It doesn’t get much better than lounging around a campfire under the stars surrounded by your friends and family. Camping is a memorable and relaxing pastime. However, while camping can be fun, it is important that proper planning is taken before the trip.
Below you will find a few suggestions that will help you prepare:
1. Use a checklist – there is nothing worse than arriving at your campsite only to discover that you’ve forgotten the tent pegs, toilet paper, and the camping grill.
2. Practice in the garden – if you’ve never been camping before, make sure you give your tent a go in the garden. It’s worth knowing what you’ve got in that little bag, and how it all fits together.
3. Protect your tent – tents can be expensive and you don’t want to use it just once. Protect the ground sheet with a sheet underneath, use protective products on the outside, and always wash and clean it when you’ve finished camping.
4. Spares – always keep spare guy ropes, and tent pegs with you-you’ll never know when you might need them.
5. Camping etiquette – ensure that whilst you’re staying at the campsite, that you respect your neighbors, don’t park too close, keep the noise down after dark, and tidy your pitch before leaving.
6. Food storage – always, always keep your food in airtight containers-you really don’t need wildlife rummaging through your tent at 3 am.
7. Avoid fire hazards – never cook, smoke, or have candles or naked flames in a tent. Most tents and sleeping bag materials are extremely flammable, so be sure to use a windshield to create a cooking area.
8. Keeping it handy – keep flashlights and toilet paper handy prior to going to sleep. You don’t want to be rummaging around and waking everyone else up when you need to use the conveniences.
9. Keeping it safe – never leave anything valuable in your tent. Lock them in your car, or take them with you wherever you go.
10. Recognizable – you want to be able to recognize your tent when you are in a busy field, or at night time. You don’t want to be tripping over the guy ropes into someone else’s tent, so be sure to know where you pitched your tent and give yourself a landmark to get back to your tent.
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