Announcer:		The Missouri State Journal, a weekly program keeping you in touch with Missouri State University.
Emily Yeap:		June is Camping Month and there's no better time to enjoy the great outdoors with family and friends. Research shows that leaving the hustle and bustle of daily life for camping in nature can improve one's physical and mental well-being. I'm Emily Yeap. Joining me today to talk about camping and offer some helpful tips is Dalton Breeding, a trip guide at Missouri State University's Foster Recreation Center (FRC).
Dalton Breeding:	I think that all of us could do with a little bit of increased connection to the world around us and to the universe and I think that camping is an excellent way to immerse yourself in that experience.
Emily Yeap:		Preparation is key to having a positive camping experience.
Dalton Breeding:	In order to prepare well for a trip, the first thing you need to do is come up with a location and choose the things you're going to bring and your activities around that location. So if you're going to an area that's often rainy or wet you're going to have to prepare differently than if you're going to an area that's drier and maybe hotter. You really have to kind of plan around the environment a little bit.
Emily Yeap:		What are some must-have items for a trip?
Dalton Breeding:	There's a lot of gear that you can bring, but I would say the most essential is the gear that's going to get you through the night. Obviously, you're going to want a tent. You're going to want a sleeping bag and something that I think a lot of new people don't realize is that you also want a sleeping pad. It's going to make things much more comfortable throughout the night and it also help keep you warm if it's cold.
			Beyond that, I always try to bring more than one way to start a fire, because there's nothing quite as comforting as being able to have a fire at the end of the night and if you run out of matches or if your matches get wet, it's really nice to have a backup.
Emily Yeap:		It's also important to bring the right type of clothing.
Dalton Breeding:	In order to select the proper amount of clothing, once again, you really have to kind of base your decisions on the environment that you're in. So, if it's hot outside you may not need as much clothing and so  in the summer time trip you can pack a little bit lighter because you can get away without coats and sweatshirts and that kind of thing. Also, with your sleeping bag, if it's cold outside you're going to want to beef your sleeping bag to keep you warm at night.
			I would say always bring rain gear, even if it's not supposed to rain, because there is nothing worse than being wet all day and all night. A lot of times when I go camping I don't bring as many clothes as I would normally wear just because there's less times to shower, to get clean and so that is one aspect of the outdoors that I think makes a lot of people nervous, but once you really embrace it I think it can really stretch you in a positive way.
Emily Yeap:		There are many great camping spots in Missouri. Breeding highlights a few of them.
Dalton Breeding:	There are a number of camping spots that range in kind of intensity, I'll say. For your first camping trip, really close by to Springfield, there is a state park called Busiek. You can just drive up and pitch your tent there and you don't have to worry about hiking in and it's really easily accessible. That's often times where I'll send people for their first trip.
			If you want to go a little bit more intense there's a wilderness area called Hercules Glades that's near Forsyth. Hercules Glades is an area where you're not allowed to bring any mechanized equipment past the parking lot. If you want to go camp further into the wilderness area you actually have to backpack. That's a whole different set of skills and a whole new set of difficulties that come with backpacking, but it can also be very rewarding and enriching.
			If you want to go a little further in southeast Missouri, there is a number of really good camping spots and they also range from car camping, which is where you can just pull up and camp, to full on wilderness backpacking. There's an area called Elephant Rocks that's really fun. A really nice little hiking area for a day hike. Also, Johnson's Shut-Ins has camping and also day hiking and it's a really beautiful area. That area has some of the best geology around, so I really recommend that area as well.
Emily Yeap:		He has this advice for first time campers.
Dalton Breeding:	For your first camping experience, don't worry about packing light. Bring everything you think you'll need and then you can start to figure out what you don't need, because the worst thing that you can do is try to pack light on your first time out and not have something that you need or that would've made it a better experience. I really think that people need to kind of step into the outdoors and maybe not go for a really intense long trip until they have kind of gotten their feet wet.
			If you're interested in camping or the outdoors I'd say just get out there. There's really no better place to put away the things that bog you down throughout the week and there's really no better place to just relax and unwind and enjoy friends and enjoy good company without distraction.
Emily Yeap:		The FRC's Outdoor Adventures organizes a variety of trips that provide hands-on learning and training. They are open to the public. To find out more visit missouristate.edu/reccenter. I'm Emily Yeap for the Missouri State Journal.
Announcer:		For more information, contact the office of University Communications at 417-836-6397. The Missouri State Journal is available online at ksmu.org.