Camping can be a truly exhilarating experience if you give just a little thought to bringing some basic creature comforts with you. If not, your first camping trip might just be your last, which will be a pity as camping is a rare and wonderful lifestyle to enjoy with your partner or friends. Here are five key areas you need to cover to ensure you have a great camping trip.
Firstly, you want to be certain that you have a decent tent, and by that, we mean a tent that is high enough to stand in and wide enough to accommodate two beds. It also needs to be waterproof and possess a reasonable attached shade canopy which offers a decent sized place to sit outside the tent. Being able to stand up in a tent when changing clothes, applying insect repellants, and during other activities can make or break of your trip, yet a tent’s height is an often overlooked comfort necessity.
Secondly, ensure that you have a good quality fold out stretcher/mattress to sleep on to get you off the ground. A good night’s sleep is the key to having a great camping trip. Do not try to save space or costs here by sleeping on a thin rubber mat or the like as you will certainly have a hard and uncomfortable night’s sleep.
Thirdly, now that your sleeping quarters are cared for, you need to consider your needs outside of the tent. Here, you simply need to have a fold out table and comfortable fold out camping chairs. You will be spending a lot of time reading, talking, and relaxing when camping, so ensure you are properly equipped. Sitting on a blanket can be fun, but eventually, you need a table and chairs, especially for preparing meals and performing other chores. Also, you must have adequate shade in South Africa, so if your tent’s add-on canopy is not big enough, you should also bring a good umbrella or four poster canopy that you can set up alongside your tent for good shade.
Fourth comes food preparation, and here, you do not want to be short on utensils. If you are going to be fully self-catering, then have a gas cooker with you as well as a pan and two small pots. This gives you the variety, along with your camp fire, to produce some great meals. Naturally, a good knife, cutting board, plates, cups, and eating utensils are a must. Light is a major factor too when camping and can be the added difference to a really great trip. Have a lamp with you that you can place on the table or hang from a tree, and you should also pack a decent torch for walking to the bathroom or simply finding something in the tent.
Finally, you now have the tent, the bed, the table and chairs, cooking facilities and lights, and you are set for a great camping trip except for one final aspect of camping, namely tent site location. Be sure to take a minute or two to survey the camp site before pegging down. Take into account where the ablutions are situated and also where the wash-up area is, and don’t get too close to these as they can be noisy. Look where there is shade, especially in the heat of the day when you are likely to be at your tent site, and set your tent up beneath that shade. If possible, give yourself the best views and allow appropriate space between you and your neighbors. And don’t forget your binoculars and camera, as nature is always providing you with interesting sights and happenings.
If you need a larger tent, umbrella or fold out table, Planet Camping can help you find all of your camping gear needs this season!