Every camping season is full of opportunities for adventures and memories. With any camping trip, it takes some planning and organizing to ensure a smooth camping experience. Whether you're a camping rookie looking for advice or a camping guru needing a refresher, this guide is perfect for providing the basic outline for planning your camping trip!
Determine Your Trip Outline
Where will you camp? Is it a quick camping trip or are you planning a complete getaway adventure? Whether you're going close by (even to the backyard!) or making the trek to your favorite camping spot, the amount of planning is determined by the trip's location and length of time.
Will you camp in a tent or RV/camper? Some scoff at the idea of anything but tent camping - it offers a traditional camping experience. However, you can't knock glamping or RV life until you try it! Some suggest that tent camping takes more planning than RV camping. While it's true that a RV is handy for keeping all of your camping essentials together, it's also possible to be extra organized for tent camping. Pro tip for camping in general: keep organized by storing your camping items together in a storage container so it's as simple as grabbing the container and setting off on your adventures. Both camping types - tent and RV - take about the same amount of planning, especially once you consider keeping up on your camper's care and maintenance.
Plan Your Meals
If you were to choose any time to start meal prepping, camping is the time! Planning out your major meals and snacks ahead of time will help with forming a grocery list, packing the camping essentials, and staying organized (and relaxed) the entire trip! Pinterest is packed full of easy camping meal recipes
Don't forget snacks too! While meal prep is important, snacks are essential too. Typically camping and outdoor excursions require more energy than daily activities, causing increased hunger than usual. Don't forget the camping staple too: s'mores ingredients! As you're sitting around the fire, there's nothing better than bonding over ooey-gooey smores.
Are Your Forgetting Something?
Camping trips are notorious for being the time you forget to pack something. Walk through your entire trip in your head and what you will use. What will you need or want when you're swimming, hiking, fishing, eating, etc.? What about other factors you may not initially think about. For instance, are you traveling to a burn ban area, or do you need a fire pit? Make sure to be aware of local regulations and camping rules for the area ahead of time.
Then think about the complementing to-do's AKA the miscellaneous tasks/items to provide a smoother camping experience. Is the LP tank filled up and ready to go for your portable gas fire pit? Do you have extra batteries for the flashlights or maybe a pot holder for cooking? What about an extra pillow or pair of socks to ensure complete comfort, especially with the unknowns of the outdoors? Thinking through your entire trip and what you will use when will help with preparing and packing.
Let the outdoor experts near you help you prep for the outdoor season and the many camping trips ahead!
S'mores photo taken from Unsplash
