If you have ever driven through a campground and seen families having great fun camping together and thought, “that looks that a great family activity”, you are right! Camping is one of the most wholesome, fun, affordable and bonding experiences a family can get into. But if you have driven along looking at all the equipment and skills needed to learn camp and thought, “I can never learn to do all of that”, you are wrong. It really isn’t that hard to learn to camp and every step along the way is lots of fun for everyone.

So how do you get started learning to camp? There is no question that there is some equipment involved and learning to set up a camp, use your gear to enjoy a night of eating and sleeping in the open spaces and then get home safe and sound requires a bit of a learning curve. For many parents that want to start camping to give their children those experiences, the idea of buying all that equipment is intimidating. And you don’t want to get the wrong equipment and then have to buy it all over again. Those kinds of mistakes can kill your enthusiasm for expanding your camping hobby into a passion for camping.

So one of the best ways to learn to camp and to try out camping equipment is to camp with someone who is good at it. Many experienced camping families have excess equipment or know other families who will loan you equipment to try out on your first camp out. If one of your friends or friends of your children are experienced campers, you will find them to probably be evangelistic about it and happy to let you tag along on their next camp out to show you the ropes. If they can help you borrow some equipment, you can learn to use it and try out different camping options so when you are ready to buy your own equipment you already know what you like and don’t like.

Another great way to get some camping experience without buying a thing is to get involved in camping organization. If you have children, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are organizations geared for building life skills in children and who are heavily dedicated to camping. Most scout troops have an extensive arsenal of camping gear and the leadership are almost always seasoned campers with a flair for teaching.

It is the mission of the scouts to train new recruits in the fine points of camping so you can tag along on some camp outs and learn some great camping skills. Also scouts actively encourages parent involvement so dad and mom can learn to camp right along with their children. Who knows but you may get involved with the scouts just to harvest some camping skills and find yourself hooked and becoming life long Boy or Girl Scout enthusiasts. There are worse things children or a whole family can be involved in for sure.

After getting some exposure, you will want to think through what kind of tents, sleeping bags and other camping gear you will want to buy as you launch your family camping hobby. Many two-man tents are economical and easy to transport, put up and break down. But if you are going to have the entire family in one tent, you may want to look into a larger family tent that mom and dad can stand up in and that provides plenty of room for gear and children as well. But look ahead in your camping life. As the children grow older, they may want to move out into their own tents to think of how your first starter tent will fit into the larger scheme of camping as you grow in your camping ambitions.

Another consideration is whether you will need electricity and water facilities at the camp grounds you visit or if you will provide for those things yourself. Many beginning campers prefer to use electricity and water hook ups to make it easier on parents who are learning the tricks of the trade of camping. But remember to take extension cords and water hoses so you can bring those resources into camp and even right into the tent with you.

Also think about the space in your vehicle for camping gear and how you will transport your new gear to and from camp. You probably don’t want to buy a vehicle just for camping at first so learning to pack light and only take what is needed will be an important skill for you throughout your camping career.

Take it slow as you learn each new method of camping and begin to use new tools that you see other campers use. One way to slowly expand your camping gear is to plan to buy one new piece of camping equipment each season so you find your knowledge and skills at using that new gear grow at a steady pace as well.

Take it slow in how ambitious you get in your camping plans. Don’t drive two days to the deep mountains and take on a primitive camping adventure if you are new to the sport. Start out with one night camp outs close to home. Yes, your first camp out may even be in your back yard so you can do a trial run with your equipment but be close enough to run inside if things go wrong. Then slowly expand the number of nights you are out and how far away from home you get.

You will find camping to be an addictive passion and it’s an addiction that you will be glad your family got hooked on. By using some common sense and developing your skills steadily, you can expand your vision and take on more and more aggressive and ambitious camping adventures over time. Then when you have graduated from beginner camper to seasoned old pro, you will look back at your progress and get some real gratification that you took on something new and made it your own. You will be proud of yourself and your kids will be proud too because they will have a love of camping that will serve them for the rest of their lives.

It’s never a good way to start out your camping trip by getting lost and frustrated when you’re trying to find the campground.

And let’s face it; some campgrounds are not easy to find especially when you’re not familiar with the area.

That’s why I’d recommend investing in a GPS unit for your vehicle.

Not only can a GPS unit make finding your campground a cinch, it can make the entire road trip a pleasurable experience. You’ll likely never miss a turn or an exit again. Also, even if you do make a wrong turn, your GPS will quickly correct your mistake and create a new route for you so you can get back on track right away. Additionally, just about any decent GPS these days can also tell you where the next rest stop is, and also help you find gas stations and restaurants to visit on your trip.

Of course, these days, GPS units offer even more advanced features. For example, top of the line units can get live traffic updates for major cities, so you can avoid heavy congestion and traffic jams. I know, I know. You’re probably not going camping in the city, but you may have to go through them to get to your destination, and being able to avoid bad traffic just makes the drive that much more pleasant. (I don’t know about you, but I always feel better when I’m driving if I’m moving vs. sitting in traffic even if I have to go a little bit out of the way to do it.)

And that’s not all; many units also come with large hard drives or expandable drives so you can put all your MP3s on them to give you something to listen to while driving. Many new units will even connect to your Bluetooth cell phone and patch calls through your car’s speakers so you can answer phone calls safely while driving.

So are you convinced yet that a GPS unit is a good idea yet?

Great!

Now let’s talk about what you want to look for in a GPS unit.

Price Range

Automotive GPS units range in price from about $250 to over $2500, with excellent units being in the $400-$1000 range. The more features you want, the more you’re going to pay. For example, some high end models feature text to speech features that can tell you what street to turn on. For example, cheaper models will tell you to turn on a street in 300 yards, but they don’t read out the street name. Better models will say something to the effect of “Turn right on Elm Street in 300 yards.” That means you can keep your eyes on the road instead of looking at your GPS screen to figure out which street you’re actually supposed to turn on.

Maps

Having a GPS with a good set of maps is critical. I’ve had some experience with a GPS unit that didn’t have a good set of maps, and the results weren’t pretty. There was a lot of foul language involved when I realized that my GPS was trying to get me to drive on a snowmobile trail in the middle of winter in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado in the middle of nowhere. For this reason, I’m going to recommend you get a GPS unit that gets its map data from Navteq if you’re camping in North America and Tele Atlas if you’re camping in Europe. Navteq maps have a reputation of being far more up to date in the U.S. than Tele Atlas, but Tele Atlas maps are cheaper. So beware of those bargain basement GPS units, they may not have the best maps.

Most GPS units sold in the United States use Navteq maps (Garmin, Magellan, etc.) with the major notable exception being the Europe based TomTom. While I have personally used TomTom units, and feel that their interface is the very best, unfortunately their maps are usually out of date, and it’s not always capable of finding certain addresses. For example, a couple years ago a group of friends and I went snowboarding in Breckenridge, Colorado. I drove one vehicle and I had a TomTom Navigator to help me get there while my friend had a Garmin. Despite the fact that my GPS had a superior interface, and a 3D birds eye view map (which current Garmin units have now), it was clear from the get go who had the better unit. It was the Garmin. The Garmin was able to find the address of our condo, which mine was not, and the Garmin also didn’t try to take us off the Interstate for a detour that didn’t exist (but fortunately, I’d personally driven that part of the route many times before and ignored my GPS’s directions, but I still wasn’t pleased about it.)

So with all that being said, what am I going to recommend you buy? Well, you may have guessed that it’s not TomTom, and you’re right. I’d actually recommend you get something in the Garmin nüvi or Streetpilot line. I like the nüvi line a little better, but check them out for yourself. The Garmin nüvi 680 Travel Assistant makes for a particularly good choice.

So make getting to your next camping destination more pleasant, and invest a few bucks in a good GPS unit, you’ll be glad you did.

Formed in 1986, the non-profit Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC), has worked irelessly towards getting funding and legislation to convert unused/abandoned railroad lines into community trails.

  Their mission is to "create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people."  That’s a pretty admirable mission.  To date, the RTC’s work has helped approximately 13,600 miles of rails get converted into trails. 

Depending on the trail, they are available for one, several, or all of the following uses: walking and hiking, biking (some trails
are only suitable for mountain bikes), inline skating, wheelchairs, cross country skiing, horseback riding, snowmobiling and some that allow ATV’s.  For example, the Soo Line South is a 114 mile trail beginning at Saunders Junction in northern Wisconsin and connects with a the 148 mile Soo Line North trail in Minnesota.  Moose Lake State Park in Minnesota is adjacent to the trail and has camping facilities.   

And, for fishing enthusiasts, some trails have fishing
spots along the way. 

The surfaces of the trails vary from paved to gravel to crushed stone, to grass.  There may be bridges and tunnels to traverse, and the terrain may be mostly flat and easy to walk on or may be steep and rocky.  Do a little research ahead of time to be prepared for the conditions on the trail. 

Using the trails while on camping trips is a perfect to enjoy nature and see some gorgeous scenery.  To find trails near your camping destination or near your home, use the free trail finding website,TrailLink, which is a free service provided by RTC.  Search by state and then by zip code or by keywords to find trails.  The information for each trail varies from basic to very extensive with some having several reviews and photos.   

A few of the noteworthy trails include:

Katy Trail State Park, Missouri- currently the longest rail-to-trail in the country at 225 miles long and a rail-to-trail hall of fame inductee. The end points of the trail are St. Charles and Clinton.  The surface is crushed gravel and can be used for walking, biking, wheelchairs, and cross country skiing.  The trail is built on the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas rail corridor (rail operations ceased in 1986) and gives travelers on the trail some of the most gorgeous views in the state with the Missouri River often being on one side of the trail and bluffs on the other. 

The landscape varies as the miles are crossed from forests to valleys to prairies, to pastureland to wetlands to farm fields.  A fall ride along the trail is said to be stunning with the vibrant oranges and reds of sumacs, bittersweet bushes, and sugar maple trees. 

For more information about Katy trail including maps, directions to the trailheads, trail conditions, side trails that connect to Katy, and directions to the trailhead visit thetrail’s website.  Tip: Click on the "customized list of businesses" link and put a check mark in campgrounds to find ones on the trail - there are several and planner will even state what mile marker the campground is at. 

Great Allegheny Passage and the C& O Canal Trail;Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington D.C. - the Great Allegheny Passage is 150 miles long and has trail end points in Pittsburgh, PA and Cumberland, MA.  The main surface is crushed stone.  The trail is for walking, biking, cross country skiing, and for wheelchairs.  The Cumberland end of the trail connects to the C & O Canal Towpath which goes to Washington D.C. creating a continuous corridor that is 316 miles long. 

One of the coolest things on the trail, is the Big Savage tunnel in Summerset County, Pennsylvania.  The tunnel was in terrible shape after the trains stopped using it in 1976 but a restoration project has made the tunnel a marvel to see and is what allows the Great Allegheny Passage trail to connect with the C & O Canal Trail.  The passage is 3,300 feet long, is now lighted, and draws bikers from all over the country to see.  It’s closed during the winter months when large steel doors are shut on both ends to protect the tunnel from the ice and snows of winter.    

Check the official Great Allegheny Trail website for more information including trail status, trail maps,  directions,camping along the trail
(some campgrounds are right next to the trail;others are a few miles away), amenities along the trail, and tips for preparing for a fun and stress free trip.

Military Ridge State Park Trail, Wisconsin - it was rails-to-trails trail of the month in December, 2006 and is accessible from two state parks that have camping facilities (Blue Mound State Park and
Governor Dodge State Park which is one of the state’s most popular camping destinations). 

It’s 45 miles long and is located in the southwestern part of the state.  Trail ends are at Dodgeville and Verona.  The surface is asphalt and limestone, and can be used by walkers/hikers, bicyclists, wheelchairs, snowmobile riders, and cross country skiers.  The three mile
section of the trail between Verona and Madison is blacktopped and inline skating is allowed there. 

The trail is generally easy to ride but there are a few steeper hilly areas.  The Grumpy Troll brewpub in Mt. Horeb is a recommended stop by one frequent trail user. 

Banks-Vernonia State Trail; Oregon - located in northwest Oregon the trail is in a rural area but is less than an hour from Portland.  The trail is 21 miles long; has mostly asphalt and gravel surfaces; an easy to moderate terrain; and is designated for use by walkers/hikers, mountain bikers, and cross country skiers.

There are trailheads in Manning, Buxton, Tophill, and Beavercreek.  There are twelve bridges along the trail and two trestles - the Buxton Trestle and Horseshoe Trestle.  Both are 80 feet high and over 600 feet long.  Neither is usable (Horseshoe was partially destroyed by fire) but they are pretty cool to look at and marvel over their construction. 

Camping is available near the Buxton trailhead atStub Stewart State Park, which is open year round and has 43 full hookup campsites, 12 walk-in tent sites, 23 primitive hike in sites, 12 one room cabins, 3 two room cabins, 14 sites with full hookups and 4-stall corrals, and 2 double-size full hookup sites with 6-stall corrals. 

There are hundreds more trails in the rails-to-trails system, all of which have their own unique qualities and are worth checking out. 

The mission of Rails to Trails is worthwhile and one that is intended to help people become more active, healthier, and more in touch with nature.  If anyone wants to get involved in Rails to Trails and help support it, they can do so in a number of ways a few of which are:

• Register for the monthly newsletter (it’s free) to stay up to date on events, success stories, and policies that directly impact rails-trails and how to take action
• Donate to the conservancy to help them continue their quest to develop more trails across the nation
• Write your local, state, and federal representatives
  and ask them to support trail friendly policies
• Map a trail or two with your GPS unit, or request to
  borrow one from rails-to-trails,
  upload the file to your computer, and send it to rails to trails.  The data you provide will help users find rail-trails anywhere in the nation.  In exchange for sharing the data with them they will send the data back in a format that can be used in a CADD/GIS program.

When planning your next camping trip, take a few minutes to go to the TrailLink section of the Rails to Trails Website, look for trails in the area you’ll be camping, and take a pleasurable walk or bike ride on one and enjoy nature.