America is the land of the free and home of the…camping enthusiast! Indeed, a whopping 40 million of us go camping every year. We ditch the creature comforts of home in favor of tents, campfires, s’mores, and the great outdoors. Unfortunately, many newbies to spending the night in nature make myriad mistakes along the way! Want to discover the most common camping mistakes so you can stop them from ruining your trip? Let us help!
Read on for 4 critical camping errors and how to avoid them.
1. Taking a Tent That’s Too Small
Do you know that 6-person tent you invested in to go camping with friends? We’ve got bad news:
It’s not actually big enough for 6 people…
In reality, you might fit 4 average-sized adults inside. And even that’ll be tight (especially when you take your bags into consideration). Tent manufacturers always seem to overestimate the size of their products!
Try going ‘up a size’ to ensure everybody has enough space. Don’t, and you risk a cramped, uncomfortable night’s sleep.
2. Cooking Inside the Tent
It’s raining outside, you’re sheltering in the tent, and it’s almost dinner time. What do you do?
Cook inside the tent, right? Wrong! As tempting as it is, cooking under canvas can be extremely dangerous.
Not only do you risk lighting the tent on fire, but you could also release deadly carbon monoxide into the enclosed space. It’s better to be safe than sorry. If you’re new to camping, have a basic camp stove, and lack a well-ventilated tent, we recommend staying hungry (or eating food for camping that you don’t have to cook) until the weather improves.
3. Forgetting Safety Equipment for Camping
Spending time in nature is always awesome. But it comes with certain hazards too! From tree roots to trip over to opportunistic thieves at your campsite, there are endless ways to experience trouble on a camping trip.
It pays to be prepared. Take a first-aid kit to handle any minor injuries and, if you’re bringing valuables along, take a portable safe as well. Read more now about how a console safe fits in your vehicle, locking treasured possessions away throughout the day.
4. Forgetting Warm Clothes, Gear, and Lighting
It’s worth remembering that the central heating and artificial lighting we take for granted at home doesn’t exist in the great outdoors! When nighttime descends, it doesn’t take long for the cold and dark to creep in.
Alas, too many campers forget to pack enough clothing, cold-weather gear, and light sources with them! The result?
They get an uncomfortable night’s sleep and can’t do anything as soon as the sun goes down. Avoid that fate by taking a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, blankets, the best camping clothes you have, a battery-powered lantern, and a head torch!
Avoid These Common Camping Mistakes
Tens of millions of Americans venture into the outdoors for a good old-fashioned camping trip every year. Are you planning on doing the same? Well, we hope the common camping mistakes we highlighted in this post will help!
Keep them in mind, take steps to avoid them, and you’re sure to have an amazing time. To learn more about this topic and take your outdoor experiences to a whole new level, search ‘camping’ on our website now.
