The essential camping checklist for your next trip
If you have come to camping later in life, you will be amazed by the amount of STUFF you need to think about and pack when planning your trip. Once you have been on a few camping trips, most of this will become second nature, but for your first trip you will need lists of what to buy, what to pack, where you packed it, and lists of lists to check before you even leave the house!
Here is our checklist of what is essential to pack for your next camping trip:
1. Paperwork
This is something you can do well in advance, so start a file and place all essential paperwork in it, including:
- Details of, and directions to, your chosen camp site.
- Insurance papers (travel, car etc) along with paperwork for things such as your phone, tent, cooking equipment etc, in case of emergencies.
- Information on places of interest near your camp site or other places that you may want to visit while you are there, including supermarkets, restaurants and doctors.
You may think gathering this paperwork is unnecessary, as everything can be accessed via the internet these days, but many camp sites have poor Wi-Fi, and you may not be able to get a signal when you need it most.
2. Electronic documents
Another good habit to get into is to email yourself copies of important documents such as booking confirmations and tickets, just in case you leave any of your essential paperwork at home by mistake. That way, you can access these documents on your phone or tablet and quote important reference numbers when needed.
3. Camping or glamping?
One certain way to discover you are not as young as you once were, is to try sleeping on an air mattress on the ground for several nights. Trust us, you will be creaking in more parts of your body than you thought possible! There are many stretchers or camp beds on the market which you can place under your mattress to achieve an appropriate bed height, so consider investing in one. Also, if space allows, bring normal pillows and duvets rather than making do with a sleeping bag and a travel pillow.
4. Be prepared
Pitching a large family tent requires several pairs of hands, and a lot of patience. It will take some time before things are set up, unpacked and organised, so prepare yourself by bringing along a large thermos flask with hot water and some tea supplies. That way, you can at least sit down to a cup of tea before having to tackle setting up the tent. Another good tip is to make sure you have a meal prepared for the first evening that requires no shopping, foraging or much in the way of preparation – a simple stew, some bread and butter and salad items, for instance – so you can have your first meal without having to go off-site.
5. Checklist
Of course, you will need a checklist to make sure you have brought everything you need and make sure you are aware of camping safety procedures. There are many checklists you can download from the internet, full of handy tips, so do some research and make your own list of what will be essential for your trip. For all your camping needs, from simple travel gadgets right up to complete family tents, try the Anaconda website or pop into one of their many stores to see what is on offer.
If you can, road-test your camping skills with a weekend break close to home first, rather than setting off on a three-week holiday many miles away as your first camping outing. That way you can make sure you have thought of everything and you won’t be caught out with an air pump that does not fit your mattress, or a tent that has developed a leak during storage – and you can definitely enjoy your camping holiday!