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Sunday 13 July 2014

6 Common camping mistakes people make while camping





Everyone is familiar with the story. Camping should be one of the simplest, most relaxing and comfortable occasions to bond and interact with our love ones. Sleeping under the stars and basking in the warmth of the day, just appreciating nature as they say. However, just the simplest of mistakes can make your camping experience an unforgettable misery. Below is a list of silly camping mistakes you should avoid;

1. Wrong Tent Size 

What planet do some of these tent designers come from? Mars! Never trust their advice or judgment on sizing when you are purchasing your canvas. Some tents may read “capacity three persons”, but can only accommodate two persons or “four people” and can only hold “two adults” and “one child.” Unless you’re planning to sleep outside always go two or three capacity ratings higher than the actual number persons sleeping in it.

2. Failing to testing all your equipment beforehand

Yes it may sound a bit stupid but believe me its true; I personally have made this mistake before. The time you don’t want to discover, missing flash light batteries, faulty sleeping bag zipper, leaking air mattress, faulty bug spray, missing tent post and a barbecue grill that doesn’t work is at the camp site 5 hours drive away from home. My advice is to pitch your tent before packing it just  make sure  everything is OK, pour some water over to check if its water or rainproof. You should check the rest of your gears also.

 3. Late arrival to the camp site 
Pitching a tent in the dark can be your worst nightmare anyone who have ever done it can share their experience. It is difficult to see what you are doing consequently; you select a horrible tent spot next to the latrine or made so much noise that you woke the neighbors. More than likely you will have to find another location in the morning. 

Best advice try to arrive early, this will give you sufficient time to choose the perfect flat, dry grassy spot free from overhead branches and flood prove to pitch your tent. Familiarizing yourself with the surrounding and its essential conveniences – such as water supplies and shower – is definitely easier in daylight.

4. Insufficient lighting

While out camping the nights may seem a bit longer than usual under the stars, unless you are planning to turn in as the sunset’s lanterns powered by battery and solar energy is a great idea. Head torches are also exceptional for camping- it leaves your hands free to do whatever you want. Before leaving home make sure your lighting equipment works, take two or more extra packs of extra batteries also.

5. Cooking inside tent

 It is unbelievable that, I still hear of this mistake quite frequently. Cooking inside tents causes great condensation, there have been some tragic cases of asphyxiation, where persons have asphyxiated themselves while using stoves inside camp tents for warmth and cooking.  Not only is there the risk of camp fire but also a strong possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning from the smoke especially if there is no proper ventilation space. There are nature risks to cooking inside as well: in bear country the smell of cooking wafting from a tent is practically suicide. Although, some tents have vented vestibules specially designed for stove use, my advice to anyone is to cook outdoors.       

6. Going too basic in the bedroom

I don’t like packing a lot of stuff and traveling with too much weight; I am comfortable with doubling up my warm layer and using it as a pillow to reduce weight and save space. But that’s when I’m going rock or mountain climbing. In a camping environment that is your home for a little while, it’s best to go for comfortable so being too survivalist is a big mistake. You will find sleep difficult and staying up late at nights in the dark with nothing to do can be very boring; therefore if you know you can’t sleep well without your pillow then don’t forget to pack them.

Additionally, ensure that your sleeping bags are warm and comfortable enough before leaving for the campsite. Thermarests are exceptional for weight and warmth but for ultimate comfort an air mattress is the best. For late risers earplugs and eyemasks are great items to bring camping.

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