I don't know about you, but I love being outside. Not as much in the winter, but once warm weather hits, I'm all about it.
Weekend trips to explore new places rank right at the top of my favorite ways to spend a weekend. BUT, I don't always want to drop a bunch of $$$ on a hotel room or B&B for a night or two stay. This doesn't mean I'm stuck at home though. Camping is a great way to be outside, save some cash & get away from the city for a weekend.
I posted my tips for beginning backpackers back in May. But many of you said that you weren't quite to the backpacking stage yet, and I get it. There are plenty of camping options that don't require hiking to your campsite carrying all of your gear. What if you've never been camping before though? Don't worry, I was into my 20's before I ever went camping. If you do it right, it'll be just as comfortable as being at home. Here's a few tips to get you started.
1. Pick a well equipped campsite
No matter where you live there are bound to be tons of camping options within an hour or two drive. You'll want to pick a campsite that allows you to reserve in advance, has permanent restrooms (maybe even showers), potable water & nearby parking. These things may not all be important to you, but if it's your first or your 100th time camping, these are still things that can make camping a bit more enjoyable.
2. Bring campfire friendly food
You'd be surprised how well you can eat while camping. S'mores are a no-brainer when you're camping, but most campsites with a firepit will have some sort of grate over top that will allow you to cook food on top. I'll be doing a separate post on eating while camping, but honestly, the BF & I usually take steaks, foil wrapped baked potatoes & s'more fixins.
The important part here is know what you'll eat, know how you'll plan to cook it & know how you'll store it. If you plan on staying more than one night you'll need a good cooler & ice to keep perishables fresh.
3. Test your equipment
Nothing is worse than getting to the campsite & realizing you can't put your tent together. Or (not that I speak from experience) trying to blow up your air mattress only to realize there's a hole in it. Or that someone forgot to pack the pump...I still give the BF flack for that one. If it's your first time camping, practicing setting up your tent ahead of time, or starting a fire can help you feel at ease when you're setting up your campsite.
Are you a camping fan?
What camping questions do you have for me?
I'm linking up with Amanda to share.
Great tips! I went camping once with girl scouts in my youth, hated it, and didn't go camping again until I was in my 30s! We've been doing it a bit more now and I've come to enjoy it :) I definitely think the tip on testing your gear in advance is huge. We had that air mattress experience once when we realized it had a leak but we were already at the camp site by that point.
ReplyDeleteYup. So did we. We figured we could tough it out for the night. And that might be the worst nights sleep I've ever had. We drove to town the next day & bought a new one.
DeleteI love camping!! Can't wait to go this summer.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely echo your advice about #2. Do put a lot of thought into your food situation before you go. Try to plan meals/snacks that are as easy as possible, because it can get frustrating when you're outside your comfort zone, you're starving, and you realize it's going to take time and work to prepare your food. I've definitely had those disorienting moments where I suddenly remember I can't just pop open the fridge or call Jimmy Johns. While the BF and I have always been diligent about bringing our cooler and packing food for every meal, we also fall into the trap of packing lots of unhealthy stuff (hot dogs! smores! chips and dip! BECAUSE CAMPFIRE!!), and it just didn't feel good to eat that way.
We're the same way & usually end up a little shy on vegetables when we camp. I try to be conscious to pack foil packets full of veggies, but just depends what amenities we have available.
DeleteI love bringing good food. That actually is what causes many of my family members to like camping. If it's all dried food, it's not quite as fun, so S'mores, warm soups, and hotdogs are all yummy ways to enjoy it. Also, there are so many good campsites everywhere, and it just takes a little research!
ReplyDeleteExactly! I definitely try to save eating s'mores for when I'm camping. It makes them that much more enjoyable!
DeleteMy aunt used to have a 2 story house at the lake that had like 5 bedrooms & 15 beds. 2 full baths, a huge kitchen. A golf cart to take us to the lake. That's how I camp ;) haha
ReplyDeleteI think I'd like camping like that too! I've always wanted to go away for a weekend with tons of friends // family. That sounds like the perfect place.
DeleteSome awesome tips here! I wish that I had them for my husband when he camped for the first time a few weeks ago. It was a riot to me, of course.:)
ReplyDeleteHaha pretty sure that was how my friends felt when they saw me camp for the first time. Like a fish out of water.
DeleteAs you know I do love me some camping, even if I'm in my RV. You've given me great inspiration for future posts too since we do camp so much. I am always on the lookout for easy camping meals. Where do you find a lot of yours? Smores are a must if you can have a campfire. Recently I fell in love with cabbage cooked on the firepit grate! It was amazing!
ReplyDeleteHonestly a lot of it had been trial and error. I figure anything you can grill will work for camping. I also try to make things ahead of time if I know they'll reheat well.
DeleteI have never been "real" camping (I've been glamping which totally doesn't count haha!) but I have always wanted to! These are such great tips!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kristy! I love the outdoors, so I love camping. I can only do a few days at a time though. 3 or 4 is probably my max. After that, I am ready to be back to civilization.
DeleteThis is my first time on your blog, but boy am I here to stay! I’m planning my first solo-backpacking trip for next summer, and this is going to help me SO much. I’m off to read all of your posts.
ReplyDeleteAH, thanks so much Julia! I've definitely got some backpacking // camping experience, but my BF & brother have so much more. I plan to keep the posts like these coming though. :)
DeleteGood tips! Our family are regular campers for our holidays and we upgraded a year ago to a camper trailer which makes things just a little more fabulous! I heard a statistic recently that families who camp together are more likely to stay together - not sure why that is, maybe it's something to do with working as a team to get stuff done, or facing adversity together (yes, something unexpected will go wrong pretty much every trip, but it's OK, you can deal with it). I also love the fact that we can all unplug and just hang out.
ReplyDeleteI definitely believe that. I think it's made the BF & I stronger as a couple. 'Cause you're right. Something always goes just a little bit wrong...or a lot wrong...
Delete