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Thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic, travelling overseas is a little trickier than normal this year. However, that does not mean that all your plans to explore and discover new locations have to be put on hold for months – no, it just means you have to get a little more creative and explore places a little closer to home.
One way to do this – and one that is especially fun if you have children – is via a camping trip. It gives you some flexibility and autonomy on what you do, where you go and what you see. However, it does take some planning to make it go smoothly and remove some of the stress. Here, we look at some of the things that you need to think about when it comes to planning a camping trip.
When are you going to take your trip?
This does depend on where you are hoping to set up tent. Generally, especially for newbies or if you have young children, it is a good idea to go when the temperatures are at their mildest. No one wants to be dithering in their sleeping bags at night. However, if you are planning on going camping somewhere hot – Arizona, for example, you might want to go in the spring or fall when it is not scorching hot.
How do you want to camp?
While when you may conjure up an image of a tent pitched up in the woods or fields, that is not the only way that you can camp. These days, there are many more options. For example, if you have an RV, you can take that and camp out in that for all your home comforts; don’t forget your RV wax spray to keep it looking at its best so you can really feel comfortable when you’re away from home. You can rough and ready it in a tent in the middle of nowhere or you can take a tent to a proper family campground with all of the amenities. Some of these sites will have electricity hookups, toilet and shower blocks, some will just be a secure and flat space to pitch up.
Of course, you will need to consider your budget and your transport as well. Camping with a tent involves lots of equipment – the tent, sleeping bags, cooking equipment, food, and so on. You might need a trailer to carry all of your things in – click here to find out more about towing capacities.
Where do you want to camp?
Following on from the previous point, you need to know where you want to camp. If you want to experience a true back to nature type experience, you can pitch your tent in a forest or a space, as long as you are not trespassing or breaking ant laws governing camping in the area. You will, of course, need to make sure that it is safe. Don’t pitch up near to water or the edges of cliffs or large drops, or in areas that have dangerous animals roaming wild. If you are planning on camping out in an RV, ensure that you are not breaking any parking rules or the campsite that you are planning on heading to allows you to take in an RV.
Is your equipment suitable and camp worthy?
If you are new to camping, you need to make sure that you have all of the essentials to camp safely and comfortably. If it has been a long time since you last went, dig your stuff out well in advance – it can deteriorate if not stored properly and the last thing you want is to pitch up your tent in the middle of nowhere to find a huge rip in it.
You will need:
- A tent
- Sleeping bags or blow up beds
- Blankets
- Pillows
- Ground tarp
- Tent pegs
- Something to cook on – portable stove or BBQ
- Cooking and eating utensils
- Pans
- Plates and cups
- First aid kit
- Insect repellent
- Bucket
You will also want to ensure you have plenty of warm clothing. Even in the middle of summer, it can sometimes get a little chilly in the night so an extra hooded sweater or jacket will always come in handy.
What will you eat?
What you are planning on eating depends entirely on the sort of equipment you have. Generally, you need to plan for three meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Consider meals that are easy to cook over a single stove in one pan – chilli’s are always a great meal, as are hot dogs and burgers that can be barbecued. If you are particularly organized, you could cook and freeze some meals before you go camping in your instant pot and store them in a freezer box. They will just then need reheating over the stove.
Don’t forget water as well. If you are going to a managed camping ground, you will more than likely have access to water from a tap so it is something that you will not need to think about. However, if you are going wild, you will need to plan ahead and make sure that you have more than enough for cooking, drinking, washing pots and pans and personal hygiene.
How will you spend your time?
Now is the time to figure out what you will be doing while camping. It is a good idea to schedule some activities ahead of time, particularly if you are camping with children. But on the other side, if you are camping alone or with a partner and just want to sit back and relax, that is also a good idea.
Knowing what you are going to do when camping will help you bring everything you will need. You do not want to schedule a fishing trip just to forget to carry your fishing equipment or go surfing without boards.
Camping is a great way to get to know the country and experience it on ground level, as it were. It can sometimes be stressful, especially if children are involved – but it is almost always great fun.
What are your top tips for a successful camping trip?
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