5 Tips for First-Time Campers from a First-Time Camper ∙ Guest Post
Just before jumping in the lake, I looked up and saw rolling clouds carrying a storm. I was worried about what the storm could bring, but I remembered that we had an RV waiting for us at the camp.
The windy beach and forest of Wisconsin proved to be a great place to camp. So today, I am sharing five tips that made my first camping trip enjoyable.
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Choose the right place to stay.
Our campsite at Wagon Trail Campground had an RV along with an area to put up our tent. This made it a lot easier in terms of sleeping arrangements and bad weather. Also, there were bakeries and markets nearby to supply us with food or other needs.
Try not to throw yourself into the deep end.If you go straight to bare wilderness, you may not be prepared for bad weather or other situations.
Camp with Experienced Campers.
When I went camping for the first time, I went with my brother, sister, aunt, uncle, and cousin. My aunt and uncle have both been camping before, so they could help us to pitch the tent and start the fire.
Don’t go camping by yourself on the first try. Go with someone who has gone camping before. They can help you to take care of some necessities, such as starting campfires and pitching a tent.
remember that you will make mistakes.
My siblings and I had the job of putting up the tent. We took about half an hour to complete it because of the mistakes that we made. However, the obstacles that we overcame made the trip a whole lot better.
Nobody is perfect, which means your first camping trip may not be perfect. That's okay.
Bring the right materials.
You wouldn’t want to camp with insufficient supplies. You willl need a tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, cooking supplies, towels and different layers of clothes.
Make sure your items are secure in or on your car. We had a “backpack” attached to the back of our car which held the sleeping bags and tent. We were able to secure the bag onto the back of the car and successfully bring everything to and from the campsite.
Be aware of your surroundings.
Try to gain some knowledge of wild animals around the area so that you know what you might encounter while camping. On our trip, we knew that there were no bears in the area and mainly deer, coyotes and bugs. We prepared by talking about what to do in case we ran into a coyote and how to stay safe.
Have you been camping?
What other tips would you share with a first-time camper?
Not ready to camp on your own? Why not try an organized campout?