Camping for Newbie’s

On the off chance my article last week awakened your inner sense of wanderlust there are a few things I think you should know before you venture off on your next (or first) adventure in the great Canadian outdoors.

There are basically three types of camping experiences: cottage, car and back country.

Cottage camping is for the well to do who want to experience the outdoors but prefer to keep it at a safe distance. It is basically being at home but with a way better backyard. Absolute necessities that you must take with you include plenty of cash, wine opener, cooler and some way cool retro mixed cds. For those that are wondering, camping in an RV falls into this category. Special skills you require to thoroughly enjoy cottage camping are the ability to sit in one place for hours on end and the ability to operate a digital camera for the purely Canadian photo opportunity which combines a beautiful sunset, two Muskoka chairs, a dock and a perfectly placed beverage.

The second type of camping is car camping. This style is the standard kind of experience that you remember from your childhood with the family station wagon. Every major provincial park consists of primarily drive in sites. It takes a bit more work than cottage camping but provides different and awesome experiences. Absolute necessities include marshmallows, hotdogs travel water bottles, lighter, board games or cards, newspaper and a hatchet. Yes you need to actually cut the kindling into smaller pieces to start a fire. Yes you will sleep in a tent, on the ground, and yes you will LOVE it. Whether it is a peaceful solace you are looking for or some quality bonding time with the kids this kind of camping is AWESOME! They have no electronics to ignore you with and the newspaper you brought is to BURN not read.

The last type of camping is back country camping. Park your car, hop in a canoe or strap on your backpack and go off grid.  These excursions can go from overnight experiences to full on weeks at a time. Just you, what you can carry with you and no one else in sight. That is truly getting away from it all.

It’s time to pick your awesome, although I suggest you start with one of the first two types of adventures and work your way up to the third!

Let’s go exploring.

This article is the second in a series by author Brian Duff entitled “In A Different Camp”