If you’re planning a camping trip, you are certainly not alone. After all, more and more people are going camping than ever, especially among the Millennial and Gen X generations. As a matter of fact, members of these two generations combined actually make up well over half of all campers. Millennial campers alone even account for up to 40% of the camping population. And in addition to who’s going camping, various people go camping for many different reasons as well.

A love of the outdoors is, of course, a common reason to take up camping as a hobby – or even as a once in awhile thing. As a matter of fact, it was a love of the outdoors that made up to 50% of all campers want to first try out camping. Unfortunately, it can be all too easy to forget how beautiful nature really is, especially throughout the course of our busy day to day lives. For many people, going camping is something that helps them to reconnect with this beauty, and with an appreciation for the larger world all around them.

For other people, the primary reason to take a camping trip involves reconnecting with loved ones and friends as well as getting away from the stress of everyday life. Simply having an excuse to put aside work and many of the forms of technology that we have become accustomed to can be a beautiful thing, and is something that we should all strive to do at least every once in a while. For many people, this can be hard to do in the course of everyday life. However, going camping provides a valid reason to do just that, something that can make it far easier.

But before you actually go camping, there are a number of things to keep in mind. For instance, you’ll want to make sure that you have packed well. Having enough food and water is a must, of course, as too is packing enough clothing – and clothing that is appropriate for all kinds of weather. Packing sparsely is good, especially if you’ll be hiking, but you don’t want to skimp on what you pack, as even having the right clothing for the weather is something that can make or break your overall camping experience and enjoyment in it.

Packing enough for your various activities is also ideal. For instance, if you go hiking you’ll likely want to have a large water bottle, as staying hydrated is essential for any and all physical activity. In addition to this, many campers will also choose to go fishing. For fishing participants, something like a hard sided cooler is ideal. Fortunately, the hard sided cooler comes in many forms, making the hard sided cooler easily and readily accessible to all people who are interested in fishing, either while on camping or otherwise. After all, the hard sided cooler is perfect as a live bait cooler. And as any fisherman knows, live bait coolers (often in the form of the hard sided cooler) are quite essential indeed for many a successful fishing endeavor.

Of course, the hard sided cooler can be used to store food and drinks as well, perfect for those who are perhaps only camping a night or two. In addition to the hard sided cooler are soft sided coolers, which can be used for many of the same purposes. And insulated tumblers are great too, as such tumblers can keep both hot and cold drinks and liquids at their desired temperatures. Therefore, it is important to plan out your eating schedule in advance – and to base it around the weather. It’s certainly likely that you won’t a hot beverage if you go camping during the summer season.

You’ll need to pick your lodgings as well, of course. Tents are an obvious choice, so much so that more than half of all new campers choose to stay in a tent. But tents aren’t the only option and cabins and RVs make up other popular lodging options. Of course, tents will be the most cost effective. Many people also feel that they will allow for the most authentic camping experience, which is important to many.