Tips for buying camping accessories

Camping out in nature doesn't always have to equate to roughing it. Whether you're a car camper or a backcountry minimalist, there are a variety of items you can purchase to make camping more relaxing. This guide will cover a range of items you can add to your camping gear to make trips more comfortable.

Tents and Sleeping:
Having a restful sleep is important regardless if you're camping or not. There are varying sleeping pads and mats available to help you sleep comfortably in the outdoors. Mattress pads also elevate and insulate you from the ground, helping you stay warm on cold nights. Foam and inflatable mattresses come in several lengths and thicknesses, and in lightweight to extra thick mats. If using inflatable mattresses, consider purchasing a 12V or rechargeable air pump; they'll save you time when setting up your sleeping quarters. For those with room to spare, a cot can be an excellent add-on. You can even get organizers to hang off the cot's side to keep personal items within reach. Don't forget a pillow. Camp pillows feature a soft casing (often flannel). Small models are available with the space-conscious camper in mind and can be compressed when packed. Small accessories can help make your tent more comfortable, especially in rainy weather. Portable, battery operated lights and lanterns, small radios, and fans are some examples. Look for these accessories in models that can be hung from the tent's ceiling or suspended another way so you're not forced to hold them. A deck of cards, a small board game and a book are good to have too in case you get caught in a day-long downpour. It's a good idea to bring some extra supplies for your tent, especially tent pegs. A mallet for driving in and removing stakes is another timesaving device. Finally, a spare piece of carpet, or an actual mat, is handy to leave outside your tent door to hold footwear and wipe muddy feet.

Set up a new tent at home before your trip. This lets you check its condition, and learn how to set it up without the pressure of darkness or rain at camp.
The seams on all nylon tents must be sealed before using a new tent, and periodically thereafter. Seam sealer is sold in applicator bottles, which you rub along the inside of all waterproof seams.
Avoid setting up camp next to stagnant water, which is home to biting insects.
Don't set up the tent on a sandbar or in a dry wash. The water will probably rise if it rains. Dry washes can flash flood due to a rain storm many miles away.
Don't set up the tent in a low spot or depression. Rainwater will collect under the tent and soak through into your sleeping bag.
During bug season, you might want to take a gazebo. This is essentially a rain tarp with mosquito netting on all sides, to provide shelter from bugs, rain and the sun.
Put a plastic tarp on the ground under the tent. It should match the footprint of the tent so that it doesn't gather rainwater. This groundsheet protects the floor of your tent from stones, sticks, and general wear and tear.
You can get special stake-driving mallets, or use a plain old household hammer, to pound tents stakes into the ground.
Don't use your axe for driving stakes. This can damage the axe head, and possible cause it to fly off.
Get the sturdiest aluminum tent stakes possible. Most campgrounds build sites with gravel, and this hard ground will bend or break most lightweight and plastic stakes.The rainfly is a special tarp that is spread over the top of the tent to make it waterproof. Most tents come with a matching rainfly included. The rainfly should allow the tent windows to remain open for ventilation while protecting the seams from potential leaks.
Use a stake puller to help pull tent stakes out of the ground, or just loop a short rope under the stake's hook and pull on the rope to pull up on the stake.
Keep a whiskbroom in the tent for sweeping out dirt and leaves.
Use an old towel or small piece of carpet as a door mat for wiping off feet before entering the tent.