gallon jugs of water for your cooler, then drink them as they thaw.

Keep matches and cell phones dry with condoms or rubber gloves.

Bring everything for a fire:

- Bring lighter fluid (or WD-40) and matches or a lighter.
- "Joke candles" (candles that you can't blow out) work well to light a fire.
- Use scrap paper or old rags as kindling.
- Unless collecting firewood is illegal, don't bring firewood.
- Add sage to a fire to keep bugs away.
- Make a Sterno container:
  1. Cut cardboard strips to the width of an Altoids tin's height
  2. Densely wind into an Altoids container
  3. Fill the tin with wax

Bring everything you need to cook:

- Learn [how to cook](cooking.md) before you must depend on it, or at least have a backup plan.
- Propane or charcoal stove and a grill or griddle
- Skewers, tongs, spatula, ladle, and knife
- Dish set and silverware
- Scissors and can opener
- Tablecloth, if you want
- Coffee/tea
- Cooking spray, salt, and pepper

If you can, brush up on [basic first aid skills](body-firstaid.md) before you go and bring a simple kit:

- Rubbing alcohol and triple antibiotic ointment
- Bandages
- Eye drops
- Pain reliever
- Skin lotion

Make a portable hand-washing station with an empty laundry detergent container.

Bring multi-use supplies:

- Duct tape is reliable for securing nearly anything.
- Tin foil serves as a reliable moisture barrier, a wrapper for cooking food directly in the fire, folding as dishes to eat, a marker for navigation, and as a reflecting signal or fire starter.
- You can also put tin foil on a pizza box to create a s'mores oven without a fire.
- Paper and plastic bags, toothpicks
- Dish towels, dish rags, and towels
- Tissue paper
- Extra batteries for everything
- Twine, newspapers, and clothespins

Plan for a hike:

- Wear good-quality hiking boots.
- Bring enough water and snacks for everyone.
- Closely observe the least physically active members' needs.

An overnight camping trip takes *much* more planning than visiting for part of a day:

- Honor the [Leave No Trace guidelines](http://lnt.org/) and leave everything the way you found it.
- Unless you're experienced, bring shelter with you:
  - An [RV](home-rv.md) is so convenient that it's barely "camping" (and many people call it glamorous camping, or "glamping").
  - Bring a tent with stakes, sleeping bags, and pillows.
  - Use an air mattress with a pump or get foam tiles.
  - To minimize bugs, lay out a ground cloth (like a tarp) below you.
  - Find your shelter at night with glow-in-the-dark paint.
  - Pack the right clothes:
    - Wear synthetic materials like polyester or nylon (cotton absorbs moisture and wicks heat when wet), and bring an extra outfit just in case.
    - Keep multiple layers for nighttime.
    - If you intend to swim, bring a swimsuit.
  - While it may feel counter-intuitive, bring sunglasses and sunscreen.
- Pack toiletries:
  - Toothbrush and toothpaste (dab toothpaste on a paper plate and let dry to make travel toothpaste)
  - Disintegrating toilet paper (or sandwich fresh leaves in between dead leaves)
  - Unscented deodorant (to avoid attracting mosquitoes)
  - Prescription medication
  - Glasses or contact lenses case, saline, and lip balm
  - Camp soap (to avoid polluting the water)
- Bring survival gear:
  - insect repellant and bite remedy (alternately, rub vodka into your skin)
  - Flashlight, headlamp, lantern, and fuel
  - Improvise a light by facing a light source on a jug of water (like strapping a headlamp inward or placing a mobile device under it)
  - Bucket, water jug, broom, and work gloves
  - Hammer, nails, saw, rope, shovel, ax, screwdrivers, and camp knife