Summer is in full swing, and you know what that means - it’s camping season! Camping is a wonderful way to get outside and enjoy nature, because you can pack up your car easily and just go.
But, if you’ve ever gone camping and realized that you forgot a key thing at home or you’ve chosen the wrong spot, it can be sort of anxiety inducing (believe us, we’ve been there). That’s why we wanted to put together a quick guide for you so that you can fully enjoy your camping trip this summer and every summer there after! Let’s get started.
1. Make a Checklist
One of the worst feelings you’ll experience while camping (aside from using poison oak for toilet paper accidentally) is forgetting an important piece of gear at home. While a lot of popular camping areas will have stores nearby to help you purchase forgotten items, many don’t have large varieties of items in stock.
Having a checklist, whether it’s on your phone or printed on your refrigerator door, is key to keeping track of all of the gear you want to have on each trip. Not only will it help you ensure everything makes it into your car for your trip, but it’ll also help remind you to restock items that you typically use while out camping like paper towels, soap, baby wipes, etc.
And, if you’re like us and do a variety of camping, it’s a good idea to have multiple checklists for the different camping you plan on doing. You’ll likely carry different gear backpacking than you will car camping, so having two separate lists will help you stay prepared for both cases.
2. Make a Reservation
You’ve driven out of town for hours with one thing on your mind: setting up and drinking that first camp beer by the fire. The feeling of excitement builds and builds as you wind your way through the woods to your spot. And as you cross into the campground, that feeling of excitement quickly changes to one of desperation and fear! Why? All the spots are taken and you didn’t make a reservation.
If 2020 pandemic taught us anything, it’s that people began turning to the outdoors as a way to relax and enjoy themselves in a dispersed manner. Well, with that came a huge influx of people going to campgrounds that didn’t typically fill up on the weekends. That’s what makes reserving a spot one of the most important things you can do. Take the guess work out of getting a spot so you don’t have to stress about whether you’ll be able to set up for the weekend or go home in the dark!
3. Check the Weather
One of the most important things you have to do before you go on your trip is to check the weather. Summer camping is great because generally speaking, the weather is going to be much warmer and more hospitable than say camping during the winter. However, there’s nothing that will ruin a camping trip faster than realizing that you’ve left all of your rain gear at home, and it just dumps rain all weekend!
Now, obviously you can’t predict what the weather is going to do months in advance. But, do the best you can here to see what the forecast says you’ll face so you can ensure you have the right gear with you to deal with whatever the weather does.
4. Organize Your Gear
When you get down to it, you end up bringing so many pieces of gear when you go camping. Stoves, first aid kits, lanterns, tents, sleeping bags, the list goes on and on! That’s why it’s really important to organize your gear ahead of time.
It’s really difficult to enjoy your camping trip when all of your stuff is just floating around inside of your vehicle or backpack. The degree to which really depends on the situation. It could be mildly annoying to have to wait for breakfast to be cooked because you can’t find the propane canister to start the stove. And it could be downright miserable when it starts raining and you can’t find your rain jacket since it’s buried under mountains of other gear!
It doesn’t have to be perfect but find a way to organize your gear that makes sense to you, and you’ll be surprised how much more efficient you’re able to be at camp.
5. Have Backups for Your Gear
For items that you can’t afford to have break, it’s always a good idea to have a backup. This includes things like flashlights, tent poles, etc. Nothing wrecks a trip faster than when a cornerstone piece of gear goes out of commission, and you don’t have the means to repair or replace it right away!
Final Thoughts
Going camping this summer will certainly help you recharge and refresh your batteries. You’ll love getting away from it all to focus on the simpler things in live. And you’ll get to hone your prepper and survivalist skills all at the same time!
No matter where you go this summer, be sure to be prepared to deal with one of the most challenging parts of camping: water management. It’s recommended that we drink at least 2 liters of water a day, but if you’re active, you’ll likely need more! So be ready to have plenty of water to drink by packing along some Aquatabs.
Aquatabs are the best solution to creating clean drinking water as they are lightweight, easy to use, and most importantly, highly effective at eliminating any dangerous waterborne illnesses.