You might have heard how camping is fun and now you are intrigued to try it out for yourself. Well, there is no doubt that camping is going to be fun, but only if you know what you are getting yourself into. You have to know more about the important tools and tips to keep in mind before heading outdoors for a camping trip.
Well, picking the gear and understanding how camping does not need to be hard. We get to discuss in detail some of the things you need to do when it comes preparing yourself for the first camping trip.
- Packing wisely
Sometimes people end up with a lot more gear and clothes than they need when preparing for the camping trip. You have to be careful also not to end up with many unnecessary things for the trip. You might be gone for a few days, so no need to pack as you will be gone for months.
Keep it simple when it comes to buying the equipment. You might not be camping each weekend, so the expensive equipment might not see the use again for a while, and that is just wasting it.
So, depending on where you are going to camp, come up with a reasonable packing list and stick to it. You can only change it if there is the need to do so.
- Tents, stakes, poles, tarps, and tie downs
At the end of the day, you will need a place to sleep. This calls for picking the right tent with all the important accessories, such a camping fan, to make sure that it stays down and provides the best cover. The tents come in different shapes, designs, materials used for construction and many other things.
For a person who will be camping and backpacking, then you need to opt for the ultralight tents. These tents won’t feel like much weight, but will still provide you with enough room to sleep whenever you have to
Sometimes the tent manufacturers can confuse you as the buyer and label them based on the number of seasons they can handle. What is important is that you check the fabric quality. For a good model, the quality of the fabric will always ensure that you feel cozy when you are in it.
- Sleeping bags and pads
If you are going to sleep better, then you need one of the best ways to do so. You have to pick the best sleeping bag and sleeping pad too. You will find that they come in different weights and can handle the different temperatures just like the tents.
There is the need to pick a model that will work great to provide enough comfort each time you get to use the product. Go ahead and compare between different models to see which one could be more effective when it comes to better performance.
- Choosing the camping area
Things have changed over the years; you do not have to worry about ending up in the wrong camping area when there is the Internet. With the help of the Internet and blogs, you can easily learn more about a campsite before the actual visit. Since you are doing this for the first time, you need to consider choosing an area close to where you live. This is important so that you feel comfortable that you are still in your environment.
If you have friends who like camping, ask them about their opinion based on the area you have chosen. They will guide you to choose an alternative place if they feel that the camping site is not secure.
If the campsite is great, then you can pay the fee required to use it if that applies before showing up to start the camping process.
- The first aid kit
You might just be splitting maul or any other activity at the campsite, and you end up with a small injury. What is important is that you get to have a first aid kit to help with attending to the emergency until you get treated later if the injury is serious.
It does not necessarily have to be you who is injured, it can be another person in the camp, and you have the opportunity to help.
- Tools for illumination
It is bound to get dark at some point when you are at the campsite. This calls for having headlamps, flashlights, or lanterns to help you. The best part about camping is that you do not need the expensive tactical flashlight. What is important is that you get a simple but reliable LED flashlight for better illumination in your tent or outside.
Headlamps and lanterns are the alternatives when it comes to having a better illumination on a larger scale as compared to the flashlight. You can choose based on the application and number of people too.
- Survival Gear
You are going outdoors, so you have to think of buying some of the gear important for survival. You can opt for a pack of matches, a survival watch, rope, knife, and a lot more. Unless you are someone who grew up as a boy scout, you are going to need the pack of matches to start a fire. With fire, there is always a lot that you can achieve. Most people can cook with it, keep themselves warm during a chilly night at the campsite and so much more. As for the ropes, you can never miss something that you need to tie down. This could be great for the tent if you have to keep it in one place.
- Cooking and cleaning
If you do not trust yourself with cooking some nice food at the campsite, then you could always carry precooked food already.
Once you are done with the cooking, the next thing would be cleaning later on after the meal. Make sure to clean so that you do not walk around with dirty utensils. Do not forget to remove campfire smell out of clothes so that you always smell fresh.
- Water filtration system
It is possible that you might end up spending a lot to treat yourself on waterborne diseases if you are not careful about the type of water you drink. You are supposed to choose wisely the water filtration system so that you can end up with the best drinking water. No more worries that you will end up with stomach upsets because you had to drink dirty water.
Conclusion
These are just but a few tips you may have to consider when it comes to preparing for your first camping trip. What is important is that you get to have more outdoors that it makes you think about getting back on a camping expedition real soon. Once you are done with the trip, go ahead and share your experience so that other novice campers can get motivated to try out some new things based on your experience.