2020 has been pretty different to how many of us imagined it would be. No matter what your plans may have been at the start of the year, chances are the coronavirus and Covid-19 pandemic has thrown them out of the water. Countless aspects of our lives have changed. Rather than heading to work each day, many of us are working from home to minimise the spread of the virus. Rather than meeting up with friends at large scale events, everything has been scaled back to reduce the number of people in close contact with each other. One area of life that has completely changed for many of us? Travel. Rather than being able to jet off as and where we want, we’re now much more limited. Flights are being cancelled. Border access is limited in many countries. Many companies aren’t offering insurance or cancellation right now. So, if you had an overseas getaway booked at the start of the year, there’s a good chance that it has been cancelled by now. So, what can you do instead? The good news is that most of us aren’t confined to our own homes anymore. There is the option to get out and about as long as we’re sensible and don’t mix with others who aren’t in our social bubble. This opens up, for many of us, potential to have a break in a more local vicinity. Camping is one popular option that you might want to try out. Of course, many of us haven’t camped since we were little. So, to help you to plan the best camping trip possible right now, here are a few pieces of advice!

How Camping Can Be a Safer Option

What is it that makes camping potentially safer than other options? Well, when you camp, you don’t tend to stray too far from home. Instead, you can head to a local beauty spot and enjoy time in local surroundings. This minimizes the movement of the virus around the country. Secondly, when you camp, you don’t necessarily have to come into much contact with others. While hotel holidays force you to come into contact with concierges, hotel staff and other guests staying in close proximity to you, camping allows you to find a spot that is at least two metres distance away from anyone else. You take care of everything yourself, can cook for yourself, clean for yourself and maintain your own space that you’re staying in independently – whether that’s a tent, a camper van, or a motorhome!

Choosing Who to Camp With

If this all sounds good to you, now is the time to start taking active steps towards planning your camping trip. Of course, few people would be interested in camping alone. Plus, camping alone could be potentially dangerous if you’re not planning on staying at a monitored campsite. But you do still need to take government guidelines into account when it comes to who you decide to camp with. Make sure to check guidelines right before your trip to ensure that you’re staying in line with guidelines when it comes to your camping buddies.

Choosing Where to Camp

Next, you need to decide where to camp. As we’ve briefly noted, you should consider staying relatively close to home. This will help to ensure that you aren’t potentially carrying the virus across the country. Next, you need to decide whether you want to stay at a monitored campsite or not. Monitored campsites have the benefits of amenities like showers, toilets, electrical sockets and even on-site stores. However, you should ensure that the facilities you opt for are known to keep their sites clean and in line with government recommendations and guidelines. Read reviews before booking to see how others have found their experience at any sites you’re considering. If you decide to camp anywhere other than campsites, it’s important to ensure that you aren’t planning on camping on private land and that you’re allowed to camp in the space you’re considering. You’ll also need to ensure that the space is safe. You don’t want to camp somewhere that has sheer drops, is prone to flooding, or may have potentially dangerous wildlife nearby.

Packing

So, what do you pack for a camping trip? Well, here are a few essentials that you should definitely consider investing in.

• A tent – first and foremost, if you’re going to camp in a tent, you need a tent. This should be something you consider an investment. Low cost tents tend to be low quality and you’ll likely find yourself with a host of issues on your hands. This could include leaking, collapsing and more. Try to find a tent that is big enough for you and other occupants and that has plenty of good reviews.

• Spare pegs – spare pegs are important for any camping trip. Sometimes, pegs can bend, become lost or simply get lost in the ground. So, having spares is a good idea to ensure that your tent can always be securely pegged in place!

• A Mallet – to get pegs into the ground easily, it’s also a good idea to pack a mallet. This will help to stick your pegs into the ground without bending them.

• Sleeping Bags – you will also need a comfortable and warm sleeping bag to sleep in. This should be well padded and insulated. Different sleeping bags are best for different climates, so make sure you have the right type for the climate you’re staying in. Remember that, in most places, temperatures significantly drop at night.

• Pillows – while sleeping bags do tend to have padded hoods, it’s still a good idea to take a pillow along. This is something that the vast majority of us have grown accustomed to sleeping with and it will make your nights much more comfortable.

• Sleeping Mats – if you’re looking for extra comfort, you might want to consider investing in a sleeping mat. This can be placed beneath your sleeping bag to add an extra layer of padding and comfort.

• A Torch – you never know when you might need to find something in your tent at night, or head outside of your tent at night. This is why it’s always a good idea to pack a torch for a camping trip. There are wind up options, so you’re not reliant on batteries, or you could simply pack some spare batteries!

• Sunglasses – chances are the sun will be in your eyes if you’re out and about during the day. Make sure to have a pair of the best quality glasses in your budget.

• A First Aid Kit – it’s a good idea to invest in a first aid kit when you camp. This should contain basics like plasters, bandages, eye washes, tweezers and more. It’s always best to be safe rather than sorry when it comes to packing essentials like this. You never know when you might need them!

• Medicine – it’s also a good idea to carry basic medicine. This can range from paracetamol and ibuprofen to antihistamines, acid reflux medication and more.

As you can see, there’s a lot to take into consideration when it comes to planning and preparing for a camping trip. The steps and areas of focus listed above are just some of the basics, but they really should help! However, hopefully, some of the above information should help you to arrange the best and safest trip possible during these strange times!