There’s nothing better than getting outside and experiencing nature first-hand. Camping lets you take in the night sky, light a fire, and unwind from everyday stresses.
This being said, camping in the wild can be an adventure that might cause some to stress. For first-time campers heading into the outdoors, it is understandably a daunting challenge with many unknowns.
Rather than starting the whole camping experience in the wilderness unprepared, we’ve compiled three great camping hacks to remember when heading out in 2023.
1. Choose The Right Campsite
Location matters whether you’re in the middle of a veld, pitching a tent in a campsite, or erecting it in the backyard.
Selecting a lousy campsite will ruin your entire experience. And when you’re camping, it’s all about the experience.
Before unfolding your tent, make sure to walk the perimeter to identify issues and keep an eye on the following:
Proximity to Water
The importance of freshwater can never be understated. You need water for cooking, washing, and so much more. Water is a vital part of camping, not just for survival purposes but also for mere convenience.
Make sure to establish your campsite within easy walking distance from a potable water or freshwater source; we recommend no more than 60 meters away.
If no potable water is available, you may need to consider pitching near a freshwater source.
In instances where you’ll be relying on freshwater sources such as rivers, ensure not to establish your campsite below the water source.
Higher Ground
The next element to remember when setting up the campsite is erecting your tents on higher ground. Moving your camp to higher ground will prevent flooding in your tent.
Another benefit is that a campsite on higher ground means better airflow, which helps keep the tent cool and mosquitoes at bay.
Campsite Surface
While looking for higher ground, ensure the surface is flat and smooth. There’s nothing worse than sliding downhill in a tent.
Also, be aware of stones, rocks, sticks, and pine cones.
Additional Shelter
A tent will shelter you, but when the sun’s rays start warming it up, you’ll understand the importance of finding a shady spot.
Look for trees and shrubs to provide shade as well as shelter.
Separate Areas
It’s essential to separate areas. No one wants to wake up in the middle of the kitchen in the morning. In addition, if you are at a camping site, your ablution areas will be designated, but in the bush, they, of course, won’t be.
Make sure everyone understands where the toilet area, meal prep space, and other general regions are.
Once you’ve found a spot that matches these criteria, you’ll be all set.
What’s the following hack to ensure you have a great camping experience in 2023?
2. Pack The Essentials
It may come as a surprise, but certain camping essentials must go with you when venturing into the wilderness.
Packing the right equipment can mean distinguishing between a comfortable experience and a disastrous one.
The essentials include:
- Tent;
- Sleeping bag and mattress;
- Water bottle;
- Multi-functional pocket knife;
- Compass and paper map;
- Rain gear and other weather-appropriate clothing;
- Fire lighters and lighter;
- Lanterns and headlamps
- And a fully stocked first-aid kit.
You can include items like a cooler box, camping chairs, and sunblock. But the list above is meant to be the ultimate essential list.
In the modern world, taking a battery bank with you is also a good idea, just in case you need to recharge a device.
3. Planning and Testing
Not planning is planning to fail.
Also included in this planning is meal prep. Make sure to plan meals in advance and consider whether or not a meal is easier to prepare at home. Furthermore, these meals should be easy to move around and store.
If you plan on cooking meals at the campsite, practice at home to ensure that all your equipment works.
Nothing could be worse than finally arriving at the campsite, only to discover that you can’t prepare the meal.
Another critical test to conduct would be on the essential equipment. Make sure you understand where the medical equipment is, and maybe practice wrapping a wound.
And with load-shedding, you can test your lamps and other light sources regularly.
While you can practice setting up and closing your tent, it’s not vital. But often, it’s challenging to get a pop-up tent back into the bag without the help of YouTube.
And remember, before heading off on any adventure, it’s a good idea to get the battery in your vehicle tested.
Get Your Battery Tested Before You Go Camping
Willard Xpress’ and all our loyal stockists are located around the country. We recommend checking your car battery before you go off on your next adventure.
