As Summer approaches, camping trips are picking up. They are a great way to get away from it all and forget about the hustle and bustle of ordinary life for a while. There’s something about living with a reduced set of possessions in a minimally protective shelter that makes camping magical. If you’re new to camping, this coming weekend is the National Wildlife Federation’s Great American Backyard Campout.

Since you can’t bring everything though, some thoughtful preparation is in order. Here are 11 graphics about camping to help you get prepped.

1. The Adventure Checklist isn’t really an infographic, but it is so useful we had to include it.

2. This short piece on the Anatomy of a Picnic also provides a checklist of sorts, although it may be a bit luxurious for many camping trips.

3. All the gear associated with camping today was used in the past too, but as Then/Now shows, the gear has evolved over time.

4. The History of Camping also does a great job of showing how camping has changed in our culture over the years.

5. Pure Michigan Camping covers some details about camping in Michigan, but no matter where you are, camping is a fairly similar experience.

6. Almost everywhere you camp in North America, mosquitos will follow. Are You A Mosquito Magnet? touches on some of the issues around that obnoxious insect.

7. If you happen to be in some of the drier climates, you probably won’t have problems with mosquitos, but cacti might be a problem. Removal of Cactus Spines is here to help if you have an unfortunate encounter with the armored plants.

8. If you’re going camping, you’ll need a routine of some kind to make sure the chores get done. The Tent Commandments help outline that routine.

There’s this whole other side to camping that slides in when the sun goes down—call it the “quiet middle,” I guess. It’s the cup of tea in your hands or the sound of critters rustling under the trees, the time when everything slows down just enough to let your brain catch up. I’d argue some of the best conversations I’ve ever had happened right outside a zipped tent while someone tried (and, let’s be honest, usually failed) to light another match for a stubborn campfire. Bonds sneak up on you in the dark; you just don’t notice it happening at first.

Getting along with campsite neighbors is its own beast. As much as you want that remote, untouched spot by the lake, odds are you’ll wind up a dozen feet away from the next group and their never-ending loop of classic rock. Sharing space in the outdoors means learning a tiny bit of patience—and practicing a lot of volume control. Funny enough, even the guy with the blaring portable speaker quiets down when you offer him a s’more. There’s some unspoken camping etiquette at play, and the little gestures seem to smooth out rough edges almost every time.

9. One common activity for campers is hiking. Thanks to some generous volunteers credited in All You Need To Know About Summit Corps, there are a few more trails for that.

10. Choosing and using a backpack correctly are both important parts of hiking, and How to Choose & Use a Backpack will help you do just that.

11. Last, but definitely not least, S’mores are an essential part of any camping expedition. Getting them just right is something that takes practice and the right conditions. The Art and Science of S’mores will help with that process, but luckily even the failed experiments are still delicious!

 
Drew Skau is Visualization Architect at Visual.ly, and a camping PhD Computer Science Visualization student at UNCC, with an undergraduate degree in Architecture.

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