The summer isn’t quite over. Even then, the autumn and winter are still great times to go camping. The trick is to being prepared. It doesn’t matter if you are going hiking and pitching a tent or if you are going to take a caravan, you need to be ready for anything. Here is a quick guide to going camping.
Check the Weather Before You Travel
The weather reports aren’t 100% accurate but they will give you a good sense of the forecast. Take a look at them in the run up to your camping trip so you have an idea of the things to pack.
If it’s going to be wet, you need waterproofs in a pocket that are easy to grab. If it’s going to be sunny, you want to make sure the sunscreen is easy to find.
Pack Your Bags in Advance
Don’t leave the packing to the last minute. Plan ahead to make sure you take everything that you are going to need. As the weather gets colder, you will need more layers.
This involves thinner under-layers as well as sweatshirts and jackets. You may want to think about thermal trousers if it’s going to be very cold.
What Activities Will You Do?
Plan some of your activities. Will you go swimming in a nearby lake? Do you want to go hiking? By planning this ahead, you can make sure you have something suitable for them.
The last thing you want is to decide to go hiking and not have your hiking boots with you! Planning activities will also help make sure everyone is prepared on the day.
Pack the Right Thickness of Sleeping Bag
Sleeping bags come in four thicknesses with the thickest for the cold winters. By checking the forecast, you will have an idea of the type of sleeping bag you are going to need.
Remember that the thicker ones will go up in weight, so that might change the way you reach your campsite.
Have Enough Food to Last the Trip
You don’t really know what’s out there, unless you’ve been before, so you need enough food to last the whole trip. You want the right type of food.
Unless you travel in a car or caravan, you’re not going to have a fridge for your fruit, vegetables etc. You definitely won’t have a freezer for your meat. Take food that can be preserved and is easy to heat up over a campfire.
Check the Rules for the Camping Ground
All grounds have rules. They could limit the open fires so you need to take a BBQ or have rules about drinking on the site. Do your research so you turn up prepared. You don’t want to get there and find out you needed to bring the BBQ that’s sitting in your garage.
Buying disposable ones end up being a waste of money. Likewise, you don’t want to take your BBQ to find out that you could have cooked on an open fire.