Without some basic pre-planning, even the simplest camping trip can turn miserable—especially if you’re backpacking. For example, bad weather like rain or snow.
To make sure you have a good time while you're camping, there are three things you need to keep in mind, and they are covered in the following video by Black Scout Survival. Some of these may seem obvious, but how often do we simply forget them?
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1. Check The Weather Before You Go
Weather has the greatest impact on living outdoors, so make sure you know what you’re heading into on a camping trip. And this isn't just about tomorrow’s weather—try to anticipate the weather as far as possible into the duration of your trip.
Even if you know it might rain or snow, think about all of the things that will be affected by that weather.
- Does everyone have rain gear?
- Does everyone have an extra change of clothes?
- If you’re sleeping in a hammock, did you bring a tarp for shelter?
- How comfortable is your tent if you have to sit in it all day?
2 Make a Checklist for Your Gear
It’s easy to remember the basics like tents and sleeping bags, but it’s the little things that we often leave behind. The wilderness is a bad place to figure out you forgot the tent stakes or extra batteries for your flashlight. You can improvise tent stakes but when was the last time you made a battery in the woods?
In the military, they always have a checklist for equipment, and there’s a reason. They’ve learned the hard way that you have to anticipate what’s ahead, and that includes meal planning. Do you have all of the things you need to make, season, cook and serve every meal?
The idea is that you make sure you have everything to make things work. Do you have spare filters for your water filter? Think ahead to what you’re going to be doing or might have to do.
3. Backpackers! Load Up and Go for a Hike
Even if you’ve nailed everything on your checklist, make sure you pack up your gear in your backpack and go for a hike of at least a mile. It’s easy to try on your pack and assume you can carry it, but after a mile, you’ll know if you need to lighten up.
Watch the video below for more details about these three things along with some other tips for new campers.
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