Friday, July 11, 2003

Camping is easy in Georgia's state parks

Summer marks the beginning of camping season, when stores begin displaying the latest tent styles and families being pulling out hiking boots and fishing gear. Spending a weekend or even a week at a state park is an inexpensive way to spend quality time with your children, teaching them to love nature and forget television. Also, children often appreciate the small things that go unnoticed by adults, such as the colors in a butterfly wing, a chorus of frogs or the babble of a mountain stream.

If your family has never camped before, you can build excitement for the trip by holding a backyard try-out. The whole family can learn how to pitch a tent, layout sleeping bags and light the camp stove. Not sure you want to invest in camping equipment? Try renting gear from Geared To Go in Atlanta or other outfitters, or reserve a small camper through Cruise America or an RV dealer.

Because summer is the busy season for camping, visitors should make reservations early at Georgia's state parks. To learn about the 41 state parks with campgrounds, visit www.gastateparks.org or call 1-800-864-7275.

Here are some camping tips from Georgia's state parks

Dogs are welcome in campgrounds as long as they are kept on a leash and accompanied by their owners at all times.

Old plastic shower curtains make good ground cloths for your tent. The edges should not stick out further than the tent because they could trap rainwater.

Invest in a good sleeping pad, or at the least, put an exercise mat under your sleeping bag.

Block ice lasts longer than bagged ice. Make your own at home by filling milk jugs or water bottles. The less you open the cooler, the longer the ice will last.

Never hang lanterns on trees because the heat can cause serious harm.

Pack a small plastic bucket for dishwashing and never use the bathhouse sink for this task. Georgia's state parks provide "gray water pits" for used dishwater.

Hungry critters can be very clever and destructive. Keep food locked in vehicles or tied up in trees.

Freeze chili, soups and stews in ziplock bags, then heat them after they thaw. The frozen bags help keep ice from melting in the cooler. Rice and pasta can also be cooked ahead of time and reheated on a camp stove.

Pita pockets keep their shape better than loaf bread.

Disposable water bottles make great dispensers for salad dressings and sauces.

Laundry lint makes good fire tender, and smaller fires affect air quality less than raging bonfires. Completely extinguish the fire before you go to bed or leave the campsite.

Encourage children to keep a sketch journal filled with drawings of things they find. Journals make wonderful keepsakes.

Teach children to respect nature by not picking flowers or leaving trash on trails. "Leave No Trace."

Don't forget a first aid kit with tweezers, band-aids, moleskin (for blistered feet) and aspirin.