One of the reasons I enjoy camping is that it is about the only chance I get to feel any type of a struggle to survive.

Think about it: most people in our society never have to deal with the struggle to survive until they are very old. This is something very new to humanity. Virtually every generation of humans before us had a much more intimate understanding of what it means to surive. Survival is very easy now. Even on a parltry annual income of, say, $10,000, survival is still very very easy.

In this day and age, we are blessed enough that we do not need to feel the pangs that accompany the struggle to survive. We have it easy. Most Americans have far more calories available to them than they need; so many calories that, ironically, it expedites our journey to being in a more legitimate fight to stay alive. That is, of course, because of the health risks associated with excess caloric consumption.

While we have every reason to feel grateful for how easy it is to remain alive, in a way, there is something empty about it. There is a bond that almost every human to have existed shares which we are left out on. That is the bond of survival. We have no intimate awareness of what it is like to truly struggle to stay alive. Most of us don’t, anyway.

That’s why camping can be such a rewarding activity. Of course, camping can be designed to be nearly as safe and free of risk as staying at home for the night, but it can also be designed to replicate the struggle to survive that our ancestors went through. Best of all: it’s you, the camper, who gets to choose how primitive of an experience you want.

It goes without being said that you should always practice common sense. Watch the movie Into the Wild if you need a lesson on what can happen when you camp recklessly. But camping provides an amazing opportunity to put yourself in a situation where you are almost entirely void of the comforts we’ve grown accustom to in our glutanous society.

I challenge you to let your next camping experience be a little less cushy than you are used to. Leave the Tempurpedic pillow and gas-powered generator at home. Try camping in the way early humans had no choice: a nightly struggle for survival. I promise the white picket fence will be waiting on you when you leave the woods!

Chances are, unless you’re going camping with children, you’ll probably be drinking some alcohol. As long as that’s the case, why not try to have as much fun drinking as possible? Here are some drinking games to try when camping:

Beer Pong

This is a popular drinking game on college campuses, but it’s perfect for a camping drinking game as well.

What You Need:

* A long, flat surface (like a picnic table or the tailgate of a truck)
* Plastic Cups
* Ping-Pong Balls
* Beer

This game can be played one-on-one or in teams of two. Players set up 10 cups “bowling pin” style on each end of the table. The cups are filled about halfway with beer. Players on one end of the table try to throw their ping pong balls in the cups on the other end of the table. If a shot is made, the other team must consume the beer in the cup. Each team gets two shots. If they make both shots, it remains their turn, if one or both miss, it is the other team’s turn. The game is played until one team has made a shot in every cup.

Alphabet Game

This is a great way to have fun and get drunk in a hurry. Go around in a circle and say a word that starts with the next letter in the alphabet. Create a theme. So if the theme were “cities”, the first person would say “Annapolis”, the next person would say, “Annapolis, Baltimore,” while the third person would say, “Annapolis, Baltimore, Cincinnati,” and so on and so forth. When a person forgets one of the cities, they forfeit their turn and must take a shot.

I Never

While sitting around the campfire, participants take turns saying “I never…” statements. Anyone in the group who has done that particular thing has to take a drink. For example, if someone said “I never have had sex outside,” anyone who has had sex outside would have to take a drink.

What Lodden Thinks

Professional poker players started a game called “What Lodden Thinks” where they bet on the answer to a question that was asked of poker player Johnny Lodden. You don’t need Johnny Lodden to play this game though. Two people come up with a question and bet (either money or a shot) on what they think a third party’s answer to that question will be. For example, Bill and Bob are betting on how many times Jimmy thinks the average person gets bitten by a mosquito in one year. The actual answer to this question is irrelevant. All that matters is what Jimmy thinks the answer is.

So Jimmy thinks of his answer and keeps it to himself. Then Bill and Bob hold a “Chinese auction” where they establish an over/under for Jimmy’s number. So Bill might say “40,” Bob could counter with “55,” Bill could say “60,” Bob would say “72,” and Bill would say “sold”. This means Bill is betting that Jimmy’s answer is under 72 and by default, Bob wins if Jimmy’s answer is over 72. Ask Jimmy to reveal his answer and the loser takes a shot. Of course, if your “Jimmy” happens to be untrustworthy, just have him write his answer down before the auction begins.

No one wants their camping trip to be ruined by mosquitoes. Check out the following information on how to keep mosquitoes away while you?re camping.

The first thing you need to do is to protect yourself. This means wearing long sleeves and long pants whenever practical based on the weather. Mosquitoes seem to be attracted to darker colors, so choose light colors when you can. If you?re camping in an area where mosquitoes are prevalent, you might also want to consider treating your clothing with special mosquito repellents made for clothing or perhaps investing in pre-treated clothing. However, be aware that the repellents that are designed for clothing can?t be applied to the skin. Follow the manufacturer?s instructions regarding their use and laundering.

The parts of your person that aren?t covered by clothing should be treated with a mosquito repellent. The most effect ones contain various concentrations of DEET. Depending on the concentration, a product with DEET can protect you from 2-5 hours without re-application. There are also some naturally-derived repellent products on the market, but they require more frequent reapplication to be effective.

If you don?t want to have to worry about slathering on some repellent, there are some products that are available in the form of towelettes, which may be easier for you to carry around. Whatever you choose, follow the label directions carefully when it comes to application and removal. Don?t apply mosquito repellent to broken or irritated skin, or to skin that will be covered by clothing. If you don?t have a combination sunscreen and mosquito repellent product, you?ll usually get better results by applying sunscreen first, then the repellent. Don?t forget the back of your neck!

Now that you have your person protected, it?s time to think about your campsite. First, your tent should have a mesh door ? keep it closed at all times to keep mosquitoes out. This is also a good time to think about using that mosquito repellent for fabrics again. If thing are really bad, you can even use a mosquito net inside your tent. Netting is also a good way to protect yourself when you?re sitting outside and eating or cooking. Many outdoor stores sell square tent-like structures with net on the sides to keep mosquitoes away from your campsite.

A camp fire is also good for keeping mosquitoes at bay, as they don?t like the smoke. Depending on your camp site, you may or may not be able to have a campfire and you may or may not be permitted to keep it burning all night. Always follow the rules and regulations of the site where you?re camping.

In areas where mosquitoes or other flying pests are prevalent, you may want to consider treating the area. One of the newer products available is a portable device that uses butane to infuse the air with repellent over a 15 foot by 15 foot space. There are models designed especially for camping, as well as mini-models designed for easy portability. Just a few of these would provide effective mosquito protection over your entire camping area, allowing you to enjoy your camping trip without the constant threat of mosquitoes.