Camping is an adventure and everyone should go on at least a few trips of their own. However, the problem with not having any prior experience is that you would probably end up making some pretty big mistakes. In order to help you avoid at least some of them, here are five of the worst camping mistakes that newbies often make.
Underestimating the Importance of the Dry Bag
The dry bag is where you are supposed to store your food because keeping them anywhere else is just an invitation for wild animals to come and explore what you have. What most new campers don’t know is that even stuff like insect repellents and soaps can attract animals, so they are supposed to go in the dry bag as well.
Not Bringing Your Own Portable Toilet
If you don’t like the idea of getting out of your tent in the middle of the night and trying to find your way blindly towards the place where everyone is supposed to pee or poop, then you just have to bring your own portable toilet. They can be installed right inside the tent and can handle a decent amount of human waste before needing to be emptied in the morning – or at your convenience.
Trusting the Weather
The weather can change anytime out in the woods and irrespective of what the weather station might be predicting, you just can’t trust the weather unless you are experienced with the local conditions. Pack and carry all your raingear, just to be safe.
Not Bringing a Repair Kit
Tents have a tendency to develop unexpected leaks and this can happen even if you just bought it. To avoid being in a situation where it’s raining outside, and you are trying to avoid the drops that are leaking into your only shelter, bring a repair kit with ropes, a sewing kit, duct tape and maybe even a few metal pole sleeves to manage a bent pole situation. Check out My Family Tent for reviews of the best six-person tents.
Packing Insufficient Food
Food, water, and shelter are the basic requirements of human life, and when you are camping, you will learn to appreciate the civilization that we live in and take for granted. Any one of a thousand things can stall your planned trip and you need to be prepared for that. For example, a day of heavy rain can force you to camp and wait for the entire day instead of moving on as you had planned, or someone could get injured or sick and you may need to take an extra day or two to let him/her recuperate. In these situations and all the others, food is the most important resource. Pack more food than you need when you go camping.
Now that you know, hopefully, you won’t be making any of these mistakes at least. As a general rule, never camp too far from your home or the car if you are relatively new at camping, and when you are at a public campsite, try to follow all the rules carefully because they are there for a reason.