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camping tips

How to Look Good While Camping
beauty tips

How to Rough It and Still Look Red-Carpet Ready

I love to camp.
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I love to camp. And I am, for the most part, pretty OK with whatever the wilderness throws at me. Not the case with everyone — including a few friends of mine who sometimes join me in the outdoor fun. I've learned from them that newbie campers have the most trouble with sleeping outside and abandoning their normal beauty and hygiene regimen. If you know someone like this — or if this is you! — here are a few essentials to make sure that you get a good night's rest and also look your absolute best (without seeming like a princess).

Source: Thinkstock

A Good Night's Rest A Little Glamour So Fresh, So Clean No Laundry? No Problem! Get Rid of Greasy Hair
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Tips on Reserving a Campsite
summer

How to Make Sure You Score Yourself a Campsite

Once Memorial Day hits, it can be hard to get a campsite at many national parks.
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Once Memorial Day hits, it can be hard to get a campsite at many national parks. Trust me, I had a bit of a freak-out trying to get a site for my friends and me in Yosemite last weekend. Because we go there so much during the off-season when you can just show up and find space, it's easy to forget that this is not the case in the Summer. In the end I was successful and we had an awesome time, but it wasn't without a little work. Here are some tips on getting a site if you're planning on camping this season.

  • Book as early as possible. If you can plan ahead, book your campsite(s) as far in advance as possible. I know a few people that book for the Summer four months in advance — this is especially true of any long holiday weekend. The best resource I've found for national park and campsite reservation information is the National Park Service website. Besides making it really easy to book a site, the NPS site gives a great overview of all the national parks.
  • If you can't get a reservation, keep trying. When I found out that the 400 Yosemite tent campsites that allowed reservations were fully booked, I was stressed but I didn't give up. I kept going onto the reservation system (once every few hours) to double-check in hopes that someone would cancel. In the two days leading up to the weekend a handful of camping sites were released on the site due to cancellations.

See more tips on booking a site when you read more

Hiking Dos and Don'ts and Tips
Fitness

A Hiking Code of Conduct: Basic Tips When on the Trail

I know a lot of you are probably thinking about going on a hike this weekend.
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I know a lot of you are probably thinking about going on a hike this weekend. It's a great way to spend the Memorial Day holiday with friends — heck, even hiking alone can be a good time! My favorite rewards for going on a hike are the breathtaking views, and since there are often challenging climbs, it makes for a great workout — an hour of hiking can burn 355 calories! After filling your pack with essentials, review these hiking dos and don'ts before heading out onto the trail.

DO
DON'T
  • Do your best to hike with friends. It's much safer than hiking alone, and more fun too!
  • Research the trail and area before heading out so you know what to expect.
  • Make sure to pack snacks, water, a cell phone, and a map or GPS device. Also bring along rain gear, extra layers, and your ID.
  • Tell people where you'll be. If anything happens to you, you want people to know where to look.
  • Always stick to the trail. It keeps you and the natural habitat safe.
  • If you need to go "number one," do so far away from the trail and any natural water sources. If you need to go "number two," dig a hole first and cover it when you are done. Carry toilet paper with you, or use a leaf to wipe — just make sure it's not poisonous!
  • Don't wear new hiking boots on an epic hike. You will end up with painful blisters.
  • Don't disturb animals or their homes. Be a quiet observer and take a few pics if you want.
  • Don't pick flowers or other plants.
  • Don't blare loud music or talk too loudly. Fellow hikers come to enjoy the quietness of nature so be respectful. (Unless of course you encounter a bear — then make as much noise as you can!)
  • Don't litter. Pack a small garbage bag so you can keep track of your trash and pick up after other messy hikers.
  • Don't stay on a trail that is too difficult for you. It's more than OK to turn around.

How to Remember Photo Details: Record Description of Photo in Notebook to Use For Reference
photography

Give Yourself a Photographic Memory

I probably go camping two weekends out of every month, and like a lot of people I like to take photos of any adventure I'm on.
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I probably go camping two weekends out of every month, and like a lot of people I like to take photos of any adventure I'm on. As I've gotten a little better with my photography skills (but mostly remembering to bring my camera with me on hikes), the amount of photos I've taken has increased. Photos in the great outdoors can be tricky though because it's often hard to differentiate where you might have been. In urban environments there are usually iconic landmarks to tip you off, but without something like Half Dome in your frame, waterfalls, forests, and rivers start to look the same.

To make things easier on my memory I've taken a tip from my photojournalist friend and now keep a notebook on me while out hiking. I use the number assigned to the photo by my camera and write down any important details I might want to remember about the shot. That way when I get home and go through my pics I can easily figure out the details from the notes I've taken. Now I know for certain that pic "0092" is a shot of Vernal Falls, not Nevada Falls, and that my legs were burning like crazy by this time in the hike!