Assessing Your Camping & Hiking Needs Washington DC

Assessing Your Camping & Hiking Needs

Be a happy camper

Camping can mean anything from a sleeping bag unrolled on a pup-tent floor to lounging on air mattresses in a marquee worthy of a desert sheik. Hiking, on the other hand, can be a laid-back stroll in the woods or a mountaineering venture that requires hammers, pitons and guide ropes. To ensure you get the vacation you'd hoped for, be sure to do a quick needs assessment, comparing your destination dreams against your gear list.

Make the Right Camping Call

Is your ideal campsite surrounded by undisturbed nature or other families? Do you need a hot shower to start the morning or will a dip in a nearby stream get you going? When searching for a campground , consider the following before booking your site:

• Fear Factor: Do you want to camp in the wilderness, out of range of 911 calls or do you want the security of camping civilization? Remember, the further you are from other campers, the closer you are to curious animals.
• Water Wants: Do you need running water and laundry facilities or do you want to be so far off the grid you're filtering your own water ?
• Hook Ups: Even if you're not in an RV , do you have equipment that requires electricity?
• Recreational Round Up: Do you want easy access to organized outdoor activities for the kids or would you rather not know other campers are near?
• Palate Preferences: Do you want to cook over a portable stove or is the option of driving into town for a meal important to you?

With the answers to these in mind, you'll be able to find a national park , state park or private campground to suit your needs.

Finding Your Hiking Haven

Depending on your experience and fitness level , a hike in the woods can be invigorating or induce a heart attack. When selecting a trail think about:

• Fitness Level: Do you want a total-body workout scrambling over rock ledges, or is a low-grade stroll along a well-worn path more your speed?
• Te...