With Spring right about the corner, and prices for vacations at an all-time high, a lot of families are going camping, some for the first time. The following are some quick and easy camping tips to help you in 2023. Have Fune!
Research Your Camp Site and Book Ahead
As the sun is about to drop and you have no clue where you will put up your tent for the night, you may have a sensation of panic. This is one of the few situations that may be really stressful.
You may avoid this by using our assistance. You may locate the greatest camping locations in a flash and in advance by utilizing the “Find A KOA” option on our website.
Choose the KOA campground that is closest to the locations you want to explore by doing a search for those regions. After that, you may click to view further information about each unique place, such as its facilities, activities, images, and videos, among other things.
You may also make a reservation for your camping place here before you head out on your journey. This will ensure that you won’t have to spend your camping trip sleeping in your vehicle.
Leave the Tech Behind
The point of camping is to get away from video games and ipads. I highly recommend leaving the text at home, however, you may consider a portable generator. The vast majority of people make the decision to invest in a portable generator while camping as a kind of insurance against the possibility of experiencing a loss of electricity or just in case something happens. It’s a long shot, but you never know what could happen and it’s good to always be prepared.
Test Drive Camping Gear at Home First
It is usually a good idea, especially if you are a complete newbie at camping, to practice using your camping gear in your own lawn or living room before traveling out to the campground. Your children are going to have a fantastic time camping in the backyard, and it will be a terrific opportunity for you to become more familiar with your gear at the same time!
Bring the Right Cooking Gear
If you intend to prepare food while camping, you will require several fundamental pieces of camping equipment, such as a stove, cooking pots and pans, grilling utensils, and fuel. While shopping for a stove, you should take into account its dimensions, how long it will last, and the fuel it will burn. If you’re going car camping, which means you park your vehicle at the campsite rather than hiking in, you may want to select a stove that is larger and more solid than a backpacking stove, which is more compact and packs down so it can be carried with you. When she goes vehicle camping, WeVenture multiday tour leader Cassie Likens relies heavily on her Coleman two-burner stove because of its convenience. She tells SELF that she like how simple it is to use and that it is practical because it allows her to make breakfast and coffee at the same time.
Some campgrounds include barbecues, which is convenient because it means you won’t need to carry any additional equipment for cooking; all you’ll need are the utensils. (In addition, there are a plethora of incredible recipes for grilling from which to pick.) But it’s always something you’d want to double-verify before you head off, because you definitely don’t want to wind up arriving there with a complete stock of groceries but nowhere to cook them. In other words, you don’t want to end yourself in that situation.
Although the stove or grill is the most significant appliance in the kitchen, it is also crucial not to overlook the following additional helpful appliances: Among these are tools (such as a can opener, tongs, and a cutting board, in addition to forks, knives, and spoons), aluminum foil (for meals cooked on a grill or over a campfire), trash bags, cleaning materials, and plastic or reusable baggies for storing leftovers.
Pack Coffee
Some people enjoy the typical cowboy coffee that is served when camping, but those of us who consider ourselves to be “coffee snobs” just cannot bring ourselves to accept the practice of drinking coffee grounds.
And just because you’re roughing it in the great outdoors doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a cup of joe that compares favorably in flavor to the brew you get at your go-to café. You could bring a French press or a setup for making coffee with a pour-over method, or you could go out and get some instant coffee that has a more refined flavor profile.
You will find that investing in high-quality fuel first thing in the morning was money well spent.
Prepare for Rain
- Bring a Tarp – Hanging a tarp from the ceiling of your tent is a fantastic way to make use of the extras you brought along. When it’s raining outside, one of the most essential things you can do to ensure that you still have a wonderful time camping is to make sure that water doesn’t get into your tent. If you hang a tarp over the top of your tent, you may significantly reduce the likelihood that water will get inside. Even if you do not possess a tarp that is big enough to cover the entirety of your tent, covering even a section of it will be of great assistance.
- Bring Waterproof Clothing -When there is a chance that it may rain, you really need to bring along some clothing that can withstand becoming wet. Moreover, waterproof footwear is more vital than you would initially believe. It is simple to convince yourself that having your feet wet would not be a big deal, but if you go the whole day moving around with wet socks and shoes, you will undoubtedly come to regret your decision. Even if you don’t want to buy a new pair of shoes, you should at least invest in some socks that are waterproof. Cheap ponchos, rain coats, gaiters, and brimmed hats are some examples of different types of watertight clothing that you might want to take into consideration purchasing. No matter what you choose to carry with you, you absolutely must make preparations to keep yourself dry if you intend to be outside while it is raining.
Clean Up
It is crucial to leave no trace when you are camping, so you should take up all of your rubbish and uneaten food waste, including items like bacon grease and food scraps. You can throw it away at your campground if it has garbage collection and disposal services. You should carry it with you (additional trash bags come in useful to limit the mess!) and dispose of it the next time you have the opportunity because many primitive campgrounds do not have garbage or recycling boxes.
The next step is to store all of your food and kitchen tools in containers with lids or in refrigerators. Keep them in the trunk of your vehicle if you’re going car camping. The one and only exception to this rule, which we touched on before, is when you’re in bear country. In such scenario, make sure to put all of the edible and fragrant goods in bear-proof containers. It is important to have adequate food storage since if pests discover the location of food sources, it would be very impossible to keep them away (which is bad for you and the wildlife.)
