“Let’s Go Camping”

My advice to make camping more fun

I used to think that the quote “let’s go camping” should never come out of anyone’s mouth. Who would subject themselves to five days in the wilderness covered in bug bites and with burning eyes full of sunscreen? Who wouldn’t prefer the air conditioning, “The Office” episodes, and plethora of Oreos found indoors? But after a few camping triumphs and many disasters, I have learned how to not only survive, but how to have a great time while camping. I’m going to share how you too can survive these adventures. 

First off, pack tortillas. These are light, thin and versatile. I learned to eat tortillas with everything, ranging from peanut butter and jelly to soup, and from pizza to Nutella desserts. It won’t get as stale and moldy as regular bread and is a necessary staple.

Bring a bag for your dirty clothes. The last thing you want is to store your stinky damp clothes with your nice clean pajamas. Or even worse, you’re grabbing a nice warm sweatshirt, but you pull it out to find a dirty sunscreen-filled tank top from the day before. Everything will reach a high level of grossness before the trip is done, but prolong that as long as possible. Keep your dirty and clean clothes separated with a plastic bag and a different backpack pocket. 

Just carry the extra weight of a blow-up air mattress. I know you feel the need to pack light, but the extra couple of pounds are worth the much-improved sleep. When you’re on your feet all day, the last thing you want is a root in your back while you’re trying to sleep. Provide yourself with some comfort and pack the air mattress.  

Face wipes! Being drenched in sweat, sunscreen, and lake water is not a great feeling. With no option to shower, it’s important for you and your campmates that you stay clean. Face wipes are a good substitute for the 20-minute showers you might be used to taking. They remove the grime and make you smell a little less like a swamp, giving you the illusion that you are nice and clean. 

Set up camp far from the bathroom. Convenience may be key, but not in this scenario. You’ll either be kept awake by people walking by or be eaten alive by the bugs. It’s much better to walk a little further instead. 

Make sure your bag has lots of pockets and places to store things. The last thing you want is to be digging to the bottom of your bag to find a toothbrush. Make sure to keep things accessible and easy to find. Needing to unload your entire bag every time you set up your campsite makes this tedious process even longer. 

“Let’s go camping” is something I thought I would never say, but I loved camping. With these tricks, camping is so worth the bug bites and lack of air conditioning. Go adventure and explore, because there is nothing quite like sleeping under the stars with a stomach full of tortillas and smelling like face wipes. 

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