There are many reasons why families decide to go camping with their kids: it is fun for the whole family, the kids get to play in the nature and you can have some peace and quiet away for the noisy city. But what are the things that we should never forget to take with us when going camping?

If this is the first time you go camping then you should make sure that this king of trip is what you actually want. Investing in expensive things is an option only if you are convinced that you want to go. Going alone with your family is not recommended, especially if you haven’t done this before. So why don’t you ask some of your friends to join you. This way you will not be alone in the middle of the forest and also you can share some of the stuff that you will have to bring with you.

First of all you have to buy a tent. Choosing the right size depends on how many people sleep in it. If you don’t want to let your kids sleep alone then you should get a big tent so you all have enough room. In order not to get all the dirt in the tent you should bring a welcome mat. You can actually use the mats for your car so you don’t have to invest in something like this.

Something else that you should not forget are the flashlights. You should have at least one big flashlight and several for each member of the family. Also, don’t forget about the spare batteries. You should be prepared for everything. Some of the other things that you can use together with your friends are: the table, a hammer, duct tape, trash bags and so on.

basic skills always helps to do this. The foundational skill in sea kayaking is the forward stroke. It is great to have a reliable roll and be able to high brace, leaning all the way over in the water, but unless you want to be a trick kayaker, you need a good, efficient forward stroke. Every time you paddle, you need to be working on the forward stroke. If you consciously work on this basic part of kayaking, your skill and enjoyment will increase. Here’s how:

The Right Sea Kayak Paddle Size is Important

Paddle blades come in several sizes: which size to use depends on the paddling conditions. Narrower blades cut through the wind better, but they lose speed. Mid-size paddles are good for most paddling conditions. They catch a good amount of water for good power and can usually be adjusted, or feathered, to deal with wind. Wider blades catch a lot of water and can increase speed considerably. The down side of wider blades is that they tend to flutter, can be hard on joints, and can catch the wind quite strongly. The first step is to get the right paddle for your activity. If you paddle more and longer journeys, then a lighter paddle is important. A mid-range and narrow combination of paddles-mid-range for most paddling, narrow as a spare set and for windy conditions, is usually a good way to go. Go to paddlefests and events in your area and try out the products available. Make sure your sea kayak paddle is right for you.

Good, Upright Posture is Critical for Sea Kayaking

If you are slouching in the seat of your kayak, you are not getting maximum movement or power. Sit up straight, with a slightly forward lean to be efficient. This just becomes habit if you continue to work on being conscious of how you are sitting while paddling your sea kayak.

Use a Relaxed Grip When Holding the Sea Kayak Paddle

Holding a paddle with a death grip is tiring. Loosen your grip on your paddle. Hold it just tightly enough to prevent flutter and to maintain good movement. This helps you relax in your paddling motion, which also slows down fatigue, letting you paddle longer and more efficiently. Much of the key here is to just relax. Sometimes the conditions get rough and scary, but working on relaxing usually helps with stability and certainly helps with efficiency while sea kayaking.

Sea Kayaking With Torso Rotation Increases Stamina

Use the trunk of your body to paddle, not your arms. We have large muscle groups in our torsos. By using these large muscle groups predominately, we give ourselves more power and more stamina for paddling longer. If you shoulders are rotating, most likely your torso is as well. Try practicing with rotating shoulders. If you are having trouble keeping a good rhythm and flow, put your rudder of skeg down to take the work to maintain good tracking out of the equation. Teach yourself good forward stroke technique and paddle without rudder or skeg later. Don’t try to power your strokes as far back as you can. Stroke smoothly and rhythmically, and pull your paddle out of the water beside your hip.

More Paddle Strokes While Kayaking Means Faster Travel

Your speed comes from how many times your paddle is in the water. Increase your paddle rate without the power pull at the end. Taking your paddle out of the water at the hip helps increase your paddling rate and increases your stability.

These are very simple techniques that anyone can do. The key to getting a good forward paddling stoke is to continue to work on it on every trip, no matter how long the trip is. By following these simple suggestions, and trying to be conscious of how you are paddling, you will improve your sea kayaking skills, become a better paddler, and enjoy your trips even more.

Gary Ward has been leading trips and teaching in wilderness areas for 20 years. Having traveled from desert to sea, he spends most of his time now in coastal areas, exploring the boundary between land and sea, land and sky, and sea and sky, looking for the best kayaking destinations.

Our family likes to take short weekend camping trips, especially during the school year. We pack in all of our food for the weekend and cook everything on our portable marine grill. We have some simple ways to keep the food from being too monotonous or boring, as the kids have complained in the past.

These are some of the simple ideas that we have incorporated into our weekend menus.

First, we simply take the refrigerated slice and bake cookie rolls that can be found in any grocer. We use our BBQ griddle pan and put about a tablespoon of dough about one inch apart. When the thermometer on the BBQ reaches 350 degrees we put the pan in and shut the lid. You want to keep the flames on as low as possible to sustain the temp. The cookies should be ready in about 15 minutes, but monitor and do not let burn. The kids love the chocolate chip cookies when we go camping – they want to make them, eat them, and do not even mind cleaning up afterward.

Second, we bring along all the fixings for individual pizzas. We already have the dough, the sauce, and all the toppings prepared. We can do about two individual size pizzas at a time with the griddle pan and the grill. Again, we let the grill heat up to about 350 degrees and cook the pizzas until piping hot and golden brown.

Third, we sometimes like some pancakes while out on our weekend excursions. Now, these are the easiest – just keep the grill on low, but again, use the griddle pan and keep an eye on the pancakes. Be sure to change things up with blueberries, chocolate chips, nuts, and any other pancake items you desire.

Fourth, we like to use a grill wok for some incredibly delicious stir fry. We prefer a vegetarian medley of assorted vegetables. You just need to be sure to bring along some teriyaki sauce or whatever kind of stir fry seasoning, I also must have some roasted sesame seeds but they are optional, of course. Again, start out with low heat and stir vegetables often.

Lastly, for now, we always keep a campfire soup on hand. It is quick and easy to heat up and sometimes we just want a hearty warm liquid to go along with whatever else we are having. We like to keep the soup recipe simple by just bringing along a few cans of vegetables like tomatoes, corn, peas, carrots, beans, and some seasonings. We also make it a little heartier with pasta or rice. We just open the cans, add water, and heat.

These simple grill recipes keep the food diverse and interesting while camping, you see our family loves to cook and eat and we used to get bored with the typical camping cuisine. Now, we try to think of unique ideas for the portable gas grill and make the culinary time part of the weekend experience. Bon Appetit!

Diann Meeks is a longtime boater, camper, and outdoor cook. Diann loves to explore her native waterways and camp in nearby scenic parks. She makes these excursions more fun for her family with her preplanned meals and their portable marine grill.