Travel & Product Tips

If you are planning camping in winters, it is going to be an adventure. Although surviving the chilly winters is more than an adventure in itself. Is it an exaggeration to say it becomes a survival mission? We don’t think so.

We all wait for that cold season of the year when we snuggle and enjoy hot coffees dug in our beds and that season is- Winters. Winters could be as harsh as they sound exciting, especially when you are on a camping trip, away from the warmth of your home. But a winter camping trip could be the best experience of your life. Here are a few tips for camping in winters that would make it a joy ride:

Get the Right Sleeping Bags

Sleeping bags are the heart of camping trips. Without them, a night’s sleep would be almost impossible. Winters make it more difficult, as you need to choose the right kind of a sleeping bag. A wrong choice and you would freeze to an ice cream bar. Picking a sleeping bag is not that difficult. You simply have to check out the ratings. Is it that easy? No, it is not! Wondering why? A sleeping bag rated 0 degrees might not be sufficiently warm when the temperature hits 0 and you might still be feeling cold. The idea is to pick the one which is rated for a chillier place than you have planned for, say -10 degrees. It will give you a warm margin of 10 degrees.

What to Wear

Choosing the right clothes is as important as choosing the right sleeping bag. Don’t go light inside like a t-shirt or so, it will surely make you cold. Wear everything that could insulate you like- thermals, wool, synthetics. You can add layers on the top obviously, but staying warmer inside is crucial.

Familiar With Your Body

Just like every personality differs, every ‘body’ is also different. There could be various factors like- age, gender, metabolism, body fat etc. that differentiate bodies. You should be familiar with your body, knowing general things like- how prone you are to cold, what makes your body warmer, what ailments your body could pick in certain conditions etc.

Take Advantage of the Analogy of the Body

Just like our cars and other devices need a power source or fuel to run, the human body also needs a charge to fire up. This charge is the food we eat. Eat a lot of food on winter camping trips, preferably fatty food. As fat burns slowly generating the heat required to keep you warm. It is exactly what a polar bear does to survive the winters.

Don’t Duck in the Sleeping Bag

It becomes very tempting to duck inside the sleeping bag when it is chilling out there. But that would only shoot up the moisture level in the sleeping bag, failing it to do what it does. In fact, keep your sleeping bag as dry as possible, it will keep your warmer.

Hot Bottles

In chilling winters you would probably not avoid a campfire, in fact, you would plan one. You could stay around the campfire to keep yourself warm, but that would work till you are around. Although you could store the warmth of the campfire. Boil good amount of water that could fill up your water bottles and sneak them inside your sleeping bag. Tell me- That is the best feeling you get! Just make sure you have the best quality bottles which would not leak or else it would lead to a night ordeal.

Camping in winters is not as bad as you think. All you need is to prep up and know a few hacks that would help you beat the chill.

Vacations and holidaying could be heavy on the pocket and may disrupt your savings. If you are considering a budget camping instead, you have got the sweet spot.

 Well, you could be lucky if your family settled for the trade-off and if you know how to save the big bucks. If that is not the case, just follow these amazing tips for budget camping:

Free Sites

A paid camping site would surely burn a hole in your pocket and the first thing you could do to fence your expense on a camping trip is to search for free camping sites. A free camping site might sound like a teardown option but you could get it all geared up- power (solar panels) and water (camp showers), with no money as compared to a paid site. A free site might save the cost of travelling (fuel) as well in case the paid sites are far away.

Travel Light

Another best way to save on a camping trip is travelling as light as possible. You don’t intend to make a home away from home. Remember you are on a camping trip, you just need all the stuff that would “aid you on a camping trip” and not help you “survive the mission”. If you are travelling along with a couple of friends or families, travelling light could come naturally. Sharing things could avoid doubling up.

Supplies

Buying food at the food counters on a camping trip is something you can’t avoid. But you could cut down a fortune on that. Get loaded with loads of food when you set on the journey. Just make sure the quantity is right enough to sustain through the trip. The best thing you could do at free camping sites is- firing up your own campfire and that could not only heat you up but give you a couple of fresh and hot meals as well.

Camper Cost

The biggest part of the camping trip cost could be the cost of the camper. If you are renting a camper, consider budget vehicles which could fit your trip requirement rather than a sky-high option. Camping along with friends gives a great opportunity to save on vehicle cost by sharing it. You could save a fortune getting your vehicle serviced before setting the sail, it would really help you save a lot later on a breakdown.

Camping trips could fit in your budget without cutting down on the fun part, you just need to be a little smarter while planning it. For more such useful and amazing tips on camping visit https://www.xtendoutdoors.com.au/blog/

It’s one thing to set up camp, but while leaving, we often tend to forget some important things that need to be done. As a camper, it is our responsibility to ensure that the place is left clean and in proper condition – just like it was presented to you. Don’t wait for the last minute to check the things that need to be done. Create a check list and keep it with you at all times to make sure that nothing is left out. You can even get your checklist laminated to avoid getting it smudgy or damaged.

If you haven’t prepared a checklist till now, then use the following pointers to help you in highlighting the most important things that need to be done.

• Put out the campfire with water or sand before leaving. Double check to see that no splinters are left as dry wood or grass can catch fire and spread to other areas.
• Empty the fresh- and waste-water containers and clean out any toilet cassette in an appropriate place
• If you have brought a cylinder, then turn it off and keep it at a safe place till the time you begin loading all of your stuff in the caravan.
• Lower the jockey wheel and lock it in place. If you are planning on leaving the campsite with your caravan, then this might not be needed.
• Make sure that you roll up the awning and make sure that everything is in place.
• Don’t forget to pick up and store the pegs that are used for tying down the awning.
• Connect the electrical plug(s) and the stabiliser system.
• Check whether the towing vehicle and the caravan are in proper working condition.