Camping season will be upon us before we know it and it’s a perfect time to begin preparing your lists and hiking gear so that when the time comes, you will be fully prepared to load that car up and go.
Firstly, to alleviate the potential frustration of cramming all of your gear into your truck, you may need to have a look at something like the Yakima Skybox Pro 2 as a cargo carrier. By the time we get this gear list together, you will see the beauty of having everything stored on top of the car or truck in this wonderful compact rooftop carrier.
Now let’s begin with the packing list. Of course this will change as your hobbies and interests may be different but we will assume that hiking, fishing and outdoor activities are high on your list of activities that you enjoy doing while roughing it in the woods.
1. Great hiking shoes or boots. This is a must if any real trail blazing is likely to occur. Note that you won’t want to wear a brand new pair of boots without first breaking them in a bit. This is vital because if you don’t follow this advice you could end up with some very sore feet, putting a stop to the lovely camping trip.
2. Clothing appropriate for the weather and trails you’ll be hiking. If you anticipate rain at all, be sure to include some dependable rain gear as walking in these conditions while wet can get miserable pretty fast.
3. A backpack that is size appropriate depending on how long you will be walking at a time and if the hikes will include sleeping somewhere though the night. Be sure that you include food, an extra layer of clothes, minimal medical supplies and water to name a few things.
4. A small first aid kit that includes band aids, antibacterial cream, bug repellent, aspirin and any other prescriptions that you may need while you are gone.
5. A tent if you are roughing it. Also if you are tent camping, of course you will include a sleeping bag, pillow, and items to light your campfire. These bigger things will fit very nicely on top of the car in your Yakima Skybox cargo storage unit so you need not stress about the kids fighting for space in the backseat of the vehicle.
6. A totally charged mobile phone and maybe a good handheld gps device if you will be hiking in low populated parts of the woods.
7. Any maps that cover the area that you will be walking in. You might also think about bringing a compass if you want to do it the old fashioned way without today’s technologically advanced gps systems.
8. Depending on what you like to do, bring all your fishing gear, hunting equipment, swimsuits, the blow up raft…you name it. Bring those items that will keep you, the children and the family pet happy. Hint…don’t forget the dog meals if you are bringing the family pet along.
begin getting your camping list together that includes all of the things that are critical to you and your family. Before you know it, it will be time to pack up the kids, the vehicle and the Yakima Skybox 21 atop your truck and off you go. We hope that this information will get you started and that you have many wonderful hiking adventures ahead of you.
