If you're a seasoned camper, you already know the basics of camping. And... there are many different kinds of camping. These are some general tips - take what applies to how you camp and take the rest into consideration. Make sure that you read and follow the guidelines of the campground where you are staying and be extra cautious with fire, especially in areas where wildfires are a problem. Some states do not allow open campfires, so make sure you read and follow the posted guidelines and campground rules.

• When setting up your tent, select a spot that is relatively smooth with protection from the wind, if possible. Pitch your tent with the back to the prevailing wind.
• Make sure you pitch your tent a safe distance away from rivers or gullies, as these can flood easily in a heavy rain. Also avoid pitching a tent in even a shallow depression, to avoid water pooling.
• Ropes shrink when wet. This can cause your tent to rip in a storm. Ropes should be loosened at the first sign of a storm.
• Bring a tarp to put up for use as a "porch". This will shelter you from sun and rain while eating and cooking.
• Build your fire pit in a safe area, away from your tent, low hanging branches, and debris that may catch fire.
• Make a doormat out of a large piece of cardboard or plywood. Remove your shoes before entering your tent to keep the tent floor clean.
• At night, cover your food well to avoid nighttime visits from animals. If possible, keep it in the car. You can also hang it out of reach. Never store food in your tent. (Some campgrounds, such as Yosemite, have "bear lockers" and require you to put your food in these lockers. Check the campground requirements and follow them).
• Never, ever feed wild animals! Ever!
• Bring more drinking water than you think you'll need. Increased activity and longer exposure to the sun is a recipe for dehydration.
• Choose weather-appropriate sleeping bags. You may not need a down sleeping bag if you're camping in July.

Prometheus Award

Happy Camper Award - person with the best attitude

Limburger Award - smelliest feet, tent etc.

Martha Stewart Award - there’s one in every group: “Let’s make an ornament out of this pine cone!”

Pristine Camper Award - for that one person who somehow looks like they’ve been able to shower and find a curling iron while they were camping

At One With Nature Award - just what it sounds like- the one who couldn’t get enough of hiking, swimming, and generally soaking up Mother Nature

Songbird Award - the one who was always singing a camp song and trying to get everyone else to sing, too

The Players:It requires at least 7 players to play including the host; two players play the mafioso and  detective the rest are citizens (note that at the minimum players the game will only last two rounds, which can still be fun). If there are more players: for every three citizens beyond four add a mafioso, then a detective and so on.

Objective of the Game

The objective of the is to eliminate the opposing faction. As a mafioso it is to kill all remaining opponents down to one. As citizen it is to survive and eliminate the mafioso, and as detectives it is to help the citizens eliminate the mafia.

How to Play

First, by lot, the host chooses who will play the role of mafioso and detective. The game then proceeds in several three stage rounds. The first stage of a round is the mafia stage where everyone closes their eyes and the host asks the mafia members and only the mafia members to open their eyes. At which point they silently confer and choose a person to eliminate. Making note of who they've chosen the host then has the mafia close their eyes, and, starting stage two, asks the detectives to open theirs. The detectives then confer silently and select a person they think is a mafioso; the host silently signals yes or no. Having been informed they close their eyes and, starting stage three, the host asks everyone to open their eyes. The host informs the whole group who has been eliminated and the eliminated person informs the group of their role. The host then initiates and manages some mob justice: two people are accused and brought before the group, often with mafia and detectives subtly manipulating the process. There really is no formal process of choosing; often the impartial host makes sure any nomination is seconded and that if a mafioso has been nominated and seconded that they are brought before the group. The two nominees are given a chance to defend themselves and then a vote is taken, whoever gets the most votes is then eliminated (those eliminated in this way also inform the group of their role). This ends the first round and play continues in the same manner until the victory conditions for either party are met.

The game can be spiced up in several ways. For example instead of mafioso one could play with witches and inquisitors or Bounty Hunters and Bandits. Also, the host can add flair with some appropriate dramatic narrative regarding the deaths and setting.

Rewards of Camping

More and more Americans are discovering that camping is a great way of bringing the family together without the distractions of modern life. It also teaches self-sufficiency in nature and the joys of just relaxing in the bottom of a boat while it drifts across a lake on a sunny summer day. Take away the cell phones, leave the Blackberry at home, nix the portable DVD player and the handheld video games. Instead, make a list of camping activities and give little awards. That includes adults! Some of the best camping times I've ever had were with other adults - we let our hair down, got in touch with our inner child and had the time of our lives.

Your goal may be to get away - you and the family, you and the spouse, you and a few friends - or to have the biggest campout on record with as many family and friends as you can get together in one campground.

Prepare to Camp!

The best camping experience starts with planning. Most state campgrounds fill up fast and the most popular ones, such as Yosemite, are booked within hours of reservation opening. Pick your campgrounds well in advance, find out when reservations open, how you make reservations, and how fast the campground fills up. This is especially essential for holiday weekends, when more people leave home and go camping. Private campgrounds in popular areas also fill up fast - if you can't get into the state campground in a popular area, it may be just as difficult to get into the private campground. If you're going with a group, decide who is going, how many camp sites you'll need and what type (RV or tent) and have 1 or 2 people do the reservations. Most campgrounds also have a cancellation fee, but for a very popular site on a busy weekend, it might be better to have to cancel reservations and pay the fee than to not be able to get the sites you want.

Make sure you understand the location where you're camping. I have a friend who has worked at various camp sites and he tells me people will make reservations for a camp site that's on an island in the middle of a lake and not understand there is no transport for them - and most especially, there is no way to get their 30-foot RV over to the island!

Once you've secured your camp site, you have plenty of time to plan your trip. If you're going to a remote area, you'll need to make sure you have all your food supplies. You don't want to have to drive 4 hours to the nearest store to "pick up a few things." People who camp a lot generally keep a "camp kit" in their garage, items that are always used when camping but never at any other time. Most experienced campers will tell you there are basic items to pack. As far as food items, you need to be careful about food that requires a certain level of refrigeration. Make sure you have an adequate cooler.

Tipi Camping

There's a picture of a tipi because I grew up in Cache Valley, Utah, where there's an annual Mountain Man Rendezvous. I had friends who were members of one the Mountain Man clubs and one summer, I joined them for Rendezvous and slept in their tipi. It was one of the greatest camping experiences I ever had! If you ever get a chance to raise a tipi, do it!

Camp activities and awards

In our opinion, the most important thing to prepare is camp activities, especially for a large group. Assign someone to be in charge of activities and let them pick helpers if they want. If your camp group has a wide range of ages, the activities should be age appropriate. Let the person in charge of ALL the games assign a helper to each age group.

We're going to have an entire section here on camping activities and awards you can assign for activities and games. Please feel free to follow us on Twitter and/or use the contact form and share! We want to know what your family or group had the most fun doing and what worked for specific age groups.

Have a great time camping! We're looking forward to adding more fun information on camp awards!