Camping – Extreme Adventure, Extreme Survival

If you’re looking for a camping expedition with a difference, take some tips from the born survivor – Bear Grylls.

Extreme Camping – Watch out for the Bear

It’s not everyday you have to know how to go camping in the Costa Rican jungle with nothing but a water bottle and a knife (and erm, a camera crew) to keep you company. But anyone who has seen Bear Gryll’s Channel Four show, Born Survivor, will probably feel they could cope with any hardships a camping holiday threw their way. Although you might be over-estimating the trials faced on the typical British camping holiday – cow pats, scrabbling to the loos at midnight, forgetting to leave the mallet at home for the tent pegs, running out of tea bags….but even if you are just camping in the back garden and not in a hostile, remote, danger zone, surely knowing how to climb coconut trees, survive snake bites or abseil down waterfalls is fun, if not always useful, survival knowledge.

Grrrrrrr…..Bear’s Survival skills

Sat in the comfort of your living room, glass of pinot noir in hand, watching a TV show that tells you what insects you can eat to survive on in the rainforest might not be completely necessary. But if you’re planning a camping trip and run out of Doritos, who knows? When you’re camping in the great outdoors, the fact that termite poo keeps mosquitoes away could save your skin (if make you unpopular with your neighbouring campers). Bear Grylls has survived on mountains, on deserted islands, in tropical rainforests…and just with a knife and water bottle. When he’s camping in the outdoors, he makes his shelter from tree bark. And if you’re camping in extreme places, you should take note of Bear’s survival tips.

Camping Rules

Bear is a born survivor and when he’s camping in extreme environments he always follows a few simple camping rules:

• Make sure you’ve told someone where you are going and when you will be back so they know to get help if you don’t return on time.
• Do your research – find out about the area you’ll be camping in, know what’s edible and what’s poisonous and what dangerous insects or animals are indigenous to the land.
• Check the weather forecast before you go camping so you are prepared for whatever is thrown your way.
• Pack your camping gear according to the environment – For example, if it’s damp make sure you have a waterproof lighter and waterproof gear.
• Put common sense first – don’t meander on if you are lost, get your bearings first and make sure you visualise landmarks as you go. If you are hungry, focus on finding food before moving on.
• Think positively – if you’re caught out camping in a remote, hostile environment all the great survival stories show it’s the people who have hope and positive thinking that push themselves forward.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/campingholidays/7811133/Camping-tips-packing-and-pitching.html