What are the things to consider in planning a camping trip?
There are many things that we should consider in planning a camping trip. So that we can have the best output from the whole journey without hassle.
Some of our old-day memories of growing up come from camping with our families. You feel happy when you recall the fun of jumping into a lake on a hot summer day, chasing fireflies under the open Sky or making an open campfire.
If you’re not an experienced person, you can make those memories for your friends and family. You need proper planning for your camping trip so that it will be memorable and fun for everyone. It should also be stress-free and safe.
Plan out for some extra activities
Plan out what you will do while camping. It is good to plan some activities especially if you are camping with kids. If you are camping alone or as a couple and want to simply sit back and relax, you can do that too.
If you know what you are going to do while camping, that will ensure that you bring everything that is required. Have activities planned for kids to make it easy to keep kids busy.
There are a few of the activities people do while camping are:
- Go swimming
- Play cards
- Playing games
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Read books
- Playing frisbee
- Calculate the amount of water needs
Planning for the correct amount of water is difficult. Because it depends on the length of trip, location, activities, humidity and so on. Each trip is different and you need to evaluate your needs for every trip. During hot weather or if you plan on more physical games, you will need more water.
Also Read: Why is Camping Better Than Hotels?
At a managed campground, you can have water sources.You won’t need to worry about calculating water needs. Bring 1 or 2 five liter gallon water with you.
For primitive camping, it is important to bring enough water. Plan about 1-1.5 gallons per person per day. This covers drinking, cooking, and kitchen cleaning needs.
For shower while camping, we need to bring a lot more water. 5 gallons of water is required just for one person for shower. If there is a location where we can refill that barrel then one barrel is ok. Keep another case of water in the back of the truck just for precaution. If you camp near water, bring a water filtration system.
Plan for your food
Plan your gear, kitchen stuff and foods side by side. Choose your meals wisely. You must consider your food cooking and food storage capabilities. Plan a meal for every breakfast and dinner as well as lunches. Don’t plan every lunch because we often have leftovers.
Bring everything you need to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for snack. Try to keep meals simple so that it requires less work and preparation time. You can also prepare a few meals before camping trip and freeze them. Just pull it out of the cooler and warm it up.
This will save time on preparing the food while camping. There are lots of camping recipes available. If you bring food that needs to be refrigerated, you need to ensure to keep it cold until you use it. There are many camping coolers that will help you do this.
Protections that should be taken
Preparation is good for your safety. It is necessary for the middle of the woods. These items will help you to plan but they are not everything that you need.
- Sun block
- Bear spray
- First aid kit
- Bug repellent
- Basic medicine
- Hygiene during this period
Have you considered cleaning while camping? If the trip is for a night, then this won’t bother you but if it’s longer, this will be more important. Think about the following.
- Shower setup
- Clothes washing station
- System for washing your hands
- Bathroom setup
- Proper clothing
Take clothing with you when camping but the important issue is to think about the weather you are going to experience at the campsite. The weather could be colder or warmer. Going for swimming or hiking should also be considered.
Look up the temperature at your campsite at the time of your trip. Don’t show up with inadequate clothing. For warmer weather, bring a sweatshirt as well as a full set of warm clothes.
For cold weather, bring a pair of shorts. Kids need more clothes than you’d expect. Bring extra clothes, shoes, and underwear for kids.
Relaxation and comfort for the trip
Some items will make you more comfortable. Camping is a good option to relax. Don’t forget to bring some items that will help you do that. The following items are some of the things that might help.
- Books
- Clothing
- Shade tent or canopy
- Campsite chairs
- Hammock or swing
- Extra bedding & sleeping comforts
- Have some music
- Kitchen and food preparations
Take everything you’ll need to cook, prepare, and store the food. If you don’t have all your kitchen needs, you will forget something important. The following items will help you regarding your camp kitchen.
- Table for preparation
- Grill, stove, tools to cook over the fire
- Knives
- Coolers and ice for food storage
- Cooking utensils
- Whisk
- Spatchulas
- Cutting board
- Eating utensils
- Pots and pans for planned meals
- Plates and bowles
- The shelter and sleeping stuff
Making sure you sleep well. It is important as without or less sleeping can ruin your trip. If you don’t sleep well, you are going to have a bad time. Everything on this list is not required but it might be something you want to consider.
- Camping tent, camping trailer
- Sleeping Bags and pads
- Sleeping pads
- Bed and that could be cot, padding, air mattress, mattress etc.
- Pillows
- Rain protection equipment like extra tarps, tent rainfly, ground tarp etc.
Conclusion
Your camping trip will be more fun if you keep a positive attitude the whole trip. If you are an experienced one, you know that even the well made plans can go wrong. People can feel hopeless by facing any simple issue like starting a campfire.
The weather could be changed suddenly and you have to deal with rain all day. A lot of things that can go wrong on a trip. If you keep a positive attitude about any situation and face it, your friends and family will pick up on your vibe and it will be a fun trip.
