When you start out with camping, you begin with basic equipment and it’s not always the most pleasant. This is when you figure out that you like the great outdoors but sleeping on the uncomfortable ground isn’t so much fun! Thus, begins the hunt for anything that will keep you able to enjoy going camping while adding some creature comforts to make it tolerable.
Let’s see what will make camping feel comfortable, safe and relaxing too.
Camping Mattress
A camping mattress is a thin slab of foam that roles up or travels flat. It is designed to separate you from the cold floor lining of the tent and add a little elevation above the ground at the same time. Some mattresses are more breathable than others, but all are designed to be hypoallergenic to avoid bacterial build up in moist climates.
Sleeping Bag
There are different sleeping bags with insulation that varies depending on the season it’s been bought for. Winter sleeping bags are one of the best insulated and will typically cover temperatures down to freezing, but colder temperatures suitable for adventurous winter campers require special equipment. Getting the right sleeping bag for the season(s) that you go camping is essential if you want to feel comfortable inside the tent; not too warm and not too cold.
Dinner Prep & Safety Precautions
Any camper requires a stove, but often forgotten is the need for a good chopping board and a preparation knife to cut through vegetables, fish, or meat. Cutting up meat before going camping means it won’t keep well if air gets to it while moving around.
One word of warning here. You should be more aware if you’re camping in bear country. If that’s the case, you are only allowed to prepare and eat salads to avoid encouraging the bear to visit your camp. They can smell the scent of freshly-cut meat from miles away. You’re also best having some self-protection equipment nearby and checking out the best rifle scope review before you go to ensure you’re well prepared in case you run into difficulties out there.
Fire Starters
Don’t rely on being able to start a fire for warmth. When it rains overnight unexpectedly, the nearby wood will be wet and won’t light. Also, don’t expect your Survivor series fire starting skills to work in real life; it’s harder than it looks to start a fire and keep it going. When you’re in an area that allows open flame fires to be started, bring a flint along to scrape off some magnesium to create sparks to ignite a fire.
Along with the above suggestions, it’s sensible to travel with multiple layers of warm clothing. Keep some warm clothing separate so that if you get wet, you have some dry clothes to change into (including underwear) while your other clothing has a chance to dry off. There’s nothing to dampen the spirits like wet clothes on your body that you can do nothing about! Lastly, packing a camping chair is a great way to plant yourself outside and enjoy the scenery while laying your head on the headrest and having your back amply supported.
