New to camping? Here are some really good camping tips for new or inexperienced campers that will have you camping like a pro in no time.
Don’t let your lack of experience get you down or ruin your vacation. Just follow this simple set of rules and enjoy your outdoor adventure.
Camping tips for new and experienced campers
1. Choose your campsite wisely
You have to take a lot of factors into consideration when choosing a campsite. First and one of the most important camping tips is to make sure it’s safe. Look around and see if there are fallen trees or debris in the area. Avoid areas with dead trees and find a spot that will provide a shelter for your tent. You don’t want to jeopardize yourself or anyone going along for the ride. If your idea of camping is spending some quiet time with your loved ones and friends without being disturbed by fellow campers, check out the site beforehand and prevent loud neighbors from spoiling your fun.
Also, you want to check the wind direction. If you set up your tent downwards the wind direction, you may end up choking on smoke from other campfires.
Some campsites come with a fire pit or a picnic table. Who knows, maybe you’ll get lucky and score both.
2. Setting up the tent
If you are relatively new to camping or a complete novice, don’t choose expensive and complicated tents. You’ll end up spending a lot of time setting it up. You can always upgrade when you gain some experience.
After you’ve bought a tent, you should try it out. You can set it up in your garden and even spend a night in it. This way you’ll know what you’re up against and there will be no surprises when you go on an actual camping trip.
The size of the tent depends on the number of people sleeping in it but if you have a small party, don’t go crazy with a huge tent that is hard to set up. The simpler, the better. With a smaller tent you also have more options because it can fit into tighter spaces.
If you want to feel comfortable and have more space, choose a tent with a vestibule. This is a great way to stash your things and free up the inside of the tent. It also provides additional shelter from rain or harsh weather conditions.
To make it waterproof you can use a silicone sealant. Just spray the entire tent before you go and you’re all set.
3. Camping fire
It’s best to think ahead when it comes to a campfire. Use tinder that you brought from home to light up the fire. These small materials can be anything from wood shavings to cardboard. Make sure they are dry and ready to fire up.
The next step is to collect branches and twigs that you can find in the area. They will keep the fire burning and won’t smother the flames.
You can bring your own firewood or collect it at the campsite. One of the best camping tips is to have extra wood with you in case you go through it faster. Don’t damage or ruin healthy trees, use fallen branches and pieces of wood that you can find on the ground.
To make your life easier, bring a firestarter with you. This way the fire will catch on quickly. Use a lighter or matches to start the fire.
Keep count of the firewood and the burning rate so you’ll know the amount of wood necessary to get you through the day.
4. Mealtime
Like with pretty much everything, it’s best to plan the meals in advance. Sometimes you will get caught up in other activities and if you already know what meal you are going to cook, it will be done in no time.
Be aware of where you are. You aren’t cooking at your stove back at home, you are in the middle of the woods standing in front of a campfire. Before you go on a trip, you can always search for recipes that can be easily made in campsite conditions. It’s also a good idea to cook meals with similar ingredients which will minimize the amount you need to bring with you.
You’ll also need utensils for preparing the meals, as well as, eating them. Make sure they are sturdy and appropriate for the camping environment.
Sometimes it’s best to have ready-made meals which you can heat up or eat right away. You will save yourself a lot of time and hassle.
5. Clean tent, happy campers
Try to keep your tent clean as much as you can. After all, it’s your home for a short period of time. The best way is to organize your things and keep them in one place.
Buy a lot of garbage bags because you will definitely need them. Don’t litter in your tent or even worse at the campsite. The idea is to leave everything pretty much as it was before you set your camp up.
Another important tip is to wash your tent when you come home. Make sure it’s clean and dry before you put it away. If you leave it like that, it will probably smell the next time you want to use it.
Camping is a trial-and-error process. You will probably make a lot of mistakes in the beginning but that doesn’t mean you won’t learn from your experience. Try to follow camping tips we shared with you above and enjoy your trip because, in the end, that’s the most important thing.
