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Lets face it, if you have ever been camping in the dead of the summer, in a tent, then you know how hot it can be to sleep at night. Yes camping is great fun but, when it is 90 degrees outside at night, it can be hard to sleep with the humidity and the heat. Thankfully there is an alternative to the sweltering sleepless nights. Now you can get air conditioning for camping in a tent.

There are many tents that offer great ventilation, where the tent has many windows; to allow the air to flow freely through the unit. This works well if there is a breeze to cool things off but, what if the air is still and it is humid? Cooling the tent, to make the night comfortable is a breeze. There are many compact air conditioners that can cool the tent for hours, allowing you to have a relaxing nights sleep.

Many have an attractive compact design, which offers a whisper quiet fan with low power usage for an economical alternative to many portable air conditioners; that can cost hundreds of dollars. Some brands are portable such as the KoolerAire, with its 12-volt air conditioner that is not tied down with hoses, pumps or pads. This type of air conditioning for tent camping is very inexpensive making it affordable for most any camper.

When challenged with the task to beat the heat while tent camping, you have two options: evaporating cooling systems and air conditioning units. Most air conditioners for tent camping, remove moisture which is a common choice in the areas of the country that have a high humidity. A refrigerant model will cool room temperature in a tent by 30 to 40 degrees. When cooling a tent, you will want to follow a common rule of thumb: one ton of cooling (or 12,000 BTU) for every 25 to 150 square feet of space.

Here are some other factors that you may want to consider when making your choice for a tent camping air conditioner, in addition to the square footage of the tent to be cooled: where will the tent be placed, what time of year will you be camping and what time of the day will you be spending in the tent. For example, if you are camping in the middle of August on an asphalt parking lot, in between two buildings, you will need more cooling units then if you were camping on a grassy clearing in the evening in May. Full stand up tents can make a difference, as well as there is more room to cool, verses the tents that are shorter.

The second option for air conditioners for tent camping is the Evaporative cooling systems, which blow out a cool mist that will evaporate when it hits hot skin. These type of cooling units use ice to cool the air and they can put out more air then the typical air conditioners at a distance of 60 to 80 feet. This alone makes this a very cost effective unit to have. They are very inexpensive to use as they require less units to cool an area. These types of air conditioners can lower the room temperature, at best, down 10 to 15 degrees.

Camping in tent is a great way to get back to basics, but you dont have to suffer in the heat as well. Investing in an inexpensive air conditioner can make a world of difference for you and your family when camping. Just imagine being able to go back to the nice cooled off tent after a day of hiking and playing in the great out doors. You will feel more refreshed after a good night sleep and be ready to take on the next adventure.

Warren L. Smith offers a fountain of information on such tents as: popup tents and campers, family tents, party tents, and even trailer tents. For the best up to date information on all essential tents for camping, go to http://www.tentsandmoreonline.com/

If you’re looking for that profoundly serene and peaceful feeling that a “back to nature” camping experience can give, visit Ojo Redondo campground, located in Cibola Natioinal Forest, near the eastern end of the Zuni Mountains in New Mexico. The campground is approximately 25 miles south of Thoreau, New Mexico, but takes about an hour to drive on the sometimes rough, narrow (one lane) and winding roads. The location is very remote and the landscape is absolutely pristine and beautiful.

My wife and I explored Ojo Redondo in November, 2006. We were awestruck by the beauty and variety of landscapes of the area on the way to the campground (from Throeau). Mountains, valleys, canyons, meadows, desert-like/arid vegetation and lush pine forests — it was all there on the way to the campground. It was one of those trips that you want to get out of the car every few minutes to take a picture or just look in amazement at the beautiful views and wonder how life could be so good. The hour long journey to the campground (no stops, we had to be in Alpine, AZ that afternoon) was filled with awe and delight. It seemed like the whole way there, each of us were saying “look at that!,” “isn’t that gorgeous,” “I can’t believe how beautiful this place is,” etc. etc. The trip to the campground was thoroughly enjoyable.

A word of caution, the roads in some places can be rough and wind around sharply in places. We don’t recommend large RVs on this road. But if you do have a large vehicle, call the National Forest office (505-287-8833) and get their recommendation. I can often be overly cautious.

Once at the campground, the scenery is every bit as beautiful as the trip to it. The scenery isn’t as varied, but the landscape is just as pristine and beautiful. Ojo Redondo only has 15 camp sites - most of which look out onto a gorgeous open meadow with a forest of tall majestic pine trees in the background. The campground is strewn with pine needles, pine cones, and small pinkish white quartz rocks and black lava rocks.

Because of the remoteness of the location, the silence here is deep and pervasive and greatly enhances the beauty of the scenery. I had a slight sense of isolation and you should go prepared for an emergency since there are no people anywhere near the campground other than other campers (on the day we went there weren’t any campers); but the pristine beauty of the area made the experience totally enjoyable. We could have stayed for several days. For campers, there is a tradeoff for being so far away from civilization - there are no amenities other than vault toilets. If a beautiful view is one of your most important criteria for selecting a campground, the tradeoff of hookup and hot showers for remote, pristine beautiful views is worth it.

As we left the campground returning back to Interstate 40, we took a different route that was equally spectacular in its views of the surrounding landscape. As you are leaving the campground, retracing your steps coming in, at a Y intersection that will take you back to Highway 612, instead of turning northwest, turn east toward Milan, New Mexico. The distance is a little shorter this way to Interstate 40.

Camping at or taking a day trip to Ojo Redondo campground is well worth the effort in getting there. I’m sure you will enjoy it. We did.

Happy camping!

Carl Zimmerman is owner and webmaster of Camping with a View, dedicated to finding campgrounds with beautiful views. Visit the New Mexico Campgrounds - Cibola National Forest Campground Reviews page for photos, reviews and more information on Ojo Redondo campground.

There are six campgrounds in Apache National Forest along the East Fork of the Black River - all within a few miles of each other. We visited these campgrounds in late November, 2006. The Black River is more of a stream than a river - but it’s beautiful, remote and pristine. If you’re coming from Alpine, AZ, as you head south on Forest Route 276, the campgrounds are in the following order: Diamond Rock, Aspen, Deer Creek, Raccoon, Horse Springs and Buffalo Crossing.

All six of these campgrounds are in a canyon that starts off narrow with beautiful steep canyon walls. As you pass the fourth campground (Raccoon), the canyon starts to spread out and the canyon walls become less steep. The canyon continues to spread out and the canyon walls continue to taper off and become very shallow at Buffalo Crossing campground with views of an open expansive meadow and the river.

The views from the first four of these campgrounds are very similar. Each of these four campgrounds is small with less than 12 camp sites. As the sun hits the canyon walls, the views are gorgeous and the tall ponderosa pine trees that spread out along the canyon walls are majestic. As you look out between the canyon walls, you’ll see beautiful views of the narrow canyon floor, often dotted with small meadow-like areas and beautiful tall ponderosa pine. Some of the camp sites overlook the river, but river views are obstructed from most of the sites by surrounding trees and vegetation along the river banks.

Most of the camp sites are well separated. Even though many of the camp sites don’t have views of the river, you can still hear the sound of the moving water which enhances the sense of beauty of the area. The overall feeling of the campgrounds is rustic, pristine and beautiful. The only downside to these first four campgrounds is that because the canyon is narrow with steep walls, direct sun light is limited to late morning thru early afternoon. If you prefer more sunlight, try Horse Springs or Buffalo Crossing campgrounds.

Horse Springs is the largest campground of the six with two loops (Polecat and Porcupine). Each loop has several rows of camp sites with one of the rows situated along the river. Camp sites in this campground are a little less secluded and private than those in the other five. Views of the canyon walls are very pretty and several sites have excellent views of the river.

The canyon walls at Buffalo Crossing campground are shallow and the area between the walls is much wider than the other five campgrounds in this area. Some of the sites are in a beautiful open meadow between the canyon walls and some hug the edges of one of the canyon walls forested by tall majestic ponderosa pine. Several of the sites in the meadow have views of the Black River. Because of the open meadow, this campground has lots of sun.

If you like shade, pick a camp site that is along the shallow canyon wall — you’ll still have a view of the meadow. The sites located in the meadow have no shade but are closest to the river. We thought that each of the six campgrounds in this area had beautiful views; but our favorite was Buffalo Crossing because of the wide-open expanse of the beautiful meadow between the canyon walls that allows a lot of sunshine.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Since all six campgrounds are so close together, I recommend that if you visit this area for camping, look at all six. I’m sure you’ll find a camp site that you will think has a beautiful view. We really liked this area and I’m sure you will too.

Happy camping!

Carl Zimmerman is owner and webmaster of Camping with a View, dedicated to finding campgrounds with beautiful views. Visit the section of the site for photos, reviews and more information on campgrounds discussed in this article.

Dedicated to finding campgrounds that have beautiful views of natural settings, I recommend Bog Springs and Lakeview campgrounds located near Tucson, Arizona in Coronado National Forest for their beautiful views of the unique terrain of southeastern Arizona. They’re also great for bird watching and hiking.

Bog Springs Campground

Bog Springs is the only campground in Madera Canyon - a world-class birding area with over 200 species of birds. Hawks, Quail, Doves, Road Runners, Owls, Woodpeckers, Hummingbirds, Jays, Cardinals, Mockingbirds, Thrashers, White-breasted Nuthatches, Bridled Titmice, Ruby-crowned Kinglets and many more bird species can all be seen in the Madera Canyon area. The campground is at an elevation of 5,200 feet and is small (only 13 camp sites). Once the birds arrive in early spring, it fills up fast. Weekdays are best for finding a camp site during the peak bird watching season.

It’s also a great base camp for hiking, biking and stargazing. Three trails leave from the campground to nearby springs and the campground is just a short walk away from Madera Picnic Area, where there is access to a nature trail. Within driving distance are over 65 miles of Forest trails that lead into the Mt. Wrightson Wilderness, a mountain bike ride around spectacular Elephant Head Rock, and three scenic drives, one of which visits the Smithsonian’s Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory.

If you’re not a bird watcher and don’t like to hike, Bog Springs is still a great campground to visit with beautiful views of the Santa Rita Mountains and surrounding desert/arid landscape. The campground is open all year. We visited the campground in Late November (not many birds that time of year). The weather and scenery were gorgeous. Most of the camp sites had beautiful views of the mountains and desert landscape. There were only 2 other campers in the campground at the time. Most of the camp sites are shaded and well spaced with boulders, trees and other vegetation providing good separation between sites. Some of the sites are terraced which also provides separation. The campground has a rustic feel but is very easy to get to with paved roads almost all the way to the entrance.

Getting to the campground is easy. From Tuscon, go toward Green Valley (about 25 miles). Off Interstate 19, take the Continental Road/Madera Canyon Exit. Turn east and follow the Madera Canyon signs 12.5 miles to the campground.

For more information on this campground, call the District National Forest office at 520-281-2296.

Lakeview Campground

Lakeview campground is located on a hill overlooking Parker Canyon Lake. Many of the campsites are well shaded and are spread among a stand of oaks and junipers. Although the campground is just a short walk to the lakeshore, only the tent sites have views of the beautiful clear waters of Parker Canyon Lake.

Lakeview Campground is more remote and less accessible than other campgrounds which is a plus if you don’t like crowds. There is a five mile trail hugging the shoreline that leads around Parker Canyon Lake. The lake is great for watching ducks and other waterfowl as well as bald eagles, osprey and even hummingbirds in season. The trail has several viewing areas with benches and interpretive signs.

Parker Canyon Lake is also great for fishing. It offers both cold and warm water species, including stocked rainbow trout and resident bass, sunfish, and catfish. There is a fishing pier and a paved boat ramp at the lake. There is also a small concessionaire-operated store at the lakeshore for boating, fishing and other supplies.

Getting there from Tucson isn’t quite as easy as Bog Springs. A good bit of the access roads are not paved. From Tucson, travel east on Interstate 10 to State Route 83 (exit 281) and turn south 50 miles through Sonoita to Parker Canyon Lake.

For more information on Lakeview campground call the District National Forest office at 520-378-0311.
If you like bird watching, hiking, fishing or boating and appreciate beautiful views from your camp site, try Bog Springs or Lakeview campgrounds.

Carl Zimmerman is owner and webmaster of Camping with a View, dedicated to finding campgrounds with beautiful views. Visit the Arizona Campgrounds - Coronado National Forest Campground Reviews page for photos, reviews and more information on Bog Springs and Lakeview campgrounds.

Have you ever wanted to go camping with views of a beautiful natural setting but also be able to eat at a nice restaurant, go shopping and maybe even do a little golfing? Then try camping at Squaw Creek campground. It’s only a six minute drive from a major shopping district of Marion Iowa (a suburb of Cedar Rapids) and has beautiful views of natural restored prairies and meadows. We go to this campground to “get away from it all” as well as to shop, eat out and maybe take in a movie.

The views of the meadows and prairie landscape from most of the camp sites are gorgeous, especially in the fall. The campground is well maintained and most sites are fairly spacious with good separation between sites and shaded by trees. Many of the sites can accommodate RVs of all sizes. Campsites are located in two loops (A and B). Loop B has the best views with 47 electrical campsites. Each site in this loop has its own gravel pad, water hookup, 50 amp electrical service, a fire ring, and a picnic table. Flush restrooms are located in the campground, and a sanitary dumping station is located nearby. Showers are not available.

The campground is located in Squaw Creek Park. This 663-acre park has a lot to offer besides camping. The four mile long Squaw Creek Trail is very popular, winding through the park through both wooded and open meadow/prairie areas. Walking through the park is especially enjoyable in the fall as the leaves are turning. The colors are beautiful.

If you like to golf, then go to Squaw Creek Golf Course (renamed Donald K. Gardner Golf Course) adjacent to the park. This 18-hole championship course offers golfers a wide variety of holes. This course is very challenging for the advanced player offering length, hazards, and trees. Yet, it is still very enjoyable to play for those of average ability.

A major shopping district is only a 6 minute drive from the campground with many restaurants, movie theatres and shopping malls. We like to shop, eat out and maybe see a movie. But we also like to come back to the campground at the end of the day to once again “get away from it all” and enjoy the natural beauty of Iowa’s prairie landscape as it must have existed many years ago, before shopping malls!

Marion County is adjacent to the city of Cedar Rapids which offers additional attractions including art museums, an I-max theatre, and a large public library all of which we have visited and enjoyed on our many trips here. A visit to Czech Village (in Cedar Rapids) makes for a very interesting and fun day. The Czech Village highlights the history of the many immigrants of Czech, Moravian and Slovakian ancestry that gravitated to the Cedar Rapids area around the turn of the Twentieth Century. Places of interest include the Sykora Bakery, Zindricks Czech Restaurant, the Poleha Meat market, and the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library.

If you’re like us and occasionally like to get away from it all - but not too far way, then come to Squaw Creek campground. You’ll get that beautiful “back to nature” experience as well as the opportunity to explore the Cedar Rapids/Marion area in Eastern Iowa.

Carl Zimmerman is owner and webmaster of Camping with a View, dedicated to finding campgrounds with beautiful views. Visit the Iowa Campground Reviews page for more information on Squaw Creek campground.

I have very fond childhood memories of adventuring out into nature with my sleeping bag. For me nature was really only a tent in the backyard, or perhaps visiting a friend for a sleepover, but there was something about using a sleeping bag that just made it seem so much more exciting. I didn’t have anything fancy as a sleeping bag - just a rectangular, navy blue sack that was really only warm enough for hot summer nights or sleeping indoors. Still it made the experience so much more special.

Technology has well and truly caught up with the simple sleeping bag, delivering a variety of choice that can leave you feeling completely confused when you go to buy one. There are strange shapes designed to keep you warm in the coldest of conditions, specialized fibers that can squeeze down to almost nothing for carrying in a pack, and for kids there are a multitude of cool character designs to choose from.

How Do I Choose a Sleeping Bag?

If you plan to do some camping, then you need to buy a sleeping bag. Perhaps you don’t want one with a cartoon character on it, but you do need one that will keep you warm if it’s cold and put a barrier between you and the night critters when it’s a bit warmer. The first thing you need to do is decide what sort of conditions you plan to be camping in. Is it likely to be very cold? Or do you mostly camp in summer?

Having a basic idea of the temperatures you expect to camp in helps make it easier to narrow down your sleeping bag choices. You don’t need a sleeping bag that’s appropriate for sub zero temperatures if you only camp in summer, for example. And if you do plan to camp in freezing cold conditions, you might be better off with a shaped bag that fits close to your body and traps the warmth, rather than a traditional rectangular bag.

Sleeping Bag Materials

Sleeping bags are made from a variety of materials and contain different sorts of fill, and that’s what makes each one different. So check out the recommended temperatures for each bag, because that will give you a much better idea of whether or not it’s right for your camping conditions. The fill also makes a difference to how heavy the bag is to carry, and how much you can compress it.

It’s important to know whether you’re likely to drive to most of your campsites, or whether you will be carrying your sleeping bag in your pack. This will help to narrow down your choices, as size and weight are a lot more important if you’re going to be carrying the bag for long distances on your back.

Spend some time looking around before you make your final choice. Sporting goods and outdoor stores are usually the best places to see a wide variety of sleeping designs, styles and brands. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, because many of the staff at these types of stores are likely to be campers themselves, and can give you recommendations based on their own experiences.

It can also be a good idea to shop online for sleeping bags. Most stores can only carry a limited range of stock, whereas online you can see every single type of sleeping bag imaginable. Go to manufacturer sites for technical information, and also check out a few customer review sites to see what other people have to say about any sleeping bags you’re thinking of buying.

Steve Dolan is an avid camper and backpacker who likes to get into the outdoors. Find out more at Sleeping Bags and for your hiking needs visit Walking and Hiking

If you are planning to go on a camping trip, you will want to make sure that you take along all the appropriate camping gear you will need. Forgetting an essential piece of camping gear can lead to a miserable and even disastrous camping trip. The following are some essential gear that you need to be sure to pack for a great camping trip.

#1 - Sleeping Bag - One of the most important pieces of camping gear that you will need is a sleeping bag. Sleep is a very important part of your trip and you will want to be sure that you do not end up sleeping on the cold ground with the bugs and other crawling things. Before you leave on your trip, be sure that you check the sleeping bag off your essential pieces of gear.

#2 - Food - Unless you want to go hungry or scrounge for food on your camping trip, you better remember to pack the food you are going to eat. Make sure you take food that will not need to be refrigerated and will provide you with plenty of energy on your camping trip.

#3 - Water - Water is another essential piece of camping gear that you will need on any camping expedition. Remember that it is always unsafe to drink out of rivers and streams, so you need to be sure that you bring your own water along. Humans need water to survive, so if you want to survive your camping trip without having stop for a trip home or to a store, be sure that you have the water you need.

#4 - Tent - When you go camping, you never know what kind of weather may be coming your way. It is always important to have a tent with you so you can have protection against any weather that you run into. There are different sizes and styles of tents that you can choose from, depending on your needs, but make sure that you have one along.

#5 - Flashlight - At least part of the time that you are camping, you will be in the dark, and more than likely there will be no electricity readily available. While a campfire will provide some light, you may need light in your tent or if you have to go off into the woods after dark. Make sure that you take a durable flashlight that will withstand the rain, and you may even want to pack extra batteries just in case you need them.

#6 - First Aid Kit - Before you go out into the wild, you need to make sure that you are prepared for anything that can happen, and you never know when an accident can happen when you are camping. Be sure that you take a first aid kit with you in case anyone gets scratched, cut, or seriously injured. While it is best to prevent accidents from happening, it is always wise to be prepared.

#7 - Knife - Another very important piece of camping gear to take with you is a good knife. Knives are very versatile and can be used for a variety of things like cutting food, opening packages, or even filleting fish if you decide to go fishing.

These are just a few essential items that you should take along with you as part of your camping gear. While there are many other things that you may want to take along, make sure that you put these seven things at the top of your list!

Visit Thompson Outdoors for all the camping gear you need: Slumberjack Sleeping Bags, Cold Steel Knives, and more.