We see plenty of campers using their own form of a camping journal and the reasons why are many. Camping has a way of making you lose track of time. That’s a wonderful thing but it can be disheartening when you want to remember certain things about a trip or a campground you stayed in. Maybe you want to remember the names of your neighbors or how many miles you drove.

All of this can be accomplished with a dedicated journal. You can use a regular spiral notebook or make it special with a specially designed journal of your choice. We think it’s a great idea and rarely hear of anyone who isn’t glad they picked up the practice.

One camper explained it like this:

“So I am an “Oh look at this!” kind of person. I came across a really neat book at a camping store and I thought of myself (of course).

It was a camping log (or journal if you will).

So many times we have taken trips and said “so how many miles did we actually travel?” Or “what was the name of the campground that we liked so well and said we would go back to?” (or never go back too). Or “Where were we when we took that picture?” and “WHO is it that photo bombed that picture?”

So with this handy little journal, you can log the date, the weather, where you traveled from and to. Wrong turns, detours, etc. Beginning miles, ending miles, and times. You can even log things that you did that day (you know, you’re camping so eat, sleep, eat, sleep, s’more’s).

You can jog notes of things like folks you met and want to keep in touch with, or the expense of things like tolls, camping fees, etc. Everything in one handy spot and small enough to keep in your glove box.

I thought this was so handy that I bought another one to give as a gift to my family members.

We are getting ready to take a road trip and I will let you know how it goes for us. Now all I need to remember is to take it out of the glove box.”

You might like to try jotting down some notes about your camping excursions. It can be a lot of fun to read later on and laugh about your adventures.

Things can get humid in Virginia so we have seen a lot of remedies for keeping camping gear mildew free. Of course, the best action to take is a preventative one in warding off mildew before it gets a chance to take hold. We find the best preventatives of all are sun and air. Mildew is just begging for a dark, moist place to grow and fresh air & sunshine are the superhero elements that can foil its evil plans.

Make sure towels, jackets, and blankets are spread out to dry. If they are bunched up and even slightly damp it will give mildew just the environment it needs to take hold. If you are a tent camper be sure to spread the tent out as soon as you get home. Leave it in a sunny or breezy area for long enough to make sure it is completely dry before folding it up for storage. Most of us have had the experience of unwrapping a tent that had been put away wet and found how unpleasant that can be.

If you are in an RV you might want to consider a de-humidifier during the more humid months of July and August. It can cut down on mildew building up inside the rig which is not only annoying but can also trigger alergies in many people.

Once you have mold on your equipment and are attempting to remove it, it is necessary to give it a good scrub. You can begin with a soft brush but be careful. The mildew spores will fly and can cause respiratory problems in some people. We have seen people use bleach or ammonia, mixed with water (never mix bleach and ammonia together, though, because it creates a toxic chemical cloud) or lemon juice in a spray bottle. There are commercial solvents available and all of these will work to kill the spores though they may not remove the stain. Once you get the mildew out of the piece you can protect it from further assult by making sure it is good and dry before packing it away next time.