Tips for First Time Campers – Things to Consider Before Your First Camping Trip

Today I have a lovely post, perfect for all of you who are thinking of going camping for the first time this summer by Petra from Minimalist Family Adventures.

Going camping for the first time can be daunting. This is completely natural, of course, since you’re about to do something that you have never done before. You don’t know what to expect or even if you’ll like camping or not. In this article, I’m sharing my tips for first time campers with my personal experiences from my first few camping trips. 

Choose an Experienced Camping Partner

For your very first camping trip, don’t go with someone else who’s never been camping. Or worse – on your own. When you go camping for the first time, you want to go with someone who has some camping experience. This will ensure that there’s someone with the confidence to deal with any issues that arise. They’ll also be able to teach you lots of things while you’re camping together, meaning you will be more confident for your next camping trip. 

They might have some camping gear that you can borrow too. It makes sense not to spend lots of money on lots of gear before you even know if you’re going to like camping do borrow what you can.

Location & Duration Considerations

When choosing the location for your first camping trip, I would recommend somewhere not too far from home in case you really don’t like camping and just want to get home. For the same reason, a short duration is a good idea. Just one of two nights is ideal for your first camping trip. 

Ask local friends and family members for recommendations for nice campsites in the area – personal recommendations are always the best. 

Consider the Weather

You can camp in most weather conditions but it’s certainly more enjoyable when the weather is pleasant. What was supposed to be my first camping trip was cancelled due to heavy rain. We drove to a campsite not too far from home and when we got there the rain was really heavy, so we returned home. 

What then became my actual first family camping experience was actually even worse weather wise, but we were more determined to make it work. We pitched the tent in the rain and camped in a storm for two days before the weather improved in time for us to go home! We survived but I would recommend trying to time your first camping trip with easier weather conditions. You can do this by choosing a local location and booking your pitch close to the arrival day so that you can keep an eye on the weather forecast. 

Make it as Easy and Comfortable as Possible

Camping can be as hard or easy as you choose. I would recommend going for the easier options when it’s your first time.

Car camping is the norm here in the UK and that’s a lot easier than carrying your tent and your belongings in a backpack. You can fit many more comfort items in your car – like your regular pillow for example. 

To make camping as comfortable as possible, choose a campsite with good amenities – taps with drinking water, toilet and shower blocks, washing up facilities and a little shop. Other nice things to have include picnic tables for campers to use. Some campsites even have food trucks, pizza oven nights or a pub nearby which can make mealtimes a lot easier as you can have some of the meals cooked for you. 

If you want to make camping even easier you can opt for renting an already pitched bell tent which many sites offer or go for a glamping option where many of the camping essentials are provided for you, including beds usually.

Conclusion

Camping can be an amazing experience and hopefully you’ll love it! Going camping for the first time can be a little bit intimidating. The above tips are sure to make you feel more settled though and can help make your first camping experience more comfortable and enjoyable too! 

Pin It!