15 Surprising Camping Tips From Experienced Outdoor Enthusiasts

We love camping. It’s a great way to get away from technology, get some fresh air and enjoy nature. 

After all, what could be better than sitting around a campfire with friends and family while enjoying s’mores and hot dogs? While we’re experts at packing our gear and finding the perfect campsite, there are other ways to make your time outside more enjoyable. 

From keeping your camp organized to having a positive attitude, these 15 tips will help you have an amazing experience on your next camping trip:

15 Camping Tips for Beginners
Takeaway
Importance of planning and preparation for a successful camping trip
Tips and tricks for camping with kids to make the experience enjoyable for the whole family
Essential camping accessories and items to enhance your outdoor experience
Importance of safety measures while camping, especially when traveling with children
Knowledge and information about glamping to plan your ultimate outdoor adventure

Getting Up Early

Sunrise is the best time of day for hiking, fishing, bird watching and camping and it’s also a great way to wake up your sleeping companions if they’re still sleeping in after a long drive or flight from home. 

You can get started on breakfast, pack up camp and enjoy some serenity before everyone else has had their morning coffee and gotten their day started.

A successful camping trip with children requires careful planning. Find expert tips on how to plan the perfect camping trip with kids and make it a memorable family experience.

Eating On Time

There are some obvious things to keep in mind when camping, like bringing plenty of water and packing a tent and sleeping bag. But there are also a few less-obvious tips that can help make your experience more enjoyable. For example: eating on time.

One of the most important parts of camping is making sure you get enough food and water throughout the day so that you don’t run out of energy before heading home. 

Here’s what experts advise:

Eat breakfast before going on any hikes or short trips. This will give you energy for whatever you may encounter that day, whether it’s trail mix or fresh fruit from local farmers markets!

Eat lunch after taking an afternoon hike with your friends or family members who love nature as much as they do each other (if any). 

You’ll have plenty of time between lunchtime meals because all those hiking trails tend to be pretty long…just remember not to forget where it was again!

Best Food Delivery Services for Eating On Time

Food Delivery ServiceDescription
Blue ApronOffers chef-designed meal kits with delivery options that fit any schedule, making cooking and eating on time easier.
HelloFreshDelivers fresh ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes for cooking healthy, delicious meals in 30 minutes or less.
FreshlyProvides fully cooked, healthy meals that are ready to eat in three minutes or less, perfect for busy individuals on the go.
DoorDashOffers one of the quickest food delivery services with fast and reliable delivery options. Choose from a wide variety of restaurants and cuisines to satisfy all your cravings.
GrubhubConnects you with local restaurants and enables you to order food online for takeout and delivery. Allows you to schedule deliveries in advance and includes various payment options for your convenience.

Picking Your Tent Site Wisely

When you’re choosing a campsite, it’s important to select one that is out of the wind. Wind can cause your tent to feel like an inflatable mattress and will also make it more difficult for you to get a good night’s rest.

Also consider finding a site that is close to water and good drainage. This will help keep your tent dry and make life much easier in general when it comes time for brushing your teeth or doing dishes. 

It should be noted that not all campsites have access to running water; however, if this is the case, there are ways around this problem as well (such as bringing along an extra empty container).

Another thing to look out for when picking where exactly you’ll be setting up camp? Make sure there aren’t any slopes nearby this could cause problems with both drainage and getting around safely at night time when everyone’s stumbling over each other trying not step on spiders or snakes! 

Finally, try not too choose a spot right next door near neighbors who tend wake up early every morning singing loud karaoke songs while drinking their morning coffee…

Take your glamping experience to the next level with these 15 must-have glamping accessories that will enhance your comfort and style during your outdoor adventure.

Keeping Your Camp Organized

If you want to enjoy the great outdoors and have a safe trip, it is important to keep your camp organized. There are several ways you can do this. 

For example, bring a checklist and use it on the trip so that everything gets packed properly and fits in the vehicle. 

Also make sure to organize your gear in a logical manner so that it’s easy for others to find what they need when packing up at the end of the day (and yourself when unpacking).

Organize Your Food Supplies

It’s also important to organize your food supplies properly so that they don’t go bad while camping or become infested with insects while out on longer trips where no refrigeration is available (though some can be frozen first before being carried into colder temperatures). 

One way that many people organize their food supplies includes using containers such as plastic bins or metal pails with lids which can then be stacked neatly inside each other when not needed; this makes them easy storage solutions while traveling as well!

Best Organizational Tools for Keeping Your Camp Organized

Organizational ToolDescription
Tidy TentA portable, lightweight outdoor storage solution that can be easily set up to store equipment and gear. Includes mesh ventilation and privacy screens for convenient storage and access.
Camp Chef Sherpa Camp TableA compact and foldable camp table with a removable storage bag and four padded bags that can store cooking equipment and utensils. Includes a heat-resistant tabletop for use with cooking stoves and a telescoping leg for easy leveling.
Sea to Summit Kitchen SinkA collapsible outdoor sink that allows you to wash dishes and cookware. Made from a durable 70D nylon fabric with a stainless steel cable rim for support when filled. Comes with a carry case for easy transport and storage.
Osprey UltraLight Roll OrganizerA versatile and lightweight organizer for storing and transporting toiletries and personal hygiene items. Made with a durable nylon fabric and includes multiple zippered pockets and mesh compartments.
Yeti LoadOut GoBoxA sturdy, waterproof storage box that can keep your camping gear organized and secure. Includes customizable compartments, an airtight seal, and a sturdy, waterproof build to protect your items from water, dust, and impact.

Maintaining A Positive Attitude

It’s easy to be positive when you’re camping with friends. But what if your trip is more of a solo endeavor? Here are some ways to stay positive while camping alone:

Keep your goals in mind. Whether it’s hiking a mountain or seeing the sunset, make sure you have an end goal to keep yourself motivated and happy.

Stay active by doing fun activities that help keep you moving around, like going on walks or swimming in the lake during breaks from cooking dinner.

Think about all the great experiences people have when they go out into nature for just one night—like sleeping under stars! If they can do it, then so can we!

Camping with kids can be a wonderful experience with the right knowledge and preparation. Check out these 10 essential tips for camping with kids in the USA to make your family trip a success.

Drying Laundry At Night

Drying clothes at night is a great way to save time and energy, since your laundry will dry faster than if you dried it during the day. During the day, sunlight heats up the air around you and makes it feel warmer. 

This causes water in your clothing to evaporate more slowly, which slows down the drying process. 

At night, however, there is less sunlight available for heat absorption meaning that your laundry dries much faster! Also keep in mind that dewfall happens overnight as well (dewfall occurs when water droplets form on grasses and other surfaces), so this process can also help speed up the drying of your wet items

Bringing A Jar Of Hooks

I’ve been camping since I was a kid, and one thing that always bothered me was how to dry wet clothes. There’s nothing more uncomfortable than wearing damp clothes after you go swimming in the creek, or when it rains unexpectedly during your trip.

There are many ways to do this: hang them on a tree branch and hope they dry quickly; leave them out on top of your tent; or use a towel rack that has clips at the bottom where wet towels can be hung up with ease. However, all these options have one thing in common—they are limited in size! 

They also don’t work very well for things like swimsuits or bathing suits that need to be hung up for proper drying..

A great solution is to bring along some hooks from home so that you can hang any wet clothing anywhere around camp! 

You might want to bring some string as well if there aren’t any trees around with branches sturdy enough for hanging items from (or maybe even just clip-on hangers). This will help keep everything organized while providing easy access whenever needed!

If you’re planning a glamping vacation, it’s essential to know the best time to go and how to plan your trip effectively. Explore our guide on the best time to go glamping and how to plan the ultimate outdoor adventure for all the information you need.

Don’t Invite Bears To Your Campsite

  • Keep food out of reach.
  • Don’t leave food unattended.
  • Don’t leave food in your tent.
  • Don’t cook or eat near your tent.

The goal here is to keep bears away from humans, not the other way around and even though that might seem obvious to you, it’s important to remember that bears are wild animals with their own inclinations and habits, so they may not necessarily be as concerned about keeping humans away from them as we are about keeping them away from us! 

Bear-proofing your campsite means doing all you can to minimize the risk of getting mauled by one of these hulking creatures just because you forgot to bring extra peanut butter (and then falling asleep without remembering where you left it).

Best Bear-Proof Containers to Keep Your Campsite Safe

Bear-Proof ContainerDescription
Garcia Machine Backpacker’s CacheA large-capacity, durable container made from tough ABS polycarbonate that can store food and other items. Comes with a tamper-proof locking system and weighs only 3.5 pounds.
Ursack Major XLA lightweight and flexible bear-proof container made from high-performance UHMWP fabric. Comes with an integrated cord for hanging and securing and can hold up to 36 liters of food and supplies.
Bear Vault BV500A durable, transparent container with a large 700 cubic inch capacity that can hold up to 7 days of food. Made from tough polycarbonate material with an excess pressure seal and a bear-resistant locking system.
Frontiersman Bear-Resistant Food ContainerA compact and portable container made from tough and lightweight polycarbonate material with a non-permeable barrier to keep out moisture and vapors. Includes a tie-down strap and meets US Forest Service and Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee bear-resistant requirements.
DuraCast Kodiak Series Bear-Proof ContainerA heavy-duty container designed to keep bears and other wildlife out of your food and supplies. Made from rotationally molded plastic material with reinforced corners and a tamper-proof locking system. Includes carrying handles for easy transport and a lifetime warranty.

Storing Food In The Right Place

You’re camping. You have a cooler full of food and drinks, but where should you put it so that your food doesn’t spoil?

First, make sure they are in airtight containers. The easiest way to do this is by using the vacuum sealer we mentioned earlier in the article. 

This will help keep any moisture out of your bag or container, and prevent anything from spoiling before you get to eat it! Also, never store your food near your tent especially near an opening where rain could splash inside when it rains. 

It’s also not smart to leave them too close to campfires either; if someone forgets about their hot dog on the grill and it catches fire later on during the night (or day), then there’s a good chance that whatever they were cooking over may end up burning down into ashes by morning time! 

Finally, don’t forget about keeping things dry in general when storing items like coffee grounds or spices because these will eventually turn into mushy messes if left at room temperature without proper refrigeration equipment around them all day long (or even worse yet… outside!).

Safety is paramount when camping with your children. Learn how to stay safe and have fun while camping with kids with expert tips and tricks for a stress-free and enjoyable family trip.

Lightening Your Load

When you go camping, you want to pack as lightly as possible. You don’t need all the extra stuff that’s weighing down your backpack and making you feel like an amateur. Here are some tips for lightening your load:

  • Bring essentials only and leave the rest at home.
  • Pack a small backpack instead of a big one—you’ll be more comfortable walking with a lighter load.
  • Bring gear that is lightweight but sturdy enough to serve its purpose well (for example, bring an ultralight tent instead of one made from canvas).

Setting Up A Tipi Shelter

The tipi shelter is one of the most popular options for camping, and for good reason. They are easy to set up, spacious, and can be used as a versatile dining area or even a sleeping space. To set up the tipi shelter:

  • Find three trees at least 10 feet apart from one another. You can also use posts if you have them available.
  • Lay down four to six poles (depending on how big you want your tipi) in an X shape with their tops touching at the center point while connecting them by tying rope or cordage around each of their tops.
  • Tie off some more rope or cordage between two trees that are opposite one another (that is not connected directly to any other pole). This will act as an anchor point for when it comes time to tie up your cover over top!

Putting Sheets Over Your Tent Screens At Night

It’s the easiest way to keep out bugs, dust and dirt while protecting your tent from wear and tear in general.

  • Use it as a privacy screen if you’re camping with friends who don’t want to see each other naked all day
  • Hang wet clothes on it to dry, or use it as a makeshift clothesline by pinning clothespins along its length
  • Use it as a reflector for heat from a camp stove (assuming you have one) or fire pit

Conclusion

We hope these tips have given you some inspiration for your own camping adventures. Now that you know how to be more organized and prepared, we can’t wait to see what lies ahead!

Further Reading

For more extensive camping tips for both novice and experienced campers, check out this comprehensive guide to successful and enjoyable camping trips from The Planet D travel blog.

If you want to learn how to make your camping trips more comfortable and enjoyable, read through the tips shared in this comfortable camping guide by My Global Viewpoint.

The Dyrt is known for its exceptional recommendations on some of the best camping locations across the US. In this article, you can find several summer survival tips to help make your camping experience during the hot summer months more pleasant.

FAQs

What are the primary camping essentials?

The essential items for camping vary according to individual preferences, but there are some core items that every camper should carry. These include a tent, sleeping bag, camping stove, cooking utensils, cooler, fresh water, and appropriate clothing and footwear.

What are some must-have camping accessories for comfort and convenience?

There are several essential camping accessories that can make your outdoor experience more comfortable and convenient. These include portable chairs, hammocks, solar-powered lights, insect repellent, portable showers, and multi-functional tools.

How can I protect myself from wildlife while camping?

To protect yourself and your belongings from wildlife while camping, store all food and scented items in airtight containers and place them away from your sleeping location. Enclose your trash, use bear-resistant food canisters, respect wildlife, and avoid feeding them.

How do I prepare for a camping trip?

Before starting your camping trip, plan your activities, familiarize yourself with the location, pack appropriate gear, prepare meal plans, and conduct safety checks. Inform someone of your itinerary and expected dates of return, and carry first-aid supplies, communication tools, and navigation equipment.

What should I do if bad weather interrupts my camping trip?

If there is a sudden change in weather during your camping trip, find a safe and secure shelter to protect yourself from strong winds, flash flooding, and lightning. Follow instructions from local authorities and avoid traveling through waterlogged roads or on gravel surfaces.