Tent Camping Advice

Camping in a tent is a unique experience that everyone should get the opportunity to enjoy at least once.   I come from a large family that has always loved to go camping on weekends and while some of my family had the “luxury” of modern campers, most of us camped in tents. This experience has helped me with this tent camping advice. It has been years since I have had the opportunity to go camping.  However, I still remember how much fun it was to be out in nature spending quality time with my family and friends.  Camping should be about the time you are enjoying so it really doesn’t matter if you camp out in a fully equipped mobile home, a tent, or the back of a pickup truck.  But there is something nostalgic about camping in a tent that makes the whole trip much more exciting.

Tent camping advice for everyone

First of all, when you go camping in a tent, you can’t take all the luxuries of home with you. Space is generally limited and so luggage must be limited as well.  If you are worried about the fashion nightmare you may become without 15 hair products and 3 pairs of shoes, don’t.  I promise you, the trees, rocks and creatures of nature do not care if your makeup is perfect or your hair is pristine.  To go camping, all you really need are a couple pairs of comfortable clothes, seasonal items like swimming or snow suits and a few basic hygiene items. Let’s face it, even if you’re camping, you don’t want to come home looking like a Neanderthal.  But the whole point of camping is to get back to the simple things in life and enjoy it. Tent camping advice should not come between you and enjoying nature.

If you’re going to be camping in a tent, you will need to carefully pick out a place to set up your tent.  You don’t want to end your day of fun only to have a tree root or rock jabbing you in the back all night.  Once you’ve found that perfect spot, you’ll need to clear it of any sticks, twigs, and rocks that might damage the floor of your tent.  After that, you’re ready to put up your tent.  Let me tell you right now, some tents are much easier than others to set up.  If this is your first time camping, you’ll want to make sure you have a tent that is easy to set up.  Otherwise, you will become the laughing stock of the campground as the seasoned camping veterans watch you struggle with fifty poles, straps, and stakes.  Much like your luggage, keep the tent simple.  Don’t buy more tent than you need.  You’re camping!  You should be out enjoying the luxuries of the great outdoors.  There is no reason to have an extravagant tent.

Unlike campers, tents don’t come with built-in beds. That really leaves you with a ton of options.  When I was younger, it was simply a matter of throwing a sleeping bag on the floor of the tents with a pillow.  After a long, exciting day spent enjoying the great outdoors, it doesn’t take a lot to be able to slip into dreamland.  With a more modern age, more advanced sleeping arrangements became available.  If your tent is large enough, you can throw an air mattress on the floor and make it up like a regular bed.  No more pinecones in the ribs. I’ve even seen air mattresses that come complete with a frame to get you off the ground completely. Of course your tent has to be large enough to accommodate such furniture.

The best thing about camping out is the fact that there is so little work to be done which leaves a ton of time to spend enjoying family and friends and the great outdoors. Good tent camping advice recognises the need to switch off from a hectic lifestyle. Aside from putting up tents, cooking meals, and packing up at the end of the trip, the rest is all about having a great time.  My family always camped near water, generally rivers, so that we could enjoy a cool dip whenever we wanted.  Some people would rather camp in a place where they can hike or boat or fish or see certain attractions.  Camping is about enjoying life.  It really doesn’t matter where it is, as long as it’s fun for all.

There are thousands of things you can do while you’re camping.  If there is a near river, you can float down it on inner tubes or just take a refreshing swim.  Lakes give you the opportunity for swimming and boating.  But no matter where you are camping, you can always play some volleyball, soccer or football.  Some people even appreciate a traditional game of croquet.  You can make up your own games, play tag, hide and seek, or just sit around the fire and sing songs with family.  At night, you can enjoy the fire, tell stories, or break out an impromptu game of flashlight tag to burn off the last of that energy before you climb into a warm sleeping bag and slip off into dreams.

For me, the best part of camping was getting to spend a wonderful time with family where no one was worried about bills, housework, or jobs.  It was all about good company, good food and good fun without all the complication of the ‘real’ world.  It didn’t matter if we were camping at our usual spot, if we’d found a new place, or if we’d just pulled up and set tents up in a family member’s yard.  What really mattered was the quality time.  Camping isn’t about doing everything a certain way.  It doesn’t matter if you camp in a tent, a fully equipped camper, or if you just throw some blankets over the kitchen table.  What matters is getting to share the moment with the people you love and for that short time to escape from all the responsibilities that come with everyday life.  For that moment, focus only on enjoying every minute of life and the people you love.