Camping is hard, but if you do it right it can be a hell of a good time in the wild. Here's a few tips for those of us who didn't grow up in the Maine woods.

1. Don’t over pack; bring the essentials only

When backpacking to your site you don’t want to be carrying too much. Only bring what you need (but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring a set of cards).

2. Plan to have good food

Let’s be real, we all love food and camp food can be good if you know how to prepare it. You can’t go wrong with roasted hot dogs and s'mores.

3. Bring extra layers and a warm sleeping bag

No matter how warm it might be during the day, nights always get cold, so BE PREPARED. You can always take layers off. Being cold is the worst.

4. Location, Location, Location

When planning your night under the stars you don’t want to be somewhere with tons of insects. Remember to set up at the top of the hill in case of rain.

5. Camp near a lake or river

Camping is great, but when you have a river to swim in or a lake to play in, the trip goes from great to amazing. Water is always a must or else your entire trip could be one big bust.

6. Check the weather before going

This is probably a given, but sometimes the obvious things are overlooked. Don’t plan to go if it’s just rained or you’ll find your campsite to be very muddy.

7. Always wear proper footwear

Since you’re going to be going through the woods you want shoes that have good support. Boots or old sneakers are always great because they can get dirty, and they don't cost that much to replace.

8. It’s simple, don’t get lost

When camping you should always plan your route ahead of time to prevent getting lost. You should also have map or a GPS in the event you do get lost.

9. Leave no trace

One of the most important rules of camping is to leave no trace. This meaning someone shouldn’t be able to tell that you were ever there in the first place.

10. Lighten up and have a little fun

Camping is all about having fun and getting to enjoy the great outdoors, so if that doesn’t float your boat then maybe you should reconsider this camping thing.