Camping is very popular in Poland and there are a lot of camping sites (kempingi) there. It really can be a lot of fun and it is pretty much the same as camping in the States.

Image by nate bolt boltron/flickr.com

Camping sites in Poland are situated on lakes (nad jeziorami), rivers (nad rzekami), in the mountains (w górach), at the sea (nad morzem) or in the vicinity of big cities (w pobliżu dużych miast). They are usually well equipped (dobrze wyposażone). Most of them have electricity (elektryczność), sanitation (urządzenia sanitarne), bath (łazienka) and showers (prysznic). They are divided (podzielone) into categories (kategorie) according to (według) national standards (standardy narodowe). Therefore you can spend your vacation at a cheap camp or at a more expensive one. And a cheap campsite does not mean a bad one.

While camping, you have to obey (przestrzegać) certain rules (reguły, zasady)). First you have to register on arrival (zameldować się po przybyciu) and submit your documents (przedłożyć, pokazać dokumenty). When the registration formalities (formalnosci meldunkowe) are over, you can put up your tent (rozłożyć namiot) following the instructions (instrukcje) of the camping administration (administracja, zarząd kempingu). Most of all, you should keep all the camping facilities clean and in order. For security reasons (ze względów bezpieczeństwa) camp fires must be kept under control (pod kontrolą). You should also consider other tourists (turyści) and avoid making a lot of noise (unikać robienia hałasu). And if you have guests, they may have to leave the campsite due to curfew hours (godziny nocne). Of course you can also camp out if you are hiking in the forest. If you decide to set up a campsite for the night and rest, you should just remember to do it about 70 meters off the trails and from any water source.

If you plan to spend your vacation at a campsite you should have some necessary equipment:

Sleeping bag – śpiwór

Sleeping pad – materac

Camping furniture – meble kempingowe

Compass – kompas

First Aid Kit – apteczka pierwszej pomocy

Matches – zapałki

Maps – mapy

Bug spray – spray przeciwko insektom

Extra layers of clothing – dodatkowe warstwy ubrań

Gas stove – kuchenka na gaz

Flashlight – batarejka, latarka

Utensils – sztućce

Water filter – filtr wodny

Here you can take a look at different camping places in Poland.

Image by Mark Stevens thor_mark/flickr.com

And remember: be aware of the bears (uważaj na niedźwiedzie)!

Do następnego razu!
(Till next time…)