Camping is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in nature. It feels good cutting yourself off from the hustle and bustle of the home and living surrounded by nature’s raw beauty.
However, nature can be unforgiving and does not guarantee the same levels of comfort and safety you enjoy at home. To this end, camping can be the worst experience if you don’t know how to overcome the discomfort and security risks.
Here are five tips to help make your camping experience safe and comfortable:
- Choose a Good Campsite
You don’t have to go deep into the woods to get the ultimate camping experience. Nature is everywhere around you, including at national parks and other recommended camping locations.
Location is the most important factor when camping. Your chosen location should strike a balance between exposure to nature and your overall safety and convenience. For example, the location should be easy to access and have good terrain. Some camping locations even offer basic amenities such as showers and picnic tables.
Some locations are simply inhabitable – even for veteran campers. For example, you can easily get lost or come across wild animals when camping deep into the woods.
- Bring Enough Food & Water
Hunger and thirst will always make you feel uncomfortable, regardless of whether you are in a mansion or out in the woods. It will especially make you feel disoriented when you are out camping, and it will magnify your other insecurities and discomforts.
As such, ensure that you pack enough food and water for the camping duration. It also helps to learn how to live off the land by foraging – especially if you will be camping for prolonged durations.
Check to see whether you are permitted to light a fire at your chosen campsite. You can cook your own food if lighting a fire is permitted. However, you will be better off bringing pre-cooked camping meals if cooking your own food is not an option.
- Be Prepared for Extreme Weather
Camping out exposes you to the prevailing weather, whether it is summer’s hot sun or winter’s bitter cold. Whatever the case, you should come prepared to create your own ideal temperatures.
Cold is especially discomforting, and it can cause health complications such as the common cold and pneumonia. As such, set up your camping tent and bring enough clothes and blankets to keep your body warm when the temperatures begin dropping. The heat from the sun can also be unbearable, so bring sunscreen and a portable fan to keep you cool.
Unfortunately, you cannot control the weather to suit your camping needs. As such, it is advisable to go camping when the weather is favorable. For example, summer is a better time for camping than winter.
- Be Prepared for Bugs & Wild Animals
Wild animals such as bears pose a great safety threat to campers. As such, it is advisable to camp as far away from wild animals as possible. It is also advisable to be prepared to defend yourself if you are confronted by dangerous wild animals.
Prevention is always better than cure, so find ways of keeping wild animals at bay. For example, the scent of food can attract wild animals, so seal your leftover food and store it some distance from the campsite. Additionally, packing bear repellant and other defensive weapons will help you intimidate wild animals that get too close to your camp.
It is also advisable to bring a first-aid kit to treat injuries that you may get when out camping. These injuries don’t have to be caused by wild animals, so bring the kit even if your campsite is protected. You can also get other essential supplies at camper sales.
- Make Your Location & Situation Known
Getting away from the usual is one of the main goals of camping. However, you are still a part of your friends’ and loved ones’ lives, and they will be worried if you go missing suddenly. They deserve to know that you are safe at all times, so make your plans known before setting off into the woods.
Tell your close friends and family members about your plans to go camping. Let them know where you will be camping and how long you will be there. Additionally, bring your phone to keep in touch with them when you are out there – your phone will also come in handy for calling for assistance if something bad happens.
Final Thoughts
Camping is a fun, exciting, and fulfilling experience. It makes you one with nature and creates the perfect environment to relax and find your inner peace. However, safety and comfort is necessary for a flawless camping experience.