Camping is undoubtedly a fun activity provided you know how to enjoy outdoors. And this holds true even if your idea of the ‘great outdoors’ consists of endless re-runs of slasher movies.

The odds are that you will feel this urge to just simply get up and out of the city for a camping trip. As a matter of fact, this ‘urge’ to leave the trappings of modern civilization behind and just simply to camp out, can easily seize your imagination at just about any time in your life. Since many if not most of us, do end up feeling suffocated living in densely packed cities all the time.

However, camping is not always for the faint of heart. This holds particularly true if you are a first-timer, to it. This is why the following tips can easily help you out in your quest to becoming a highly experienced and accomplished camper in your own rights. Read on to find out more.

Stock up on the right gear

The thing about camping is that you have to take some time out from modern civilization and ‘rough it out’ like our ancient ancestors did, once upon a time. You have to survive without a heated or air-conditioned room. There will be a total lack of electricity and electrical gadgets, no furniture, no fridge, no stove and no cupboards for that matter. All that you need for survival, you have to bring with you. This is why what you ‘do’ bring with you and consequently, what you decide to leave behind can be very important indeed.  This is a small list of what you will need even for a ‘bare bones’ tenting trip

The Tent

This is the single most important piece of equipment that you will need when you go camping for the first time.  The size of your canvas tent will matter more than you may give it credit for. This is because you will have to live in it either alone or with your two and four-legged companions. The simple rule of thumb is that the bigger the tent the better it will be.  If it’s a 3 person group, get a 4 person tent so that you will not need to feel claustrophobic at all.  If you are a tall person, then go for a tent with a higher ‘peak height’ factor as well.  Vestibules and niche pockets present outside the door and awnings of the tent are great for stowing away muddy shoes and dirty clothes so that you will not be bringing in dirt and mud into your ‘home away from home’.

However, as a first timer, it is imperative that you check out your tent before you set out for your trip. Especially with regard to setting it up properly as well.  The last thing you need to do is to learn to pitch a tent while it is raining cats and dogs! So, take time out to familiarize yourself with your equipment to avoid issues later on.

The sleeping bag

Remember that the sleeping bag is your mattress and your bed combined. And if there is rain or snowfall, the odds are that you will be spending a lot of time cuddled up in yours. And this is precisely why you should take extra good care when it comes to selecting a decent sleeping bag or even a sleeping pad for that matter.

When you decide to set up your sleeping bag in the dark, then you have to be really good at it. And for a novice, this can be a bit of a problem (to say the least). This is why it is imperative that you set it up in the daytime and not after nightfall when it is pitch dark. Which brings us to our very next point.

The importance of adequate Lighting at the campsite

This is the wilderness after all! Do not expect any street lights while camping in the rough. In fact, it is deemed to be a prudent idea to bring your own lighting to the site.  While a flashlight is almost always the ‘go to’ option but a headlamp will also free up your hands for many important camp related tasks.  However, do not forget to include bug sprays and repellents as well a powerful sunscreen to the list of items you will need to take with you to the campsite.

What to wear on your camping trip?

Getting dirty is not just an inevitable part of camping in the wild, but it is also fun as well.   This is why you should not take your office wear clothes there. Instead, pack stuff that is tough – in other words, keep something that can keep on ticking. The essentials include at least one warm coat, as well as long thermal underwear, in case of a snowstorm or a cold spell. Gloves and a rain jacket are also pretty handy items as well. You can pack a few cute outfits for memorable vacation pictures!

The single most important item at your campsite will be a sturdy pair of camping shoes. These should be slip-proof, skid-proof, and waterproof as well. This way you can minimize any chance of a fall in the wilderness. Don’t every pack slippers and street shoes in your camping kit.  Apart from that, don’t forget to pack your toiletries and various other essentials such as a small tub for washing dishes, a soap and a towel along with paper tissues.

Conclusion

Apart from the above essential supplies, it is also very important that you pick your destination (Florida, Connecticut) and a list of whatever fun activities that you may have planned from a nature walk to hide and seek with our family and friends to fishing. Having this list will be crucial in ensuring that you are able to derive the most from the very first camping trip of your life. Hopefully, after this trip, you will fall in love with camping and this will be just one of many such trips to come.