e01ad5c4ac158210VgnVCM200000e66411acRCRDapproved/thenational/Articles/Migration/2010-02<b>How to...</b> camp in the UAEd01ad5c4ac158210VgnVCM200000e66411ac____While packing the gear into the vehicle, my motto is "first in, last out; top light, bottom heavy."<p>Camping can span from carrying a backpack and lightweight tent to full-blown luxury overnight stays with electricity generator, air-conditioning and satellite TV. Here, I'd like to share a few points on how to make the most of your camping, so that the whole family can enjoy the experience. While packing the gear into the vehicle, my motto is "first in, last out; top light, bottom heavy." This formula ensures that the heaviest items do not sit on top creating a hazard for passengers in case of hard braking or, even worse, an impact. It also takes into account which items may be needed along the way, such as a shovel to dig yourself out, so that you do not have to pull out cool boxes and half a tonne of gear to reach it.</p> <p>Comfort is an important aspect of my family's camping - we have a large tent with four big windows, which are necessary for when the weather warms up. Obviously, do not buy those tents built for cold and rainy weather. We also use foot-long tent pegs made from bent rebar, commissioned for a few dirhams at a construction site, fantastic inflatable mattresses and bed pillows from home. Waste management is an important part of our camping. We have a Dh35 tent without floor, which is used as a "toilet tent" for privacy, where we keep the waste in disposable bags. We also take large, black trash bags to collect all of our rubbish - it's important to leave the place as spotless as when we got there.</p> <p>Food is an important aspect of camping. We tend to prepare one complex gourmet meal and go light on the others. Fish, chicken or meat is prepared from home, usually in a delicious marinade, and then grilled on coals. Showers and washing are easy. We make small holes in a water bottle cap and then hold the bottle up to have the water stream down. Activities we have a bagful of, and we always bring along plenty of our own wood for beautiful campfires at night, which we also use for cooking.</p> <p>We find being creative in our organisation and preparation to be a fun part of our camping, and in that vein, it is one of our favourite family activities. * Paolo Rossetti</p> YYMOTORING2010022000000020100220000000100ARhttp://adedit.ad.atl.publicus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100220/MOTORING/70219996070219996020100220100000000212584f194c6e95258210VgnVCM100000e56411ac____d01ad5c4ac158210VgnVCM200000e66411ac____39d8f4f3dc158210VgnVCM100000e56411acRCRD