Camping Tips

1. Know how to fix your tent faster, or else you will spent most of your time on the first day fixing the tent.

2. Make sure to carry all the items required to make a tent. For Example, we have experience of missing the base of the tent. It is very hard to find a shop that will sell tents near the campgrounds.

3. Make a list of items that you will need on your camping trip, and check them off as you pack.

4. Prepare a checklist like the one listed in this website.

5. Bring comfortable clothes and hiking boots.

6. Always bring an additional pair of boots in case your other pair gets wet.

7. Clear the ground of any rocks and twigs before you pitch a tent, and make sure you have not chosen a potential puddle as your tent site.

8. Do not leave food outside of your tent or vehicle, even in a cooler or other container, because animals will find it.

9. Cell Phones mostly do not work at campgrounds, so be prepared to be without cell phone during your stay.

10. Most campsites do not have a clean shower or toilet room, so be prepared to adjust with what is available at the campground.

11. Prepare you favorite Indian curry at home, put in a zip bag and freeze it. Heat and eat it in your campsite. This would be very useful for a quick lunch or dinner on the first day when you are settling down in a new environment.

12. Select the campground that has all the activities of your liking.

Enjoy the outing!

Camping CheckList

Entertainment	Books, Dvd player with Battery, DVD’s, Playing Cards, Batteries, Camera, Cassette player, Cell phone charger, Sand Toys
Groceries	Bell pepper, Bread, Coffee powder & tea, Dosa batter, Dosa pan, Egg, Fish, Idli chutney powder, Lemon, Milk, Noodles, Oil, Onion, Pepper powder, Rice, Salt, Sugar, Water, Chicken, Chilli chicken masala, Corn, Kids Juice, Paper towel, Pickle, Shrimp, Yogurt, Chilli powder, Curry leaves, Pepper powder
Hardware	Air Bed, Bed Charger, Broomstick, Bucket, Can opener, Flash light, Insect repellent, Kerosene, Kids Table and Chair, Picnic Chair, Plastic bags, Propane tank, Shovel, Sleeping bags, Swimming accessories, Table and chair, Table cloth, Tarpaulin, Tent, Trash bag, Grill, Grill tool, Lantern, Skewers, Hammer, Rope, Hammock
Kitchen	Aluminium foil, Cups, Bowls, Big match box, Cooker & weight, Cutting board, Dish washing liquid, Fork, Fry pan & lid, Knife, Plates, Pot for boiling milk, Serving spoon -3, Spoon, Ziploc
Medical	First aid and band aid
Optional	Coconut, Coconut milk, Coriander leaves, Coriander powder, Coriander seed, Frozen vegetable, Garlic, Ginger garlic paste, Jeera, Spice box, Tamarind, Tomato

Benbow Lake SRA (May 2000)

Visit to Benbow lake campground was our first camping and RV trip. So it was fun, adventurous and exciting on both sides. The RV rent was around $1000 for 4 days, and it was worth the money. It took around 8 hours of drive from bay area to reach benbow lake through the winding roads of highway 101. Driving the huge RV (See picture for the length) through the winding roads was additional fun for the driver, but scary for the passengers.

The park consists of about 1,200 acres with 75 campsites and a large day-use picnic area. The campground is open year round and reservations can be made from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. Hiking, swimming, picnicking and camping are popular summer time activities. A couple of trails sample the recreation area, offering some great views of the lake. You can also try swimming or canoeing on the lake.

We reached the campground and successfully parked our RV without any damage to the RV. All the ladies got busy with the cooking, as there were 16 members in the party. Vegetarians and Non-Vegetarians were mixed in the party. This made the cooking very difficult. Ladies spent most of the time cooking. We also setup a volleyball court as it was very spacious campground.

Next day we ventured into the lake. There was very little water in the lake and more rocks that gave a very hard time to walk in the shore. So the lake was not very entertaining. Still the location, environment, experience all were very new, so no one complained. Every time we took the RV to fill up gas, or water, it would be very adventurous. In the night, All of us sat in the campfire and played several games. We also saw a tamil movie in the RV the same night.

Next day, we left the campground, drove the RV through a very narrow winding road to reach the chandelier drive thru trees. Rest of the day , we spent in the near by beach and then started our way back to bay area. The memories of this camping and RV strip will stay for ever.