Planning to take your first ever camping trip this Spring? Then you couldn’t have chosen a better season to take a plunge into the world of outdoor recreation. Sure, summer is considered the classic camping season, but Spring is the perfect time to camp if you want to witness Mother Nature rise again after months of being under the snow.
However, this being your first camping trip, how do you avoid the rookie mistakes campers make? By ensuring you pack all camping essentials right from your men’s alpaca hoodie, sleeping bag to camping meals. You can’t afford to leave anything behind. Here is a camping guide for first-time campers to help you make everything smooth-sailing.
Know Your Camping Grounds
There’s nothing more miserable than spending a night in a family-themed campground when you are more of a party person. In that breath, make sure you research your campsite ahead of time. Use the campground’s website to see what kind of amenities are offered.
Check out reviews from previous campers to determine the kind of experience you should expect. If it has the amenities you want, ensure they are well maintained. Find out as much as possible about the campground, the rules, and the facilities. This way, you can always look for other options if you feel the campground doesn’t suit you.
Familiarize Yourself with Your Camping Gear
When you get to camp, you want to get settled within the shortest time possible. Therefore, ensure you get familiar with your gear at home. Practice how to set up a tent at home, so you don’t end up spending two hours on it when it only takes ten minutes. Try out your sleeping bag beforehand to see if it’ll be cozy enough. Give your camping stove a test run by cooking on it to see whether it’s in an excellent working condition. In a nutshell, ensure you know how to use all your camping gear and that it’s in proper working condition ahead of time.
Pack the Right Attire
Camping is fun — but only if you have everything you need. This means, if you carry the best tent but forget your camping shoes, then the experience won’t be fun as you’ll continuously be uncomfortable. In that light, make sure you pack the right attire. Also, since you don’t want to end up carrying your entire closet, pack clothes that are lightweight and comfy, require less washing, waterproof, warm, breathable, and at the same time, odor-resistant such as the men’s alpaca hoodie. It is especially essential if part of your camping itinerary includes hiking or activities such as mountain climbing.
Plan Meals
Going to camp without planning meals is a common and costly rookie mistake. Avoid it by ensuring you also plan meals. Consider the number of people who’ll be tagging along, the meals you plan on having every day, and what everyone likes to eat and put together a menu. Then go shopping a day before your departure and get everything, including extra snacks. Also, don’t get over ambitious with the meals. Put together simple, delicious meals instead of the ingredient-heavy meals.
Create a Camping Checklist
There is more to camping than having the right tent. For instance, forgetting essentials such as cutlery, insect repellent, flashlight, pocket knife, or hygiene essentials might make your camping experience less fun. To avoid the inconvenience of having to leave the campground or to borrow around, ensure you create a Spring camping checklist. Outline everything you need from the major camping essentials such as the tent to the most minor such as sunscreen.
Camping is fun — but it can easily go from being the most anticipated experience of your life to the worst if you don’t prepare enough for it. As a first-time camper, you want your experience to be a memorable one.