Don’t you just love the idea of camping? It gives you an opportunity to go into the wild (or as close to the wild as possible), reconnect with Mother Nature and gather all the good memories you will brag about, at least until the next time you decide to venture into the unknown. So, if you won’t that next time to ever happen and have something to talk about, but not how your jaunt was ruined by the small overlooks and lack of experience, be sure to check these few essential tips for headache-free camping.
Create Shelter before Dark
This may seem pretty obvious, but you would be surprised how many people fail to cover this most basic step. The thing is, you just can’t rely on artificial light sources, no matter how small the chances may be that they will malfunction, because you are running a risk of remaining without shelter in the wild and the only thing you can do then is to put your bags back in the car and drive home. So, unless you have recreational vehicle (RV), be sure to prepare your tent, hammock and campfire while the sun is still high in the sky.
Select the Most Appropriate Camping Site
Remember that dead trees can fall at any time and you will see why it is important to mind your surroundings while deciding on where you will put your tent. Downed limbs and debris are very good indicator of what’s to come in the near future. Essentially, you should look for a campsite with a lot of healthy trees to protect you in the case of light rain, place your tent downwind from the campfire and check where the sun rises and rests to utilize the tree shade in the best possible way.
Choose the Appropriate Clothes and Sleeping Bag
Camping isn’t really the right occasion to unleash your inner fashionista, so try to bring enough clothes that will be as appropriate to season and camping location as possible. Still, you should make sure that your dressing is functional, with a lot of pockets and protection against bugs and poisonous plants, regardless of current weather and hiking boots are always welcomed. It is also very important to pick the season-appropriate sleeping bag, because if you end up wet and feeling too hot or too cold you won’t get too much of a sleep anyway.
Make Sure Your Car and Smartphone Actually Work
You know that situations from camping-themed horror movies when everything tech that can go wrong goes wrong? That’s exactly the situation you want to avoid, so be free to inspect your preferable vehicle for all the malfunctions that can possibly ruin your weekend. It is also important to be sure that you have enough fuel, so bring few additional diesel tanks just in case if you face some nasty leaks or don’t run on the gas station during prolonged periods. Your smatphone will take several heavy duties from the camping equipment you would use in some other, more analog times, so be sure to update all the necessary apps, especially the navigation maps, before leaving the house. Relying on singular power source was never a good idea, so back up your car battery with additional power banks in order to be able to make a call at any given time.
Now that we covered the basics it is up to you and your friends to see what kind of food, additional equipment and fun distractions you will carry alongside everything we mentioned. After all is done, hit the gas and enjoy for a couple of days.
