Simple tips benefit first-time campers

When I was a child, my family regularly escaped the sprawl of Los Angeles to camp in the desert or the mountains.

For those who haven’t embraced camping, however, here are tips for getting the most out of the experience.

Sleeping

Driving to a campground versus hiking means you can stuff your vehicle with provisions — including a tent you can stand up in for maximum comfort.

Then make sure to have a self-inflating mattress or an air mattress you can inflate with a pump, and slip it under your sleeping bag. Another option is a collapsible camp cot.

I also recommend taking a bedroom pillow. It smelled and felt like home.

Unplugging

Some commercially operated campgrounds offer Internet access. But if you’re heading to wilderness-type parks, depending on the location, you might not even have cellphone service.

You can take an external battery pack, but why not embrace the great outdoors?

Play cards, breathe in fresh air, build a campfire and enjoy the company of others — in person instead of online.

Critters

Animals want your food. Never leave trash, toiletries, dirty dishes, food or drinks unattended. Don’t leave trash and open containers in your car or around the campsite. Look for metal lockers to store trash and food, and keep your tent zipped up.

As for ticks and mosquitoes, insect repellent works. For major bug phobias or when biting insects are thick, outdoor-supply stores and websites sell inexpensive lightweight mesh jackets that you can zip yourself into.

Bathrooms and electricity

Most developed tent campgrounds you can drive to have communal bathrooms with running drinking water, sinks and showers, but check in advance.

Try gas- or battery-powered lanterns for hanging out in the evening. A headlamp works well for midnight bathroom runs and as a makeshift night light hung in a tent.

Meals

Get a decently sized cooler that can keep your food cold for a few days before the ice needs to be changed, and a small basin to wash dishes. Take a propane gas-powered camp stove with one or two burners.

In campgrounds with grills, you can fire-roast anything from portobello mushrooms to zucchini.

“Approach camping as an adventure with possibilities of new experiences of fun and the possibility of challenges,” my dad told me.