How to Start Camping: A Beginner’s Guide
Camping is a recreational and outdoor adventure often sought after to take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and stress. Camping is done in the wild, without the available amenities by making use of equipment known as camping gear.
When it comes to the history of Camping, we should know that Camping was considered and done as a past-time activity and became popular in the British Isles towards the end of the 19th century.
Even though people took to re-connecting themselves with nature and sleeping under the stars, as a means of escape from hectic life and stress, they still had to deal with the elements and several natural and safety factors. That’s when caravans and other camping gear came to the rescue.
Now, Youth groups even actively incorporate and introduce this activity as part of their education especially, as a means to teach them values like teamwork and self-reliance.
This is because, in the end, one can definitely learn to be self-dependent while learning to survive in the wild and take joy in it too.
If you are going camping for the first time in your life and have absolutely no clue where to start, then welcome to this easy guide to help you get started so that you can be sure to have fun on your camping trip!
Table of Contents
How To Start Camping: Things Every First-Time Camper Should Know
1. Buy a tent and choose the correct gear
There are a lot of tricky choices when it comes to choosing the correct type of tent for your camping trip, as well as the right camping gear. It is your first time going out camping whether by yourself or in groups, so do not panic!
There is no need to go all-out and get gears that are used by experienced campers and would end up confusing you.
Sticking to the basics, the first and foremost thing you need to do is buy yourself a tent, keeping in mind to buy a simple tent that is easy to set up. Also to buy a tent of the correct size and space to allow being as comfortable as possible on your first trip.
If you are going camping as a couple then consider our guide on the best 2-person tents. Else, check out the best 12-person tents if your entire family with some friends are going out.
You can go for tents under $100 at the starting. Here’s one that we recommend you:
(Click Image To See Price)
Getting a sleeping bag is the next step and make sure to buy a comfortable, easy-to-carry sleeping bag.
[Tip: Probably something that can cover you for all the seasons]Keep your lanterns and flashlights ready for any situation – being stuck in complete darkness while camping out for the first time is not an ideal camping experience.
2. Choosing your Destination and Campsite
Each and everyone’s choice of destination or ambiance they wish to set up in is different. Your decision to go to a particular destination for a camping trip may depend solely on one’s affordability, the place itself, or even your love for the campsite and the destination.
An easy way to choose your campsite is often to research about it. Nowadays we have various sites with travel experts reviewing as well as divulging into the details of the site and hence should help you make an informed decision on it.
While choosing your destination and the campsite, pause a minute and think about what is important to you, whether campfires are allowed or not, and if the site fits your bill.
Make sure to carefully read about the site you are about to choose and take your decision.
3. Prepare for your first camping trip
Waiting out to use your camping gear first hand only at your campsite might not be a good idea, especially when you are a beginner. So trying out those camping gear and familiarizing yourself with it at your home, before you leave for the trip is a mighty great idea.
Since it’s your first time, even a pop-up tent with a pitch time of 2 minutes might take you 2 hours to set up and repack in case you have not gotten the hang of it.
Not only that, but it also enables you to have a double-check of the ropes, the tent pegs, and poles required to set up the tent.
It is also advisable to test out your camp stove and cookware if you have one. Try cooking yourself a meal to check the time taken to get your meal ready and also whether the stove is in perfect working condition along with its cookware.
If you don’t have a stove yet, then check out the best 2-burner camp stoves or tent stoves for camping.
4. Pay attention to Weather Forecasts and pack accordingly
Even though we cannot forecast the weather and count on its accuracy. But keeping track of it still gives us an idea of what to expect and what not to expect for the camping trip in the future.
Keeping in tandem with the weather forecast can help you decide what kind of clothes you should pack.
It is also advisable to be ready for any kind of weather and keep your bag packed with clothes suitable for both warm and cold temperatures, as you can never know how many layers would be enough.
Deciding to go through with the camping trip when the weather channel is forecasting a storm or rain, is a risk that can lead to a not-so-fun experience which is not the objective of the camping trip.
This is when it is better to postpone the plan and move the trip to another date in your future, when you can actually, camp out and de-stress to have fun!
5. Stay Close to Home
For your first time, it is probably the best idea to camp somewhere close to your home. There is plenty of time, to venture out too far away from campsites and for your adventures. Just spending one night at the campsite can make you realize if camping is your thing or not.
If not this, you might face an emergency and might need to get to your house as soon as possible. So whatever the reason be, it is always recommendable to prioritize your own safety and choose your first campsite close to home.
An important camping rule is to arrive early at the site and setting up while there’s still light and during convenient hours. There is a simple logic to this though! Setting up a campsite takes some work and use of equipment, and working with them in darkness during the night would only lead to fumbling and delay in setting up your campsite.
6. Last but not least
Make sure you do not worry too much, and de-stress, and have fun, which is the ultimate purpose of you deciding to take a camping trip. But also, make sure to be responsible as well as respectful of nature and the campground.
It is a camper’s duty to leave the campsite just the way it was, if not better.
If you want to discuss more on how to start camping, then let us know about your thoughts and first-time camping experiences in the comment section below.
We would love to hear them 🙂
