Get Your Camp On

Now that it’s spring, you and your friends may want to take a weekend trip and enjoy some fun in the sun. Maybe relax on the beach, sip on some cocktails, and catch a tan. But for the more adventurous, outdoorsy type, camping is the way to go.

By CC Staff

I never thought I was a camping kinda girl, until my boyfriend and all of his friends invited me a few years back during my sophomore year. No electricity, no air conditioning, no Full House reruns for an entire 24 hours? No, no, no! I need my daily Tanner Family fix!

Needless to say, I got dragged along, and even though I forgot my pillow and had to sleep on a roll of toilet paper, and woke up in the morning staring at a freakishly large spider, I actually ended up enjoying myself and started to camp out almost once a month.

Camping is a great way to kick back and get away from the stress of college life, and it’s refreshing to surround yourself with nothing but your good friends and the open air. If you want to venture out into the wild world of wildnerness for a night, here are some ideas of what to bring along, from a camping pro herself:

1) BUG SPRAY. This is extremely important, as gnats and mosquitoes fly rampent once the weather gets hot. Lather yourself with bug spray like it’s moisterizing lotion.

2) TOILET PAPER. Some camping sites don’t have restrooms – usually these are called “primitive” sites, perfect for the hardcore campers. If you find yourself at one of these, you’ll have to pee (and do everything else your body needs to do) in the woods. But, hey – that’s what makes it authentic! Just make sure you clean up after yourself. One time I went camping, and in the morning we woke up to find the ground scattered with the girls’ toilet paper. Not very eco-friendly.

3) KNOWLEDGE OF THE WEATHER FORECAST. Check the weather before you get on the road. If it’s going to rain a lot, don’t go camping. You will be extremely miserable and wet.

4) CUTE GEAR. Just because you’re camping, it doesn’t mean you have to dress….well, ugly. Besides, camping is the perfect opportunity to bond with your crush, perhaps in the comfort of a tiny tent built for two. Nature is very romantic! Fabsugar.com has some cute clothes and accessories for the “I don’t care if I’m camping, I’m gonna look HOT” kinda girl.

5) BOOZE. This is the most important thing to bring. No camping trip would be complete without a crapload of alcohol. If you’re gonna be secluded for an entire night in the middle of nowhere, without having to worry about driving, you might as well get wasted. Don’t forget a good amount of cups and mixers. Stock those coolers!

So, pack up and head out for a camping experience with your crew. You may surprise yourself and become one with nature! And it may seem scary to think of a whole day and night without cell phones, PDA’s, iPods, televisions and DVD players; but sometimes, a campfire, roasted S’mores and hotdogs, a group of friends and an acoustic guitar are even better.