Camping connects you with the nature, allowing you to recharge your batteries and relax with family and friends. Here are few tricks for to make things easier for you on your next camping trip?
1. Choose the right size Tent
When choosing a tent, get the right shelter for your needs. Basically, don’t go nuts with some huge tent that is way more than you need. This type of tent may look cool, but it can be a real pain in the you know what to set up and take down.
2. Camp on higher ground
The higher ground might look windy and exposed, making that cosy little nook at the bottom of the hill all the more appealing, but you won’t have to worry about your site suddenly inundated with water or even rains.
3. Stay warm at night
Make sure you have a good quality sleeping bag, plus a roll mat to insulate you from the cold ground. Wear plenty of layers and keep your socks on! Never try to warm up your tent with a barbecue or stove, as even a cooling barbecue gives off poisonous carbon monoxide, which can kill.
4. Remember a torch
Going for night-time toilet trips is treacherous without a light. It can be pretty dark in the middle of the countryside away from the neon glare of towns, so keep a torch or lantern within reach or you’ll end up stumbling around trying to find one. And don’t forget the spare batteries, either!
5. Stick to the shade
On your summer holiday you’ll naturally be hoping to catch some rays, but if you pitch your tent in full sun it will feel like sleeping in an oven. If you can’t find a shady spot, Dan Yates suggests packing a battery-powered fan or pitching another tent or groundsheet over your tent to provide shade. ‘And be careful of innocent objects that can start a fire if left in sunlight,’ says Dan. ‘Bottles of water can concentrate the sun’s rays like a magnifying glass and ignite a groundsheet.’
6. Store food correctly
It’s best to avoid keeping food in your tent at all as it can encourage insects to come creeping in. In some countries this can pose more of a danger than others, with poisonous animals or even Canadian grizzlies to worry about. Lock food away in a car if possible, or seal it tightly in Tupperware or a cool box.
7. Learn how to use a compass
Learn how to use a GPS or map and compass. No matter how familiar you are with a certain wooded area, getting lost among acres of similar-looking trees is very easy.
It might all sound like common sense, but you’ll be surprised how it’s easy to forget about all these when you’re already on-site. For this reason, you would do well to be the one with the plan and pull everyone together on your upcoming camping trip.