The summer holidays might be over but the adults still have time to cram in a last-minute camping vacation before summer ends. Camping can have a bad reputation when it comes to comfort. For many people, a holiday is a time for rest, relaxation and plush surroundings. Camping holidays are typically known for attracting adventurers who like the rough-and-readiness associated with sleeping in the great outdoors. This can put a lot of people off, preferring to opt for hotels or B&Bs with real beds, air-conditioning, running water and flushing toilets. But camping isn’t just for Bear Grylls wannabes or nomads, it can be adapted to suit everyone. And, by being smart, implementing a few tricks and adding a couple of accessories to your tent, you can have your cake and eat it: not scrimping on comfort whilst sleeping under the stars.
Fabsil has compiled a guide to help you live out your camping experience in the lap of luxury, keeping every campmate happy and making the great outdoors your new favourite holiday destination.
Handle the Heat
It may be September and autumn may be fast approaching but this month has been known to bring final bursts of summer heat. Everyone knows that when things start heating up, tents transform into saunas. Acting like greenhouses, the tent fabric can trap heat from the sun, causing a sweltering situation – not ideal when that fabric oven is your home for the next few days. But there are some useful tips and handy tools to combat the heat. Firstly, the tent’s position is key. Always aim to keep the tent out of direct sunlight, pitching under the shade of a tree or canopy. If this isn’t feasible, pitch near a water supply, such as an outdoor tap or a lake that you have permission to swim in. Being close to drinking and bathing water will help stave off dehydration and keep you cool. Additionally, you can create shade for your tent with tarp. Using Quechua’s Multifunctional Tarp Camping Shelter sold by Decathlon, you’ll be adding an extra heat barrier, helping to keep you cool. To deflect sunshine from the surface of the tent, reflective sheets or tarps can cover the tent to stop it from getting too hot. If all that fails to keep you cool, rechargeable fans can offer a calming breeze to flow through your tent. Outdoor Revolution 5 in 1 Lumi-Fan Lite is a multipurpose fan, lantern and power bank that folds down and can either stand or hang to offer you the most comforting flow of air.
Camping Scran
Camping food doesn’t have to be dull. There are many ways you can enjoy an outdoor feast with certain transportable cooking utensils. A camping stove is a must, allowing you to heat food and boil water for your life-saving morning coffees. Large cool bags and boxes won’t go amiss, keeping your refrigerated food and drink cold and fresh and opening up more dinner possibilities than just Pot Noodles or pasta. Think of packing foods that can keep with your limited resources – bread, eggs, potatoes, tinned goods (like fruit and beans), sandwich fillings (such as cheese, ham and canned tuna), cereal and long-life milk. On the other hand, if you’re not much of a cook and would prefer to have the hassle taken out of dinner prep, check out camping ready-meal brands like Huel. We especially recommend their Hot & Savoury Pouches to save time and space in your luggage.
Pest Control
Creepy crawlies are some people’s worst nightmare and coming across some little critters is inevitable when camping. Most are harmless and you won’t need to worry about them but midges and mosquitoes can be a real pain! Save yourself from all those itchy bites and lumps by investing in some anti-bug products. Insect repellent will offer you and your fellow campers sanctuary from pesky nibblers. This can come in cream or spray form and is simply applied to your skin to keep the biters at bay. Additionally, anti-insect diffusers can be used in your tent to ensure the wee beasties aren’t wandering uninvited. Use Anti Insect Air Freshener from The Mosquito Company to help you sleep soundly so you’re not bothered by their incessant buzzing.
Fun and Games
Portable travel games are essential if you and your campmates are after some lighthearted entertainment whilst whiling away the hazy summer evenings. There’s only so much fun you can have with a pack of cards, so why not branch out and bring along some of these entertaining, immersive games that will keep the whole camp happy?
- Ring Toss – Cactus Ring Toss from Wilko is inflatable and perfect for transporting.
- Dobble – like ‘snap’ for specialists, Dobble is a card game where you have to match one of the images from your top card to the central card. Essentially ‘snap’, but much trickier.
- Bananagrams – want to have fun and exercise your vocabulary? Look no further than Bananagrams.
- Exploding Kittens – Exploding Kittens is basically Russian Roulette with cats and explosions.
- 5 Second Rule – you have 5 seconds to name 3 things instructed on the cards – here is a travel version of the game: 5 Second Rule.
- The Mind – this psychological game finds you and your fellow players working together to beat the game.
Alternatively, some games don’t require equipment, just your uninhibited imagination. I Spy, anyone?
Sleepy Time
Now, we’re getting to the really comfy part. If the idea of a thin foam camping mat doesn’t fill you with enthusiasm, opt for raised camping beds or lightweight air mattresses. These options are easy to assemble and pack down, won’t take up a lot of room in your luggage and are far more comfortable than lying on the cold, hard ground. We recommend Rab Stratosphere 5.5 Sleeping Mat from Cotswold Outdoor or Hi-Gear 5 Double Dream Self-Inflating Mattress from Go Outdoors, to provide you with the solid sleep you’ll be desperately craving after your busy, fun-filled days. Additionally, super padded sleeping bags offer all-around comfort and ensure the creeping cold of those misty early mornings won’t leave you shivering. You’ll feel as snug as a bug in a rug!
Hopefully, our tips will offer you some comfy camping inspo and, remember, camping is for everyone to enjoy, no matter how you do it. You don’t have to sacrifice your comfort for adventure.
