More and more people cut back on vacationing abroad during slow economic times. Many of these people find a great (and inexpensive) alternative closer to home in camping. If you don’t mind reconnecting with nature, then you should consider a camping trip for your next vacation.

camping safety
Camping can be great fun, but the basics are often overlooked. Follow these six fundamental camping tips and you’re in for a fun camping trip!

Let someone know where you’re going - An accident in the middle of nowhere can turn out really bad if nobody knows where you are, or that you’re missing in the first place. “Jimmy wasn’t at Karate today? He’s probably out sick” - meanwhile Jimmy broke 2 legs in the middle of nowhere with no rescue in sight.

Bring Extra Clothes - If you’ve ever experienced hypothermia you know how horrible it is. You can get it very easily by running around in wet clothes. So bring extra clothes just in case you get caught in a storm. Don’t forget to put your spare clothes in a WATERPROOF bag too.

Don’t take risks when it comes to mother Nature - The sky might be clear and temperatures might be comfortable today, but that can change overnight or even within hours. Before going on a camping trip, check the weather forecast. It would suck to have nasty weather ruin your camping trip wouldn’t it?

Fire - If you’re going to build a campfire, be sure to clear at least 20 feet around it. Also note that just because you took the necessary precautions doesn’t mean the camper a few miles away from you did. If you see a big plume of smoke in the distance, you better pack up FAST as wildfires can travel at insane speeds.

Bring Water - Water, the building blocks of life. You would be surprised how many people tend to oversee the fact that a lot of campgrounds don’t have running water (unless you consider a river running water). It is highly advisable to take at least 2 five-gallon containers with drinking water when spending more than a few days out in the outdoors. A few gallons will do if you’re only going for 1 or 2 days.

Food - Bring your own food as not every campsite has a store, some not even without an hour’s driving range. Nuts, beef jerky, dried fruit, as well as high energy bars are your best choice because they are high in nutrients but light in weight. See the beginners guide to camping for more “what food to bring”-tips.

These are very basic tips. You can find details as well as other tips on safety, packing for camping, recipes, instructional videos, choosing a tent, and much more at my camping safety-site.

If you’re interested in going on a vacation led by a professional tour business, there are some critical things to know before booking your tour. As a leader in the industry for more than 20 years, I’ve seen everything imaginable. I’ve seen multitudes of companies that do safe, enjoyable tours; I’ve seen a handful of companies out there that you want to avoid; and I’ve seen a handful of companies that do safe, fun tours but do it with pazazz and a passion that leads to excellence and quite possibly the vacation of a lifetime. Whether you’re interested in a rafting tour, biking tour, hiking tour, bus tour, wine tour, variety tour, women’s tour, helicopter tour, boat tour, or any other type of tour, asking these questions of the companies you research will guide you to the latter (and much superior) class of tour company.

Grand Canyon Tours
Question #1: what’s the maximum number of people on a tour?

The smaller the group, the more intimate and personalized the tour will be. It doesn’t mean that a large group (larger than 12) will necessarily be a bummer of an experience. It’s just that to handle larger groups, a business needs more systems, and so it naturally becomes less customized. Part of the magic of a great tour is the connection the guests have with their guide, and the larger the group, the less the connection. I recommend a group of between 4 and 8.

Women’s hikes
Question #2: do you provide custom tours?

It doesn’t matter whether you’re interested in a custom tour or not, just the mere fact that a company provides custom tours means they’re set up to provide a more personalized experience. A custom tour is oftentimes about 20% more expensive but worth every penny if you want to see a lot of the ‘extras’ the guides know about but don’t show to the systematized tour.

Yellowstone Adventures
Question #3: how many years of experience do you have?

Asking how long the company has been in business is less important than how many years of experience the owners have. I’ve seen 30-year-old companies lose their best people, and those people oftentimes go out and start their own companies. These newer companies, started by people with lots of experience, will oftentimes be more eager to serve you and make your experience extra special. Either way, you want the owners to have at least 10 years of experience in their profession.