Summer Camping Tips: 11 Expert Tips For Awesome Experiences

Summer is a great time to escape from hectic everyday life. The weather is perfect for getting outdoors to enjoy time off of your regular work schedule. We have compiled some summer camping tips to help you have a pleasurable camping experience.

Summer camping in the wilderness can come with its challenges. The nights can be too hot, and the scorching sun might not let you enjoy some fun activities. You can also suffer insect bites, extreme weather changes, dehydration, and heat exhaustion.

We’re here to help you avoid having a bad experience by planning for the summer trip.

Get essential summer camping tips for gear selection

A great summer camping trip begins with gathering the right gear while you are out in the wilderness. While assembling the right gear sounds simple, many campers find it challenging.

You should pick the most important things and leave out the less helpful items. A simple mistake could lead to negative effects that take away from the experience.

Be sure to have a place to store food including a cooler for cold food and a secure place to store other food items. Bring some utensils to serve the food with once it is ready. Have something to use as a temporary shelter to protect you from inclement weather. Finally, make sure you pack tools to set up your tent and find a source of power if needed and available.

Here is a checklist of the most important items needed for a summer camping trip:

• Camping lights
• Portable power source
• Tent
• Sleeping pads
• Sleeping bags
• Camping bag
• Prescription medications
• Eating utensils
• Camp stove
• First aid kit
• Portable cooler
• Light, quick-drying clothes
• Toiletries
• Trash bags
• Sunshade

Store food in a cooler

The summer heat isn’t harmful to you but it will cause food to spoil faster. Spoiled food will make you vulnerable to food poisoning. The heat will also raise your drinks’ temperatures, making them less refreshing.

That is where a good cooler for summer camping comes in. It will keep your foodstuff fresh, and your drinks chilled. Then again, even with a good cooler, your food will go stale faster if you aren’t careful with your cooler.

So, before you hit the road, use the tips below to make sure your food stays fresh for long.

• Freeze foodstuff and drink before the trip
• Pre-chill the cooker before storing your food
• Pack your food right from the freezer or fridge into the cooler
• Seal food in a leak-proof bag to avoid contact with ice water
• Fill up the cooler with ice packs if it is not full
• Open the cooler only when it is necessary
• Close the cooler as quick as possible
• Store the cooler away from direct sunlight

Pack summer-friendly attire

The type of clothes you wear will determine your comfort while doing activities. As a rule of thumb, get breathable, light clothes. They will protect you from harmful UV rays while letting cool air whisk away sweat and excess heat.

Besides, your summer camping clothes should be as loose as possible. Ditch your tight jeans and wear saggy pants, shirts, dresses, and skirts. They will keep you cool and less sweaty. As well, the loose clothes will let you move around.

Avoid dark clothes since they absorb heat, raising your body temperature. Light colors like white, green, and red reflect heat away from your body to help keep you cool.

For footwear, pack sandals, flip-flops, and any other type of open shoes. Get lightweight, breathable shoes and moisture-wicking shoes if you plan to go hiking.

Bring sun protection

Summer camping trips also lead to prolonged exposure to unhealthy sun rays. The rays release UV radiation, increasing your risk of skin cancer and cataracts. As well, the rays can wrinkle and dry up your skin.

Don’t worry too much about the effects since there are several ways to protect yourself. You can lessen the impact by wearing sunscreen with a high sun protection factor of 30 or more.

Apply sunscreen several times a day for the greatest level of safety. If you are swimming or sweat a lot, use waterproof sunscreen. Apply sunscreen at one-hour intervals to protect your skin from UV radiation.

Wide-brimmed hats, long-sleeved clothes, and sunglasses with a UV filter will also help.

Search for a suitable campsite

There are many campsites in any place you plan to go camping. Campsites will differ depending on rules, availability, amenities, and geographic location.

Before you pack your things and hit the road be sure you have selected a campsite. You’ll want a summer camp around your destination, so take time to pick the most appropriate one. A good campsite should be safe enough to spend quality time.

It should not be vulnerable to flash floods, animal attacks, and lightning strikes. Camping in a place that gives no peace of mind would make no sense. The ideal campsite for your trip should be around the attractions you intend to visit.

Search for a campsite before you leave so you can stay cool at home.

Set your tent up in the right place

Pitching your tent in the wrong place could dampen your camping experience. In areas where there is falling debris or irregular ground will make it harder to have peace of mind. It will also be wise to avoid areas with frequent hikers passing by or where fellow campers are noisy.

So take some time to check out the area before pitching your tent. Make sure to see if the selected spot will provide the privacy, safety, and comfort you desire. Doing so with go a long way in providing you have a peaceful camping experience.

If you still feel a little unsure, use the following guidelines to select a camping spot:

• Pitch your tent on level ground with enough cover
• Avoid low lying places since they could get flash floods
• Stay away from high-traffic areas like bathrooms, water points, and hiking trails
• Though the shade is good, do not pitch your tent under unhealthy, dry trees
• Remove sharp objects from the area before setting up your tent
• Make sure the site is far from insect breeding sites like stagnant water

Find ways to keep your tent cool

When camping out, the chances are your tent will get very hot. This happens because the tent’s material allows sun rays to penetrate and heat the interior. The heated air will not find its way out. Since you will find it hard to spend your night or day in such a setting, use the following tips to cool it down.

Put a shed over your tent

Avoid setting your tent up in open spaces. Instead, set it up under trees and shrubs to reduce the amount of sun hitting it to help reduce the temperature. You could also use a beach canopy or tarp to keep your tent away from the harsh summer rays.

Disassemble the tent during the daytime

If possible, take down your tent during the day when you are out there exploring the beauty of nature. Doing so keeps the tent from absorbing and storing heat from the sun’s rays in its interior.

Use a tent fan

Set up your tent in a shady area under trees or bushes. Disassembling it during the day might not reduce the temperatures to the level you want. That’s where a tent fan will come in. It will make your tent’s interior cooler in a matter of minutes.

Summer camping tips to deter the bugs and other pests

Summer is the prime breeding season for insects like mosquitoes, black flies, and gnats. Breeding is also prime for other insects like chiggers, spiders, fleas, and ants. These bugs can bite or even infect you with deadly diseases like malaria, yellow fever, and more.

To avoid these bugs, pack insect repellent to deter these unpleasant guests. Repellants release an offensive smell that will keep insects and other bugs away. Not using repellents increases the risk of malaria, yellow fever, and other conditions.

Apply the repellant on exposed skin such as your face, arms, and legs. Avoid applying it near your mouth, eyes, and open wounds since it will irritate you. You also want to use the repellant on exposed clothing, avoiding underclothing.

Avoid getting dehydrated

Dehydration is common during summer camping. It results from excessive sweating, intense physical activity, and low water intake. Dehydration causes side effects like dizziness, exhaustion, extreme thirst, headache, and general weakness.

The effects of dehydration will dampen the fun of camping in the summer so you’ll want to take steps to avoid it. Here’s some summer camping tips on how:

• Take at least two liters of water in a day and increase the intake to three or more liters if you are super active.
• If you sweat a lot, you want to add electrolytes to your water. The supplemental electrolytes will replace the salts you lose through sweating.

While you want to take plenty of water for your trip there are other ways to reduce dehydration. You can reduce dehydration by eating fruits and vegetables with high water content. Consuming alcohol, caffeine, and soft drinks will also increase your risk of dehydration.

Engage in summer-friendly fun activities

There are so many fun things to do while camping. Make sure you focus on those that are the most fun in the scorching summer heat. Intense workouts will increase sweating, leading to dehydration, heat cramps, and heat exhaustion.

If you are unsure of the activities to include on your to-do list, here are some that would give you the most fun.

Swimming

Swimming is hands down one of the best fun activities to do during summer camping. With this fun activity, you and your family will get time to bond while cooling off from the scorching heat. Adding challenges can add to the experience as well. Try playing games like balancing on floats, water polo, and other pool games.

Boating

If you are camping next to a lake, river, ocean, or sea, boating is a great way to pass the time. If you have a fishing rod, try to catch some fish for your dinner. Go explore aquatic wonders, or go have a dock-sider dinner. The cool breeze from the water will give some relief from the summer heat.

Host a cookout

When the sun goes down, get a grill or light a campfire, and organize a cookout party. Sear meat, fish, pork, chicken, or any other delicacy, as you gaze at the stars and enjoy a cool breeze. Add outdoor games like Frisbee, badminton, relay races, and volleyball. Adding these games will encourage everyone to get up and help keep their minds off the heat.

Take a hike

The summer sun can be scorching, but that is never a reason to confine yourself to a tent or camp. Instead, dress in light, airy clothing, get a good pair of summer hiking shoes, and hit the trails. Out there, you will enjoy better scenes, keep fit, and interact with the campsite’s unique flora and fauna.

Go biking

Though biking is an aerobic exercise, it isn’t bad if you prevent dehydration and overheating. Carry enough drinking water and keep seeping throughout the period you cycle. Wear lightweight, breathable clothes and appropriate sunscreen. Ride in the morning or evening, when the sun is not so intense.

Take Away

Summer camping is one of the best ways to escape the monotony of regular life and get outdoors. While it may not always bring good memories associated with such expeditions follow these summer camping tips and suggestions and enjoy a great camping experience.

You can improve the experience with appropriate planning before hitting the road. Gather the essentials needed for camping, and select the suitable campsite. Take time to find the right location.

Get a cooler to keep your food chilled. Protect yourself against bug bites with repellent. Keep yourself busy with appropriate fun activities. We bet you will have a great summer camping experience with these tips.