If you’ve never been camping before – the idea of it all might seem appealing, but also a bit daunting…
Where do you start? What do you need to take with you? What if you don’t have the right gear… A lot of these types of questions may pop into your head.
The key is to plan ahead – with a bit of preparation and planning, you should be well-equipped to enjoy your first camping trip!
What Type Of Camping Trip Will It Be?
First of all you need to decide what type of camping trip you’re going on.
- Will you be alone or with family?
- Will you be going with friends?
- If so, are any of them experienced in camping?
- If you are going to have some experienced campers (they don’t have to be experts, but they may have been on a few camping trips before) – then they could lead the way in terms of planning.
Location
Next, you need to decide on where you will be going.
I would suggest not venturing too far out for you first attempt and I would also suggest a dedicated campsite – these will have staff on hand to help you if you need any… very useful if you’re a bit confused or not sure what to do in a certain situation.
The other thing you need to decide on is when you will be going, as depending on the time of year, you will need different items in you kit list.
What Will You Need
There is a basic list of items that you will tend to need, regardless, of when or where you are going.
This then needs to be added to, depending on the time of year and location.
You can find a detailed list of what items are required for camping in this post:
What To Take On Camping – The Essential Kit List.
Booking The Campsite
The campsite should be booked well in advance, otherwise they may get booked up – especially if it’s peak season.
A few campsites don’t allow camping by individuals and only allow youth groups such as Scouts or Girl Guides, but the majority do allow private camping.
The UK Camp Site is a great directory of UK and international campsites and would be a good place to find campsites local to you.
Once the campsite has been booked, you will need to start getting your kit list together and buy any items that you don’t have and will need.
You should also decide on the camp menu and buy the ingredients that you will need for this.
Camp Menu
Eating at camp is one of the most fun parts of it…
Have a look at this post on cooking at camp – it will give you plenty of ideas on what sort of things you can rustle up and also what type of cooking equipment and utensils you will need:
Camping Cooking Ideas – Tips To Make Sure You Don’t Go Hungry
Camp Programme
It would be a good idea to make a progamme of what you want to do at camp on each day.
Many campsites will have activities that can be booked – be sure to look into these when booking the campsite.
Choose a campsite that has activities that you want to do and book these at the time of booking the campsite or soon after, as they can get booked up very quickly.
It maybe that you want to do nothing… and that’s fine, but at least have that in your mind.
My suggestion would be to mix it up a bit – don’t overbook your day, you could book 1-2 activities/day and then allow some time for just doing nothing and relaxing – perhaps with a book.
Remember also that cooking will take some time, especially if you’re cooking on an open fire…
You may want to take a portable stove with you and that would make things easier and quicker and I would actually recommend that, even if it’s only as a backup option… but try to cook at least once on an open fire – it’s great fun – finding the right types of wood, building it, starting the fire and cooking on it… however, it can take a few hours to do all of that.
If you do decide to build a campfire, then this post on what types of wood you need for a campfire will be useful:
Types of Wood Needed For A Great Campfire
Conclusion
Camping is massive fun – there’s nothing quite like getting away from the hustle and bustle of every day life and spending time at one with nature…
But you have to be prepared – if you’re not, what should be a new and exciting experience can quickly turn into nightmare… but if you are, I guarantee that you will love it and that you’ll be returning for more and more…
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and found it useful.
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
Mohammad
I love camping! I camped many times in school but as an adult I want to get out more. I’m a huge newbie and can only start a basic campfire and chop some wood. I’ll let the wife sort out the cooking while me and the kids go hunting. This is a very nice guide to follow as I was just going to wing it. Thanks man, this is such a great article.
Hey Brandon – glad you found the post useful… I remember when I first started out, I just didn’t have a clue. Let me know how you get on when you do manage to go camping – and if you do have any questions about anything in particular, then just ask. Good luck.
Hello there! This is an awesome article you’ve got here, I totally enjoyed every single detail found here, especially the part that talks about planning activities before camp, as this will prepare you for a better camp and ensure you don’t miss out on any fun.
Thanks, I’ve learnt a lot.
Hi – thanks for your comment, I’m glad you found the post informative and useful. Planning in advance is the key to making sure you have maximum fun!
Hello there, thanks for this review. It was helpful and of great value. Camping is one of the fun things I do with my family and it’s all filled with great adventure. It is also a medium, whereby we grow the family bond stronger because we engage in so many activities, including bonfire night. It’s such a wonderful experience
Hi – thanks for your comment.
I agree, camping takes you away from the commotion of daily life and allows you to appreciate things that are important… you definitely bond more with the people you are camping with.
Wow! What a lovely review we have here, camping has always been the time to show love between family members, friends and loved ones. Camping helps one to breathe in fresh air i.e. when you spend time near a lot of trees, you take in more oxygen, helps in socialisation, it also improves the mood, makes for less stress, exercise, sunshine, a good night’s sleep, good food. So when choosing or going for a camping trip there are lots of things to consider, like the location, camping programme, camp menu, booking the camp site etc… so I’d say its indeed a good piece we have here.
Glad you found the post useful – you’re quite right, camping allows you to interact much better with your friends and family with the usual distractions… and the pureness of nature is definitely good for mind and soul.