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Camping for Beginners

July 7, 2020

Camping is a great way to experience nature. It’s also a low-cost alternative to a hotel room or vacation rental, usually with a better view. With the right gear and a few key tips, camping can be a restful way to unplug from digital distractions and explore wilderness areas in new and exciting ways.

Car camping versus backpacking:

First, it’s important to define what experience you’re looking for, which often brings us to the question of car camping versus backpacking. It can be helpful to consider what’s most practical given your experience and any potential limitations you might have. Do you have small children, for instance, that might not enjoy hiking 5 miles to a campsite?

What is car camping?

Car camping is simply the practice of being able to pack everything you need for camping into your car and pull up and park relatively close to your campsite. Some people also choose to camp in their car versus a tent, or they’ll set up the ability to camp in both.

We love car camping so much that we converted our Honda Element into a camper van to further maximize our travel options and save money in the process.

If you’ve never camped before, car camping can be a great introduction to see whether camping is an activity you enjoy. With car camping, you have greater freedom with what you can bring, you can indulge in more camp comforts, and you have a fairly easy way to escape should inclement weather roll in or you’re faced with an emergency.

Backpacking is a much more minimalistic approach to camping as you’re caring everything you need with you right on your back.

The focus shifts to streamlining your pack with only the essentials, the lighter weight the better. Backpacking is sometimes the only way to experience wilderness territories and destinations you simply can’t drive to, but it requires more preparation. It also helps if you have some wilderness survival knowledge under your belt.

what to bring camping:

Deciding what to bring camping should revolve largely around your desired experience. For instance, some campers seek out nature as a way to fully disconnect from technology. Others bring technology with them.

Quality camping gear can be costly and take time to accumulate. If you’re new to camping and/or you’re not sure if camping is something you’ll do very often, renting gear can be a great way to test out what works for you.

Check out our Ultimate Car Camping Checklist for ideas and suggestions on what to bring car camping.

how to choose your campsite:

For the camping newbies out there, don’t feel limited to reservation-based campgrounds. They are indeed a great way to go, simply because pre-selecting your campsite in advance eliminates any additional worries around finding an available spot. Recreation.gov is a great place to search and reserve campsites in advance.

Another great resource for campers is Freecampsites.net, a searchable website featuring the locations, photos and reviews of free campsites across the world. Discovering Freecampsites.net has been a game-changer for us. It’s helped us discover places to camp at the last minute when traveling across the US, and it was a major savior when one of the campgrounds we had planned to stay at was full.

If you choose to not make a reservation at a campground, it can be helpful to pick a second location as a backup location. Also, it’s important to note that many of these sites are dispersed camping options, meaning there will most likely be no running water or restrooms nearby, so you’ll need to plan accordingly and consider whether this is right for you.

safety considerations:

Fire safety, wildlife safety and personal safety are all important things to consider when planning a camping trip. Check local fire bans or burn restrictions for the region you’ll be camping in. If you’re new to the area, educate yourself about what wildlife you might encounter and how to react if you do. This will help keep both you and the animals safe.

Have you ever built a campfire before? Read our step-by-step guide, How to Build a Campfire for Beginners, to get your fire started.

A bit nervous about your first camping trip? Check out our article, Get Over Your Fear of Camping, and learn how to stay safe out there.

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