Camping Tips and THings to Pack

Camping and trekking is fun. We started when our children were young, and they love it. Every trip is a fun adventure with new things to discover.

Some basic things to bring:
-Tents [When purchasing tents, always buy 2 sizes bigger. Eg. A 4 man tent, will be just nice for 2. For a family of 4, best to get the 6 men tent.]

-Tarp/poles/ropes (very useful and necessary for rainy weather)
-Ground sheet to be placed beneath your tents
- Old rag for tent entrance (to wipe feet before entering tent)
-Camp/foldable chairs for comfort
-Sleeping bags/foldable beds/air mattresses

-Torchlights/headlights (make sure batteries are fully charged, you don't want dim lights in a very dark jungle)
-Lamp to brighten up cooking/chit chat table at night
-Optional-Generator for camping on very isolated grounds, if camping for many nights

-Garbage bags (Take ALL garbage out after camping and do not litter on camp site!)
-Cooking utensils, bowls/cups, spoons/forks, knives, chopping board
-Portable stove, gas canister, kettle
-Cooking ingredients (if cooking) best packed in small containers
-Extra food and Extra water (cooking and drinking) in case of emergency (eg. car won't start, tree blocking path and you have to stay extra days.)

-Clothes, towels
-toiletries
-Diaper or potty if child refuses to "go" in the wild
-bags for dirty clothing
-First aid
-Repellent
-wet wipes
-sarong
-Umbrella/rain coat. Umbrella can also act as a "shield" when having to go as in pee/poo in the wild. haha

**Best to keep undies, toilet role and gadgets in waterproof box in case of rain. Best to keep all clothing in water proof plastic bags/boxes in case of rain. (I know, coz 2x we got caught in rain and had no dry clothing!)

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FOOD
-Instant noodles/maggi cups
-can food if lazy to cook
-junk food/snacks for children
-coffee/milo packs
-For convenience, precook and deep freeze food a week ahead
-If bringing bread/sandwiches, wrap in tin foil for easy heating up
-Pre marinade BBQ items and deep freeze.
-Store all in ice box.
-Wide BBQ rack like the one below is convenient for heating multiple pots at one time

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Trekking and leeches/insects (if leeches freak you out)

-Best to wear tight socks to keep leeches out

-wear light colored long pants, so easy to spot leech crawling up. Look out for the person in front of you, and someone else looks out for you.

-Long pants/sleeves to protect skin. I know, coz I've been stung by thorny insect while trekking!

-Repellent to keep insects away. Sprayed on ones may keep most leeches away too. However, it does not deter the tiger leech which is much bigger, faster and longer!

-Warn children NOT to touch any branches or leaves or anything without permission. Once I touched a leaf and immediately got stung by very painful fire ants hiding under leaf

-Finally, best if you can convince your children that leeches are harmless and not painful.

Trekking (to bring if on a long trail)
-lots of water
-energy food (ribena, chocs and other fav food)
-first aid
-proper shoes
-wet wipes
-walking stick (to help in tough terrain or use in case of sprain)
-water proof bag in case of river/fall crossing
-ropes
-camera and binoculars to enjoy the wonders along the way. :)
-super long trails (compass, whistle, GPS)

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Finally HAVE FUN! (Let me know if I've forgotten anything.)

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