For those who chose to camp, there are lots of options in the Wilmington area.   These ever-changing shores have witnessed an epic succession of campers, from ancient Siouan and Algonquian gatherers whose shell middens littered the coast, to ill-fated European settlers who initially could gain no foothold on the low-lying land, to today’s tourists who play the nomad on soil that was once thick with plantation rice and cotton. Despite the fact that most of the finest tracts of coastline have been built upon, campers can live a simpler life still — if only for a few days — here amid the quiet spectacle of the Atlantic.

For the most part there isn’t much roughing it when camping here. Campgrounds nearest the beaches are generally RV towns with ample amenities. So, if you’d like to take along the kitchen sink, you may as well take your electric bug-zapper too. But, if you wear your home on your back and have the use of a small boat, leave the parking-lot-style camping behind for the isolation of Masonboro Island. In the off-season, your only neighbors may be pelicans and rabbits. Either way, camping the southern coast is ideal for visitors on a budget, anglers who want to walk to the water each morning and anyone for whom recreation is re-creation.

As the Boy Scouts say, be prepared, especially for blistering sun, sudden electrical storms with heavy downpours, voracious marsh mosquitoes and insidious "no-see-ums" in summer. Temperatures in the region generally are mild, except for the occasional frost in winter. Average summer peak temperature is 88 F; average winter low, 36. April and October average the least rainfall, about three inches each, while July averages the most, nearly eight inches. Be prepared for rain in any season.

Sunscreen is essential. Hats and eye protection are wise, and insect repellent useful. For tent camping, a waterproof tent fly is a must, and a tarp or dining fly is handy when cooking. Pack longer tent stakes or sand stakes for protection against high winds. Stay abreast of weather reports, especially during hurricane season, and always bring a radio.

Bicycle campers will find campgrounds about a day’s ride apart, except in the Wilmington vicinity where campgrounds are more numerous. A lightweight camp stove and cook set will come in handy when restaurants aren’t convenient and at the many sites where fires are prohibited.

The primary creature hazards are poisonous snakes, which are prevalent in forested areas, and ticks, which have been known to carry disease. Raccoons and other small nocturnal animals are seldom more than a nuisance, although rabid animals are occasionally reported in the rural interior. Normally, the animals posing the greatest threat are human, which is why open fires and alcoholic beverages are restricted in most campgrounds. Beware of poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac in brushwood and forests.