1. Refrigerated dough — you know the stuff. It comes in several varieties and they all taste good when cooked on a stick over a campfire. The biscuit dough goes nicely with your Dinty Moore stew and you can't beat the Cinnamon Rolls dough in the morning with your coffee. Chocolate Chip Cookie dough falls off the stick.
2. Reserve your site online — http://www.reserveamerica.com allows you to reserve the good sites up to seven months in advance. Many state parks are site specific so if you camp regularly at a park, take a drive with the campground map before you leave so you get the best sites next time.
3. Get a big tent — It is worth a lot to not be crawling around on the floor trying to put on your shoes. Be able to stand up. Don’t forget to put a tarp under your tent to prevent stick and stones from hurting your tent.
4. Bring a chair or two — Put one in your tent or right outside for those shoes. Don’t get the wimpy chairs that fold up and collapse on you. Director’s chair often support more weight and are more comfortable.
5. Indoor-Outdoor carpet — Go get a remnant or a big piece and cut it to size. Useful places to put it include right outside your tent to keep some of the dirt out of your tent and inside the tent. I know one bear couple who have an oriental rug for inside their tent. At the very least use a door mat and bring a broom to sweep out before you pack up.
6. Get a decent air mattress (or two) — They make some pretty good air mattresses these days. You can get a double high or stack two on top of each other to make it easier to get out of bed. Aerobed makes a pretty nice mattress but will only use their special pump. It is nice to have an alternate way to pump it up if the pump fails (speaking from experience)
7. Top off the air mattress before you go to sleep - The mattress will stretch after it is first filled and the extra air will make you more comfortable.
8. Space Blankets — If it is going to get cold, one of these under your mattress will help keep you warmer. A blanket under you as well as over you will also keep you toasty.
9. Bring a real pillow — Those camping pillows aren’t man enough!
10. Really - refrigerated dough!
Bear Campers
