InMetroDetroit's Camping Tips

1

 Plan your trip in advance.  Give yourself at least a couple of months if your a
 newbie.  Seasoned veterans know when to plan and do so by experience.  Scout out your  travel options and the date and times you are available to camp.  
   

2

 Reserve your site early and have a backup date if the first option is full.  Keep in
 mind that GM workers have the last week of June and the first week of July off. 
 Write down the confirmation number for your reservation and put it in a secure place. 

3

 Print off the camping checklist and purchase needed items before you leave. 
 
Mark off the checklist as you load your vehicle.  Once you are at the campsite, the last  thing you want to do is make trips to a store.  In some cases, this could be a lengthy trip.

4

 Ensure that everything is in working order.  Don't wait until you are at the campsite to 
 find out your tent is missing a shock cord or your mattress has a hole in it.

5

 Take a vacumn cannister to quickly inflate and deflate an air mattress. Take the  hose and place in the rear exhaust to inflate and reverse it to deflate.  

6  Call the Campground the day before you leave to confirm your reservation during
 the busy summer period.
I have had my reservation lost more than once. 
 Ask if they pre-assign sites.  If they do, ask for a site you've stayed at before or ask
 for the back of the campground.  Generally, this is a safe bet.

7  Once you arrive, ask if you can drive through the campground to choose a site. 
 
During peak times, sites are preassigned so that will not be an option.

8  Put your tent or camper on level ground away from the fire pit.  Put the entire tent  up as designed. This includes all stakes and tie-downs.  Don't wait until the wind blows the  tent down or you get caught in a rain storm..

9  Bring your bikes if you have them. It is so convenient to jump on your bike to go
 down to the beach or to the store.  Also, sometimes the restrooms are quite a distance  away and a bike comes in handy.
10  Put your food away.  Michigan has numerous critters especially raccoons,  
 squirrels, and bears in the Upper Peninsula.   


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