The hubs and I will be going on our first camping trip together starting Friday. This will be my first camping trip since I was about six and to say I am nervous, but excited would be an understatement. We are starting out simple with what they call "car camping". This is where you simply pull your car up to the camp site, hitch your tent, and enjoy. There will be a bathroom station with flushing toilets (apparently this is a big deal?), cold running water, and something else that seems quite expected but I cannot remember.

We have invested in a super nice tent, an air mattress, queen sized sleeping bag, lanterns that turn into flashlights, a semi bear-proof cooler that keeps ice frozen for 24-hours in 100 degree weather (whhhaaatt?! awesome), camp cookware, fire starter, a First Aid kit, and emergency food- because this one gets hangry. Something the husband has also found for me is a pretty conclusive and easy to understand how-to on camping. This web series on How Cast is done by Heather Menicucci, author of Let's Get Primitive: The Urban Girl's Guide to Camping.

Heather gives packing lists, first time camper tips, backpacking tips, and lists on what to avoid. She also ads nice things like How to Camp, How to Pick a Camp Location, how not to sleep, and what to avoid. It is awesome. This quick web series will help those who have camped before but maybe it did not go so well, those who want to expand there camping knowledge, and those who consider camping a 2-star hotel.

So, when was the last time you went camping? Also, how important do you think bear spray is in the Smokey Mountains?