Once you have gone out on your first camping trip, you’ll soon get that bug to want to go out again and again, soon as you have gone a few times you’ll get used to it. But you will soon realise that you can make your experience simpler for yourself by knowing some little tips to help you either prepare for the trip or even making your load lighter and so on.
So, what are some of the camping tips and tricks for beginners?
- Do some research
- Buy decent quality camping equipment
- Test everything before you leave for camp
- Things to pack
- Explore the facilities upon arrival
- Teach yourself some basic knots
- Preparing a camping menu
- Draw up an essentials checklist
- Pack the right clothing
- Your first aid kit would need to be packed
- Make sure weight distribution in your backpack is even
- Camping ground etiquette
- Clean up after you
- Setup camp while it is still light
- Hide your valuables
- Headlamp for hiking
- Make a survival bag
- Lighting is the most important
- Tieing food up and keeping it secure
- Camping safety
- Setup for a good nights sleep
1. Do some Research
Since this will be your first time going camping, doing research is important, the reason for this is because you want to know what to pack for your experience. If you don’t pack right you might have an experience that will put you off camping.
Knowing the weather is one important factor, so you can pack the right clothing to help you stay warm, and sleeping at night so you have the right sleeping equipment to stay warm. The last thing that you want to do is head to your camping site only to find that you have arrived during the rainy season or the fact that the duration of your time camping you’ll be riding through high winds which might not be the greatest experience.
You will need to research into the campsite that you have chosen to see what facilities are available for you and your group friends. Again so that you can see exactly what you will need to pack and won’t need to pack. usually, the most you might get are toilet facilities and even shower facilities. Depending on the camping grounds some of them might not have shower facilities, but that’s only if you’re going camping yourself with other experts but because this will be your first time some of those facilities would be nice.
If you have chosen a campsite where you can go on a hiking trail then you will need to pack the correct equipment to enjoy the hiking experience, all of this will be well equipped from doing your research.
2. Buy Decent Quality Camping Equipment
Camping equipment is important, and using either outdated or even cheap quality gear will affect your camping experience. The reason for this is because of the cheap quality of materials that might be used with cheaper equipment.
It is tempting to use cheaper quality equipment just to think that you can see through the camping experience but it will certainly make you realise that spending a bit of money on some quality goods would benefit you in the longer term, in say for years to come. Quality over quantity is what I would suggest, if you go for a tent made out of cheap quality it might serve you during a few trips until it gives way either way. Whereas if you go for a good quality branded tent it can last you for many years to come with just minor wears and tears.
If you’re looking for something more affordable but a good brand, then keep an eye out for sales at your local camping equipment shop, usually, during Christmas, they offer some good prices on equipment and tents. Even head to a few trades shows as you can sometimes get some good deals with camping gear.
3. Test Everything Before You Leave For Camp
Before heading out for your camping experience I would highly recommend testing every equipment in your back garden before heading out so that everything is in functional order. I would open up the tent and pitch it in the garden and test to see if all the poles are in order and that nothing is missing. Once You have set up the tent you will need to check to see if it is leaking any kind of water, so I would take the garden hose or a watering can and pour water over the tent to see if any leakages are occurring anywhere.
Test other equipment in your pack, such as your stove for cooking food, make sure that the canisters are in working order or that the stove is in working order. Test your sleeping bag make sure that it keeps you warm during the night. Check to test your lantern or even your flashlights, make sure that they are in working order if you need extra batteries you will need to carry them with you.
Doing all these tests will make sure that your equipment is in working order and will save alot of time if there are any malfunction problems.
4. Things To Pack
Knowing what to pack is important, if you’re going for a short trip, then you will need to pack for the occasion. If it is a weekend camping trip then supplies from food to toilet rolls, etc would need to be enough just for that weekend.
The weather will definitely play an important part, knowing the condition of the weather forecast would certainly make you pack the right clothing according to the weather. usually wrapping up nice and warm is ideal for camping.
There will always be items that you will pack regardless only because you will need them no matter what happens, such as your tent, sleeping bag, pots and pans, and other items. Then would come the amount of food you would need to pack in order to take with you be it a long duration or just for two nights or even a weekend trip.
5. Explore The Facilities Upon Arrival
When you do arrive at your campgrounds, it is ideal to look around and get to know what facilities the camp has available to you, and what hiking trails you can walk and explore for you. Knowing the rules and regulations for the campgrounds it is important, for your own safety and others around you.
Know how many other people are camping alongside yourself, and where you can get information that may be available for yourself to explore and enjoy.
6. Teach Yourself Some basic knots
When your camping you will need to know and understand how to create some basic knots in order to help you tie up tents, tarps, etc to keep hold of your items locked down and safe. Knowing this will go further then you think, and will certainly help you with objects staying secure.
The basic knots are:
- Overhand Knot
- Half Hitch
- Half Knot
- Square Knot
- Sheet Bend
- Figure 8 Knot
- Slip Knot
- Noose
You can find these knots available on youtube and some websites on how to learn to tie each knot, keep in mind these can be a lifesaver.
7. Preparing Camping Menu
Nutrition is the most important factor while camping, so you will need to make sure that you do get to eat properly while you experience your first camping trip. It would be a better choice if you decide to make your life easier by preparing your food.
Creating a simple menu to help you structure your meals during the day would benefit you substantially. Structure for your meals such as Breakfast, could consist of a jar of oats mixed with yogurt, and fruits at the top where all you will have to do are mixing it all together and you can eat it. It certainly is healthy and fills you up for the morning.
For lunch, you could either simply have sandwiches or even just a simple burger cooked on the stove with prepared meats. or dinner consisting of meats that have been prepared and just need to be cooked.
Once you have a structure in place for a cooking menu stick to it and you will have the right amount of food to see you through your trip. Plus cooking at a campsite is a great way to bond together and enjoy each others company and tell those camp stories.
8. Draw up an essentials checklist
If your the type of person who panics alot when you’re going on a trip, and not as organised it would be a great idea to create an essentials list. This will certainly help you organise the equipment that needs to be packed and taken with you.
When you draw up an essentials checklist you can use it as a guide to what needs to be taken on your trip. The guide will make sure that the most important items are taken with you to make your camping experience a good one.
9. Pack the right clothing
When you are out camping in the outside world, wrapping up according to weather conditions is very important. Always remember that the late evenings depending on the time of year you go camping it will get rather chilly, so you will need to actually wrap up quite warm indeed.
warm jumper or cardigan, some warm pair of bottoms so that you are kept warm would be ideal. A woolen jumper would work ever so well during the evenings. During the day if the sun is out a simple t-shirt but bare in mind that mosquitos will be around so a light jumper or sweatshirt would work so well.
Clothing will certainly help you keep and stay warm when you do sleep at night, so packing warm clothing to sleep at night would benefit you ever so well.
10. Your First Aid Kit Would Need to be packed
You need to be safe while your camping, so having a first aid kit packed and ready to take with you would be a wise choice. Anything can happen while you are camping from having a simple cut, to needing some medication for an upset stomach or even a simple headache.
Having a first aid kit on hand would work ever so well. Just remember to pack the kit in either your pack bag or some other storage container.
11. Make Sure Weight Distribution In your backpack is even
If you decide to go on a hiking trail you will need to make sure that when you do pack your bag that the weight distribution is even. The reason for this is that if the weight is not evenly distributed you will end up having alot of back problems.
I remember my second time going camping I totally did not pack my backpack evenly I placed the containers on one side and my tent on the other side, etc and I began hiking, only to find that the bag itself was quite heavy but I began to feel pain on my right shoulder and had to place the bag down and repack the bag so the weight distribution was, even so, my back would not have any pain.
So weight distribution in your backpack is important, the last thing you would want is any form of back pain due to negligence on your own behalf of understanding weight distribution in your bag.
12. Camping Ground etiquette
You will need to have some camping etiquette, it is important to clean up behind you, keeping the noise to a minimum especially during the evening as some people on the campsite like to sleep early and listen to nature.
just keeping your area tidy and respecting nature any plastic bags or anything should be disposed of in a respectful manner, keeping foods locked away, and any rubbish you do have its all disposed of or taken out of the camp and home with yourself.
Respecting other people camping should be part of your etiquette only because other people camping around you, will be at the campsite aswell, and the last thing you would want to do is upset fellow campers. so having some good camping etiquette would keep other campers happy and you would be able to come back again at some point.
13. Clean Up After You
One thing you will definitely need to get used to is to clean up behind you while your camping. The reason for this is because if you leave any form of litter behind, wild animals will begin to gather and search for food and could likely head to another campsite that may be nearby and could cause alot of problems.
Keeping a camping site clean and litter free shows that you are an adult and respect nature and make sure all the campfires are put out, so no accidental fire can occur.
14. Setup Camp While It Is Still Light
If you decide to camp over the weekend expecting to turn up on a Friday evening hoping to set up your campsite, I think it would be better if you turn up in the morning to your campsite, because the last thing that you want to do is set up your campground during the dark, it will be difficult.
It’s a better choice to pitch your tent during the daytime that way you have plenty of light to set everything up so you can see everything and what you’re doing.
15. Hide Your Valuables
While your out trekking or just even around the campsite make sure that your valuables are kept secured and locked away in a container. That way they won’t go missing at all or even try not to bring anything expensive along to the camping trip that way you have one less headache to worry about.
16. Headlamp For Hiking
When you are hiking and you might have lost your way a little and daylight tends to go down a little it would be ideal to carry a flashlight, but at times it can be tedious as you might want your hands to be free incase you need to grab hold of rock or branch, etc as your walking.
Using a headlamp for hiking around would be a better option as it does free up your hands, the batteries on the lamps last alot longer, and you can freely walk around hiking through woods, caves, etc without worrying about losing the light.
17. Make A Survival Bag
Making a survival bag is something where you have the littlest of items that will be handy to survive the trip.
- Wipes biodegradable ones
- repellent spray, bite creams
- extra pair of socks as they do get wet often
- sunblock if you’re going during the summer period
- A notebook that can help you write down and creative ideas
- A camera usually phone is good enough so long as you have a portable solar power
18. Lighting is the most important
When your camping especially during the night, lighting will be essential to make sure that you do have a lantern that lights up quite well and bright would be a good option.
You can pick up a lantern for a reasonable price, that will certainly get you through your camping weekend or trip. Just remember good lighting will be needed especially during the night and evenings so invest in a good lantern.
19. Tieing food up and Keeping it secure
Because you will be out in nature wild animals will be wandering around and sniffing out food, so keep your food items secure and away from the camp would be alot better and safer. If you keep the food inside the tent you will find wild animals will be trying to get into your tent, so securely hanging them off a tree where animals won’t be able to get to it so easily and away from the tents for safety would be a wise choice.
Most camping grounds will give you the tour and advice you on this option aswell.
20. Camping safety
Make sure before you leave that you have gone over any camping safety. such as knowing where the first aid kit is, what to do if you see a wild animal, making sure that equipment is not torn or a high possibility of it breaking or tearing.
Make sure that everyone knows exactly where the campground is and how to get to it from using the toilet etc, just practice general safety and you should be ok.
21. Setup for a good nights sleep
Make sure when you arrive you pitch the tent as that will be the first thing that needs to get done just so that, you can rest up if you decide to go for a hike or a simple walk around some local trials.
Your sleeping bags will need to be able to keep you warm so buy and pack some warm decent sleeping bags as night falls it will get chilly. If you need a few other extra blankets to take them along so long as they are not too heavy but warm enough through the night.