The May Long Weekend is fast approaching and many are getting ready to camp for the first time in the year. There will be many seasoned campers at most locations, but every year there’s always those new to the great outdoors.

Jacob Campbell, Trail Blazers employee says there are three things you shouldn’t leave the house without;

“First aid kit, and some sort of rain kit, food and water,” he says. “If you’re just going for a hike that’s what you need. If you’re going camping you’ll need a tent and sleeping bag as well.”

Campbell advises campers pack light or heavy depending on the kind of experience the individual is looking for.

"With car camping (parking your car at a campsite) you can really get away with anything, but backpacking you’ll need something a bit lighter.”

He thinks there’s also one thing most people forget about before heading into the wilderness for the weekend.

“Make sure you learn about bear safety, no food in the tent or cosmetic smelly things, in your hard sided car, or up in a tree, a lot of people forget that I think when they head out.”

He adds it's important to let someone know where you will be camping and for how long.

He also offered a few camping hacks/tips that you might want to try out this year. One for the Canadian fix all, duct tape, and another for anyone looking to really get in touch with nature.

“You can wrap some duct tape around your water bottle, so you never have to carry the whole roll around with you.” He says.

“Another thing that people can try is pine needle tea, you just take the bow with the needles and plop it in some boiled water, steep it like tea, it’s rich in Vitamin C, and it actually tastes pretty good.”

For more information on camping safety please click here.

A reminder, there is a complete Fire Ban in Alberta, so make sure to bring proper equipment for cooking etc.