Why do people love camping? It's dirty, uncomfortable, and there are bugs everywhere! Well, believe it or not there are more positives than negatives to camping. If you never been camping, or want to try camping, or you love everything outdoors... continue...
People go camping to disconnect from technology, reconnect with nature, and it is cheaper than getting a hotel. Camping is a personal choice, not everyone loves it. If you are okay with not showering for a few days, your next shower will be like a rebirth. Going camping involves new skills, adventure and downtime. Even if you have no idea how to camp, I guarantee you will learn something new every time you go with a friend that does. It is a great opportunity to find yourself and enjoy personal time with your friends. You will discover how lucky you are to be in a clean house with appliances, learning ways you can do without it.
Getting out in nature is the biggest attraction of camping. Nature is one of the best ways to improve your mental well being. Putting down your phone, making a fire, and watching the stars is what it is all about camping. Activities you can do during sunshine include games, hikes, fishing, and many more. Going alone is great, going with your friends and mutual friends is an experience to forget not. Getting real one-on-one time with your friends and family helps boost your compassion, communication, and intellect dialogue with human interactions. Creating true memories that only you and your friends will understand or even find funny. The vibrations of your mood will sky rocket and you will feel better coming out of it. Next time you go camping, count how much you smile, I bet it will be more than a normal weekend.
Now all you have to decide is where, how, and who is going on your next camping trip.
First, where... think destination, what do you want to look at for the next three days. Do you want to be by water, mountains, or trees. You will have to correlate the time of year you will be going, will it be cold or hot? Is your next camping trip close to your home or do you want explore a new area and do a little roadtrip?
Think how, would you like to be in a tent, camper or a cabin. Bring your own tent or something like a tipi, where big groups can fit into it. Rent a RV that you have to pull or one that is already at the destination. Or maybe you can not sleep in any of those ways or want to try something new. There is also lots of cabins where there is just a bed inside, with a campfire and picnic table just outside. Sleeping in the cabin does seem like camping, but having to do all the cooking and activities outside does the trick. One of my personal favorites is to sleep in the bed of the truck, where you can fall asleep to the stars.
Whom will want to go? Not all your friends will be willing to camp, but maybe this paragraph alone convinced you that there are lots of different camping out there. Do not be afraid to ask a friend who has gone before, I bet they will be willing to take you if you are up for the challenge. There is nothing wrong with camping by yourself as well, it helps you clear your head and meditate in a way.
Lets talk necessities... My idea of what is needed, may be very different from yours or your friends. I like to bring more the merrier, just in case you will need something. You want to make the next few days your own, what your ideal space for the next few days would be. The items below is what is in my camping supplies and what I always remember to bring.
Sleeping:
tent / air mattress or sleeping pad / car pump / flashlights / sleeping bag / fuzzy socks / pillows / blankets / rug for outside tent or truck
Cooking:
stove / propane / pots / cast iron skillet / utensils including metal tongs / cutting board / one covered sharp knife / paper towels / solo cups / dish towels / silverware / plates / tin foil / trash bags / cooler / ice / hand soap / dish soap / sponge / metal sponge (to clean cast iron skillet) / tooth picks / olive oil / spice and condiment bag
Other:
chairs / lanterns / sunscreen / bug spray / case of water / plant or flowers (for a center piece) / candle / picnic table cover / at least 6 bundles of firewood / long lighter / roaster forks / hiking shoes / hammock / shower towels / easy up / foldable table / speaker (ion with chargers) / games / pocket knife
If you love to cook at home, you will enjoy cooking outdoors even more. It is a new technique that is fun and unique to learn. You can get be so creative and make delicious food that tastes even better camping. I have a few recipes that I stick with when I go camping. For one, I know how to make them without recipes, I have the spices I need in my camping supplies (so I have less to buy at grocery store), and they are big hits with my friends who I enjoy them with.
You got to have the basics, hotdogs and s'mores. Grabbing those Italian style or habanero sausages to cook over the fire is great for snacks. Think you can handles those combinations, even the jalapeño poppers you may know. You have the cut in half bacon, block of cream cheese, sharp cheddar, tooth picks and scraped out jalapeños. What we do to be creative is add a slab of either deer or duck meat, that my boyfriend hunts. There are some cuts of wild game meat that are not enough as a meal in its own. Adding them to the poppers has been one our biggest hits.
Here are my go to breakfast and dinner recipes:
- I do not go by measurement for ingredients. It will be up to you to to decide how much would like to put in, depending on your taste.
- These are in order of how I cook them. If I am going for a three day weekend. I will cook the camping brie the night we get there. Chickpea for breakfast, jalapeño poppers for appetizer and beef stroganoff for dinner. Obviously the hot dogs, sausages, and s'mores when desired.
You may be asking yourself what would I do with all my time? Cook? Yes, that takes up a good portion, but there are many activities you can do camping. Such as fishing, rent a boat, corn hole and other games similar, board games, drinking games, hike, read a book, and my personal favorite photography.
Fishing is a great way to enjoy nature for all its worth. Lakes, rivers, and creeks are typically located close, or through campsites. Go get yourself a rod and reel at a tackle shop, sporting goods store or even a Walmart for cheap and your set. If you do not have a boat you can easily rent them on the water at many lakes. Being on the water has opened my eyes to some of natures most beautiful, calming, and relaxing qualities. The sights you can see, laughs you can share, and stories you can tell from a few hours sitting by the water are endless. Plus if you catch a fish that's a bonus! Preferred fishing time would be about sunrise, which you will probably wake up around that time anyways. In Southern California, our lakes are filled with largemouth bass, copper nose bluegill, channel and blue catfish and in the winter months, trout (great for eating). The thrill of feeling a powerful fish tug on your line is unmatched and is a recipe for a great story! Even if you are not into fishing, being out on the water during sunrise is a beautiful sight to see.
Have you ever had a night in with friends and maybe drank some wine, watched tv, and played games? Why not do it outside with out the mindless tv! Breathing in the fresh air and having monumental memories with your friends can boost your happiness. Depending on what type of games you are into can determine how much closer you can get to the people you are with. These games can help friends communicate better, process more information, and reinforce the state of the relationship. You do not have to be friends with everyone, camping is a great way to make friends through mutual friendships.
Some of my preferred games are dice games, such as Mexico or liars dice. If you do not know what those games are or how to play, I am not going to explain them in this blog. These games are meant to be shared in person and spread through memories. Find someone that knows how to play and continue the tradition of passing it on to your friends. If no one knows how to play, look it up on google and share with friends to make new memories. These games are competitive and fun to play with big groups. Card games is another great way to get to know each other. I always bring my deck of cards, cards against humanity, and other games similar. Perfect for smaller groups finding ways to get to know each other, just make sure you have light!
The most common way of finding campsites is hearing it from a friend or seeing it while driving to a destination. Those are great ways to ensure you will find somewhere great, because someone has given you positive feedback. If you are looking for a different and unique places, there are plenty of resources...
Hipcamp is a new stylish way of discovering and booking tent camping, RV parks, cabins, and glamping. They have it all in one! Hipcamp has great stays all over, depending how far you are willing to go, they will have something unique in store for you! It is similar to airbnb, people own land and rent out their space for people who want to camp. There are so many cool places, I guarantee there will be places you have never seen before. There is the website link and there is also an app you can download... https://www.hipcamp.com/en-US
Recreation is a site and an app for finding places to camp and explore national parks. Just type in the area you want to explore and filter to camping, or even if you are passing by, check out the recreation areas. It will show a map of all the national forest options near that specific area. Majority of these camping spots will be pitching your own tent, some campgrounds offer cabins to sleep in. Worth to check it out... https://www.recreation.gov
Everyone knows about airbnb, and you have probably gotten a house with your friends on there. They have an awesome 'glamping' selection for very unique stay. Warning, these stays will be the most expensive, but may be perfect for your ideal camping. Finding a spot on here is the Ferrari of campsites... https://www.airbnb.com/united-states/stays/glamping
The pictures above are from Paso Picacho campgrounds in Descanso, California. This little gem is a little over an hour from San Diego and 30 minutes from downtown Julian, home of the apple pie. Coming soon to my blog, a day in Julian. Paso Picacho is a beautiful place, they have oaks trees that turn yellow in November and manzanita bushes, that attract deer. Great walking and hiking spots all over this area, including Stonewall Peak, a 4 mile round trip up the mountain with amazing views of the valley at the top. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/stonewall-peak?search=true This is the link to Stonewall Peak hike, this is also a great website to find many more hidden hikes around you.
Below, there is a collage of different camping experiences I have done. It goes in order from Westport tent camping in Northern California, winery glamping in a retro camper in Ramona, and then camping on friends property at Ruth Lake in Northern California.
Here is the link to the camper on Hatfield Creek Winery... https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/35031762?adults=1&checkin=&checkout=&children=0&infants=0&pets=0&source_impression_id=p3_1669932874_Di85k9hzPsNI8fIz
Thank you for getting this far into reading my camping 101 post. Camping is one of my favorite activities do in this world. It is therapy, it is about getting outside to explore, enjoying the nature, making memories with friends, and adventuring to new places.
Nature improves general health, being outdoors and receiving sunshine boost your energy. This is a great way of exercise without going to the gym and beating yourself up. It has proven to reduce blood pressure, stress, and anxiety. Too good to be true? Well, believe it, it is a perception of our reality and well being. While camping we are focusing on being in the moment and our surroundings. Directing our attention to patients and self-discipline, that carry out to our day to day lives.
Having a bad day? Stuck in your house feeling depressed or not like yourself? Go camping or just outdoors, I guarantee you will feel instantly better with just one night or a couple hours. The simplest of activities such as staring into the fire, looking up at the star, or going on a walk and looking at some trees, is an abundant source of happiness. Being connected to yourself and having time to think, while staring at something beautiful is satisfying. Your emotional state of mind will have a positive affect on how your next work week will go.
Photos taken by Kailynn
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