Like other project, planning is one of the most important parts of your camping trip. Planning is important not only for the first time campers but also for the experienced ones. If you go camping with your children, never underestimate the importance of planning. Setting up itinerary, making reservations, discussing with your camping partners, searching the Internet for information, and dropping by bookstores. Fun starts with these activities.

Practice pitching your tent. Get familiar with the parts and methods of pitching your tent even at night. Make sure that you have all the parts and have left nothing behind. Remember that it is a good idea to have extra stakes and poles.
Test your burners and learn how to operate them. Check out if you have enough fuel so that you don't run out. Emergency fuel may be one of the things you want to add. Make sure your flash light batteries are new or charged. If you bring children, have them practice packing/unpacking their stuffs including sleeping bags, cloths and toys. Check your first aid kit and make sure the tools are clean and usable. Replace any expired medicines.

Sealing your Tent:Untapped seams of tents need to be sealed in case it rains. Whoever knows? This preparation doesn't even cost a lot. Apply several coats to all seams of your tent. Do the fly separately. Lay them out on a tarp and fold them so the seams are easy to reach. Before you pack the tent, allow some time for drying.

How to pack:
Pack your bags by itinerary and theme. Pack tents, sleeping bags and blankets together. Make a separate bag for cooking stuff. A separate bag for cloths. Do not mix them up. You don't want to spend all your time to unpack, search, and pack your equipment.
Do not make too many small bags. No one can handle over 4 bags. A hockey bag may be a good choice for family camping. If you are not a serious camper, do not challenge a big backpack. A backpack does not hold everything you need for family camping.
If you are planning a day hiking during the camping trip, make a separate pack for the event. Waist pouches and fanny bags are good alternatives. Your children can use their school day packs.
Make an emergency pack. This will include a first aid kit, emergency blankets, emergency fuel, snacks and dry food, change cloths and socks, emergency contact list, cellular phone, coins, an army Knife, candles, flash lights.

More Useful Tips:

• Leave your pets home or to your friends. Many parks and campgrounds don't allow pets in.
• Let friends and family knows where you will be. Give them phone numbers to the nearest campground office, cell phones, pager, etc.
• Check what route you will take . Make sure you have your maps and a route plan. You can check this our "Traffic and Map".
• - If you plan on camping trip off-season, you may think these are plenty of campgrounds available. Do not take risk. A few phone call will make your trip comfortable.