Sleepaway summer camp is an exciting adventure, full of songs by the campfire, crazy cabin pranks, color wars, funky craft projects and making amazing memories with camp friends. However, if this is your child’s first summer of heading off to camp, she may be more nervous than excited as the big day approaches. The Following are a few ideas to ease your child’s worries and ramping up the happy anticipation of a summer of fun.Visit CampsOne of the best ways to assure your youngster that summer camp is indeed fun is to set off on a little road trip highlighting summer camp visits. Many overnight summer camps host organized open houses to introduce kids and parents to camp facilities and staff, giving potential campers a view of where they’d be playing, sleeping, swimming and boating. It’s especially good if you can visit while camp is in session so you and your youngster can get a feel for the vibe of the camp, how the kids interact, what kind of camper/counselor ratio seems evident and whether most campers seem happy and engaged. If your child gets to talk to some current campers, it’s even better!Share MemoriesMaybe you were a camper yourself as a child. Share stories of your camp adventures, achievements and friends; this will make the upcoming camp experience seem more familiar, and kids love to imagine their parents as youngsters. If you were a little apprehensive at first and then ended up loving the experience, share this with your child, letting him know it’s perfectly normal to be nervous about the unknown.Explore On-LineThe Internet can be a great boon to parents trying to ease their kids’ overnight camp jitters. Blogs, Facebook pages and websites related to your child’s future camp cover pretty much everything they – or you – could want to know about upcoming summer adventures, along with plenty of photos. Kids can read posts from kids at their potential camps and get a feel for how they’ll fit into the summer’s adventures.Line Up Some BooksThere are a lot of great kids’ and pre-teen books out there that take place at overnight summer camp. After all, where else can you have amazing adventures away from the watchful eyes of your parents (yet in a safe, snug environment just the same)?Phone a FriendIf your child has a friend or acquaintance who has attended camp, it may be helpful to talk to them about their summer experiences. Even knowing there will be a familiar face or two in the gaga ball pit can make a big difference in how your youngster feels about a summer away from home. Even if your child doesn’t want to make the call, you can call the camper’s mom or dad and get the lowdown on camp and pass information along to your child.Take the Family CampingYoungsters who haven’t had much experience in the wilderness, particularly city kids, may be a little nervous about spending weeks out in the woods. Consider taking the family on a camping trip prior to the start of camp. This will let your future summer camper can see how fun it is to sing silly songs around the camp fire, throw a fishing line in the lake and listen to a chorus of tree frogs as you go to sleep. Practicality matters; such as how to use a flashlight to get around at night and identifying various nocturnal sounds can also go a long way toward easing wilderness jitters.

The availability of secure campsites close to major cities is increasingly attracting families wishing to take a camping tent vacation without heading out to the jungle. For someone who has never been out camping, the toughest question is where to experience their first camping tent trip. Starting off in low risk well supplied areas not too far from home is usually the safest option. Increasing gasoline and airlines charges are squeezing families struggling to make it through the tough economic times and forcing them to embrace camping tent alternatives. With high quality family tents retailing at under $200, a whole family of up to 6 people can enjoy a camping tent extended weekend for under $100 close to urban centers. What are some of things a first time camper needs to know in choosing their first tent? Type and SizeWith many types of tents available, choosing the right one can be mind boggling. If you are looking for a tent to use for many years and do not plan on going camping in winter, then a three season tent is all you need. Dome family tents are preferable because they have more space and headroom.When it comes to deciding the size, if you are not going backpacking in the wilderness where the weight of the tent is a major consideration, always go for a tent that will take more people than the quoted size. Manufacturers usually overstate the amount of people that can comfortably sleep in a tent. The rule of thumb is to select a tent that will sleep 1-2 people more than the number of people you need. So if you are looking for a camping tent for a four people, you would be better off buying a 6-person tent. The price differential is usually just a few tens of dollars, if at all.If you are going camping with kids, consider one with more than one room with a divider that you can take off to have one large room when the kids are younger and then divide the tent up in later years when they start requiring their own space for their games (if you need a quiet space for yourself). If you are starting off with older kids, definitely consider having separate tents for them or a family tent with separate rooms. CostAs far as cost is concerned, any camping tent in the $120 to $250 price range will be of more that you’ll need for a while. Camping tents in this price range are of enough quality for you not to worry too much about the brand and should serve you well for a couple of years. If you end up getting a family camping tent much lower that $100, then chances are that you will make another financial commitment to upgrade shortly after your first trip. Don’t spend more than $300 on a Family tent until you are a you are experienced in tent camping. Brands do not matter as much as the price will indicate. Just watch out for items you may be buying from overseas as returns may not be possible if you are not satisfied. If buying online, make sure you check the return policies of the site. Where to buy your tentOnline sources provide the best prices compared to your local shops, but you get the best knowledge and advice from you local salesperson. What I tell someone who does not have a lot of experience in camping tents is to use the local sales person to understand the product and then use the internet to compare the prices before deciding. Go to the local store and look at the different types of tents available. While at the store look for tents that have been set up, go inside and move around in them, lie down and then stand up and pretend you are getting dressed. Make sure you have enough room to move or lie in the room without touching the sides of the tent. You want to make sure that if it rains, you do not get wet because you are stuck up against the tent. Check the size and description of the tent and then search online for the best prices.When checking prices online, first impressions do not always count! Some unscrupulous online marketers advertise a lower price and if you click to the site and are not very attentive, you can actually end up paying more for the item without realizing. Always add the camping tent to the cart, go to the check-out to see the total price (camping tent, taxes and shipping) cost and compare a few before buying. Before you LeaveWhen you finally get your camping tent, set it up in your backyard and test it out before you leave home. Do this at least a week before your camping trip so that if you need any accessory for the camping tent, you have time to buy them before leaving.

When you go on a camping trip, do you ever think about how cold it is going to get? The temperature will start to drop and you will start to feel very cold. If you cannot start a fire outside, the next best thing to do is to light a candle, place it in a jar and place it inside the tent; not the safest thing to do though. You risk burning the tent and there is the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.But technology is here to save you with camping heaters. The good thing is that there are many kinds to choose from, each type of camping heater having its own advantages and also its own disadvantages.1.)Propane camping heatersThis type of camping heater is powered by propane. What is nice about many of them is that they have fans that can direct the heat to where it is needed. Some also are started by an electric ignition – this means you spend less time trying to start the camping heater and more time enjoying your camping trip. Some propane camping heaters are so advanced that they give off heat without using a flame. If you want that kind, they are know as platinum and ceramic catalytic camping heaters and are safer than those that are flame-powered.One downside about a propane camping heater is that it can be a little bulky and you may not want to bring it just around everywhere. You also have to buy propane cans every now and then when they get finished. But you will be able to use it for other places like in your house, or even when you are going to do ice fishing. But you have to remember that while propane camping heaters are safe, you have to follow its instruction manual and use it with care. A Propane camping heater needs oxygen, so make you sure you have adequate ventilation when you use them.2.)Electric camping heatersOld electric camping heaters had a lot of problems. You could burn your tent down or could get shocked and electrocuted. It also wasted a lot of electricity without putting out much heat. Newer electric camping heaters now have a safety switch, and have devices that make sure they do not overheat. Another cool and nifty feature includes the ability to control the temperature electronically. It even comes with a temperature sensor – so you’ll know how hot or cold it is.Some of these electric camping heaters have ceramic parts that when heated increases its resistance. This translates into a hotter camping heater, and this means you feel warmer and you will stop worrying about how cold it is. Others have very many holes that heat the air moving through them.The camping heater gets hotter much quicker. This makes them much safer over the propane camping heaters since no gases are released.The disadvantage of electric camping heaters though is that they are a little more expensive, and you will need electricity to power them.With this information, you will definitely find the perfect camping heater. Then you will enjoy your next camping trip without worrying if it is going to get cold.