If you’ve been listening to your friends talking about their phenomenal camping adventures and how connecting to nature is the best way to unwind for them, it’s logical that you want to try it yourself. Plus, if you’re a fan of the outdoors, it’s likely that this is the ideal kind of vacation for you. However, before you head out on your first-time camping trip, you have to plan it to the best of your ability. From finding the most suitable location to making a proper packing list, here are some of the basic beginner’s tips for anybody who wants to go camping.
Choose Your Destination Carefully
Those who have never gone camping before might want to skip wilderness or backcountry camping for your first time. Instead, perhaps you could opt for a campsite or you can go tent camping at a location that you can research well before you leave home. Nowadays, campsites generally offer plenty of useful information online, meaning that you can see exactly where you’ll be staying and that you’ll have access to various facilities that will make your stay easier and more pleasant, such as showers and toilets. Moreover, many campsites have stores where you can buy some camping essentials that you might have forgotten, and some are even close to towns, so that you can go and purchase whatever you need. In case you don’t want to stay at a campsite, make sure that the place you go to has fresh water nearby and that you aren’t too far away from a town and, more importantly, an emergency room, just to stay on the safe side.
Review Your Packing List
There are some accessories that you won’t truly miss while camping, but there are things that are necessary and forgetting those might give you a huge headache and even ruin your trip. For instance, warm clothes and an adequate sleeping bag are something you shouldn’t leave your home without. Similarly, a flashlight and enough batteries are a must, as are camp chairs and a small gas stove. Also, campers love multi-purpose tools, especially those that don’t take too much space, which is why they often put top-quality automatic knives on their camping list. These are durable and functional, since they can come in handy in a number of situations, from something as simple as cutting your fruit to various outdoor repairs to defending yourself against anything that attacks you. Writing your packing list well in advance and going over it more than once is an excellent way to ensure nothing crucial gets left behind.
Consider Renting a Tent
No matter how enthusiastic you are about camping, the fact is that, as a beginner, you haven’t really spent enough time doing it to be sure you’ll absolutely love it and that you’ll want to go again next year. So, in order not to waste your money, renting your tent and other expensive pieces of camping equipment might be a smart idea. You’ll come across things you didn’t even know existed, things that are practical and you’ll think that you won’t be able to camp without them. However, try to control yourself and only purchase what’s necessary. If you still feel you can’t do without them next year, you’ll just buy them then. In addition, before you set off, take an afternoon or two to test the equipment you’re taking with you. As clear as the instruction manual may seem, you’ll definitely want to set up your tent in your garden first, so that you can do it faster and with more confidence once you reach your camping location.
Stay Warm
In order to stay comfortable and fully enjoy your camping experience, you have to take some precautions in order to stay warm while out there. To make this happen, you first have to get information about the expected temperatures where you’re going, which means both day and night temperatures. After all, days can be quite warm and then turn into cold nights, which can make you miserable as you try to fall asleep, freezing inside your tent. Knowing all about the weather conditions at your destination will help you pick the right kind of sleeping bag, but also the clothes and shoes you’ll take. The best thing to do is bring layers of clothes, so that you can adjust to any temperature. Also, it’s crucial that you don’t rely on a camp fire for warmth, since you’ll have to put it out before you fall asleep, for safety reasons.
Keep Yourself Safe
Camping and spending time outdoors can be a lot of fun, but you still have to make safety your priority, whether you’re camping on your own, with your friends or even with your kids. There is a whole list of safety aspects to take into account. For instance, you need to observe your surroundings and avoid putting up your tent right under a tree that looks dry or has branches hanging, as you don’t want one to drop on your tent at some point. Next, secure all of your food and don’t leave it laying around, since it can attract wild animals to your tent. And while on the topic of food, avoid bringing perishable food that you can’t store properly while camping, so as to prevent food poisoning. Finally, keep your first-aid kit near you all of the time and, before you even arrive, find out where the nearest hospital is and how you can reach emergency services from your location, in case you need them.
When you’re well prepared, your first camping trip can be a pleasurable and a memorable one, so follow these smart tips and have an amazing time in the great outdoors.
