Ren Xiaoyuan

Each year, thousands of people choose to spend their vacations camping in the tent outdoors. With proper planning the experience can be gratifying. Even with the best planning, however, tent camping can be an extremely frustrating experience due to uncontrollable factors such as bad weather, wildlife encounters and equipment failures.

Nothing can dampen the excited anticipation of camping more than a dark, rainy day. After reaching their destination, campers must then “set up camp” in the downpour. This includes keeping the inside of the tent dry and free from mud, getting the sleeping bags situated properly and protecting food from the downpour. Wind mixed with rain can result in frigid temperatures, causing any outside activities to be delayed. Often, tents are blown down by the wind and campers have to begin the frustrating task of “setting up camp” in the downpour again.

Another problem likely to be faced during a camping trip is run-ins with wildlife, which can range from mildly annoying to dangerous. Minor inconveniences include mosquitoes and ants. The swarming of mosquitoes can literally drive annoyed campers indoors. Ants do not usually attack campers, but keeping them out of the food can be quite an inconvenience. In addition to swarming the food, ants inside a tent can crawl into sleeping bags and clothing. Although these insects cause minor discomfort, some wildlife encounters are potentially dangerous. There are many poisonous snakes in the woods. An encounter between an unwary camper and a surprised snake can prove to be fatal.

Perhaps the least serious camping troubles are equipment failures; these troubles often plague people camping for the first time. They arrive at the campsite at night and haphazardly set up their tent. They then settle down for a peaceful night’s rest. Sometimes during the night the campers are awakened by a huge crash. The tent has fallen down. Sleepily, they proceed to set up the tent in the rain.

In the morning, everyone merges from the tent, except for two. Their sleeping bag zippers have gotten caught. Finally, after 15 minutes of sugging, they free themselves. There is another problem. Their sleeping bags have been touching the sides of the tent. Since a tent is only waterproof if the sides are not touched, the sleeping bags and clothing are all drenched.

To camping in the tent in the great outdoors could be such a wonderful way to spend your vacation, on the only condition of carefully planning before you set out.

In the first place, invite your friends who you think you would be happy to spend time with to join you. There’s always benefits to do something in a group than by yourself, especially like camping, more especially when you intend to do this for your first time. Secondly, it is not funny at all to encounter bad weather and catch serious cold through the experience, to which you had been looking forward to enjoying yourself. Thirdly, study carefully online, consult your friends who have ever done that before and consult professional camping books to help you acquire good knowledge on it. It is a wonderful experience, and it is worth trying. I would surely recommend it.