When it comes to national parks recreation camping, there is more than just bringing a sleeping bag and tent to the great outdoors. The most successful camping trips are well-planned, as it takes quite a bit of effort to survive an evening in our national parks and forests.

You have to be prepared for emergency situations. What if you get lost? Would you know how to survive and find your way back or signal for help? What about encountering wild animals? Would you know what to do if you were faced with an angry bear caught raiding your food at night?

Plan your route before you leave. Collect any useful map you will need for this trip. Road maps, trail maps, and park maps detailing the national park system of the park you'd be visiting.

Be sure that you check the weather forecast before you head out, and then pack accordingly. Try to plan your trip for a time that will be dry: it is simply not as much fun to explore the outdoors if it is raining. Even if rain is not in the forecast, you should still pack your gear with foul weather in mind. Better to have brought too much gear than not enough.

Bring a First Aid Kit. This kit should be equipped with anything that could be useful for any sort of minor injury that could result from camping in our national parks and forests. The kit should include antiseptic, gauze, bandages, insect repellent, sunscreen, pain relievers, tweezers, and a pair of scissors.

Make room for emergency supplies. National parks recreation camping sometimes can take a turn for the worse if you or a member of your group get lost or injured within a national park system.

Take a compass, extra water, flashlight, knife, whistle, high energy food like energy bars, waterproof matches or fire starter fluid, an extra change of warm clothes, and bug spray.

Keep all trash sealed. While camping in one of the country's many national parks and forests, do not leave any trash behind and recycle anything you can. Conversely keep all food sealed and hid away.

Open food while national parks recreation camping is an open invitation to any wildlife to come to your camp to feast. Beware of any animals that come near. Most animals feed at night so if you happen to hear one, a flashlight may ward them off.

Look out for bugs. The biggest hazard you'd most likely face are bugs. Depending are where you're camping, bees and hornets will be attracted to scents such as food, perfume, and dark colored clothing. Gently brush them away if they approach. Swatting will only aggravate them.

Pitch your tent in a nice, safe, dry, flat spot away from the campfire. National parks recreation camping is unpredictable at best. By anticipating the worse, you can avoid many accidents. Look out for a spot to place your tent that doesn't look like water would pool or make the ground muddy if it were to rain. Always use a flame retardant tent in case of stray sparks from the fire.