Terri Ramsey Beavers Camping has long been one of the most popular ways for normal people to enjoy a vacation. Giving you the chance to experience new locations and ways of living without having to spend a fortune in the process, this sort of vacation is great for families, couples, and individuals alike, and it makes sense that it is so widely enjoyed. Of course, though, there are always challenges that come with this sort of break. No matter how much you plan, camping is harder than normal living, and you’ll need some special tricks to get around the issues which come with this sort of vacation.
Bedding
Sleeping on a hard and rocky floor isn’t most people’s idea of a nice way to spend the night. No matter where you pitch your tent, you will always be able to feel the hard ground below, and this makes it hard to get the same sleep you’d get at home or in a hotel. This doesn’t have to be the case, though, with loads of companies producing air mattresses that can add a barrier between you and the ground. As time has gone on, versions of these products have hit the market which can inflate themselves, making the process of setting up your camp incredibly easy.
Along with a mattress to sleep on, it also makes sense to think about pillows and sleeping bags. Duvets can work for camping, but won’t provide any insulation beneath you, and this means that they often feel a lot colder than a sleeping bag. Double sleeping bags are comfortable when you’re on your own, though you might want two of them if you’re sharing with someone else. If you have the space for regular pillows, it’s well worth taking one with you. If not, though, you could look at inflatable options to tide you over.
Cooking
One of the biggest challenges campers face is having a good meal at the start and end of each day. It’s tempting to rely on dehydrated foods, like packet noodles, though these meals will often lack the nutrition you need to keep up with your adventure. Thankfully, camping stoves have gotten a lot cheaper over the last few years. You can find examples that have one or two rings, and even those which have up to four, though even the smaller ones will make it easy to cook a proper meal. You’ll need a fire if you want to roast anything, but you can still create loads of interesting meals without this.
Washing Yourself
After a few days camping, most people will be feeling very dirty. While this isn’t a huge issue, it’s important to make yourself feel comfortable when you’re on a break, and it can be hard to get into this position when you haven’t washed for days. There are loads of companies out there that make portable showers. You will need to rely on heat from the sun or your stove to warm them up, and you may have to find somewhere secluded to use them, but this will be a lot nicer than going without. It’s worth reading reviews for products like this, as some are far better than others.
Powering Your Life
Even when going camping, most people will like the idea of having at least their phone with them. Modern devices are only designed to last about a day or two on their battery, though, and you’ll probably have other electronics which need power, too. A battery bank will be drained very quickly by something like a laptop or a kettle. A camping or boat generator can solve this issue for you, providing you with the means to make your own power. As time goes on, these machines are getting more and more affordable as different options hit the market. Portable solar panels can be good in areas with the very intense sun but aren’t good enough to rely on.
Dealing With Dirt
Living in a tent makes it hard to avoid spreading a little bit of mess around. As you’ll be spending most of your time outdoors, your shoes and clothing are likely to get at least a little bit dirty. This all gets much worse when mud enters the equation, and this can be enough to send a lot of people packing to go home. Baby wipes can be one of the best tools at your disposal when you’re dealing with something like mud. Not only will they absorb and wipe away the mud, but they will actually clean the areas they touch, rather than simply making them look clear.
Staying Dry
There are few things worse than waking up to drips when you’re camping, and a lot of people have experienced this trauma before. Most tents are given a special rating before they are sold, marking their effectiveness when it comes to protecting against water. This is known as hydrostatic head, or HH for short, and you should be aiming to have at least 3000 HH on the tents you buy. This isn’t quite so crucial if you know that it isn’t going to rain, but dew can still get inside a tent, and most places will have this in this morning. You can also buy a special spray to make your tent more waterproof.
General Living
Finally, as the last area to consider, it’s time to think about general living inside your tent. Getting dressed is a simple activity, but is made a lot easier when you’re able to stand up straight. It’s worth thinking about this sort of issue when you’re buying a tent, along with all of the other challenges a product like this could present. There are loads of review sites around the web which dedicate themselves to helping people to buy this sort of product. You’ll need to make sure that you are reading ones from the right sources, though, as it’s becoming common for reviews to be bought and sold.
With all of this in mind, you should be feeling far better about the idea of going camping. This sort of activity is popular for a reason, but a lot of people still have hang-ups about trying it out. If you can make it this easy, though, there really isn’t any excuse not to spend some time in the great outdoors.