Go Camping

I love to go camping! You too, right? That’s probably why you’re reading this article, either because you already have a love for camping or you want to develop one. If you’ve never been camping before then you’re missing out on an incredible experience; the adventure and the sense of freedom come second to none.

There’s no better feeling than when you’re sat outside your tent on a crisp clear night, the last embers of your campfire smouldering into a fine wisp of smoke that’s heading toward the stars, with a beer in hand, accompanied by your family or friends and chatting idly about any topics that take your fancy.

Everything involved in camping enamours me. There is something special about sitting in your tent and chatting in the flickering candle light with the rain lashing down onto the canvas, feeling warm and cosy and nothing is more satisfying than the sleep you have after a whole day of fresh air and activity.

The possibilities are endless. You can go camping on a strict budget taking only the absolute necessities, some people prefer this way of camping because it allows them to feel closer to nature. However, others prefer to take a much more luxurious approach, taking air beds, large stoves, rugs and tables, as this is what they enjoy. It all comes down to personal preference. There are people who take the bare minimum such as a good axe and the knowledge they have and create a camp from the forest and hunt for their food. Me, I prefer fairly basic camping, tent, sleeping bag and mat and a tiny gas stove, with a few creature comforts such as a few good books, a cool box and a camping chair.

An MP3 player is essential when camping also, some hardcore campers may find this ridiculous, but, for me, playing a few great tunes while cooking (and, of course, having a beer) is magic!

Of course, there are a few things to consider before going camping. The first being securing some kind of canvas to sleep under, be it a tent or a tarp or a completely natural shelter if you think you can make one. I’m really into Ray Mears and Bear Grylls and many other bushcraft and survival experts; I’d watched loads of programmes and decided I knew enough to make a shelter completely from scratch. My first attempt was complete and utter rubbish and I had to resort to my 3 man tent in the end as the darkness had descended. So make sure you really know how to erect a shelter before you go out into the wild with only a knife. Learn from my mistakes :D

You’ll also need to consider your sleeping equipment. A sleeping bag and mat is about as basic as it gets, anything more can be considered a little more luxurious. A sleeping mat is there to provide insulation from the ground, and as a bonus it does provide a tiny amount of comfort. Basic foam sleeping mats can be bought from the likes of Argos for about a fiver, however you can also buy much more expensive therm-a-rest self-inflating sleeping mats if you desire.

The third consideration is food and water. What would you like to eat on your trip? Do you want to go shopping during the trip or take all food with you?

I strongly recommend that you get some bacon and some bread rolls for breakfast, the smell of bacon frying in the morning on a campsite simply cannot be beaten.

Whenever I go camping with my family, we take enough food to last a few days and plan for a mid trip food shop rather than taking everything with us. This system works for us as it allows us to pack less stuff and means we don’t have to plan meals for the whole trip, but it comes down to personal preference for you. Most campsites have a water tap that is free for site users, but if you’re going to go wild camping you need to plan where and how you are going to collect fresh water.

A small gas stove that can fit just one pan is fine for camping if there are only one or two people, providing there is strategic planning of which food to cook when. However, for more people, such as a family, it will be well worth investing in a camping cooker with a couple of gas hobs and perhaps a grill. Don’t forget to take pots and pans, plates, bowls, cutlery and, of course, beer and wine glasses with you.

I hope by now you feel some sort of excitement about going camping or feel that you would love to try it. This is just a short article to whet your appetite for camping; in the future I’ll be writing lots more detailed articles that concentrate on specific things. If you have any suggestions of topics that you would like me to investigate and write about then please get in contact via the comments box.

Happy Camping,

CJH