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Camping Essentials That Often Get Forgotten

Got a camping trip planned? Before you set off, it’s important to make sure that you’ve packed all the right essentials. Some items are obvious (such as your tent. Don’t forget your tent!). Other items are less obvious, but could still have a big impact on the comfort (and safety) of your trip. Below are some of these commonly forgotten items.

Trash Bags

If you’re staying on a campsite, there are likely to be bins to dump your trash. However, these may not be located immediately near to your pitch, so you’ll likely want to bring a bag for storing your trash so you’re not constantly having to make trips back and forth. Bags for storing dirty laundry could also be useful.

Wet Wipes

When it comes to keeping you and your tent clean, wet wipes can be useful to have at the ready. Alternatively, consider bringing some paper towels with you. Wet wipes are particularly necessary if you have young kids.

Toilet Paper

Most campsite bathrooms should be stocked up with toilet paper. However, for those unfortunate instances where this isn’t the case (or if you’re wild camping and haven’t got access to bathrooms) it’s worth packing some toilet paper to bring.

Wellies

Campsites can get very muddy if it’s recently been raining. This is particularly the case with busy campsites that have a lot of footfall (such as festival campsites). At the very least, consider packing some hiking boots. Don’t be tempted to pack only sandals just because it’s the heat of summer.

Batteries

If you’re bringing any camping gadgets that run off batteries, be sure to bring some spare batteries in case these items run out of power. Flashlights are a typical example of a gadget that requires batteries. While you can use your phone to provide a flashlight, a purpose-built camping light such as these ones found at EcoGearFX.com is likely to be more powerful and more beneficial if you’re somewhere remote.

Camping Stove Fuel

Bringing a camping stove could give you the option to cook your own food. However, you won’t be able to cook much if you don’t have camping stove fuel. Different camping stoves typically run off different forms of fuel - usually propane or butane. Make sure you buy the right one. There are old skool camping stoves that you can buy to place directly on a campsite - if you plan to bring one of these make sure you’ve got firewood, matches (or a lighter) and firelighters.

Duct Tape

A roll of duct help could help if you need to make any emergency fixes while camping. Tent got a hole in it? Tent pole broken? With a bit of duct tape you can quickly fix the problem. Check out this post on camping duct tape hacks at REI.

First Aid Kit

A first aid kit is something you should always bring while travelling, but could be particularly useful when camping somewhere remote if you don’t have immediate access to a medic. You can buy first aid kits that have all the essentials in such as bandages, gauzes and antiseptic liquid. With any luck, you’ll never have to use it, however it’s worth having just in case.

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Camping Essentials That Often Get Forgotten

 

4 Things to Know When Camping As A Family -

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Sometimes, it doesn't get any better than family camping holidays. There's just something special about loading up your car and heading off into the wilderness with your kids. It's a break from your hectic life and a chance for your kids to experience all the wonderful nature around them. If your family is a bit guilty of spending too much time on your phones or staring at the TV, a camping trip is such a brilliant idea to help you all reconnect with one another. Plus, it's an awesome way to see stunning sights without spending a fortune!

Still, before you go on your camping trip, there are a few things to know about camping with your family.

4 Things to Know When Camping as a Family

Personal space is essential.

You'll be around each other for a fair few days, which is nice, but it can get a bit strained at times. Especially when you go to sleep, and everyone is bundled up close to one another. This usually happens when you make the mistake of not having a big enough tent. Usually, the golden rule with tents is that there's no such thing as a tent that's too big! Big tents give you all plenty of space to lie down and sleep with a bit more privacy.

In some situations, it might make more sense to pack multiple tents. This is probably ideal if you have older children who can be trusted to stay in their own tent together. With younger kids, you should keep everyone in one place for safety reasons. Just make sure you have a big enough tent to accommodate the whole family without you all feeling like a squashed sandwich. 

Practice makes perfect.

Have you ever put a tent up before? If not, you can easily assume that it's simple. How hard could it possibly be? Well, if you want a decent tent, putting it up can be pretty tricky. There are lots of poles to fit into different slots, strings to tie, sheets to cover - it's a pretty substantial task! The absolute worst thing you can do is buy a tent and only open it when you go camping. This leaves you with no experience in putting it up, and you will quickly become extremely frustrated.

Nothing dampens the spirit like two hours attempting to erect a tent. It sours the mood, and you might not even be able to get it up. In which case, your trip is ruined before it's started! Instead, you should practice putting it up and taking it down at home. Buy your tent, give it a few test runs in the garden, and you'll soon feel confident. Then, when it's time to set up camp, you're ready to get things done as quickly as possible. Nobody is stressed, the mood remains happy, and you can all enjoy a brilliant trip.

Children get bored very easily.

You probably don't need reminding of this! However, if you think kids get bored when they're at home, can you imagine how much worse it is when they're on a camping trip? With none of their usual home comforts nearby, it's easy for kids to get a bit grouchy and bored. This is normal, but there are ways around it!

Effectively, you just need to be prepared for it. That could mean bringing lots of different family games to play, and various other toys that they can enjoy. It also helps if you camp somewhere with loads of activities nearby. For instance, camping near a safe lake or beach is ideal as your kids can spend time playing there. This is why a lot of families decide to camp in actual campsites, rather than just in a random place in the middle of nowhere. Campsites are usually still in the middle of lovely natural places, but they have the added benefit of providing more activities for kids. This can include a park, games room, and all the other children from camping families! It's a chance for your kids to make friends and try lots of cool activities. As a result, they will never feel bored on camping trips. 

Prepare for the unexpected.

Ideally, your camping trip goes off without a hitch. Everything goes perfectly, and there are no issues for you to worry about. This can happen a lot of the time, but there's still a chance that something might go wrong. So, prepare for the unexpected and have contingencies in place to deal with them.

For example, you might end up puncturing a tire while you're driving to your camping location. This is more likely to happen if you have to drive off-road for a bit, or on dodgy surfaces. In either case, a punctured tire is a big issue as it grinds you to a stop. You can't go anywhere, and the camping trip is over. However, if you prepare for this and bring a spare wheel or puncture repair kit, then it's no longer a big issue. Sure, it's an annoyance, but you have the means to deal with it on your own. The same goes for things like broken pegs for your tent. If you're unprepared, a broken peg can mean that your tent has no way of being nailed down. This means no place to sleep, so you have to spend the night in the car before going home. Of course, if you carry replacement pegs & other replacement equipment, this isn't a big issue.

Essentially, you have to expect the unexpected on family camping trips. All manner of things can go wrong at any time, but you can prepare for them. With the right preparations in place, these issues won't ruin the experience! 

Summary

At the end of the day, camping with your family is such a beautiful experience. It's one of the best ways to travel together, and one of the least expensive. Everyone should try to do it at least once, so start looking for the best camping locations in your area. That's another benefit of this - it's a way to go on holiday without having to leave your country. Just make sure you think about all of the things mentioned above!

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