If you don't like
camping, you're doing it wrong.
Seriously, there's a way for everyone.
We love camping, first and foremost. We don't get to do it half as much as we would like but when we go, we go. This year we are all hoping to do more than we usually get to do and we're all in agreement to take a different approach to camping than we usually do. Occasionally you've gotta mix it up and carry on pushing into new experiences.
Camping is a beautiful way to spend time doing nothing but keeping busy at the same time. But it's not for everyone, or is it?
There's so many elements and different ways of camping. It can be relatively cheap or relatively expensive, it can be at a fully facilitated site or back to nature, off-grid or somewhere in between. Whether you're a hardened camper or a complete novice it's all there for the taking. So, if you're an experienced camper then you don't need us telling you the benefits and wholesomeness of camping but you might pick up some different tips or ideas, afterall there is always something new to learn and someone else always has a different idea and always brings a new element to the campsite.
However, if you are new to camping then lets walk you through how DadsGo. would go about starting out and how you can make it more comfortable and how to handle whatever the literal weather or situation throws at you, we'll talk about what kit you need, what you really need and how to make it as easy as possible, but also how to make it fun, even when on a budget.
Camping really is for everyone, but it's more about attitude and keeping it positive. It's only a hard slog if you make it be, even when it's miserable outside the canvas, it's up to you to find the fun in it. If it's wet, get wet - just keep some dry clothes handy, if it's really windy grab that cagoule and have a running race into the wind, if it's really hot build a shade and later at night mangle up some kind of projector screen in there.
Be creative with camping, there some rules that you must obey as these will ensure you can handle whatever comes but break some rules from time to time, just be respectful about it. Don't piss people off and talk to strangers, you're strange to them also but campers are there to enjoy themselves so play it by your own rules.
Get your gear ready.
Tent? Check.
Sleeping Bag? Check.
Food? Check.
Bevvies? Check.
Ok so there's a little more to it than just a simple list as there is a great deal to consider and orchastrate when just trying to get away for a short weekend. Trying to get away for a longer time you would think takes even more consideration, this is partly true but not completely as once you have your baseline needs sorted then it's just about adding on a few extras.
Your camp setup depends entirely on the purpose of the camp. A quick one nighter, you don't want loads of gear, 4 hours of set-up and stress levels higher than needs be. Going for a 2 week long trip with all the kids and a potential storm looming then you don't want what you would take for a onenighter (we'll reserve that for the hardy campers).
Then there's the tents and how much comfort you need. For the prissy princesses (not gender specific btw - We know plenty of men who are a bit prissy when it comes to camping) they won't enjoy a weekend in a tiny tent if all it's going to do is rain. Whack up a large tent and a wet weekend is far more tolerable. After tents, theres all the other comforts like seating, and dining and cleaning and washing, and entertainment and transportation and carrying and fixing and cooking, how could we forget about cooking, then there's dealing with emergencies and catastrophies and disasters. Knowing when to bail and go home (we've never gone home early - even when camping in the middle of a storm - but well talk about that later).
Don't let all of this put you off, if you're still here then carry on, hopefully that last paragraph has wittled out the weak.
Though it can sound very daunting, all the different things to consider and organise it really isn't has hard as it seems. So lets take this from the very beginning. Rather than just list a long list of gear, we will walk you through different types of camps and do a gear list that way.
Step One - Types of camping.
The basic. This is for the cheaper option, maybe just your first starting point. The absolute basic is buying a cheap little tent off marketplace or wherever, along with a cheap roll mat and a one season sleeping bag. Maybe a camping chair for duluxe luxury. This is all you really need but it's not going to make for the best weekend, in fact it may be just a little too basic even just for a one nighter. It's more for the backgarden camp or when joining a group who have other gear.
Ok sure, you can throw in some home comforts like blankets, pillows, torches etc but as basic as basic is this is pretty much the bare minimum, there is one exception but that is for the hardy wild camper.
If you attempt a camping weekend at this level and expect it to be comfortable, then this will just put you off camping for good. What you really need to consider as basic is your one nighter, then you can build on this for different types of trips:
The one nighter - This has a particular purpose which comes down to a three main things;
- The convenience accomodation/cheap alternative to a hotel.
- The quick get away for a breather from life
- Part of a long hike (but this has it's own whole sub-catagory and the gear you have for this may not be suitable for this type of trip - back to the hardy wild camper - we'll cover more on this later.
The big weekender - The one for all the family, all the boys, all the kids. Minimum of two nights and usually excessive comforts.
The boys trip - Possibly the same as the big weekender but there can be a difference between a boys trip big weekender and a family trip big weekender. Usually less fussy but also sometimes with better gear, afterall you don't really want your kids to know about you new Vango double walled compact matress???.
The dads and kids trip - this is one for the parent hardy not necessarily the camping hardy. However, its so much easier than you think it might be but it takes a bit of careful planning. There's a whole section to camping with kids so don't worry, well get you through it.
The family trip - This is usually the week long type of trip where you take ALL the comforts.
The party trip - Ooh now this takes super special planning but having done quite a few of these we'll help you turn this into a mini private festival.
The back to nature trip - Keep it simple, relay on the land, trust the process but have a few back-ups ready.
The short hike - Take the bare minimum - you'll survive one night.
The long hike - Take the bare minimum but pay for the slightly more expensive gear.
The convenience trip - No hotels available, monies tight, just because.
The travelling trip - No agenda, no bookings, just you and the open road.
Now these are to just name a few ways of camping and there are complexities with all of them but start with the basics and add to it as you go. In my inventory there is a tent for every occasions, different stoves, different sleeping arrangements etc, all built up over the years. You don't need to have it all but pleasedon't take a six man frame tent with you on a three day hike, nor a one man bivvy on a 2 week family holiday.
Step Two - Gear for camping type
The right gear can make all the difference. You could go out and spend thousands on gear in one sitting. Have you ever been to a decent camping store and just thought to yourself 'if only I was super rich, I'd buy the lot? Well probably not, but I do. Anyway, I'm not rich so I can't.
However it doesn't stop me from finding a way around it and creating my own alternative for a lot less the budget - now I'm not always talking about building my own alternative but sometimes thinking outside of the woods is all you need.
The solution to the problem isn't affording the equipment it's trying to get your mind out of the idea that you need it. For example, you see a nice cosy camping chair, like super deluxe, looks really comfy, packs up nice but it's £100. Fuck that,you do not need to spend that sort of money on a chair! Yeah sure it's nice, but you prioritise that bad boy and see how much gear you get in to your car. It's a chair for a poser, in other words a caravaner. Fuck them. That's not camping (note: this opinion does not include the campervaner - I'll explain the logic in a different post).
Seriously, think about space when choosing gear. Not just how you get it there but also how you can store it at home. The larger it is the heavier and bulkier it is. But we'll come to this in a mo.
Instead of wanting that super dooper duluxe chair just go for a £10 hammock ?????. Beats comfort of any of those chairs hands down and it's not for the posers - they couldn't hack it.
I buy chairs that are cheap, you know the sort, but they do the job perfectly. I use these ?????? because they are compact, pretty cheap considering they do last a good few years with lots of abuse. Don't spend loads on something you will only use a few times a year or less. But if I want serious comfort I invest in hammocks, and decent rug skins ??????. Now you're livin!
So let's get started:
Tents, this is what everyone thinks of first when it comes to camping and rightly so. however you don't need to put too much emphasis on a tent. I always get tent envy when camping amongst others so I have to remind myself that a badass tent isn't always the most badass thing to bring on a camping trip. But, you also don't want to be in a shitty little mouldy tent when everyone around you is living in comparative luxury.
Another thing to consider other than size and storage but also the ease or complexity of erecting your temporary home. Some tents are so easy to do you could challenge the kids to do it but some are a two man job. Some tents are small and compact, some are inbetweeners and some are massive, some are solid frame, some are flexible frame, some are inflatable, some have just one pole some have several.
Lets talk about size. Much like having a big car a big tent is a reflection on having a big ego. The bigger the tent, the bigger the w*nker is who owns it. Haha, I'm joking, I have a multitude of tents of all size so my ego must be huge.
Tents are sized by the terms one-man, two-man, three-man and so on. The rating is based not necessarily on the whole tent but on the sleeping capacity, taken from 1, 2, 3, etc people able to lie down next to each other. But this sizing is loose and varies from manufacturer. It also doesn't take into account the bed set up and your gear so really you should always go bigger, but (just to confuse you even more) some tents are way bigger than they say. Our rule of thumb is to look at the internal dimensions and allow at least 1m width per person. If still unsure there are tent sizes calculators available online such as ?????. Really the best way to know if a tent is big enough is to go and see one, usually at a camping shop, but if you're buying one second hand then ask the owner to have it ready to erect (its useful to see how they erect it as often the instructions may be lost - not that you'll need them - just a good helping of logic is all you need). Again though, the size of the tent depends on the type of trip you are on. You also want to consider height and storage capacity, but we'll get into that sort detail very shortly.
Tent types. In no particular order:
Standard dome tents - Without storage - often cheap and easy to erect. Perfectly fine for a one nighter or weekend, good for festivals, perfect as an additional tent for those teens who want their own space when family camping. Not good for storage, often low quality material and design (unless you're buying an expensive branded type), no-where to put muddy boots and definitely not recommended for cooking in - leave that to the pros. Limited in size, you won't find many 3-man plus dome tents.
Modified dome tents - With additional storage area. Even more ideal for all of the same situations as the classic dome but with added storage area which, providing you have enough safe ventilation and space then you can cook inside (disclaimer - always cook outside if you can and limit the risk of cooking inside a tent as much as possible - only in desperate circumstances outside of your control should you cook inside a tent.
The thing to consider here is the height of domes tents - get used to bending.
Tunnel Tents - for the big family. Can often have multiple rooms and can vary from small decent for two to massive that will easily sleep eight/ten. But remember the bigger you go, the bigger the and heavier the pack, the harder work it is to erect and to get back into the bag.
Geodesic Dome tents - for the extreme camper. These are usually designed specifically for hiking/biking as they tend to pack up really small, not recommended for a pleasure weekend camp but ideal for the solo adventurer.
Pop-up tents - for the quick set up but takes a bit of skill to take down. I once got a large pop-up stuck in my house when I couldn't work out how to take it down. These tents are great for festivals and quick trips but there is usually no porch area/storage area and when packed up are stored as a huge disk, so not the type of tent you would want to hike or cycle with.
A-Frame Tents - The classic tent, you don't see many of these anymore, but they are a simple design, very easy to erect.
Teepee tents - for fun really and easy set-up - unless you going to go with a traditional teepee but that is on a whole new level of camping we're not going to cover here.
Bell tents - similar to teepees but slightly bigger and sturdier. Often canvas but you can get cheaper poly ones, these are very heavy but are solid.
Then on top of tent types you have different grades and materials, different levels of waterproofing, a vast range of add-ons and features.