While camping in Mexico is exhilarating, it can also be very challenging and it is this fact  that makes it such an exciting country to camp in. The area is filled with mystery and  intrigue, and if you are a camping greenhorn, leave Mexico until you have a little more  experience. Finding yourself off the main highway and in the dessert is easily done and you have to be prepared for any eventuality.

You have to plan carefully for camping in Mexico, and this is part of the excitement of  making a trip like this. You need to keep things to the minimum, yet make sure you have  everything you need.  However, no matter how well prepared you are, it is rare that a camping trip to Mexico comes off exactly as planned. If you are the adventurous type, this may just be the vacation you have been longing for.

The most fantastic camping opportunities are likely to appear out of nowhere, and this is the beauty of camping. Memories are made of this, but be aware that you have to have a lot of nerve to pull it off, Mexico is not for shrinking violets, so if you are made of sterner stuff, you will be just fine.

Having the clothing to be able to dress for most weather conditions is necessary, you could be in the scorching dessert one day and in the snowy mountains the next. Also important to note is the fact that even though desert conditions are hot during the day, they can drop to extremely low temperatures at night. Even tropical storms are a regular occurrence in this country, so be prepared.

To really enjoy a Mexican camping experience you have to be very flexible and be able to go with the flow. Because of the extremes, even the best lad plans go astray and you have to be able to adapt to this.

Making use of a camping checklist is a good idea, as this helps you to take what you need without overdoing it. These are available online, so make use of one. Shop for your luxuries in the US, while shopping in  unfamiliar stores in unfamiliar Mexican towns is fun, if you are a woman and you want a  Hershey bar now, you will be in for a long wait. Nachos can never replace your favorite  chocolate bar.

Never drink Mexican tap or river water, in fact no-matter where you camp, don’t drink the  tap water, you know nothing about it. Camping with dysentery is no fun; take it from me, the  idiot who ate fresh oysters from Brazilian waters. Bottled water is a must for drinking and  you may have to bathe in a puddle or river water, so take biodegradable toiletries. We all  have to do our bit to protect the environment. Make sure you take toilet paper. Remember the  Baz Lerman song “sunscreen”, take that too.

A medical kit is vital, and if you don’t know what to put in yours, then perhaps you are not practical enough to be camping in Mexico. My mother suggests, anti-diarrhea and nausea  medication, elastoplasts of various sizes, asprin and brandy (her cure all).