Maybe your whole family is going camping and you’re obligated to come. Maybe your significant other desperately wants to camp and you don’t want to crush their plans. Or maybe your friends have convinced you to give it another chance. Whether you are reluctant about camping or absolutely hate it for whatever reason, there are many ways you can make it more bearable, and perhaps even enjoyable.
Rent a glamping tent
If it’s feasible, rent a glamping safari tent for your camping trip. It is a hundred times more luxurious and more comfortable than a regular camping tent, and staying in one is a surefire way to make your camping trip feel more like a vacation than a chore.
Choose an easy-pitch tent
If you can’t rent a glamping tent, the next best option is a tent that is easy to pitch. Spending half an hour trying to pitch your tent is an easy way to get in a bad mood, so do yourself a favor and bring an easy-pitch tent, such as pop-up tents or inflatable tents.
Bring tasty food
Camping doesn’t mean the only options you have for food are hotdogs, marshmallows, and baked beans. You can cook tastier food like steaks, fish fillets, and burgers over the fire with some simple tools. If you want to make cooking easier, however, invest in a portable grill or stove so that you don’t have to cook over the campfire.
Keep warm
The cold is probably one of the reasons why you hate camping. While it can be warm during the day (if you’re camping in the summer), the temperature can drop drastically in the nighttime.
Here are some camping items that can help you ward off the cold and keep comfortable:
- Liquid heat packs
- Insulated sleeping pad (that you put under your sleeping bag)
- Windproof jacket
- Portable, tent-safe space heater
- Insulated socks, gloves, hat
- Insulated water bottle for hot beverages
Stay at a campsite
Camping in the wilderness can be an exciting idea to some and a nightmare to others. If you fall in the latter group, your trip will be much more bearable if you opt to stay at a campsite with proper toilets, hot showers, and maybe even small convenience stores. Aside from being more comfortable, a campsite is also inherently much safer than staying in the wild.
Bring first aid and comfort essentials
Sunburn, bug bites, skin rashes, scrapes–experiencing these discomforts and more is oftentimes inevitable in the great outdoors. That doesn’t mean you have to bear with them, though. Pack a first-aid kit complete with bandages, antibacterial sprays, and basic medication. Don’t forget your sunblock, insect repellent, rash cream, moisturizer, and other products that can make you more comfortable.
Do something you like
Basic camping activities like hiking or nature-seeing may not be your idea of fun. If that is the case, find an activity that you like. Toss a ball around in the nearby field, visit the nearby town, take a dip in the nearest body of water. Contrary to popular belief, there are a lot more things you can do besides sitting around the campfire and staring at trees, so find something that you actually want to do, even if it means doing it by yourself.
Pack a portable charger
Some of us can’t part with our devices, and that’s okay. You don’t have to unplug if you don’t want to. Bring a portable charger to keep your devices charged up even without a nearby outlet. If you are camping for multiple days, consider investing in a portable charger with a high mAh (milliamp hours) that can last you for the entire trip.
Wear comfortable clothes
The key to staying comfortable during a camping trip is to wear simple, comfy clothes. This includes hiking shoes, warm pajamas, an insulated jacket, thick socks, lots of underwear, and clothes that will keep you warm during the night and cool during the day.
Invest in comfort
One of the worst parts about camping is sleeping on a sleeping bag that barely makes the ground comfortable. Instead of sticking to an inch-thick bag, invest in an air mattress and a high-quality camping pillow to make sleeping under the stars a delight rather than a burden.
Camping is an excellent way to take a break from the daily grind and connect with the outdoors. However, it’s just not for everyone. If you don’t enjoy camping but are obligated to do so for whatever reason, these tips can help you make your camping trip more comfortable and less of a hassle. Who knows? Maybe you can even enjoy it this time.
